Lineup

Christian McBride is an nine-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and “The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian” on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.

A jazz artist for the hip-hop generation, José James artfully blurs the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, pop and rock. He has released 12 critically-acclaimed albums in as many years for labels such as Brownswood, Impulse, Blue Note and his own co-founded Rainbow Blonde Records, and is the recipient of both the Edison Award and L’Académie du Jazz Grand Prix. James has collaborated with many notable artists such as Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Aloe Blacc and Jason Moran. A celebrated international performer, James has presented his work at venues such as The Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Ancienne Belgique and Billboard Live Tokyo, and has performed as a guest artist with McCoy Tyner, Laura Mvula and the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Melbourne Symphony and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras.

Cécile McLorin Salvant, is a composer, singer and visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.” Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, theater, jazz, baroque and folkloric music. Salvant is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists and humor. Salvant won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010. She has received three consecutive GRAMMY® Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Window, Dreams and Daggers and For One To Love and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album WomanChild. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, of a French mother and Haitian father, she started classical piano studies at 5, sang in a children’s choir at 8 and started classical voice lessons as a teenager. Salvant’s latest work, Ogresse, is a musical fable in the form of a cantata that blends genres (folk, baroque, jazz, country). Salvant wrote the story, lyrics and music. It is arranged by Darcy James Argue for a thirteen-piece orchestra of multi-instrumentalists. Ogresse, both a biomythography and an homage to the Erzulie (as painted by Gerard Fortune) and Sara Baartman, explores fetishism, hunger, diaspora, cycles of appropriation, lies, othering and ecology. It is in development to become an animated feature-length film, which Salvant will direct.

Five-time GRAMMY® Award winner Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in international music today, a creative force with 16 albums to her name. Time Magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva” and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2021. As a performer, her striking voice, stage presence and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Kidjo’s star-studded album DJIN DJIN won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary World Album in 2008 and her album OYO was nominated for the same award in 2011. In January 2014 Angélique’s first book, a memoir titled Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music and her 12th album, EVE, were released to critical acclaim. EVE later went on to win the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2015, and her historic, orchestral album Sings with the Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg (Savoy/429 Records) won a Grammy for Best World Music Album in 2016. Angelique has gone on to perform this genre-bending work with several international orchestras and symphonies including the Bruckner Orchestra, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Philharmonie de Paris. Her collaboration with Philip Glass, IFÉ: Three Yorùbá Songs, made its US debut to a sold out concert with the San Francisco Symphony in June 2015. In addition to performing this new orchestral concert, Angelique continues to tour globally performing the high-energy concert she’s become famous for with her four-piece band.

An acclaimed jazz vocalist and recording artist, Melissa Walker has performed internationally for close to 20 years. In addition to recording five solo albums and appearing as a guest artist on numerous CDs, she is the featured vocalist on bass virtuoso and band leader Christian McBride’s 2012 GRAMMY®-winning album The Good Feeling.

In 2002, Melissa’s passion for performing and working with young people led her to found JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, and she has proved to be a visionary leader whose work has been recognized nationally. Melissa was recently chosen as a 2014 Best 50 Women in Business Honoree in New Jersey and in 2013, the Jazz Journalists Association presented her with a Jazz Hero Award, given each year to “activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities.” The previous year, she and McBride received the African American Classical Music Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the Spelman College National Alumnae Association. In 2011, Melissa was honored with a Red Cross Award from the Montclair, Glen Ridge and Nutley, New Jersey Chapter for “significant impact on the quality of life through volunteer and humanitarian efforts, ” and she received the Community Service Award from BlueWaveNJ.

Walker is a graduate of Brown University and in 2013 completed The Prudential Foundation Nonprofit Executive Fellows Program at the Institute For Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Melissa lives in Montclair with her husband Christian McBride and their two dogs, Ella and Jesse.

Sullivan Fortner was born and raised in New Orleans and started playing the piano at the age of four. His mother was the choir director of a Baptist church and he began playing the organ there at the age of seven. After studying at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Sullivan went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

For more than a decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY® Award-winning artist received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window, alongside Cecile McLorin Salvant with whom he frequently tours and records. As a solo leader, he has released four recordings to critical acclaim: Moments Preserved, Aria, Tea for Two and Solo Game.

In addition to his associations with such diverse voices as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Sullivan’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Tivon Pennicott, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Christian Scott, Atunde Adjuah, Fred Hersch and the late Roy Hargrove. Recent collaborations include GRAMMY®-nominated releases Dear Love (Empress Legacy) and Generations from leaders Jazzmeia Horn and The Baylor Project, respectively. Sullivan’s accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development.

