Fulfilling his dream to become a New York City jazz man, the Cleveland-born trumpeter and crooner is perhaps best known as Lady Gaga’s jazz bandleader, having most recently collaborated with her and Tony Bennett on the Grammy-winning album, "Cheek to Cheek," as well as appearing on notable television broadcasts and promotional appearances including PBS’s "Great Performances," NBC’s "Christmas in Rockefeller Center," "The Tonight Show," "The Today Show" and "Saturday Night Live," ABC’s "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" and "Good Morning America," BBC "One’s Strictly Come Dancing," BBC Radio 1′s "Big Weekend" and MTV’s Video Music Awards. Brian’s trumpet performance with Gaga was also captured on 2011’s "A Very Gaga Holiday" EP as well as a special jazz version of Gaga’s hit “You and I” which she tweeted was inspired by “too many whiskies with Newman.”

Brian also continues to hold court with his longstanding weekly residency as bandleader at Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and routinely appears for special live performances with a diverse array of musical acts ranging from country’s Dierks Bentley to rock stalwarts, Willie Nile and The Dirty Pearls.

Coming to prominence helming his popular “After Dark” jazz and burlesque revue at Duane Park as well as his two-year run at the Plaza Hotel’s legendary Oak Room, Brian presided over closing night of the venerable Big Apple institution in 2011 in his inimitable style as he and his quartet served up a nostalgic array of standards punctuated by swinging banter and permeated by his musical joie de vivre. Realizing the importance of the event, Brian kept the tape rolling and the rowdy yet refined recorded performance was released as his debut album, "Live From New York City." Later that year, Brian further cemented his iconic cocktail culture status with a series of Late Night Jazz performances at Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency.

Brian continues to be a popular choice for a diverse array of major brands as a master of ceremonies and bandleader for high-profile special event performances. Brian was handpicked by Jack Daniel’s in 2012 to herald the release of its Sinatra Select premium Tennessee Whiskey to celebrate the brand’s famed association with Ol’ Blue Eyes, where Brian shared the stage with Frank Sinatra, Jr. in Cannes. In 2013, Brian was chosen to host Tiffany & Co.’s Roaring Twenties-themed Blue Book Ball to celebrate the famed jeweler’s Jazz Age collection inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s remake of "The Great Gatsby."

Brian’s throwback style has also had Hollywood calling with other film and television performances including HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" and feature films Friends with Kids and Hey Bartender, for which he recorded “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “One for My Baby,” respectively. Brian was also named official trumpet player of "The Greg James Show" on BBC Radio.

Brian’s musical stylings and bespoke fashion have been described as the eclectic embodiment of both new world punk and old world tastefulness, allowing him to gracefully toe the line between nouveau chic and classic elegance, for which he has been widely featured in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, PMC Magazine, Lifestyle Mirror and StyleLikeU.

A musician’s musician, Brian has been endorsed by leading American audio manufacturer, QSC, and is specially featured on their K for Musicians website touting the company’s active loudspeakers as the perfect solution for accurate sound reproduction of digital sources in a live application, allowing musicians to be more expressive, add nuance and greater dynamics, and produce more creative and inspired live performances.

Brian married burlesque star, Angie Pontani of the World Famous Pontani Sisters in February 2013, with whom he most notably performs in connection with Pontani’s New York Burlesque Festival and Burlesque-a-Pades shows.

The ultimate embodiment of “old school,” Brian’s interests include classic cars and bikes, vintage tattoo art and New York City history.

Jazz, Musician, Music Musical Performance, Host & Emcee,