Michael A. Aczon (Business of Music)
JD, University of San Francisco; BA Sociology, UC Berkeley. Entertainment lawyer, manager, author and educator. Practiced entertainment law for over 25 years representing a variety of clients in music genres from unsigned local artists to multi-platinum artists and writers. Author of The Musician’s Legal Companion published by Cengage Technology; columnist for Guitar Player Magazine and Electronic Musician Magazine; member of the Music and Recording Industry faculties at San Francisco State University and Diablo Valley College; on the National Entertainment Law Initiative Committee for the Recording Academy; member of the San Francisco Chapter’s Urban Outreach Committee.

Ambrose Akinmusire (Trumpet)
Jazzschool Institute Visiting Professor. MA in Music, USC and the Monk Institute; BM in Performance,
Manhattan School of Music. Studied with Vincent Pinzerella from the New York Philharmonic, Dick Oatts, Lew Soloff, Laurie Frink, Terence Blanchard, Billy Childs and Gary Grant. Winner of both the 2007 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. International performing and recording artist/clinician. Performed with Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Steve Coleman, Billy Higgins, Stefon Harris, Josh Roseman, Vijay Iyer, CharliePersip, the Mingus Big Band, the San Francisco Jazz Collective, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Hal Crook, Bob Hurst, Terri Lynne Carrington, Ron Carter, and Wallace Roney, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. www.ambroseakinmusire.com.

Laurie Antonioli (Voice; Director, Vocal Jazz Studies)
Studied at Mt. Hood College and Cal State Long Beach. Student of Joe Henderson, Mark Murphy; Professor, Vocal Jazz Studies, Kug U., Graz, Austria; Nabel Records recording artist; international performing and recording artist/ clinician; performed and recorded with George Cables, Bobby McFerrin, Richie Beirach, Joe Henderson, Pony Poindexter, Joe Bonner; bandleader of Foreign Affair; American Dreams, lyricist of Pauer- Antonioli Songbook, soon to be released.www.laurieantonioli.com

Peter Barshay (Bass)
Studied at San Francisco Conservatory of Music; Manhattan School of Music. HOTTEA Productions and Platform Recordings artist; has performed nationally and internationally with Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Stitt, Eddie Henderson, Woody Shaw, Pharoah Sanders, Blue Mitchell, Tony Williams, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Johnny Griffin and Bobby McFerrin. www.peterbarshay.com

David Belove (Bass)
Studied at San Francisco State and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Recorded and/or performed with Pete Escovedo, John Santos and The Machete Ensemble, Danilo Perez, Tito Puente, Francisco Aguabella, Rebeca Mauleon, Ray Obiedo, Marcos Silva, Joe Henderson, Max Roach, Blue Mitchell, Eddie Harris, Mark Levine, Pat Metheny, Larry Coryell and Zakir Hussain.

Theo Bleckmann (Voice)
Jazzschool Institute Visiting Professor. National and international performing and recording artist and educator. Performed with Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Zorn and the Bang On A Can All-Stars. Featured soloist with the Albany Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Estonian Radio Choir, Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance Group. Currently on faculty at Manhattan School of Music. Previously on faculty at New York University, The New School and Queens College. Teaches voice privately and in workshops and master classes worldwide. www.theobleckmann.com.

Lee Brenkman (Recording, Sound)
Sound system operation, design. Sound engineer, Avalon Ballroom, Family Dog Productions; head sound technician, Great American Music Hall, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Dick Bright’s SRO Band; mixed live shows for Bill Evans Trio, Stephane Grappelli, Count Basie Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Van Morrison, Astor Piazzolla, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Oregon; engineered recordings by Ed Blackwell, Betty Carter, Tito Puente, Woody Herman, Hampton Hawes, Carmen McRae.