Born in New York in 1963, Benny Green began classical piano studies at the age of seven. Influenced by his father, a tenor saxophonist, his attention soon turned into Jazz: “I began trying to improvise on the piano, imitating the records I’d been hearing from my father’s collection, which included a lot of Monk and Bird… it was a gradual process of teaching myself”. Benny played in school bands before hooking up with Jazz singer Fay Carroll: “That was good training for me in terms of accompaniment and learning about the blues, and she also gave me a chance to play trio, opening for her every night.” As a teenager, he worked with Eddie Henderson, and got some big band experience with a 12-piece group led by Chuck Israels. After his graduation, Benny freelanced around the bay area for a year, and then moved to New York in the spring of 1982. Back in the Big Apple, he met veteran pianist Walter Bishop Jr.: “I began studying with him and he helped point me in the direction of developing my own sound, and he also encouraged me to check out and study the whole scope of Jazz piano history, so I could get a sense of how I was to fit in.” In 1993, Oscar Peterson chose Benny as the first recipient of the City of Toronto’s Glen Gould International Protégé Prize in Music. That year, Green replaced Gene Harris in Ray Brown’s Trio, working with the veteran bass player until 1997. From 1997 on, Benny resumed his freelance career, led his own trios, and concentrated on his solo piano performances.

Jazz Magazine describes him as “the drummer of his generation” and indeed, Gregory Hutchinson is one of the most highly respected musicians of our time. His mastery of timing and expression of rhythms is at the core of his personal style. He is a musician’s drummer, soundly rooted in the jazz tradition he is able to approach all styles of music with supreme accuracy and imagination, decorating compositions with his natural feel and mind blowing innovation. His professional career began right out of high school, when he was introduced to Red Rodney after playing in a Big Band for a year. He quickly became known as a young phenom in the jazz community sharing the stage with the likes of not only Rodney, but Betty Carter, and Ray Brown while still in his early twenties. He is one of the few musicians today who had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the great orginators of jazz music. Since then he has worked with a virtual who’s who of the jazz world including: Dianne Reeves, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, Roy Hargrove, Charles Lloyd, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and Maria Schneider as well as many other’s. His time signatures and beat compositions have won him praise from the hip hop community as well leading him to work with powerhouses Common and Super producer Kareem Riggins. His experience and technique make him one of the most exciting musicians to watch and hear. He has the creative power to not only nurture, but challenge the very art of drumming. Dianne Reeves describes him as “Pure Genius.” Gary Giddins described his drum work as “Elegant” and more “like dancing.” Joshua Redman describes him as “Inspired.” To Hutch’s credit his goal is to play the drums like Charlie Parker played the horn, “I want to sing on the drums the way he sang on the horn.” If history is any indication, Hutch will indeed continue to be a formidable presence in the musical community.

Christian Sands is a jazz pianist and composer known for his technical skill, creativity and versatility across various styles of jazz. Christian showed prodigious musical talent from a young age, beginning to play piano at four, influenced early on by jazz legends like Art Tatum and McCoy Tyner.

Christian first gained widespread recognition as a member of the Christian McBride Trio, where his performances helped the group become one of the most celebrated contemporary jazz trios. His work with McBride, a renowned bassist, gave him the opportunity to perform internationally and appear on critically acclaimed recordings.

Beyond his work with McBride, Sands has established himself as a leading voice in modern jazz through his solo career. He has released several albums as a bandleader, including Reach and Facing Dragons, which showcase his ability to blend traditional jazz elements with modern influences like Latin rhythms, funk and blues.

In addition to his virtuosic playing, Christian is known for his innovative compositions and arrangements. He has collaborated with a variety of artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Porter and Dianne Reeves.

Under the tutelage of his father, Warren Wolf began his music studies at the age of three, learning the vibraphone, marimba, drums and piano. A classically trained musician, he attended the Peabody Institute’s preparatory program for eight years, then attended the Baltimore School for the Arts and subsequently graduated from the Berklee College of Music, where he studied under jazz vibraphonist Dave Samuels.

During his time at Berklee Wolf was an active member of Boston’s jazz scene, playing the vibraphone, drums, and piano, and, with his friend, trumpeter Jason Palmer, he co-led a group at Wally’s Cafe, the legendary Boston jazz venue, where he worked as house drummer. In September 2003 Wolf became an instructor in the percussion department at Berklee, giving private lessons on the vibraphone and drums, as well as teaching a beginners’ keyboard class for entering freshmen majoring in drum performance.

Wolf has made several recordings as a leader and a sideman. His recent effort, the eponymous Warren Wolf (2011), features Christian McBride on bass, Peter Martin on piano, Greg Hutchinson on drums, Tim Green on alto and soprano saxophones and Jeremy Pelt on trumpet.

After 30 years in comedy and over 30 Jazz Cruises, Alonzo Bodden has been able to marry his two passions: comedy and jazz. “There is nothing like the cool and creativity of the jazz world, I love it,” says Alonzo. His big break was “New Faces of Comedy” at the Just for Laughs Festival (Canada). He credits winning Season 3 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, as his introduction to America.

With four comedy specials, sitcoms, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and The Nightly Show to his credit, he has done it all. His comedy CD, Man Overboard, was recorded on a Smooth Jazz Cruise. His latest comedy special, “Stupid Don’t Get Tired,” is available on YouTube. “The highest compliment I get is when I’m riffing onstage during a cruise and one of these brilliant musicians says “that’s jazz.” What could be cooler than that?”

George Wallace is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his observational humor, quick wit and relatable takes on everyday life. Born in Georgia, George has had a long and successful career in comedy, spanning several decades.

He gained prominence in the 1970s and ’80s with his stand-up performances and has been a regular fixture on the Las Vegas comedy scene, where he performed his long-running residency at the Flamingo Hotel. Wallace’s comedy often covers everyday situations like relationships, work, travel, and social issues and he delivers his jokes in a down-to-earth, humorous style that resonates with a wide audience.

