“It’s Jazz. It just doesn’t sound like it.” This is how virtuoso guitarist Oz Noy describes his intoxicating blend of jazz, funk, rock, blues, and r&b. Born in Israel, Oz started his professional career at the age of 13 playing jazz, blues, pop and rock music. By age 16, he was playing with top Israeli musicians and artists. By age 24, he was one of the most established studio guitar players in the country. Oz was also a member of the house band on Israel’s top-rated television show for more than two years. Since his 1996 arrival in New York, Oz has made a huge impact on the local and international music scene. His unique and intoxicating style has broken all the rules of instrumental guitar music by focusing on the groove. All-stars such as Keith Carlock, Anton Fig, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Dave Weckl often contribute on drums, with bassists Will Lee, James Genus, and Reggie Washington. In 2003, Oz released his debut record – “Oz Live” – recorded at NYC’s legendary Bitter End. In 2004, Oz signed with Magna Carta Records and in 2005, released his highly-acclaimed studio record “HA!” with his all-star band featuring Fig, Carlock, Lee and Genus plus special guests Mike Stern and George Whitty. In April of 2007, a licensing deal with Magna Carta and Japanese label Videoarts opened the door for Oz’s music in Japan. Later that year saw the release of “Fuzzy,” Oz’s third record under the Magna Carta label. For Fuzzy, Oz’s all-star band is joined by various special guests including Colaiuta, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and keyboardists Whitty and Jim Beard. September, 2009, saw the release of Oz’s fourth album, “Schizophrenic,” featuring Lee, Fig, Carlock, Weckl, Ricky Peterson, Chris Palmero, and special guest Steve Lukather. In November of 2011, Oz released his fifth studio album “Twisted Blues Vol. 1” Featuring Vinnie Colaiuta, Anton Fig, Chris Layton, Will Lee, Roscoe Beck , John Medeski, Jerry Z, Reese Wynans, Ralph Macdonald and special guests Eric Johnson & Allen Toussaint. In late 2012, Oz released his two highly acclaimed instructional DVDs,”Guitar Improvisational Workout” and “Play Along Workout”, released by jazzheaven.com . May of 2014 saw the release of Oz’s 6th studio album “Twisted Blues Vol. 2” featuring special collaborations with: Chick Corea, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Warren Haynes, Gregoire Maret, Greg Leisz, Dave Weckl, and John Medeski. The album featured the help of a stellar backup band featuring Keith Carlock, Anton Fig, Chris Layton, Will Lee, Roscoe Beck, Jerry Z and Reese Wynans. In March, 2015, Oz released his 7th album “Asian Twistz” featuring Dave Weckl & Etienne Mbappe. The live album was recorded during a tour in Asia during the summer of 2014.   April 2016 Oz Release his 8th studio album “Who Gives A Funk” Featuring very special guests Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Dweezil Zappa, Fred Weasley, Chris Potter, John Medeski & Corey Glover. For his accomplishments as a trend-setting guitarist, Oz won the highly acclaimed Guitar Player magazine readers poll for “Best guitar riff on a record” (2007), “Best new talent” (2008), and “Best out there guitar player” (2013). Oz’s success both as an artist and an instrumentalist has built demand for him as an instructor. In 2011, he released two Instructional videos for Jazz Heaven, entitled “Guitar Improvisational Workout” and “Play Along Workout.” In 2015, Oz released two instructional videos for My Music Master Class (MMMC) entitled “Unlocking The Neck” and “Blues, Bends and Beyond.” He also released two videos for True Fire, entitled “Improv Wizard” and “Essentials Funk Rhythm Guitar.” Oz also conducts periodic master classes at The Collective School of Music (New York City), Musicians Institute (Los Angeles), and others. Oz Noy has performed, toured and recorded with Richard Bona, Chris Botti, Gavin DeGraw, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Clay Aiken, Akiko Yano, Wonder Girls, Toni Braxton, Phoebe Snow, Nile Rogers, Mike Clark, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Dave Weckl, Mike Manieri, John Patitucci, The East Village Opera Company, Roger Glover, Bill Evans, The Gil Evan Orchestra,Warren Hayes, Gove’t Mule, The Allman Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, Wallace Roney, Steve Lukather, John Medeski, Don Was, Nelly Furtado, Natasha Bedingfield, Phillip Phillips, Andy Grammer, Angelique Kidjo, Matisyahu, Jennifer Hudson, Henry Butler, Gart Hudson, Don Henley, Patti Austin, Take 6, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Phil Ramone, Paul Shaffer, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sting, Steve Perry, Allison Krauss Foreigner, Patty Smyth, Wiz Khalifa, Shelea, Jordin Sparks, Average White Band, Christopher Cross, TYP, Betty Buckley, Idina Menzel among others

For more than 35 years, Dave Weckl has developed and maintained a reputation among fans, peers, and the international music community, as one of the great living drummers. His contributions to iconic music, music education, and the gear that drummers use, are many. Modern Drummer magazine has inducted Weckl into their Hall of Fame (2000) and named him "one of the 25 best drummers of all time." These honors, in addition to many more bestowed by the music community, are the product of Weckl's commitment to excellence. His dynamic and diverse drumming, which has inspired musicians worldwide, is built on a foundation of knowledge and passion.  