Jazz trumpeter and composer Randy Brecker has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for over six decades. His trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums by a wide range of artists from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament/Funkadelic to Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius and Frank Zappa. Born in 1945 in Philadelphia to a musical family, Randy's musical talent was nurtured from an early age. He attended Indiana University from 1963-66 studying with Bill Adam, David Baker and Jerry Coker and later moved to New York where he landed gigs with such prominent bands as Clark Terry's Big Bad Band, the Duke Pearson Big Band and the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. In 1967, Randy ventured into jazz-rock with the band Blood, Sweat and Tears, but left to join the Horace Silver Quintet. He recorded his first solo album, 'Score', in 1968, featuring a young, then unknown 19 year-old tenor saxophonist named Michael Brecker. After Horace Silver, Randy joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers before teaming up with brother Michael, Barry Rogers, Billy Cobham, and John Abercrombie to form the seminal fusion group 'Dreams'. The group recorded two adventurous and wildly acclaimed albums: 'Dreams' and 'Imagine My Surprise' - now collector's items - for Columbia Records before they disbanded in 1971. In the early 1970s, Randy performed live with many prominent artists including Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House, Stevie Wonder and Billy Cobham. He also recorded several classic albums with his brother under the leadership of the great pianist/composer Hal Galper. By 1975, Randy and Michael were ready to front their own group, the Brecker Brothers Band. A band of immeasurable impact and influence, they released six albums on Arista and garnered seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981. Their eponymous first record, which Randy wrote, arranged and produced, featured his now classic composition “Some Skunk Funk.” In 1992, exactly ten years after they parted ways to pursue solo careers, Randy and Michael reunited for a world tour and the triple-Grammy nominated GRP recording, 'The Return of the Brecker Brothers'. The follow-up, 1994’s ‘Out of the Loop,’ was a double-Grammy winner. In 1997, ‘Into the Sun’ (Concord), a recording featuring Randy’s impressions of Brazil, garnered Randy his first Grammy as a solo artist. In 2001, Randy released ‘Hangin’ in the City’ (ESC), a solo project which introduced his alter-ego Randroid, a skirt chasing, cab driving ne’er do well, with lyrics and vocals by Randroid himself. This CD was especially well received in Europe, where Randy toured extensively with his own line-up. Randy’s next CD for ESC Records, '34th n' Lex,’ won him his third Grammy for 'Best Contemporary Jazz Album’ in 2003. In May of that year he toured Europe with his Quintet in support of the CD, and in the summer went back to Europe yet again with the Randy Brecker/Bill Evans Soulbop Band.
 The summer of 2003 culminated in the special headline appearance in Japan at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival of the reunited Brecker Brothers. 2004 saw Randy touring Europe extensively as co-leader (with Bill Evans) of the band Soulbop. The WDR Big Band also celebrated Randy and his music that year in a performance at the Leverkusen Jazz Fest. The date was of special significance to Randy as it was the last time he played with his brother, who took ill shortly thereafter with a rare form of leukemia known as MDS.  In 2005, with Mike unable to travel to Russia for Brecker Brothers gigs booked there, Randy’s wife Ada sat in for the first time. Randy’s active schedule continued apace with the Randy Brecker Band performing throughout Eastern Europe and across the globe. In 2007, Randy was awarded his fourth Grammy for "Randy Brecker Live with the WDR Big Band” (Telarc/BHM), the live recording (also available in DVD format) of his performance with Michael at the Leverkusen Jazz Fest in 2004. Tragically, Michael passed away that same year on Jan 13th. 2007 also saw the release of a 2 CD set of live recordings of the band ‘Soulbop’ (BHM) featuring Dave Kikoski, Victor Bailey, Steve Smith or Rodney Holmes and the late great Hiram Bullock. Randy returned to his long-time love of Brazilian music in 2008 for the album 'Randy in Brazil,' which was recorded in Sao Paulo with a full complement of great Brazilian musicians and released on Summit Records. Chosen one of the top 10 CDs of 2008 by AllAboutJazz.com, the CD won the Grammy for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album,” bringing his Grammy total to five. A “Tribute to the Brecker Brothers” featuring Randy and recorded live at the Hamamatsu Jazz Festival in Japan with Yoichi Murata’s Solid Brass & Big Band was released by JVC Victor in Japan in late 2008. And in 2009, Randy’s roots were celebrated with the release of ‘Jazz Suite Tykocin,’ a project initiated and conceived by the Polish pianist and composer Wlodek Pawlik, featuring Randy as a soloist with members of the Bialystok Philharmonic. Tykocin is the area in Poland where Randy’s ancestors (mother’s maiden name: Tecosky) hail from, a fact that Pawlik discovered while helping to search for a bone marrow donor for Michael. 