Wallace has appeared on television shows like Seinfeld, The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman, as well as in several movies, including Batman Forever, Mr. Deeds and Think Like a Man Too.

Beyond comedy, he has published books like Laff It Off! and remains active in the comedy circuit, continuing to perform live stand-up.

With over 200 recordings to his credit, the gifted Milwaukee-born, New York-based drummer, sideman, bandleader, entrepreneur and educator, Carl Allen’s profound and propulsive percolations provided soulful and syncopated support for nearly three decades.

Allen grew up on gospel, R&B and funk, but later turned to jazz after hearing an LP by the legendary saxophonist Benny Carter. He studied with drum instructor Roy Sneider and band director Robert Siemele. His first hometown gigs were with sax greats Sonny Stitt and James Moody. Allen studied at The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay from 1979 to 1981, and transferred to William Patterson College in New Jersey, where he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance.

Allen joined trumpeter Freddie Hubbard a year before his graduation, served as his Musical Director for eight years, and recorded several recordings with the trumpeter including Double Take and Life Flight. Allen also played with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Jennifer Holliday, Rickie Lee Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Branford Marsalis, Lena Horne, Herbie Hancock, Benny Green, Joe Henderson, Billy Childs and many others. Allen’s phenomenal sideman discography also includes Jackie McLean (Dynasty), Donald Harrison (Indian Blues, Noveau Swing), Donald Byrd (A City Called Heaven) and Art Farmer (The Company I Keep).

Allen maintains an exhaustive schedule of recording, touring and teaching. He remains active as a sideman with Christian McBride and Inside Straight, Benny Golson and others. As a leader most recently leading The Carl Allen Quartet as well as The Art of Elvin, a tribute band dedicated to his two drum influences, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones was started after the passing of Elvin Jones in 2004.

Upon graduating from Duke University, Todd Bashore immediately moved to New York City to study with jazz legends Jimmy Heath and Roland Hanna at Queens College, where he received his master’s degree. Todd has been active in the New York jazz scene ever since, performing and recording with David Berger, the Captain Black Big Band, the CTI All-Star Band, Orrin Evans, Pedro Giraudo, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, the Mambo Legends Orchestra, matchbox twenty, Christian McBride, the New York City Ballet, Chico O’Farrill, Valery Ponomarev, Bobby Sanabria, Bruce Springsteen, Charles Tolliver, Bebo Valdéz, Max Weinberg and many others. Recent tours include a trip to Taiwan with the Charles Tolliver Sextet, an extended US tour with Max Weinberg, and an Asian tour with the Christian McBride Big Band.

Todd keeps busy as a composer & arranger writing for many projects including the Captain Black Big Band and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. He received an excellent review in the NY Times for an arrangement of Wave written for Slide Hampton. In July 2009 Todd arranged all of the music for the CTI All-Star Band premiered at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and released on a blu-ray DVD.

Recent recordings of Todd on saxophone and flute include the 2012 GRAMMY® award winning recording The Good Feeling – Christian McBride Big Band, Cordoba – Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, Ven Baila Conmigo – the Latin Giants of Jazz, Relentless – Michael Dease, Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note – Charles Tolliver, Final Night at Birdland – the Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra and Hopscotch, Todd’s debut recording as a leader, to be released soon. Todd teaches Jazz Analysis at Queens College.

Ron Blake is a protean figure in jazz—as a longstanding member of the Saturday Night Live band and valued collaborator with Christian McBride’s bands, as a Juilliard faculty member and as an engaged cultural advocate for the U.S. Virgin Islands where he was born and raised. Ron began studying guitar at 8 and turned to the saxophone at 10. He taught at the University of South Florida before moving to New York, where he spent five years as trumpeter in Roy Hargrove’s quintet, and seven years playing flugelhorn in Art Farmer’s group. Blake then formed his own quartet, which included pianist Shedrick Mitchell, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson.

Blake has made more than 40 recordings with his contemporaries as well as with legendary artists Benny Golson, Jimmy Smith, Dianne Reeves, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Arthur Taylor and Art Farmer. He has performed at major jazz festivals and clubs internationally and has shared the stage with jazz greats including Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Hutcherson, Roy Haynes and Ray Brown. Blake’s album Mistaken Identity was released in the fall of 2023.

Since moving to New York in 2001, bassist Matt Brewer has played with some of the most important musicians in the music scene including Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Greg Osby, Mark Turner, Steve Lehman, Aaron Parks, Lage Lund, Ben Monder and many others. He is currently a member of The SF Jazz Collective, Ben Wendel’s Seasons band, and Antonio Sanchez’s group Migration.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Matt spent most of his youth in Albuquerque NM where at age 10 he began studying the bass, learning jazz from his father Dr. Paul Brewer (a trombonist/educator) and studying classical bass during the summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp. He later attended high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and afterwards joined the inaugural class of Juilliard’s jazz program. As an educator Matt has frequently lectured at the Banff Center, is an adjunct faculty member at the New School, and is the jazz bass instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has recorded three albums as a leader – Mythology, Unspoken and Ganymede.