Weckl was born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960. Though his parents were not professional musicians, his mother loved music and his father played the piano as a hobby. Weckl started drums at the age of 8, playing along to records in a spare room. He eventually moved his kit into the living room where he sometimes accompanied his father who played piano. Early on, Weckl practiced to rock records by the Monkees, Credence Clearwater Revival, and more. Rock drumming came easily and his interest quickly turned to Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Philly Joe Jones, and Steve Gadd, to name a few. In his early teens, Weckl's passion for jazz and big band drumming reallly blossomed. During his high school years, Weckl received many awards from the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for outstanding performances in his high school's competition-winning jazz band. He also became involved with numerous local groups starting at the age of 16 while studying with St. Louis-area teachers Bob Matheny and Joe Buerger.  1979 saw a move to the East coast and the University of Bridgeport. While playing the New York club scene with a band called Nite Sprite, Weckl started receiving accolades from established studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and Peter Erskine. It was Erskine who recommended Weckl for his first 'big gig' with a group called French Toast, forerunner to the Michel Camilo band. That band featured iconic electric bass player Anthony Jackson. From this group, Jackson recommended Weckl for the prestigious 1983 Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour. This got Weckl noticed by a much larger industry audience and lead to many session opportunities, including radio and TV jingles, sound track sessions, and top recording dates with George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross, Robert Plant, and many more. In 1985, Michael Brecker recommended Weckl to Chick Corea for his new Elektric Band. That was the beginning of a seven-year relationship with both the Elektric and Akoustic bands where nine recordings and three videos were produced. The Akoustic Band release earned Weckl a Grammy. The Elektric Band showcased Weckl's cutting-edge drumming and innovative use of electronic and acoustic drums, bringing him worldwide recognition. Though the Elektric Band went on a 10-year hiatus in the early '90s, the band still tours from time-to-time. They released a 17-part conceptual album entitled To The Stars in mid-2004, and have reunited for tours in 2011 and 2016/17. Weckl's solo career began in 1990 with the release of Master Plan. Co-written/produced with longtime St. Louis friend/colleague Jay Oliver, the album was a watershed moment in Weckl's career. Some would say it ushered in a new generation of contemporary drumming. Master Plan featured a dynamic and diverse collection of tracks featuring top jazz artists of the time. The album created a palette for Weckl's wide-ranging abilities in jazz, fusion, and Latin-inspired music, solidifying him as an emerging leader in the drumming world.  The album's title track, written and performed by Chick Corea, featured Weckl and Steve Gadd on drums. Weckl had been seen as a protege to Gadd and their styles meshed perfectly on the track. But in many ways, the tune marked a "passing of the torch" in terms of next-generation artistry on the drums.  Weckl has recorded and produced nine other solo/leader recordings to date. In addition to Master Plan, In 1998, Weckl realized his long-time goal of forming a world-touring band. The Dave Weckl Band released five studio records, including: Rhythm Of The Soul, Synergy, Transition, Perpetual Motion, and Multiplicity. The band also released a hot live album, LIVE (And Very Plugged In) plus a compilation of DWB and instructional videos entitled The Zone.  Instructional videos have always played a big role in Weckl's career. His original product, entitled Contemporary Drummer + 1, was one of the first play-along products ever published for drums. His Back To Basics and The Next Step releases were best-sellers in the '90s and also continue to sell today.  Weckl updated his technical approach in the '90s after studying with Freddie Gruber. He then released a three-part series of videos called A Natural Evolution, which included an appearance by Gruber. These products redefined earlier concepts to help drummers understand how to play in a relaxed, efficient, and musical way. They also helped solidified Weckl's stature as an articulate and respected teacher. His clinics and master classes continue to attract capacity crowds worldwide. After many years of sideman work with guitar legend Mike Stern, Chris Minh Doky's Nomads, Oz Noy, and more, Weckl spent 2013 reuniting with Jay Oliver. They launched a crowd funding campaign that attracted more than 2,000 pre-orders of a project that would eventually be called Convergence.  The album featured 10 tunes, including piano and drum solo pieces and a remake of Stevie Wonder's legendary tune "Higher Ground." The video of "Higher Ground" has been viewed millions of times on YouTube and Facebook. Drummer Chris Coleman, bassist Jimmie Johnson, guitarist Dean Brown, singer Chrissi Poland, and several amazing horn players and vocalists took part.  The project also saw collaborations with Canadian singer Emilie-Claire Barlow and Riverdance creator Bill Whelan. Oliver recorded several native Irish instruments at Whelan's personal studio in Ireland.  Convergence was released with three companion products: a play-along package for drums, a play-along package for all other instruments on the album, and a full-length documentary entitled Flies On The Studio Wall. In 2015, Weckl formed an acoustic jazz group with longtime friend/collaborator Tom Kennedy (bass), Gary Meek (sax), and Makoto Ozone (piano/B3). The group was called The Dave Weckl Acoustic Band. To date, the band has released a CD entitled Of The Same Mind and a live DVD filmed at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood.