2011 saw the release of ‘The Jazz Ballad Song Book: Randy Brecker with the Danish Radio Big Band and The Danish National Chamber Orchestra,’ which garnered 4 Grammy nominations and enjoyed enthusiastic critical acclaim. And in 2012, Sony Legacy recaptured history with the long-awaited boxed set, “The Brecker Brothers – The Complete Arista Albums Collection.” A Brecker Brothers Band Reunion tour of European festivals in the summer of 2013 in support of Randy’s project, Randy Brecker’s Brecker Brothers Band Reunion,” re-introduced the familiar faces of Brecker Brothers Band members from the past and their special brand of music to sell-out crowds. A dual-disc release, was released on September 25th, 2013 on Piloo Records. Randy Brecker’s Brecker Brothers Band Reunion” features a live DVD recorded at the Blue Note in NYC bundled with a new 11-song studio recording featuring members of the Brecker Brothers bands from throughout the years, including David Sanborn, Mike Stern, Will Lee, and Dave Weckl. George Whitty is back in the production and keyboard chair, and Randy’s Italian wife Ada Rovatti is in the ‘hot saxophone’ seat, keeping it in the family, on tenor and soprano saxophone. The new dual-disc recording was released in North America by Piloo Records/Magenta/E-One, in Europe by Moosicus Records in November and in Japan by Inpartmaint Inc. A long time in the making, this project is very close to Randy Brecker’s heart. It is dedicated to his brother, Michael, and other departed Brecker Brothers Band members. Also that same year, yet another project, a collaboration with Wlodek Pawlik trio and the Kalisz Philharmonic playing Wlodek’s “Night In Calisia” with Randy as featured soloist, netted Randy his 6thh Grammy! Another recent Release: RandyPOP! 9/18/15 Piloo Records featuring new arrangements or ‘de-rangements’ by Kenny Werner of ‘Hit Tune’s Randy played on in the day feat: Kenny Werner, David Sanchez Adam Rogers, John Patitucci, Nate Smith, and special guest: Amanda Brecker! NEW and Up and Coming Releases 2018- 2019-2021! (1.)Randy Brecker with the NDR Big Band featuring 11 RB Compositions arranged by Jorg Achim-Keller. Feat Special Guests Dave Sanborn, Ada Rovatti and Wolfgang Haffner. Release date: Feb 23 rd 2019. 2.Featured Artist on CD by the UMO Jazz Orch (Helsinki) Comp and Arr by Mats Holmquist called Together (MAMA/Summit) released 9/18 3. Archival DVD Release!: Randy Brecker Quintet Live at Sweet Basil 1988 w/Bob Berg, Dave Kikoski, Dieter Ilg and Joey Baron!  Some classic solos by the late great Bob Berg…wild! (MVD Visual) released 10/’18 4. “Brecker Plays Rovatti”..just recorded early May 2018..feat 10 Ada Rovatti new compositions feat: Randy Ada, David Kikoski, Alex Claffy, Rodney Holmes, Adam Rogers, Jim Beard and Café Came out Oct 30th to great reviews and currently moving up the JazzWeek most played charts…as of Jan 20 2020:#14! Up from #28 Releases 2020 and 2021! Eric Marienthal and Randy Brecker on Shanachie Records! Released on Sept 11, 2020 Titled: Double Dealin’! w/George Whitty, john Patitucci & Dave Weckl. Nominated for a Grammy 2021! Brecker Brothers Band Recorded Live and Unreleased 1980 in Germany.DeltaMusic/Piloo records 2 CD set Liebman,Brecker,Copland,Gress,& Baron”Quint5t” InnervisionJazz. Also Randy won his 7tth Grammy in Jan 2020 for his Solo on ‘Sozinho’ (Randy Brecker with the NDR BigBand “Rocks” and as stated above Double Dealin’ co–led with Eric Marienthal is nominated in the postponed until April 2022 Grammys in the Best Contemporary Album category! And Randy came in FIRST on the 2020 JazzTimes Readers Poll on Trumpet! Newest release in 2023: Randy Live at the Amazonas Green Jazz Fest with the Manaus Big Band and in January 2024 he just released a co-produced project with Ada Rovatti titled "The Hidden World Of Piloo" As a composer, performer and in-demand Yamaha Artist and Clinician, Randy Brecker continues to influence and inspire young musicians around the world.