New York based trombonist James Burton III is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most sought after performers/educators in the jazz community. Mentored by jazz luminaries Jackie McLean and Curtis Fuller, James Burton III has lent his sound to GRAMMY®-Award-winning albums and Tony Award-winning Broadway productions. Burton has been a member of the jazz faculty at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music.

An avid educator, Burton is currently professor of jazz theory at the Juilliard School as well as conductor of the renowned Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. He has served as trombonist/associate conductor for the Jazz at Lincoln Center All Star Orchestra in the Tony Award-winning production After Midnight and played trombone/tuba in the pit orchestra of Broadway’s Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.

Currently, Burton can be heard alongside bandmates Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, Xavier Davis, Vicente Archer & Jonathan Blake on a new release for the Sunnyside Record label entitled Black Art Jazz Collective: Presented by the Side Door Jazz Club.

Steve Davis graduated from Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Insitute in 1989 and, it was with McLean’s guidance and recommendation that Davis landed his first major performance with Art Blakey in NYC. Widely regarded as one of today’s leading voices on the trombone, Steve’s lyrical, hard-swinging style is what first gained him broad recognition. Steve has released 20 albums including Think Ahead (2017), Say When (2015), For Real and Gettin’ It Done, featuring his longtime musical colleagues Larry Willis and Nat Reeves along with drummer Billy Williams, saxophonists Abraham Burton, Mike DiRubbo and trumpeter Josh Bruneau.

In 2018, his original composition Optimism was included in Christian McBride’s GRAMMY® Award winning album Bringin’ it. Steve’s latest release with his sextet Correlations features Joshua Bruneau on trumpet, Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone, Xavier Davis on piano, Dexron Dougles on bass, Johnathan Barber on drums and Caro Baptista on percussion.

Steve performs internationally with Dizzy Gillespie’s All-Stars, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter. Chick Corea & My Spanish Heart Band, Origin, he has appeared at The Jimmy Fallon Show with Steve Wonder, at the White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS) and records with the collective unit One For All (Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth), Larry Willis, Harold Malberen.

Xavier Davis‘ professional career as a Jazz pianist took off when the legendary vocalist Betty Carter spotted his outstanding talent at the 1994 International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Boston while he was performing with his college ensemble. It was her who brought Xavier to New York, hiring him exclusively as the pianist of her working trio. Today, Xavier is one of the most accomplished Jazz pianists world wide. Having led master classes and clinics all over the world and coming from a family of music educators, passing on knowledge and skills to young musicians is very important to Xavier.

Xavier’s development as a musician has been greatly influenced by the inspiration and guidance he has received from Carl Allen, James Williams and Billy Hart, whom he sees and respects as his great mentors. Xavier is part of the Christian McBride Big Band and was featured on Christian’s album The Good Feeling, which won a GRAMMY® award in 2012.

As a bandleader, Xavier has released two critically acclaimed albums – Dance of Life and The Innocence of Youth. “The pianist [Xavier Davis] simply knows how to make every note on his instrument sing, and he invariably finds the richest area of the keyboard for voicing his chords.” says writer Bob Blumenthal. Jazz Times reviewer John Murph writes “…the music exudes a mature, nonchalant ease and cozy empathy that make this…a rewarding listen.” DownBeat Magazine gave the CD four stars, stating, “Davis steps out with an accomplished debut.” Xavier is currently working on his long awaited follow-up to these albums.

Michael Dease is one of the world’s eminent trombonists, lending his versatile sound and signature improvisations to over 200 recordings and groups as diverse as GRAMMY®-winning artists David Sanborn, Christian McBride, Michel Camilo and Alicia Keys. Born in Augusta, GA, he played the saxophone and trumpet before choosing the trombone at age 17. In 2001, Dease moved to New York City to become part of the historic first class of jazz students at The Juilliard School, earning both Bachelors and Masters degrees, and quickly established a reputation as a brilliant soloist, sideperson and bandleader.

Saxophonist, bandleader, composer and educator, Nicole Glover, is based in New York City and has established herself as a rising star and a musician in great demand. Her most recent solo recording is Strange Lands (Savant), with the venerable pianist George Cables. The London Times awarded the album 4 stars, calling it “otherworldly.” It remained near the top of the Jazzweek radio charts for 11 weeks. Nicole is also an integral member of the supergroup ARTEMIS, led by pianist Renee Rosnes. In May 2023, the collective released their 2nd recording, In Real Time, on Blue Note Records. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Nicole was a student of the American Music Program, a program dedicated to priming students for a career in jazz. In 2009, she moved east to attend the jazz program at William Paterson University. There, she studied with pianists Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry. Currently, Nicole is a member of an new quintet led by bassist Christian McBride, and she performs often with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She has worked with drummers Al Foster, Victor Lewis and Kenny Washington, Grammy award winning vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater and Buika, saxophonist Rudresh Manhanthappa, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and pianists Geoffrey Keezer, Luis Perdomo, and George Colligan among others. She recently performed Mary Lou Williams’ “Zodiac Suite” with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the musical direction of pianist Aaron Diehl. An experienced educator, Nicole is on faculty at Princeton University, Manhattan School of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She is a passionate teacher, and has given many masterclasses and private lessons to aspiring musicians all over the globe.