Dr. Anthony Brown (Drums/Percussion, Ethnomusicology)
PComposer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, Guggenheim and Ford Fellow, Smithsonian Associate Scholar, and GRAMMY nominee. Dr. Anthony Brown has collaborated with Max Roach, Cecil Taylor, Zakir Hussain, Steve Lacy, David Murray, Anthony Davis and the San Francisco Symphony. Brown holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in music (ethnomusicology) from UC Berkeley, and a Master of Music degree in jazz performance from Rutgers University. He has served as a Visiting Professor of Music at UC Berkeley, an advisor and consultant for The Exploratorium, and previously was Curator of American Musical Culture and Director of the Jazz Oral History Program at the Smithsonian Institution. He is currently Artistic Director of Fifth Stream Music, and the internationally acclaimed Asian American Orchestra.www.anthonybrown.org.

John Calloway (Flute, Piano)
PhD in International and Multi-Cultural Education, U. of San Francisco (in progress); MA in Music Education, San Francisco State U.; BA in Music, City University of New York. Multiinstrumentalist, composer and arranger in jazz and Latin music styles; performed throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America with Israel“Cachao” Lopez, Max Roach, Omar Sosa, Dizzy Gillespie, Pete Escovedo, Jesus Diaz, John Santos, Quique Cruz, Rebeca Mauleon and Wayne Wallace. Recordings include Diaspora, The Code and collaborations with John Santos, Jesus Diaz and Omar Sosa; faculty, San Francisco State U.; clinician, Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West; program coordinator, PlazaCuba. www.johncalloway.com.

Clairdee (Voice / Performance)
BA in Fine Arts and Education, U. of Colorado-Boulder; BS in Information Systems Management, U. of San Francisco. Vocalist and international performing and recording artist, specializing in teaching performance and presentation. Performances include Monterey Jazz Festival, The Jazz Cruise, Playboy Jazz at the Rose Bowl; performed with Cyrus Chestnut, Bucky Pizzarelli, Dave Fishberg, Red Holloway, Ray Drummond, Boz Scaggs, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Taylor Eigsti and others; opened for Count Basie Orchestra, David Sanborn, Etta James. Former vocal jazz faculty at UC Berkeley Jazz Ensembles and Diablo Valley College; teaching artist for San Francisco Symphony’s “Adventures in Music” education program; voice-over talent for Apple, Bank of America, California State Lottery, Coca-Cola and Discover Channel’s Fit TV. www.clairdee.com

Jeremy Cohen (Violin)
Studied at Sonoma State U. and Brooklyn College. Member, Turtle Island String Quartet 1991 – 93; founder, 2-time Grammy award-winning Quartet San Francisco; member, Violinjazz Quartet; faculty, Henry Mancini Institute, UCLA; faculty, Stanford Jazz Workshop; student of Anne Crowden, Itzhak Perlman. www.violinjazz.com

Kwami Coleman (Musicology; Piano and Percussion)
Born and raised in New York City, where he began his formal studies at four years of age on piano in a small studio at Carnegie Hall, Kwami graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts before earning a BA and MA in music with honors at Hunter College, City University of New York. Performing with several jazz, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop, soul, deep house, and experimental ensembles in and around New York City while in college, Kwami is now a Ph.D. candidate in musicology at Stanford University where he is writing a dissertation on Miles Davis’ 1964 quintet. He currently lives in San Francisco and performs on piano, keyboards, and percussion in the Bay Area.

Christy Dana (Trumpet)
D Mus. in Brass with minor in Jazz, Indiana U.; M Mus. in Theory, Indiana U.; B Mus. in Brass, DePauw U. Faculty, UC Berkeley; leader, CDQ (Christy Dana Quartet); member Montclair Women’sBig Band, Napa Valley Symphony, Jubilate Baroque Orchestra. www.christydana.com.

George W. Davis (Poetry / Literature)
BA in Literature, St. Lawrence University; Graduate Studies, Poetry and Drama, Bread Loaf School of English & UC Berkeley; teaches English, poetry, creative writing, Berkeley Adult School; tutor in Adult Education; teacher,” Literary Groove of Jazz”, Jazzschool; co-producer, Florio Street Concerts; producer, Jazz and the Word, Jazzschool; performer and reader throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeff Denson (Double Bass/Ensembles)
D.M.A. in Contemporary Music Performance with an emphasis in Composition, University of California San Diego; M.M. in Jazz Studies Magna Cum Laude, Florida State University; B.M. in Performance Cum Laude, Berklee College of Music. Enja Records recording artist with Minsarah and with the Lee Konitz New Quartet. National and international performing and recording artist; performed with Bob Moses, Joe Lovano, Carl Allen, Kenny Werner, Anthony Davis, Mark Dresser, Geoffrey Keezer, Claudio Puntin, Lionel Loueke, Dan Weiss, Ralph Alessi, Charles McPherson and Lee Konitz. Select performances include: Berlin Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival Paris and the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center and the Village Vanguard. www.jeffdenson.com

