Miles Griffith voice

Miles Griffith was lead male vocalist on Wynton Marsalis’ Pulitzer prize winning jazz oratorio Blood on the Fields. Other instrumentalists who featured Griffith on their CDs in the ‘90s included trumpeter Bill Mobley and guitarist Mark Elf. It was in 1999 that Griffith released Spiritual Freedom himself; although most of the album was recorded in 1997 and 1998, a few of the tracks went back to 1994. The early 2000s found Griffith keeping busy as a featured vocalist for drummer T.S. Monk (son of the seminal pianist Thelonious Monk) and the Masters of Suspense, a post-bop outfit led by trumpeter Jack Walrath. In 2002, Griffith recorded Expanded Interpretations, an album of adventurous vocal duets with female singer Vered Dekel.  Mobro marks his second collaboration with Bragen and Ellis. (www.milesgriffithmusic.com)

Johnaye Kendrick voice

Johnaye Kendrick works extensively with the Nicholas Payton SEXTET.  Johnaye is also the featured vocalist with the Ellis Marsalis Quartet and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.  The Orchestra won a Grammy® Award in the 2009 “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” category for their latest release, Book 1 on which Ms. Kendrick is featured. (www.johnaye.com)

 

 

 

 

Becca Stevens voice

Becca Stevens’ most recent album, “Weightless” was released in 2011 by Sunnyside Records. She has collaborated with many artists in the jazz, pop and folks worlds including Taylor Eigsti and Eric Harland. Since 2004, Becca has served as lead singer of Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, fronting a genre-bending 18-piece jazz orchestra interpreting the songs of Björk. (www.beccastevens.com)

 

 

 

 

Sachal Vasandani voice

With his breakthrough 2007 debut, Eyes Wide Open, vocalist/composer/arranger Sachal Vasandani  established himself as one of the most promising voices in modern jazz. A 2010 DownBeat “Rising Star” poll winner, Vasandani presented his distinctive blend of jazz and pop with the critically acclaimed release, We Move in 2009. His latest album, “Hi Fly” was released in 2011. (www.sachalvasandani.com)

 

 John Clark  french horn

As one of only a handful of horn players proficient in non-classical genres, Clark has performed or recorded with a wide variety of musicians. These include Glen Velez, Jerome Harris, Anthony Jackson, Linda Ronstadt, B. B. King, Oliver Lake, Ornette Coleman, McCoy Tyner, Sting, Lew Soloff, David Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Akiko Yano, Leroy Jenkins, Gerry Mulligan, Isaac Hayes, Mike Richmond, Howard Johnson, Carla Bley, Grachan Moncur, Ashford and Simpson, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Pat Metheny, Frank Sinatra, Dave Grusin, John Scofield, Spyro Gyra, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, LL Cool J, Gil Evans and the Gil Evans Orchestra, Joe Lovano, Jaco Pastorius, Paquito D’Rivera, Jim Hall, Rachel Z, Jimmy Heath, Johnny Griffin, Toots Thielemans, John Faddis, Gary Bartz, Billy Joel, the Fugees, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Speculum Musicae, the Aspen Wind Quintet, and the Paul Winter Consort. He has performed as a studio musician for many films, including Mission to Mars, Fargo, and Pocahontas.  He is on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. (http://www.hmmusic.com)

 

Shane Endsley trumpet

Brooklyn-based trumpeter/percussionist Shane Endsley is an avant-garde, jazz, and post-rock-leaning musician who finds work across a broad spectrum of musical styles from folk to free improvisation. Born in Denver, Endsley studied trumpet, percussion, and composition at the Eastman School of Music. After graduating, he found work performing with several name artists, including singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. Endsley is a founding member of the post-rock/jazz outfit Kneebody — all of whose members met while attending Eastman — and has appeared on several albums with the ensemble, including the group’s 2005 studio debut on trumpeter Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf label. A regular performer with such downtown N.Y.C. artists as trumpeter Ralph Alessi — with whom he often plays drums — and saxophonist Tim Berne, Endsley released his debut solo album, 2nd Guess, in 2002 on WenEnd Music. In 2007, Down Beat magazine picked Endsley as one of the Top 25 trumpeters of his generation. In 2011, he returned with “Then the Other” on Low Electrical Records.

 

Alan Ferber trombone

Alan Ferber is known internationally as a jazz trombonist, composer and bandleader. For the last two years, he has been recognized as one of the leading trombonists of his generation in Down Beat magazine’s International Critics’ Poll and Readers’ Poll (in 2011, he placed second in the Critics’ Poll). He has released four albums, all of which blur traditional boundaries through an intriguing mix of influences. The Wall Street Journal affectionately describes his music as “somehow both old school and cutting edge”. Alan’s latest project with his nonet and string orchestra is called Chamber Songs and has been released on Sunnyside Records. It creates an “instantly transcendent musical experience that floats effortlessly and beautifully between jazz and classical music” (WNYC) and was named one of the best CDs of 2010 in Down Beat Magazine. Alan has released two additional recordings featuring his nonet on the reputable Fresh Sound New Talent label, The Compass and Scenes From An Exit Row. It makes sense that Alan’s music draws from such a broad stylistic base considering the disparate list of artists he has performed and recorded with over the years: Charlie Hunter, Sufjan Stevens, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr, Peter Gabriel, Lee Konitz, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Dr. Dre, Kenny Wheeler, John Hollenbeck, Don Byron, Kelly Clarkson, and They Might Be Giants. He also remains busy on the commercial music scene in New York, performing steadily on Broadway shows, television jingle recordings, and album recording sessions. His discography lists over eighty CDs on which he has played trombone. As a composer, Alan has written over fifty original works and has received commissions from Bang On A Can, the Atlantic Brass Quintet, the Caswell Sisters, and numerous high schools and universities. Alan is currently adjunct professor of trombone and composition at New York University, Montclair State University, and the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. (http://www.alanferber.com)