Terri Lyne Carrington is an NEA Jazz Master, Doris Duke Artist, and four-time Grammy award-winning drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, as well Artistic Director for both Next Jazz Legacy program (a collaboration with New Music USA) and the Carr Center in Detroit, MI. She has performed on more than 100 recordings over her 40-year career and has toured and recorded with luminaries such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Esperanza Spalding, and numerous others. Her artistry and commitment to education has earned her honorary doctorates from York University, Manhattan School of Music and Berklee College of Music, and her curatorial work and music direction has been featured in many prestigious institutions internationally. The critically acclaimed 2019 release, Waiting Game, from Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science earned the esteemed Edison Award for music and a Grammy nomination. In fall of 2022, she authored two books, Three of a Kind (about the forming of the Allen Carrington Spalding trio) and the seminal songbook collection, New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers. This book was accompanied by the album new STANDARDS vol.1 (Candid Records) which won the GRAMMY® Award for the best jazz instrumental album, and New Standards art installation, at Detroit’s Carr Center and the Emerson Contemporary Media Art Gallery, as part of the Jazz Without Patriarchy Project.

Paquito D’Rivera has won a combined 16 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards (5 Grammy and 11Latin Grammys). He is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. Born in Havana, Cuba, he performed at age 10 with the National Theater Orchestra, studied atthe Havana Conservatory of Music, and at 17, became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony. As a founding member of the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, hedirected that group for two years, while at the same time playing both the clarinet and saxophone with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. He eventually went on to premiere several works by notable Cuban composers with the same orchestra. Additionally, he was afounding member and co-director of the innovative musical ensemble Irakere. With its explosive mixture of jazz, rock, classical and traditional Cuban music never before heard, Irakere toured extensively throughout America and Europe, received several GRAMMY nominations (1979,1980), and a GRAMMY (1979).His numerous recordings include more than 30 solo albums. In 1988, he was a founding member of the United Nation Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble organized by Dizzy Gillespie to showcase the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz. D’Rivera continues to appear as guest conductor. A GRAMMY was awarded the United Nation Orchestra in 1991, the same year D’Rivera received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carnegie Hall for his contributions to Latin music. Additionally, D’Rivera’s highly acclaimed ensembles- the Chamber Jazz Ensemble,the Paquito D’Rivera Big Band, and the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet are in great demand worldwide. While Paquito D’Rivera’s discography reflects a dedication and enthusiasm for Jazz, Bebop and Latin music, his contributions to classical music are impressive. They include solo performances with the London Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has also performed with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, the Costa Rica National Symphony, the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, the Bronx Arts Ensemble, and the St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, among others. In his passion to bring Latin repertoire to greater prominence, Mr. D’Rivera has successfully created, championed and promoted all types of classical compositions, including his three chamber compositions recorded live in concert with distinguished cellist Yo-Yo Ma in September 2003.The chamber work “Merengue,” from that live concert at Zankel Hall, was released by Sony Records and garnered Paquito his 7th GRAMMY as Best Instrumental Composition 2004.