Ann Dyer (Voice)
Vocalist, lyricist, composer, international performing and recording artist, yoga instructor. Leader, “Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies.” Recordings, Sunnyside, Premonition Records. Studies with Pandit Mukesh, Desai, Shweta Jhaveri, Dhanshree Pandit, Mark Murphy. BA in Dance and Psychology, Mills College. www.anndyer.com

Madeline Eastman (Voice)
National and international performing and recording artist; developed and heads the Vocal Department, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Stanford U.; Artistic Director, Jazz Camp West; Brubeck Jazz Colony, U. of Pacific; Vocal Clinician,
Monterey Jazz Traveling Clinician Program; developed and heads the Voiceshop and Voiceshop Retreats. www.madelineeastman.com.

Taylor Eigsti (Piano)
Jazzschool Institute Visiting Professor. Studied music at U. of Southern California. Concord Recording Artist; 2007 Grammy nominee; faculty, Stanford Jazz Workshop since 1999; leader, Taylor Eigsti Group with five albums as a leader; featured on BET jazz channel; performed with Joshua Redman; Ernestine Anderson, Dave Brubeck, Diane Schuur, James Moody, Bobby Hutcherson, Frederica Von Stade, Patti Austin, Christian McBride, Red Holloway, Rufus Reid, Alan Broadbent; featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on NPR; featured in DownBeat Magazine, Billboard, Jazziz, Jazz Times, Keyboard Magazine. www.tayjazz.com

Kai Eckhardt (Bass)
BA with honors, Berklee College of Music. Internationally acclaimed performing and recording artist, composer and educator; performed with Steve Smith’s Vital Information, Alphonse Mouzon, Randy Brecker, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Fareed Haque, Courtney Pine, Zakir Hussain, George Brooks, Mike Marshall, and Stanley Clarke. Faculty on occasion at Berklee College of Music, Boston; the Bass Collective, NYC; Anton Bruckner Conservatory, Austria; and Musician’s Institute of Technology in Los Angeles. www.kaizone.com.

Andrew Emer (Bass)
MM in Jazz Performance, New York U; BM, Sonoma State U. Student of Charlie Haden, CalArts. Bi-coastal performances and tours with national and international jazz luminaries including Billy Higgins, Buddy Collette and Bruce Forman on the west coast; and Lee Konitz, Donald Byrd, Jason Moran, Jeff Ballard, Kenny Wollesen, Bradford Marsalis, George Garzone, Mike Clark, Slide Hampton, Donny McCaslin and Bob Weir on the east coast. Currently serves as adjunct faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College, summer faculty at Lake Tahoe Jazz Camp for Kids, and visiting professor at National Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium.

Steve Erquiaga (Guitar)
National and international recording and performing artist; performed at Montreux Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival; performed with Bobby McFerrin, Joe Henderson, Les McCann, John Scofield, David Byrne, Turtle Island String Quartet, Paulo Bellinati, Andy Narell, and Paul McCandless; founder, leader, Trio Paradiso; faculty, Jamey Aebersold Jazz Clinics; publications include Guitar Duets and Arrangements from his CD Cafe Paradiso. www.erquiaga.com.

Mimi Fox (Guitar)
Advisor, Guitar Program. International recording/performing artist and five-time Downbeat magazine International Critics Poll Winner. Performed throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and Australia. Festivals include Montreal, Monterey, Guinness Cork, Perth and North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival. Adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at NYU; guest clinician/artist in residence at Alaska Jazz Workshop, Britt Music Festival, Yale U., CalArts, Cornish College of the Arts, U. of Oregon, USC and Berklee College of Music; featured artist on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on NPR; featured artist, Kennedy Center. Performed with Charlie Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez, Joey DeFrancesco, Houston Person, Jim Hall, and Diana Krall. www.mimifoxjazzguitar.com.

