Dr. Briggs holds a Ph.D. and a M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles, a M.M. in Music Performance (Woodwind Doubling) from the University of Redlands, and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Memphis. He has performed with John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, Rufus Reid, and Benny Green and is currently completing a book-length manuscript on the history of jazz in Memphis, Tennessee (forthcoming via University of Michigan Press). With a passionate interest in the relationship between the triumvirate disciplines of jazz studies  performance, pedagogy, and research, Dr. Briggs seeks to utilize the synergy of a unique and combinative approach to understanding the music.