Chuck Redd, noted for his tasteful playing on both drums and vibes, was born in 1958 in Takoma Park, MD, where he lives today. He joined the Charlie Byrd Trio in 1980 at the age of 21. He has played on tour many times in Europe and Japan. From 1991 to 1996, he played vibes with the Mel Torme All-Star Jazz Quintet. He has toured and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Marian McPartland, Scott Hamilton, Bucky Pizzarelli and many other jazz greats.

Born in Pasadena in 1955, Dan switched from piano to trombone in the fifth grade. He performs at festivals worldwide and is on many recordings. He has led his own bands and has arranged and composed for others. He was featured in Benny Goodman's last band, and has played in many movies, including Cotton Club and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He lives in Costa Mesa, CA.

It was 1964 in upstate New York when Danny Coots began playing drums at the tender age of 6 years old. Since then, he has studied with Nick Baffaro, Rich Holly, Alan Koffman and Jim Petercsak in percussion. Danny attended The Crane School of Music and St. Lawrence University. He eventually served as adjunct faculty at St. Lawrence University, Clarkson University and Potsdam State University from the 1970s into the 1990s.He continued traveling and performing with David Amram, Ray Shiner, Daniel Pinkham, Herb Ellis, Will Alger, Jack Mayhue, Speigle Wilcox, Mimi Hines, Phil Ford, Bob Darch, Pearl Kaufman and Arthur Duncan. In 1996 Danny moved to Nashville, Tennessee and has lived there ever since. Danny has recorded extensively in Nashville, New York and L.A. and has appeared in over 100 countries. He has played on over 100 recordings, one of which won a Grammy in 2005.

Duke Heitger, one of the best classic jazz trumpet players today, is known worldwide for his warm sound, virtuosity, and unwavering devotion to early jazz styles. While in demand as an international soloist and recording artist, he reigns as one of the longest tenured bandleaders in New Orleans performing regularly on the Steamboat Natchez. Michael Steinman (Jazz Lives, NYC) says “Duke Heitger-playing or singing-makes special music, lyrical and hot.” Curt Beard (Jazz Soundings, Seattle) stated “A rare combination of musical characteristics. He plays hot... he plays sweet...he plays the blues as though there is a touch of pathos dripping from every note…”

Well known among jazz enthusiasts through many recordings, Heitger cemented his prominence as a specialist in classic jazz styles but with the versatility to be featured on recordings by artists such as John Cleary and Maria Muldaur. His trumpet-playing and arranging is a highlight of the million selling Squirrel Nut Zippers recording  Hot, earning him both gold and platinum records.

‍

‍

Harry was born in Washington D.C. in 1966, and was raised in Los Angeles, CA and Burrillville, RI. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1988 from Rutgers University in New Jersey, and currently resides in New York City.Harry has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe and Asia. He has performed with Rosemary Clooney, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Scott Hamilton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Terry Gibbs, Warren Vache, and has recorded with Tony Bennett, Johnny Mandel, Ray Brown, Tommy Flanagan, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Barron, Dave McKenna, Dori Caymmi, Larry Goldings, George Mraz, Jake Hanna, and Al Foster, among others.Harry is featured on many of John Pizzarelli's recordings including the soundtrack and an on-screen cameo in the feature film The Out of Towners starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has also done a series of commercials for ESPN starring Robert Goulet.

Houston has recorded over 75 albums under his own name, and has also appeared on recordings with Etta Jones, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Dakota Staton and Horace Silver. He is a recipient of the Eubie Blake Jazz Award. Two recent recordings on the HighNote label are "Dialogues" with bassist Ron Carter and "Sentimental Journey." He has played at Lincoln Center and at many festivals here and in Europe. Born in 1934, Houston grew up in Florence, SC., and lives in Nyack, NY. Houston was recognized in 2012 as a SDJP Legend.

Jason Fabus is enjoying a wonderful journey as a highly sought-after professional saxophonist and songwriter/arranger in Southern California. This Milwaukee native is the leader of several groups, most notably the Jason Fabus Trio and The Fabus Four.  His debut album “Splanky” (2018) with the Trio has received over 2.5 million streams worldwide on Spotify and is currently in rotation for Siriusly Sinatra on SiriusXM Radio and also KJazz 88.1FM in Los Angeles. 

