PrimeForm (primeform@insightbb.com) is a jazz fusion quartet formed in Lexington in the summer of 2003. Its music combines the classic fusion energy of groups like Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra with a modern, eclectic approach involving original music, electronics, and improvisation. The combo includes Ross Whitaker on guitar, Raleigh Dailey on piano, Danny Cecil on bass, and John Willmarth on percussion.

Ross, a Lexington native, began playing the guitar at age 14. After studying with area guitarists Bud Chowning, Dennis Davis, and Ben Lacy, he gained his first professional playing experience with the jazz quartet Stepladder. After high school, he moved to Louisville to attend Bellarmine University and study guitar with Jeff Sherman. He also performed with Actors Theatre, at the Seelbach Hotel, and at numerous other venues as a freelance guitarist and as part of the fusion trio Bhang. In 2001, Ross moved to Cincinnati, where he studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with guitarist Jim Smith and trumpeter Brad Goode. He’s now back in Lexington, where he is finishing his studies at the University of Kentucky.

Raleigh is an internationally recognized jazz pianist, composer, and educator. He studied at Kent State University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Kentucky and has performed widely throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. In 2002, he was selected to perform at the 3rd Annual International Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris, France.

In addition to playing with PrimeForm, Raleigh is the pianist and staff arranger for the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements have been performed and recorded by numerous college and university jazz ensembles, as well as by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the United States Air Force. He is also lecturer in jazz studies at the University of Kentucky.

Danny was raised in a home filled with music. After playing numerous instruments through the years, he finally settled on the acoustic and electric basses. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Danny has performed in venues throughout the region with such local and nationally known musicians as Sam Rivers, Kenny Werner, Dave Pietro, James Williams, Jay Flippin, Miles Osland, and Vince DiMartino. He also performs regularly with the New Kentucky String Ticklers, the Big Maracas, and Unified Infini3. He lives in Lexington.

John holds a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Iowa. He is the director of percussion and assistant jazz band director at Lafayette High School in Lexington, teaches private lessons, and has served as a percussion consultant to high schools across the country and as a clinician for Bands of America and Yamaha. As a performer, John is a former member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and placed fourth in the 1995 Drum Corps International Snare Drum Competition. He also received recognition as a distinguished soloist at the Wichita State University Jazz Festival in 1999. He is a member of the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra, the John Richardson Quartet, and the Richard Domek Trio.

Program 716

Kentucky filmmaker Elliot Greenebaum, producer and director of Assisted Living; master sand sculptor Damon Farmer from Woodford County; and music by PrimeForm, a jazz fusion quartet from Lexington. (#716)

Program 731

Kentucky filmmaker Elliot Greenebaum, producer and director of Assisted Living; master sand sculptor Damon Farmer from Woodford County; and music by PrimeForm, a jazz fusion quartet from Lexington. (#731)

Program 808

Northern Kentucky enamel artist Bill Helwig, UK art professor and sculptor Garry Bibbs, and music from The Blue Umbrellas and Primeform. (#808)