Trumpet Player Frank Greene grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Frank’s early trumpet studies with friend and trumpet teacher Bill Nicolosi led him to perform with Dave Eshelman’s San Jose City College Big Band while Frank was still in High School.

Trumpet Player Frank Greene continued on to play Lead Trumpet in the famed One O’clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas after high school. Prior to graduation, Frank joined the Woody Herman Thundering Herd Big Band And later a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream: playing lead trumpet and recording with the Great Maynard Ferguson!

Frank Greene moved to New York City where he enjoys an extremely varied musical life after touring with Maynard Ferguson. Frank has played for the hit Broadway show The Producers. Frank is presently playing Disney’s The Little Mermaid on Broadway and has just returned from a tour with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra.

Russell Hall is an award-winning double bassist from Kingston, Jamaica. He was introduced to jazz at the Dillard Center for the Arts directed by Christopher Dorsey. He continued his studies with master bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe at The Juilliard School in New York City. He has been blessed to work with legends such as Edward Norton, Kathleen Battle, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Barry Harris, Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mwenso and The Shakes, Emmet Cohen and Jonathan Batiste and Stay Human. His band, “Bessie and The Rainbowkids,” is a group comprised of artists from all around the world who’s mission is to bring peace to all ears and love to all hearts. In addition, Russell is a part of “The Blacksmiths,” an arts coalition dedicated to social justice.

Savannah Harris is a New York City-based drummer, composer and producer. Raised in Oakland, California by musician parents, she gravitated towards the drums at age 2. Steeped in a jazz tradition, Savannah views its connection to all forms of diasporic and folkloric music as central to her approach. She’s performed and recorded with indie and experimental artists Helado Negro, Georgia Anne Muldrow, KeiyaA, Nick Hakim, Kate Davis, Justin Allen, and Standing on the Corner. Her jazz recordings include releases from Peter Evans, María Grand, and Or Bareket. She’s performed with Geri Allen, Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terrence Blanchard, Linda May Han Oh, Billy Childs, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, and Aaron Parks. Presently, she tours extensively with Christian McBride, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and Kenny Barron.   In 2019, Savannah was awarded the Harlem Stage Emerging Artist Award, and she received her master’s in jazz performance from Manhattan School of Music. She was featured twice in the January 2021 issue of Modern Drummer as both a featured artist and a contributing writer. In October of 2021, she debuted her solo piece “With Inner Sound, Truth” commissioned by Issue Project Room as a tribute to composer Ruth Anderson. Savannah was also featured in Sixteen Journal’s “JAZZ” edition, with portraits shot by photographer James Brodribb.

Over the past two decades, Freddie Hendrix has become one of the most in demand trumpeters in Jazz and beyond. Also an accomplished composer, arranger and educator, the New Jersey native’s skill and versatility has resulted in him working with a wide array of performers that range from the Count Basie Orchestra and The Christian McBride Big Band, to Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys.

With the release of his first recording as a leader, JERSEY CAT, Freddie is serving notice that now is his time. One of the music’s most exciting players, Hendrix has forged his own sure footed, full toned sound, out of the tradition of Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan, and Clifford Brown. A powerful septet recording, JERSEY CAT, a scintillating septet debut, impresses from the opening bars of the powerful first track, “St. Peter’s Walk.” At home on fiery, up-tempo tracks, or on ballads like “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” Hendrix shows that he can handle any tempo and interpret any song with ease, and when called for, nuance. And on originals like “On The Rise” (one of his first compositions), “Madeira Nights,” (inspired by his first trip to Europe), and “Whims Of A Waltz,” Freddie’s aforementioned composing and arranging talents are on full display. Among the other selections on this well rounded project is a wonderful performance of the Horace Silver classic “Peace,” and a swinging rendition of Freddie Hubbard’s “Hubtones.”

A product of the esteemed Jazz program at William Paterson University, with a Masters in Jazz Studies and Performance from New Jersey City University, Hendrix also shares his knowledge and passion for the music by serving as a faculty member at the Hartt School of Music at The University of Hartford (Ct.), The New School in New York, and Jazz House Kids, in Montclair, New Jersey.

Whether leading his own groups, or lending his talents as a lead or section player in much larger ensembles, Freddie Hendrix continues to flourish as one of the most exciting trumpet voices on the music scene.

McClenty Hunter is a GRAMMY®-nominated drummer who has worked with jazz icons such as Lou Donaldson, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Garrett, Buster Williams and Curtis Fuller, among others. In the August 2019 edition of Downbeat magazine, McClenty has been acknowledged as a rising star, as well in Modern Drummer magazine Readers Poll 2017 and in February 2016 edition of Modern Drummer.

In 2017, McClenty debut as a leader and composer on The Groove Hunter receiving 4 stars in Downbeat magazine, with a raving review in Modern Drummer, among others. His masterful work can also be heard on several notable recordings: Dave Stryker’s hit records Eight Track series, The Stryker & Slagel Band’s Expand, Dave Styrker’s Messin With Mr. T, Javon Jackson’s Live at Smoke: Expression and Kenny Garrett’s GRAMMY®-nominated LP Pushing The World Away.