Jason is also an esteemed educator, serving as a coach and clinician at several schools in the area, while also maintaining his own studio of private students in saxophone, flute, clarinet, and piano. Although he is still at the beginning of his professional career, Jason has already performed with many notable musicians including Postmodern Jukebox, Ledesi, Michael Feinstein, Billy Davis & Marilyn McCoo, Arturo Sandoval, Jane Monheit, Kim Richmond, Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Van Alexander and George Benson.

As a session recording artist, Jason has played saxophone on Panic at the Disco’s album “Pray For the Wicked” (2018), Netflix’s “Mystery Science Theater” (2019), CBS N.C.I.S. (2019), DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls World Tour” (2020), Netflix’s “Mank” (2020) and the video game series “Fortnite” (2020).

Jason earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from California State University Long Beach in 2014. As a Bob Cole Scholar, Jason studied with Sal Lozano and Jeff Jarvis, and performed as lead alto saxophonist in the CSULB Concert Jazz Orchestra, winner of the 2014 Downbeat Student Music Award for best collegiate graduate big band. Jason holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities, where he double-majored in saxophone performance and music education, and studied with Eugene Rousseau, Dean Sorenson, David Milne, and Phil Hey.

Whether as a musician, entertainer, or educator, Jason is eager to build on his early successes and dig deeper into the truth of his music for all to hear.

Jason was born in 1978 in Sacramento, and began playing and taking piano lessons at age 6. Later, he played classical music and ragtime, adding jazz in his teens. Johnny Varro took him under his wing at a music camp. Since then he has played with trade bands at the Sun Valley Swing and Dixie Jamboree, at Mammoth Lakes with the Sister Swing band, and at numerous festivals. He now makes his home in San Diego.

John enjoys a multi-faceted career. From traditional jazz to stage and film productions, John is well respected for being a musician that can do it all. Throughout his career, John has had the pleasure of working with many great jazz organizations. From his early days with Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd to Harry Connick Jr., John has also worked with The NBC studio orchestra, Toshiko Akioshi Big Band, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Bill Allred’s Classic Jazz Band and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks along with many local groups. John has had the pleasure to perform with some of best artists in the business including Bob Haggart, Ralph Sutton, Jake Hanna, Louie Bellson, Clark Terry, Warren Vache’, Rich Matteson, Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen, Natalie Cole, Liza Minelli, John Pizzarelli, Pete Chistleib, Larry Carlton and Robin Ford to name a few. In addition to his jazz work, John has has become one of the top call studio players on the scene. 

Some of his Broadway credits include The Pajama Game, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Cinderella, Company, and Bob fosse’s Dancin’, Finding Neverland and Hello Dolly starring Bette Midler and just finished a run of Once Upon A Mattress staring Sutton Foster. When not traveling John and his wife are enjoying New York City while living in Rockaway Beach.

‍

Since moving from Detroit to New York City in 1989, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso’s varied career as a performer, recording artist and educator has been distinguished by his deep knowledge of his instrument’s voice throughout American popular music. A wide array of musical stylists – including Catherine Russell, Rachael & Vilray, and Wynton Marsalis – all find, in Jon-Erik, a masterful player who deftly elevates the trumpet’s traditional vocabulary into something contemporary and personal.

This is also evidenced in his educational videos for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz Academy and, when not touring, regular performances with his group, The EarRegulars (at the historic Ear Inn Sundays since 2007), tenure as the featured trumpet soloist with Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks (every Monday at Birdland starting in May, ‘23), and performances at important NYC venues, including Dizzy’s, Smalls, Mezzrow and Cafe Ornithology. 

His sound is recognizable in television and movie soundtracks, such as “Ghost World,” “The Aviator,” “Bessie,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Boardwalk Empire,” for which the Nighthawks won a Grammy, as well as over 100 recordings, including his most recent Arbors album, “Live at the Ear Inn.” 