Jimmy Haslip was born December 31st, 1951 in the Bronx, New York. He grew up in Huntington, Long Island. In 1963 at the age of 13, he became interested in electric bass and has now been playing for 47+ years. Jimmy left New York in 1969 playing music in San Francisco, New Orleans, Denver and Dallas before moving on to Los Angeles in late 1975, where he began touring and recording with many different popular artists. In 1978 he met guitarist Robben Ford and keyboardist Russell Ferrante and formed a group to record Robben's first solo recording on Electra-Asylum. This critically acclaimed album, called " The Inside Story" became a landmark recording. That album led to the formation of The Yellowjackets and in 1980 they recorded a debut album for Warners Bros. Records. Jimmy is actively composing, arranging, producing and performing with Yellowjackets, who will be touring and promoting their newest recording in 2011, their 21st CD entitled "TIMELINE" on the MACK AVENUE recording Label. Yellowjackets, the two time Grammy winners, have been nominated for seventeen Grammy’s. Jimmy was also nominated for an Edison award in 2000. and this year, another Grammy nomination, his 18th for the Jeff Lorber Fusion “NOW IS THE TIME” recording.which he co-produced.

For adventurous music lovers only! Keyboard wizard Scott Kinsey is a world-class improviser and music conceptualist. He is truly a musician's musician, known for being one of the most unique and original jazz synthesists of his, or maybe even any, generation.  Hailing from the small town of Owosso, Michigan, Scott graduated with a Bachelors of Music degree in Piano Performance from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1991. He was fortunate to study with some many of the great Berklee legends such as Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, Herb Pomeroy, Ray Santisi and many others.  Along with Scott Henderson, Gary Willis and Kirk Covington, Kinsey recorded and toured the world for 22 years with Tribal Tech,widely considered to be one of the greatest electric jazz groups of all time. The band's 2012 release, called X, was hailed as their finest achievement both musically and sonically.  Always moving forward, Scott's 2016 album Near Life Experience was released on Abstract Logix. The phenomenal CD features the incomparable Steve Tavaglione (saxophone), Matthew Garrsion (bass), Michael Landau (guitar), Arto Tuncboyaciyan(percussion & vocals), Lalah Hathaway (best vocalist ever), and Gergo Borlai, Gary Novak and Cyril Atef (drums). A special double-drum feature “Kingpin” has Covington and Danny Carey battling it out, Volto style. These and other incredible artists come together to complete Scott's vision of what creative, "no categories" music can be.  Near Life Experience was a multi-year production, literally taking place all over the world, capturing perfectly the diverse sounds and vibes from live recordings in Morocco to Los Angeles and everywhere else in between — all filtered through Scott's vivid imagination. The record is a must-have for anyone who wants something fun, different, multi-dimensional and exciting!  Kinsey has appeared on several of the most exciting recordings of the last decade, always providing each one with his distinctive sonic imprint. Superconductor is the fantastic 2016 album by arguably the finest saxophonist on the scene today, Seamus Blake. It is a real work of art, featuring Scott, John Scofield, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Garrison and many other first-rate players. Recorded at New York’s famed Avatar Studios, Kinsey also mixed and mastered (and co-produced) the high-resolution recordings at his Wishbone studio in Encino, California.  The 2015 release Larger Than Life features Scott teamed up with Willis with Tavaglione, Borlai and others, a truly explosive unit. Kinsey's original approach to melody, harmony, improvisation and composition give the CD a unique, breakthrough sound. Another electric jazz supergroup was formed to release Human Element in 2011, co-led by Kinsey, Garrison, Novak and Tuncboyacian. Arto’s ethereal vocals give this record an utterly fantastic world-fusion vibe, reminiscent of Weather Report and the Zawinul Syndicate. Kinsey’s first album as a leader, Kinesthetics, was released in 2007 and features a variety of the stellar musicians he has collaborated with over the years.  Lots of new music is in now the works! Scott has recently finished production on the album No Sleep, featuring Naina Kundu, a talented bassist and vocalist from Mumbai, India. Other great artists on the record include Blake, Tavaglione, Atef, Covington and Louis Cole (Knower).  