New York native, bassist Keith Witty has straddled the worlds of Hip-Hop, popular music forms, and Jazz’s Avante Garde in his young career. Before graduating in 2000 from Wesleyan University, he made his recording debut with the Anthony Braxton Quartet, followed by work in the bands of Guillermo E. Brown and David S. Ware. Keith’s first engagement with Ware was the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Sonny Rollins and Max Roach, with both legends in attendance. In 2007, Keith formally joined Ware’s new quartet. That same year, he joined the touring band of Grammy-nominated singer and song-writer Amel Larrieux, with whom he has toured extensively. In 2010, Keith joined the band of acclaimed East African vocalist, Somi, and simultaneously, Keith has collaborated with some of the most innovative musicians of Jazz’s upcoming generation, playing in bands led by Matana Roberts, Taylor Ho Bynum, Pyeng Threadgill, and Jonathan Finlayson. A dedicated educator, Keith was the New York City Opera Education Program’s composer-in-residence for 10 years.