‍

Josh Collazo is a Los Angeles based drummer who specializes in playing 1930's/40's jazz and swing with various groups across the nation. In addition to drumming, Josh has been writing and arranging original jazz compositions for his own group - the Candy Jacket Jazz Band. Outside of his jazz drumming career, Josh has also been a member of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros since 2007. The group accepted their first Grammy in 2013 for the long-form video documentary- Big Easy Express - winning alongside their friends, Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros' 2009 hit single, "Home", is certified platinum, selling over 1 million copies, and the debut album, "Up From Below", was recently certified gold.In addition to touring the world extensively over the last 20+ years, he has also performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Bachelor, and Austin City Limits. Josh proudly endorses Paiste Cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks.

‍

"When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet", says Ken Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living. By the time Ken was in his early teens, he was experimenting with jazz by playing in the school stage bands, and also by jamming with many of the local jazz musicians. By the time I hit high school, I was teaching at the local music store, playing in our family band, and playing jazz gigs around town while still getting up early every day for school. In 1980, Ken moved to New York City,and was soon playing in all kinds of settings, from Dixieland to avant-garde jazz. Everything's a learning experience in jazz music there's always an element of the unpredictable. In 1984, Benny Goodman came out of retirement and put together a new band, hiring Ken on tenor saxophone.Peplowski  signed with Concord Records, under the tutelage of Carl Jefferson, the founder and president, and recorded close to 20 albums as a leader, including "The Natural Touch" in 1992 which won Best Jazz Record of the Year by the Prises Deutschen Schallplatten Kritiken, and "The Other Portrait", recorded in Sophia Bulgaria with the symphony orchestra and highlighting Ken's classical side. He also recorded two records on the Nagel Heyer label, "Lost In The Stars" and "Easy To Remember", the latter of which features Bobby Short on his last recording. "I loved Bobby Short's approach to the American songbook, and we'd talked about doing a record together for a while". I'm glad we got this one in the can. Peplowski also does many workshops for students of all ages- "My goal is to get the students to learn how to teach themselves, and to learn how to bring out their own best qualities; after all, jazz is about individuality-first you learn the rules, then you break them. I would like to think of myself as a lifelong student!" Ken Peplowski is a Buffet-Crampon artist, and plays the R-13 clarinet,with a Portnoy mouthpiece and Van Doren German-cut reeds. He also plays a Yamaha tenor sax and a Berg Larsen mouthpiece.

With wailing horns, killer vocals, and a lethal rhythm section, the band channels the electrifying swagger of ‘20s and ‘30s big band and makes it feel new and modern through a mixture of originals and re-imagined vintage gems. Lizzy & the Triggermen have been making waves since they burst onto the SoCal scene.  True to their speakeasy vibe, Lizzy & the band first began performing in a legendary, secret club in LA. Word-of-mouth about their incredible live shows quickly spread, and soon they were headlining some of the top venues in town (the Wiltern, the El Rey, the Troubadour) before they’d even released any music.  

From sultry songs about getting high to jubilant dance tunes about the world ending, to even an obscure Ellington masterpiece written for an opera singer, their bold debut album, “Good Songs for Bad Times,” quickly rose to #3 on iTunes Jazz charts (alongside jazz luminaries: Miles Davis and Kamasi Washington).

Nate Ketner is one of the most sought after reed players on the West Coast. Nate Ketner has been playing the woodwinds professionally since he was 19 years old.  Throughout his musical career he has developed the ability to authentically play many different styles with an emphasis on jazz from the 20’s to the 50’s Throughout his 25 year career, he has played with some of the top names in jazz including Dan Barrett, Larry Goldings, Joe LaBarbera, Warren Vache, Harry Allen, Lizzy & the Triggermen and Bria Skonberg. He has also performed with popular festival bands such as the Reynolds Brothers, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns and the Bluestreet Jazz Band. His talent has taken him all over the world - across 4 continents. He is also a highly sought-after recording artist and most recently was featured on Rachel & Vilray’s latest album (I Love a Love Song!) on Nonesuch Records.