McClenty successfully balances an international performance schedule with his role as Director of the KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra in the South Bronx. As conductor, he has led students in collaborative performances with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation and Robin Hood Foundation featuring artists Roger Waters, Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, John Mayer and Mary J. Blige. McClenty received his Bachelor’s Degree in music education from Howard University in 2005, and completed his Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School of Music in 2007.

Nabaté Isles is a GRAMMY® winning trumpeter, composer and producer known for his work in jazz, hip-hop and other genres. His music often blends traditional jazz elements with modern influences, reflecting his versatility as a musician. Isles has performed and recorded with numerous notable artists, including Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and Christian McBride. He’s also well-regarded as a sports commentator and host, showing his broad range of interests and talents.

Isles has released solo projects, such as his debut album Eclectic Excursions, which showcases his fusion of various musical styles. He’s known for both his technical proficiency and his ability to bring fresh, contemporary elements to jazz.

Rodney Jones, a revolutionary force in the realm of jazz guitar, redefines tradition with a fearless innovation that echoes the pioneering spirit of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. Born into a world pulsating with the rhythms of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1956, Jones’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of music. Raised in a household where the echoes of the blues mingled with the intellectual pursuits of academia, he absorbed the rich tapestry of influences that would shape his singular style.

From the moment he first picked up the guitar at the age of 8, Jones embarked on a quest to push the boundaries of the jazz guitar tradition like never before. His early years were a melting pot of musical exploration, from the soulful strains of Jimi Hendrix to the soul-stirring sounds of James Brown and Curtis Mayfield. But it was the deep wellspring of the blues that truly captured Jones’s soul, infusing his playing with an emotional depth and authenticity that would become his hallmark.

As a teenager, Jones found himself drawn to the smoky clubs and jam sessions of New York City, where he immersed himself in the vibrant jazz scene while honing his craft in soul bands. It was here that he first encountered the revolutionary sounds of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, whose modal explorations and harmonic innovations would serve as a guiding light in his musical journey.

With each note he played, Jones pushed the boundaries of the jazz guitar tradition, seamlessly blending the raw emotional power of the blues with the daring harmonic landscapes of Coltrane and Tyner. His playing was a revelation, a modern-day synthesis of tradition and innovation that electrified audiences and inspired generations of musicians.

The turning point came when Jones joined the legendary Dizzy Gillespie’s quartet, embarking on a transformative three-year journey that would further solidify his place in the pantheon of jazz greats. Armed with the wisdom gleaned from his time with Gillespie, Jones struck out on his own, touring the globe and recording a series of groundbreaking albums that showcased his virtuosity and vision.

But perhaps Jones’s greatest contribution lies in his role as a torchbearer for future generations of jazz musicians. As a professor at esteemed institutions such as The Juilliard School and The Manhattan School of Music, he has dedicated himself to passing on the torch of innovation to the next generation. His workshops and educational initiatives serve as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring musicians, empowering them to carve out their own paths in the ever-evolving landscape of jazz.

Virtuosic pianist Michael King, a Chicagoan native, began playing drums in his local church band at the early age of 4. This fortuitously melodic schooling nurtured an undeniable affinity to the piano and organ, the very seat that he began to occupy, by ear, at age 14. Mr. King is an alumni of Lincoln Park High School and the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory. He was selected to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute and The Ravinia Jazz Scholars program on merit scholarships. Michael has performed with Bobby Watson, Kevin Eubanks, Dave Liebeman, Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, Joel Frahm, Rufus Reid, & Antonio Hart, among others. Currently you can catch Mr. King touring internationally with: DeeDee Bridgewater, Robin Eubanks, Theo Croker’s DVRK FUNK, Soul Understated & Marcus Printup.

Born and raised in Texas, Brandon Lee started on piano at five and switched to trumpet at nine. Lee found his love for jazz at 11 and never looked back. At 16, Lee made his first connection with Wynton Marsalis through Essential Ellington. In 2001, Lee was 1 of 18 students chosen in the inaugural class of the jazz studies program at The Juilliard School. From 2009-12, Lee was on the jazz studies faculty as one of the youngest faculty to ever teach at The Juilliard School.

Lee has performed with Christian McBride Big Band, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Birdland Big Band, David Berger Big Band, Eyal Vilner Big Band, Aaron Diehl featuring Cecile McLorin Salvant, Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Kenny Barron Quintet, Fat Cat Big Band and many others. In February 2018, Lee was awarded his first GRAMMY® as a sideman on Christian McBride’s big band album, Bringin’ It. As a leader, Lee has recorded three albums: From Within (2007), Absolute-Lee (2010) and Common Thread (2017). He also co-leads a 10-piece group called the Uptown Jazz Tentet (UJT). In March 2017, UJT released its first album titled, There It Is.

Baritone saxophonist Carl Maraghi moved to New York City from his native Montreal, Canada and graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School where he studied and performed with many great jazz artists such as Joe Temperley, Victor Goines, Joe Lovano, Benny Golson, Wycliffe Gordon and Wynton Marsalis.