REGARDING JOE ZAWINUL  Kinsey was the singular protégé of the late keyboard pioneer Josef Zawinul (Weather Report, Zawinul Syndicate, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley). Zawinul is easily one of the greatest and most important keyboard players, composers and music conceptualists in the history of jazz. Scott respectfully tips his hat to Zawinul's musical world, without ever simply becoming a clone or a caricature. A tall order, but something Joe recognized Scott was uniquely capable of, and often made a point to acknowledge. Further, Joe personally requested that in his absence, Scott would be the only one he would trust to carry on his musical legacy — both on stage and in any potential future recorded releases of his music. Humbling to say the least, Kinsey takes this responsibility quite seriously.  Scott is the musical director of the Zawinul Legacy Band founded by Joe's eldest son, Tony Zawinul. The band has already featured the likes of Borlai, Alphonso Johnson, Chester Thompson, Nathaniel Townsley, Bobby Thomas Jr, Katisse Buckinghamand Hadrien Feraud, among others, many having previously worked with Joe. The ZLB’s debut U.S. performance was at Carnegie Hall in 2014.  TOURING Scott has performed worldwide with Tribal Tech, Human Element, the Zawinul Legacy Band and his own groups. He's played legendary venues including Carnegie Hall, Catalina Jazz Club, the Bottom Line, Blues Alley, the Great American Music Hall, the Troubador, Antone's, the Roxy, Dakota Jazz Club, the Musicians Institute, the Baked Potato and many more throughout the country. Kinsey is well known internationally, where he has performed in Europe, Asia, Africa, Mexico and South America at venues such as Ronnie Scott's, Blue Note Tokyo, Jazzhouse, the Blue Frog and dozens of others. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!  A versatile musician who feels at home playing almost anything with almost anyone, Scott has worked with incredible and diverse artists such as Joe Walsh, Dan Aykroyd (now THAT'S great bass...), Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, flamenco vocal genius Concha Buika, legendary saxophonist James Moody, jazz guitar original Kurt Rosenwinkel, Philip Bailey (Earth Wind & Fire), classical soprano star Anne Sofie von Otter, saxophonist Bill Evans, blues guitar great Robben Ford, Alan Elliott, Jimmy Earl, the WDR Big Band, Serj Tankian (System of a Down), David Holmes & The Free Association, Danny Carey (Tool), the Norrbotten Big Band, Tim Hagans, Bob Belden, Nicholas Payton & Sonic Trance, Indian drummer Ranjit Barot and the fusion group Uncle Moe's Space Ranch (with guitarist T. J. Helmerich and drummer Dennis Chambers). Plus, Joe Zawinul, of course!  Scott has produced songs or albums by The Manhattan Transfer (The Chick Corea Songbook), Philip Bailey (Soul On Jazz), Joe Zawinul (Faces & Places), Tim Hagans (Imagination: Animation and Re-Animation — both Grammy-nominated), Tribal Tech (X, Reality Check, Thick, Rocket Science), Gary Willis (Bent, Larger Than Life) and James Moody (Homage). He has also played on major Hollywood soundtracks such as Ocean's Eleven, Code 46, Stander, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Girlfriend Experience, Smokin' Aces, Brown Sugar, Analyze That, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, Haywire and Bob Odenkirk's Let's Go To Prison.  Kinsey mixes and masters recordings, as well as hi-res content for the iTunes+ (MFiT) protocol. Scott endorses Nord Keyboards, CME XKey37, Keith McMillen Instruments, Dave Smith Instruments, Arturia, Roli Seaboard, Lauten Audio Microphones and others.  WORD UP  2016 Top 10 Music List (Near Life Experience) — Jerry Kovarsky, Keyboard Magazine  “Scott Kinsey has taken the language of the synthesizer to the highest level in our modern times, as he is the first generation of keyboardists who developed electronically as opposed to the acoustic-centric classic piano model.” — Bob Belden  "Kinsey, perhaps in compensation for his inhuman chops quotient, has now established himself as an innovator for incorporating the human element, in the form of sampled vocals—pitched, unpitched, sung, spoken or screamed—into his custom-programmed sonic voice.” — All About Jazz   “Tribal Tech's secret weapon remains keyboardist Kinsey, who not only adds harmonic meat with his richly provocative choral voicings, hip comping and counterpoint melodies, but also stands as one of the most creative and unpredictable synth soloists around. He is always looking to push the envelope.” — Bill Milkowski  “Ridonkulous!” — Anonymous