Todd M. Gascon (Business of Music)
JD University of Dayton; B.S.B.A. Ohio Northern University. Todd Gascon is an entertainment and technology lawyer with the Zent Law Group in Sunnyvale, California. Mr. Gascon’s practice is focused in the areas of intellectual property law and licensing, with a particular emphasis in digital media, music, motion pictures and the visual arts. Mr. Gascon represents artists, composers, bands and independent record labels in the negotiation of distribution, management, publishing, production and recording agreements as well as the licensing of compositions and master recordings for use in commercials, motion pictures, television and videos. A partial listing of his clients, past and present, includes Dave Binney, Don Byron, Jim Campilongo, Dave Douglas, Marty Ehrlich, Wayne Horvitz, Hot Club of San Francisco, Andy Laster, Kate McGarry, Myra Melford, Mick Rossi, Kendra Shank, Edward Simon, Tin Hat and Cuong Vu. In addition, Mr. Gascon is a board member of Rova:Arts, the non-profit organization of the Rova Saxophone Quartet. www.zentlawgroup.com.

John Gove (Trombone)
MM and BM in Jazz Composition and Performance, Eastman School of Music. Director of Jazz Studies at Laney College; SF Bay Area trombonist and composer/arranger since the early 1990’s.

Alan Hall (Drums)
Advisor, Drum Program. Former assistant professor at Berklee College of Music; adjunct faculty at UC Berkeley; clinician; author; performed with Ernie Watts, Paul McCandless, Eddie Harris, Bruce Wilamson, Art Lande, Tom Coster, Kit Walker, Rebecca Parris, Kai Eckhardt, Stuart Hamm; artist endorsement with Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Aquarian Accessories. www.jazzdrumming.com.

Terri Hinte (Music Business — Publicity)
Independent publicist whose current clients include the Jazzschool, James Carter, Danilo Perez, Bobby Broom, Clifton Anderson, Dave Holland, Ed Reed, Nicolas Bearde, Anthony Brown and the Asian American Orchestra, the Hot Club of San Francisco, and (since 1978) Sonny Rollins. Served as Fantasy Records’ Director of Press & Public Information for more than 30 years. Recipient of a 2006 “A Team” Award from the Jazz Journalists Association.
www.terrihinte.com.

Peter Horvath (Piano)
MA, Berklee College of Music; Bela Bartok Conservatory of Music, Budapest, Hungary; Vienna Conservatory of Music. Performed, toured, recorded with Victor Bailey Group, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Lalah Hathaway, Oakland Symphony, Bob Sheppard, Bennie Maupin, Richie Cole, Ray Obiedo; arranged and recorded for Aretha Franklin. www.peterhorvath.com.

Erik Jekabson (Trumpet)
MA in Composition, SF Conservatory of Music; B Mus. in Trumpet, Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Toured with John Mayer, Illinois Jacquet and Galactic, and has composed for film and dance projects. Recorded a solo album Intersection on Fresh Sound/New Talent label. Currently teaches at Berkeley City College and Los Medanos College. www.jekabson.tripod.com.

Raz Kennedy (Voice)
Founding member of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra; vocal coach for many Bay Area and internationally known artists including Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, Narada Michael Walden (producer for Whitney, Aretha and Mariah), Los Tigres Del Norte, Hilary Duff, Lynn Asher, Spencer Day, Jasmine Guy, members of Metallica, Lavay Smith, James Nash of the Waybacks, Pollyanna Bush and many others!

Jonathan Knight (Trumpet)
DMA in Orchestral Conducting, Stony Brook University; MM in Orchestral Conducting, New England Conservatory; BA in Music, UC Berkeley. Studied conducting with Michael Senturia, Richard Pittman, Arthur Weisberg, David Lawton, Boris Goldovsky, Otto Werner- Mueller, James Dixon. Studied trumpet performance with Phil Shoptaugh, Laurie McGaw, Charles Schlueter, Ronald Anderson. Teaching positions held at Grinnell College, CSU Hayward, UC Santa Cruz. Since 1996 – 97, teaching at Los Medanos College (currently director of concert band), Assistant Director, Cazadero Music Camp. Performed with several orchestras on the “Freeway Philharmonic” circuit in the Bay Area, Lamplighters, Contra Costa Musical Theater, Diablo Light Opera Company, Brassworks Quintet.