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 isalso a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic Director of Jazz HouseKiDS 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 everreaching for new heights, and the otherextended in fellowship - and perhaps the hint of a challenge - inviting us to join him.

Flutist/Vocalist/Composer Elena Pinderhughes is an award winning flutist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter whose style seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, and R&B influences. She began her musical journey at a young age and has since established herself as a prominent figure in the contemporary jazz and alternative R&B music scenes, performing and touring in venues and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America. Described by The Guardian as the “most exciting and creatively assured jazz flutist to have emerged in years'', Elena has performed in venues and festivals including: Carnegie Hall, the White House, The Kennedy Center, Coachella Music Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festival. Elena was raised in the Bay Area, CA and moved to New York City to study flute and voice at The Manhattan School o fMusic. In NewYork, she began recording, touring and performing with artists in multiple genres including Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Common, Chief Adjuah (formallyChristianScott), Robert Glasper, VijayIyer, Kenny Barron, Josh Groban, Future and others. Most recently, Elena is featured on Terrace Martin’s albums,“Nintendo Soul” and"Fine Tune", Esperanza Spalding and Milton Nascimento’s album “Milton+esperanza”, Immanuel Wilkins album” The 7th Hand”, Common’s album, “Black America Again”, Lupe Fiasco’s” Drogas Wave,” Christian Scotta Tunde Adjuah’s album” Diaspora”, Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy Winning album” New Standards” as well as many others. She will be releasing her debut album this year. In addition to her performing and recording career, Elena works with composer Laura Karpman in her film scoring studio, Art Farm West, and was featured on her Academy Award nominated score for “American Fiction”. Performing with a range of musicians, as well as with her own group, Elena tours internationally with Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Chief Adjuah and Common. Her unique voice, flute playing, and writing style bring her musicality, harmony, rhythm, and culture to create a very specific sound all her own.

 “Let us advance our mortal bodies up Where hearts and minds will go Let’s Walk, let’s roll. ”So sings Madeleine Peyroux on the upbeat title track of her captivating ninth album, Let’s Walk, the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most assured, courageous work to date. Powered by the distinctive, honeyed croon that delivered her from the Paris streets to concert halls, these ten unabashedly personal songs, all co-written by the versatile Peyroux, deftly inter-weave jazz, folk, and chamber pop, with themes ranging from the confessional to the political, from whimsy to yearning. In every note, Peyroux digs deep, rendering this exquisite work with the disarming grace and gravitas of an artist in peak form. For the ardently civic-minded Peyroux, Let’s Walk continues the scintillating conversation with her audience – and with the world at large. “This music is part of a dialogue,” she says. “That’s what art is. It’s engagement, community. I believe more than anything in getting together with people and listening to music and conversing. Music is the only way I’ve ever built community.”

Renee Rosnes is one of the premier pianists and composers of her generation. Born in Regina, Canada, she has performed and recorded with many of the most iconic figures in jazz including Joe Henderson, JJ Johnson, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, and the great James Moody, with whom she played for 20 years. Aside from leading her own bands, she is currently the pianist of Ron Carter’s Foursight Quartet. Renee has released 20 albums under her name, which showcase her virtuosity, imagination and collaborative spirit. Her most recent release, Crossing Paths spent six consecutive weeks at #1 on the national jazz radio charts. The album artfully reimagines quintessential Brazilian songs, joined by two of Brazil’s greatest artists and composers, Edu Lobo and Joyce Moreno, performing their own compositions. A seven-time JUNO winner, Rosnes was awarded the 2018 Oscar Peterson Prize at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Canadian jazz. She is the musical director of the acclaimed quintet ARTEMIS featuring Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda and Allison Miller. The ensemble just released Arboresque, their third album for Blue Note Records, and has received several honors including Jazz Group of the Year in both the 88th and 89th Annual Downbeat Readers Poll, as well as Mid-Size Ensemble of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2023 and 2024. The two-piano duet with her husband, acclaimed pianist Bill Charlap, was featured on the 2015 recording Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining, which garnered a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album. Renee Rosnes continues to forge new paths of creativity within the world of music as soloist, bandleader and composer.