Carl is also involved with Argentine bassist and composer Pedro Giraudo’s orchestra with recordings, concerts in the New York area and tour in Macau, China. Carl is part of the acclaimed David Berger Jazz Orchestra, touring and recording regularly in the U.S. and Europe. This ensemble performed every Tuesday night at the famous New York jazz club “Birdland” for three years, and recorded music for actor/director Denzel Washington’s movie The Great Debaters. The orchestra was part of two Mark Twain Prize PBS Specials honoring comedy legends Billy Crystal and Bill Cosby recorded at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Carl participated in the Henry Mancini Institute program in Los Angeles where he performed with saxophone great Chris Potter, and trumpet icon Doc Severinsen (bandleader in The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for 30 years).

After their meeting in California, Mr. Severinsen employed Carl in his own big band that included Ed Shaunnessy, John Bambridge and Snooky Young. He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music Performance at Concordia University in Montreal before his studies at The Juilliard School in New York. Along with performing professionally in different jazz ensembles in the Montreal jazz scene and at the world-renowned Montreal International Jazz Festival, he appeared regularly as a musician on several radio and television shows. He recently recorded with singer Alicia Keys on her CD As I Am and performed with Stewart Copeland, composer and drummer of the rock group The Police. He also performed for the President of the United States at The White House, with the Harlem Jazz Museum All-Star Orchestra conducted by Loren Schoenberg. He toured with clarinettist extraordinaire Ken Peplowski and was part of the late singer/pianist and American legend Bobby Short’s nonet. He is performing regularly on the Broadway show hits Jersey Boys and Billy Elliot. Carl Maraghi leads and composes for many different projects including film scores, his own quartet and quintet, the Carl Maraghi Sax Ensemble, and the Mulligan and More 4tet with Gerry Mulligan alumni bassist Bill Crow. Blossom, released in the spring of 2009, is his first opus. It features original compositions and arrangements in different jazz settings and has already been acclaimed by renowned jazz musicians and critics.

Eric Marienthal has won two GRAMMY® Awards and has been nominated ten times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Jeff Lorber Fusion and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Having performed in over 80 countries and played on hundreds of recordings, films and TV shows, Eric also has recorded 15 solo recordings including his latest entitled Double Dealin’ with his friend Randy Brecker. Eric’s recordings have produced several top 10 radio singles including three tunes that reached #1 on its respective chart. Eric is the recipient of the Berklee College of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. Eric was also named one of the top 3 alto saxophonists in Jazziz Magazine’s Readers Poll along with Phil Woods and David Sanborn. For the past 22 years Eric has organized an annual charity concert for the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA. These concerts have raised awareness for this great organization and have raised over 2 million dollars. For the past few years, Eric has applied his vast knowledge and experience in the world of jazz to being the Music Director for all of Signature Jazz Cruises’ sailings. In that challenging role, Eric is charged with curating the performances, schedules and support for hundreds of the top musicians in the world. His ability to perform this task with skill and professionalism has made the quality of the programming on those sailings among the very best in the world.

Peter Martin performed on and arranged Dianne Reeves’ GRAMMY®-winning release A Little Moonlight and appeared in George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, as well as being the featured pianist and an arranger on the GRAMMY®-winning soundtrack. Peter has also performed, toured, and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Chris Botti, Betty Carter, Christian McBride, and Joshua Redman, as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

Peter attended The Juilliard School of Music and has been on the faculties of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Northwestern University, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He has performed workshops and master classes at institutions worldwide, including Oberlin College, Duke University, the Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshops, Steinway Piano Gallery, the Rotterdam Conservatory, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow.”

Ely Perlman is a guitarist, composer, and producer hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel. A third-year student at the Berklee College of Music, Ely Perlman is a member of Christian McBride’s newest band. In addition to collaborating with other acclaimed artists such as Shai Maestro and Ben Wendel, Ely leads multiple musical projects, including a jazz quartet highlighting his compositional vision and an indie band called “SWIMS.” Ely released “All We Got” in 2022, his first single as a singer/songwriter, and is currently working on his self-produced debut album. He received his early musical education at the esteemed Jazz Department of the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, graduating with honors, and at the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory of Music, Tel Aviv.

Douglas Purviance established his professional career in 1975 with a two-year engagement with the highly acclaimed Stan Kenton Orchestra. Born in Baltimore, he moved to New York in 1977 to build a career that is characterized by diversity and leadership. The next year, he became a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, now the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He is a charter member of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. In addition, he was featured as senior bass trombonist in the renowned Broadway musical CATS for its entire 18 year run.

Douglas currently manages production, engineering and marketing of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra recordings, including the band’s most recent success, Thad Jones Legacy, and Lickety Split, which received a 1998 GRAMMY® Award Nomination. He oversees the band’s financial management and worldwide tour booking; and is executive director of Sixteen as One Music, a not-for-profit fund-raising entity for educational and multi-cultural initiatives.

Douglas has scored and edited soundtracks for numerous film and television productions; among them The Winter in Lisbon (1990) and People Magazine’s 20th Anniversary (ABC, 1992). He has toured extensively with Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Dizzy Gillespie and the Mingus Big Band, among others.

Douglas is an active jazz educator and clinician on a worldwide basis, and regularly participates in master class tours. Douglas Purviance plays the Yamaha YBL-613H bass trombone.

Julius Rodriguez grew up in White Plains, New York and is of Haitian descent. He began to study classical piano at an early age after being exposed to jazz, particularly music by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane, through his father, an avid jazz aficionado. At age twelve, he enrolled in Manhattan School of Music’s precollege division and studied there continuously throughout high school. He later studied at The Juilliard School.