Janet Kutulas (Voice)
BM, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 1988. Music Director, KITKA Women’s VocalEnsemble. Trained with Bulgarian singers Tzvetanka Varimezova, Kremena Stancheva, and Ukrainian singer Mariana Sadovska, and others. Awarded a Hertz Fellowship from UC Berkeley. Performed with A.C.T.; Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares; Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir; Marcel Khalife; and on Prairie Home Companion. Performed as a flutist with the Berkeley Symphony, California Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Illinois Philharmonic. As a founding member, played for 15 years with EARPLAY; also Composers Inc., left Coast Chamber Players and in the SF Symphony’s New and Unusual Music Series. www.kitka.org.

Jay W. Lehmann (Trumpet)
MA in Trumpet Performance, Cal State Hayward, East Bay; BA in Music, UC Davis. California Lifetime Teaching Credential; Chairman, Laney College Music Department; Director, Laney Summer Music Program; performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival and with Don Menza, Bill Watrous; studied with John Cage. www.laney.peralta.edu.

Jason Lewis (Drums) BA in Music Performance from the Classical Percussion Program, San Jose State U. Private
teacher, combo assistant at Stanford Jazz Workshop, clinician for the San Jose Jazz Society. Has performed with John Stowell, Gary Burton, Gil Goldstein, James Moody, Mark Murphy, Bob Sheppard, Steve Rodby, Paul McCandles, Norma Winstone, Larry Coryell, Darol Anger, Regina Carter, Johnny Frigo, James Carter, John Handy, Anton Schwartz Mark Levine, Peter Apfelbaum, Paul Nagel, and Kurt Elling. Has also performed with the San Jose Symphony and the San Jose Civic Light Opera. Recorded and toured internationally with Boz Scaggs, Michael Brook, Djivan Gasparyan, Ann Dyer and Taylor Eigsti. Can be heard on numerous recordings as well as TV (Spark on PBS) and movie soundtracks (Affliction, Albino Alligator and Ratatouille).

Kitty Margolis (Voice)
Studied at Harvard and San Francisco State U., National and international performing and recording artist; recording, performance credits include Lionel Hampton, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones, Roy Hargrove, John Handy, Hank Jones, Charles Brown, Herb Ellis, Red Holloway, and- David Newman; “BAMMIE” winner, DownBeat Critics’ Poll; co-founder of Mad-Kat Records; featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on NPR; IAJE Resource Team; currently NARAS (Grammy) Board. www.kittymargolis.com.

Jeff Marrs (Drums)
BA and MA in Jazz Performance from The New England Conservatory; works regularly with Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, The Mel Martin Quartet, The “Dynamic” Ms. Faye Carol; has performed with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Marc Cary and George Russell; part-time faculty member, Los Medanos College, Diablo Valley College, and UC Berkeley.

Kerry Marsh (Voice)
MM In Jazz Studies, U. of North Texas, 2003; BME In Music Education, U. of Kansas, 2000. Director of Vocal Jazz Studies, Sacramento State U. which has been the recipient of five DownBeat awards; leading arranger of vocal jazz ensembles; 2002 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Award Winner for Best Jazz Arrangement; produced four albums; performed at some of the most prestigious venues in jazz education; in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the country; directed seven all-state vocal jazz ensembles. www.kerrymarsh.com.

Hafez Modirzadeh (Theory, Saxophone)
PhD, Wesleyan University (1992), for his original “chromodal” approach to jazz. Since 1998, Professor of World Cultures Program at SF State’s School of Music and Dance. 1989, ‘91 NEA Jazz Fellow, and 2006 Fulbright Senior Lecturer to work with Gnawan and Flamenco musicians in Morocco and Andalucia. An international performing/recording artist and educator, Modirzadeh has worked with Don Cherry and Peter Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics Ensemble, Ornette Coleman, John Handy, Zakir Hussein and Mark Izu’s Circle of Fire, Steve Lacy and Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra, Oliver Lake, James Newton, Leo Smith, Omar Sosa, and many Asian and Asian American artists including Fred Ho, Danongan Kalanduyan, Akira Tana, Kenny Endo, Francis Wong and Asian Improv Arts.