Rodney Green percussion

Rodney Green (percussion) is a seasoned professional with experience and skill beyond his years. He continues to grow and challenge himself creatively, stepping out as a leader with the Rodney Green Group, writing music and pursuing projects that interest him. Artists Rodney Green has worked with include Charlie Haden, Wynton Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Diana Krall, George Benson, Nicholas Payton, Cyrus Chestnut, Michael Brecker, Kenny Barron, Wycliffe Gordon, Herbie Hancock, and Dianne Reeves.

 

 

 

Roberto Carlos Lange sound design

Roberto Carlos Lange (Sound Design) is a composer and sound artist born in South Florida and is the son of Ecuadorean immigrants. Growing up he was surrounded by tropical heat and hurricanes that represented the rich colors of sound and people living in South Florida. The sound of bass and late-night “peñas” in and around his house carved a deep foundation into his interest for sound and the things producing them.

The “pause-tape” gave birth to his first sounds and music. With whatever he could grab; guitars, tape-loops, hand claps and voice, Roberto was slowly revealing his way of hearing things. Roberto’s musical pieces are adjusted and aligned with the moment they exist in, they are constructed through improvised performances and accidental happenings. The music and sounds themselves have been over the years documented and compiled together by him and a few record labels. These “albums” are extensions of the after thought of what these songs do together as a group. The albums are based on themes that carry weight and maybe criticize an idea as an observation. (http://robertolange.com/)

 

 

Mike Moreno guitar

Mike Moreno has recorded with major artists such as Interscope Records’ “Bilal”, and Universal Motown’s “Q-Tip” Rising star Jazz Artists such as Jeremy Pelt, Robert Glasper, John Ellis, Jimmy Greene, Myron Walden, Sam Yahel, Marcus Strickland, Yosvany Terry, Geoff Keezer, Frank Locrasto, Kendrick Scott, Leonardo Cioglia, Louise Setara, and Bob Reynolds .   Leading his own band, Mike recently released his debut CD “BETWEEN THE LINES” on World Culture Music. The band is a quintet including tenor and piano, playing all his original music. More recently he recorded his follow up record for the renowned Jazz Label Criss Cross Records. (http://www.mikemoreno.com/)

 

 Josh Roseman trombone

Josh Roseman is a New York based jazz trombonist whose presence has been felt in the downtown scene of improvisers from the 1990s onward.  Artists he has performed with include Frank Lacy, Graham Haynes, John Zorn, the Dave Holland Big Band, Roswell Rudd, Joey Baron, Ellery Eskelin, Don Byron, Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman, Steve Turre, Ron Blake, Oliver Lake, Christopher Hale, Don Byron, Uri Caine’s Mahler Ensemble, the original SFJazz Collective, the Skatalites, Sheryl Crow, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Soulive, Charlie Hunter, the Roots, Cibo Matto, Mike Gordon, Sean Lennon, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Bojan Z, John Aram & the Geneva Downtown Orchestra, and Riccardo Fassi. A quintessential sideman, Roseman does own a small discography with his ensemble the Josh Roseman Unit produced for the Enja label — Cherry, Treats for the Nightwalker, and New Constellations — which collectively included Peter Apfelbaum, Barney McAll, Ben Monder, Jonathan Maron, Billy Kilson, Chris Potter, Liberty Ellman, Ben Perowsky and Mark Feldman.

Ryan Scott guitar

Bred in the hills of California’s Monterey Bay, Ryan Scott has been handling the world of jazz guitar since he was a kid. Ryan moved to NYC in 2001 and quickly became one of the city’s most sought after sidemen and session players. Along with straight-ahead jazz, Ryan’s steady accompaniment alongside singers and songwriters began to influence his own music. Ryan is sometimes described as a combination of Jeff Buckley, John Scofield, and Marvin Gaye. He is a virtuosic guitarist of the highest degree, a soulful, unique vocalist, and a sophisticated songwriter. He melds a technical jazz background into pop structures with honest, pitch-perfect lyrics to create funky, emotional tunes that ooze heart and soul and head right for your chest.

 

 

 

 

Joe Sanders bass

Joe Sanders has made a name for himself through his versatility, dedication, and steady pulse. He is without doubt, one of the most sought-after young bass players of his generation.  He has played, recorded, and toured with many great musicians, including Ravi Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Wayne Shorter, Dave Brubeck, Mulgrew Miller, Geri Allen, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Karriem Riggins, Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Gerald Clayton (whose album Two-Shade was nominated for a 2010 Grammy®, featuring Sanders), Geoffery Kezzer, Lionel Loueke, Aaron Parks, Chris Potter, Ambrose Akinmusire, Christian Scott, and Taylor Eigsti. (http://joesandersbass.com)