Rodriguez’s music integrates elements from jazz, avant garde, R&B, hip hop and pop music. He has drawn inspiration from The Bad Plus, Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran to find novel ways of integrating music outside of the jazz canon, including music by The Beatles.

Rodriguez has been an active touring member of Isaiah Barr’s Onyx Collective, a group which has done collaborative work with a wide range of artists, including Dave Glasser, Ratking and members of the Wu Tang Clan. The group accompanied A$AP Rocky on a 2018 tour in which Rodriguez performed on both keyboard and guitar.

He has worked as a sideman with Keyon Harrold, Ben Williams, Carmen Lundy, James Morrison, Jazzmeia Horn, Dev Hynes, Roy Hargrove, Macy Gray, Wynton Marsalis, Veronica Swift, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Kurt Elling, Nick Hakim, Meshell Ndegeocello and others.

Rodriguez also performs regularly as a drummer.

Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott presents Corridors, his first compositional treatment of trio context — saxophone, bass and drums — and third album for Blue Note Records. The anticipated follow-up to A Wall Becomes A Bridge, Scott’s much-lauded 2019 release with his band Oracle, Corridors unveils an exposed rumination from the Houston-born artist and his acclaimed collaborators: saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. “I often write about something that I’m going through,” says Scott, “but for this record I wanted to zoom out from my perspective and instead, try to deal with everyone’s. I had to make myself uncomfortable in an entirely new way.”

In the DJ game now for over twenty years, Jahi Sundance is one of those unique figures that can take the crowd on an unforgettable musical journey. With the slightest flick of his wrist, the foundation is forged for one wild night that people are sure to remember. Always at the cutting edge, Jahi Sundance can play everything from hip-hop, house, jazz, 80’s, rock, reggae to punk, however, he is most known for creating unique and positive soundscapes.

Jahi Sundance has created some of the most inventive DJ sets on the scene today; touring with Me’shell N’degeocello and landing him DJ spots at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He is currently working on an album with a group he co-founded called, Moon Medicin, as well as DJing for jazz giants Robert Glasper and Christian McBride. Recently, Jahi has produced and written songs for Chris Brown, Danity Kane, Miguel, Common, and The World Cup. He is also a professor at Scratch DJ academy, started by Jam Master Jay, located in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.  

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Dan Wilson spent the majority of his youth within the church community, where his musical path began. Traces of his major guitar influences – including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass and George Benson to name a few – can be discerned through his playing, but his musical identity has been shaped by everything from gospel and blues to traditional jazz, hip-hop and horn players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.

After graduating from Hiram College, Wilson made his recording debut with pianist Joe McBride and performed to worldwide acclaim with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride’s Tip City, eventually recording his debut as a leader in To Whom It May Concern.

Wilson has had the honor of sharing the stage with jazz greats including Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann, René Marie, Jeff Hamilton, David Sanborn and Dave Stryker. He also teaches jazz guitar and music theory through private lessons.

Wilson’s career took him on an exploratory journey into foundations laid down by the guitar/organ tradition, eventually leading to an invitation to perform with jazz great Joey DeFrancesco’s trio quartet, with which Wilson went on to earn a GRAMMY® Award nomination with for DeFrancesco’s Project Freedom album (Mack Avenue Records, 2017). This collaboration allowed the guitarist to insert his own dialect into the musical prowess and respect that DeFrancesco had earned throughout his journey.

Wilson had been playing with DeFrancesco for a few years when he met bassist, composer, arranger, Christian McBride. From there, Wilson went on to tour with McBride’s trio Tip City, eventually leading McBride to serve as producer on Vessels of Wood and Earth and release the album on his newly formed imprint Brother Mister Productions through Mack Avenue Music Group.

The album was released on April 23, 2021 and is available on all platforms.

Steve Wilson has attained ubiquitous status in the studio and on the stage with the greatest names in jazz. A bandleader in his own right, Jazz Times calls him “the consummate saxophonist-composer” and “one of the finest alto and soprano saxophonists of our time.”

A musician’s musician, Wilson has brought his distinctive sound to more than 100 recordings led by such celebrated and wide-ranging artists as Chick Corea, George Duke, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Dianne Reeves, Joe Henderson, Charlie Byrd and Mulgrew Miller among many others. Wilson has eight recordings under his own name, leading and collaborating with a wide range of stellar musicians.

An in-demand and passionate educator Wilson is the Director of Jazz Studies and an Associate Professor of Music at City College of New York. In 2019 he joined the prestigious faculty at Ravinia’s Stean’s Music Institute in Chicago, IL, in 2021 he was made a Co-Director with Rufus Reid and Billy Childs.

The JAZZ HOUSE All-Stars features some of the brightest stars in the New York scene today, all of whom came through JAZZ HOUSE KiDS’ acclaimed jazz education program. Based in Montclair, NJ, and celebrating 20 years, the JAZZ HOUSE has become a community for creative musicians to develop their craft. Last year, JAZZ HOUSE launched a partnership us to bring this elite band on our cruises. This year’s band, led by tenor saxophonist Birsa Chatterjee, brings a unique set of music to the Jazz Gallery in anticipation of their engagement on the cruise.