Woodwind player and composer making music in Nashville, TN. Drawing from distant influences - from Bon Iver to Coltrane to Stravinsky - David's groups bring reeling improvisations and powerful arrangements.

Chester Thompson is a renowned drummer/percussionist, highly regarded for his ability to move seamlessly between multiple genres. Thompson’s known best for his work with Genesis and Phil Collins, with whom he shared the worldwide stage, as well as time in the studio, for over 30 years.  Other notable legends Chester performed or recorded with include Frank Zappa, Weather Report, John Fogerty, Santana, Michael McDonald, Freddie Hubbard, Ahmad Jamal, Kirk Whalum, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’. He had the privilege recently of recording on the 2018 Grammy Award winning CD called TajMo.

In addition to being a gifted jazz trumpet player, the multi-talented Rod McGaha is a composer, vocalist, lyricist, and producer. McGaha was born and raised in Chicago, where his jazz-loving father would play Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong records constantly, perking up his son's interest in music. By the fourth grade, McGaha was learning both the guitar and trumpet (but eventually gravitated to the trumpet full-time), as he looked to such modern day funk/dance acts as Parliament Funkadelic, James Brown, and Kool & the Gang for inspiration. Straight out of high school, McGaha began his professional music career, touring with Gene Chandler, before attending Northeastern University in Chicago and then DePaul University on scholarship, during which time McGaha became interested in traditional jazz. McGaha caught a break when fellow trumpeter Clark Terry (who had performed with the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie) caught a performance by the up-and-coming player, and took him under his wing. McGaha then landed numerous gigs as a sideman for Kenny Rogers, Bebe and Cece Winans, the O'Jays, Take 6, and Lou Rawls (visiting Egypt, Nigeria, Europe, and Japan in the process), and racked up such impressive awards as the Maynard Ferguson Award from the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival, the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for Outstanding Jazz Trumpeter, the Oak Lawn Jazz Festival All Star Award, and the Outstanding Trumpet Soloist Award from the National Association of Jazz Educators. In addition to playing with others, McGaha has issued a few solo albums on his own, including the 1997 debut The Servant and 1999's Preacherman.

Soulful, passionate, stirring...these are the words most often used to describe Kirk Whalum's music. Forged from his Memphis, (TN) gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The 80’s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first #1 album. As well, Kirk and Bob received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in demand session player for top artists like Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others.