‍

Perhaps the most recorded bassist of his generation, Peter Washington has a discography of more than 500 recordings. Born in Los Angeles, he played classical bass as a teen and majored in English literature at UC Berkeley, where he became interested in jazz. In 1986, he was invited by Art Blakey to join the Jazz Messengers in New York. From there, he became part of two of the most celebrated trios in jazz: The Tommy Flanagan Trio (10 years) and, for the past 19 years, the Bill Charlap Trio. Mr. Washington’s work roster includes Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Don Grolnick, The Brecker Brothers, Tony Bennet, Freddie Cole, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. In 2009 he was part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

Born in Kansas City, Richard inherited his grandfather’s violin and, at age 12, won a seat in the Kansas City Youth Symphony.   After high school he put music aside, earned an MA in English and accepted an English teaching position in Los Angeles.   At the age of 30,  he ‘discovered’ jazz and, in his words, ‘eloped with a bass.’  That relationship has proven to be an enduring one - nurturing his ‘bass instincts.’ 

With informal lessons from Red Callender, along with patient mentoring on countless bandstands from the ‘elder elite’ of West Coast jazz musicians, Richard became one of the busiest bass players in Los Angeles.   He continues to perform worldwide at festivals, in concerts, and on numerous jazz cruises. One of his three tours of Japan was with the Ken Peplowski Big Band, immortalized on a live recording. He participated in two jams with the late, jazz-playing King of Thailand, and made festival appearances with Eddie Higgins, Lalo Schifrin, Chico Hamilton, Britt Woodman, Pete Fountain, and Jake Hanna.

He has recorded with Rosemary Clooney, Teddy Edwards, Plas Johnson, Buddy Collette, Al Viola, Houston Person, Ernie Andrews and others. In 1995, he founded the UFO-BASS recording label to document the music of often-overlooked West Coast musicians. That same year, he joined Buddy Collette’s nonprofit, JazzAmerica, introducing jazz to middle school students and leading high-school ‘’WorkChops’ on weekends.  Richard was recognized as the 2020 San Diego Jazz Party Legend.

‍

A widely acclaimed talent, Rossano graduated from the Italian Conservatory and began his musical career at the age of 18. He was born in 1974 and lives in New York. In 2002 and 2003, he played at the Ascona Festival in Switzerland with Dan Barrett's International Swing Party band. He has been a pupil of Barry Harris, and his piano hero is the late Ralph Sutton. Rossano has performed at New York's Town Hall and Lincoln Center and at the United Nations. He has played with a host of jazz notables, including Harry Allen, Scott Hamilton, Becky Kilgore, Warren Vach, Howard Alden and Joe Wilder. He has recorded solo piano albums for the Blue Swing and Arbors labels.

A Fresno, California native, Samuel Wolfe Rocha showed an interest in music from a very early age. Beginning with piano lessons at age 4, his formal musical studies soon expanded to include the viola and bass guitar. At age 15, he fell in love with the acoustic string bass and has since identified himself as a bassist, playing his first professional gigs at 17 with Fresno’s Blue Street Jazz Band, among others. While largely self-taught on the string bass, Sam has closely studied such masters of the instrument as “Pops” Foster, Al Morgan, Milt Hinton, Bob Haggart, Jimmy Blanton, Ray Brown, Walter Page, and Scott LaFaro. In addition to his in-depth study of classic bass playing, Sam has absorbed the nuances of classic jazz tuba, cornet, and guitar playing, and he regularly performs on those instruments as well. Quickly becoming one of the rising stars of the traditional jazz and swing circuit, Sam is known for his innate musicality and rhythm and for his inventive, melodic solos.

After living in the SF Bay Area for over a decade and performing with Clint Baker’s Cafe Borrone All Stars and the Hot Club of San Francisco, Samuel now resides in Long Beach, California and performs regularly with groups and musicians such as, Lizzy & The Triggermen, Jonathan Stout, Holly Street Stompers, Blue Street Jazz Band, Tom Rigney & Flambeau, and more.

‍

‍

Virtuoso guitarist Vinny Raniolo has built a widespread global fan base, thanks to his engaging approach to early jazz, his regular appearances on PBS specials, and his collaborations with six-string giants including Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola and Tommy Emmanuel. The Nassau County guitarist got interested in jazz at age 16 after a teacher introduced him to to records by masters of jazz guitar such as Joe Pass, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Herb Ellis and others. Vinny fell in love with the music immediately and realized, "That's what I want to do." He began gigging as a teen, and his career really took off when he paired up with fellow guitarist Frank Vignola at age 22.