Greg Murai (Piano)
BA in Music Composition, San Jose State U. Composer, arranger, performer and recording artist. Directed,Vocal Underground, Oakland Jazz Choir, San Jose State Jazz Singers, San Francisco State Vocal Jazz Ensemble; Composer-in-Residence, Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church. www.gregmurai.com.

Susan Muscarella (Piano; Founder and Executive Director, Jazzschool Inc.)
BA in Music Composition, UC Berkeley. Founder, Director and CEO, Jazzschool Inc.; Chair, Jazzschool Instrumental Program; Director, UC Jazz Ensembles program 1984–89; composer, arranger and recording artist; featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on NPR.

Kim Nalley (Voice)
BA in History, UC Berkeley. Awarded one of the “Ten Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area”; internationally acclaimed jazz and blues vocalist; actress and former owner of Jazz at Pearl’s. www.kimnalley.com.

Jim Santi Owen (Indian Percussion)
MFA in World Music, CalArts; BA in Humanities, New College of California. San Franciscobased performing artist and educator. Student of Pandid Swapan Chaudhuri, T.H. Subash Chandran, K. Shekar, Charlie Haden, Tootie Heath and the Ladzekpo Brothers. Performed with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Subash Chandran, K.Sekar, Pharoah Sanders, Hamza el Din, Alam Khan, Stanley Jordan, Kartik Seshadri, Sharam Nazeri, Steve Smith, George Brooks’ Summit, Terry Riley, Joseph Jarman, Yair Dalal, Bikram Ghosh, Ganesh Kumar, Jai Uttal, Myra Melford, Alessandra Belloni, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Omar Sosa and Steve Gorn. Recorded with T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and Selva Ganesh. Trained and certified in the Orff-Schulwerk Method. Has taught at Cornish University, CSU Sacramento, and CalArts. Currently Music Director of the SF World Music Festival’s Youth Music Initiative and on faculty at the Ali Akbar College of Music, Dominican University, The Sangati Center, and Zambaleta World Music School.

Joyce Pricco (Voice)
B.Mus in Education,Voice, San Francisco State U.; Certificate of Completion in Multimedia Studies, Diablo Valley College. Bay Area freelance musician, 17 years; performed with Oakland Opera Theater, Opera on the Lawn; private instruction, 20 years

Jackeline Rago (Cuatro, Afro-Venezuelan Percussion)
Multi-instrumentalist, national and international performer, composer, arranger, educator; Music Director, Venezuelan Music Project; awarded CAC Artist In Residence Grant. www.jackelinerago.com.

Glenn Richman (Bass)
Mannes School of Music (1 yr); Berklee College of Music (2 yrs). Advisor, Jazzschool Bass Program; student of Buster Williams, George Mraz and Mike Longo; performed with Bobby Hutcherson, Jon Hendricks, Dave Liebman, Chet Baker, Benny Green, Dakota Staton, Chris Connor, Tom Harrell, Eddie Henderson, John Hicks, Mike Clark, Jack Wilkins, Billy Hart, Larry Willis, George Coleman and Mickey Roker; faculty, Brubeck Institute, UC Berkeley and Chabot College.

Rita Sahai (Voice)
Performing artist, educator and composer. A native of Allahabad, India, the disciple of renowned vocalist Pandit Rama Shankar Mishra, specialist in the Benares Gharana style. Student of sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan focusing on the Seni Allaudin Gharana style. Performed throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and India, recorded several solo CDs, and collaborated on major recording projects with Grammy Award-winning artist Béla Fleck, and renowned choreographer, Alonzo King. Currently on faculty at the Ali Akbar College of Music.

John Santos (Percussion)
Percussionist, producer, composer, recording artist, writer and historian. Multi Grammy nominee (4); Founder and Director, The Machete Ensemble, 1985 – 2006; performed and/or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Santana, Cachao, Eddie Palmieri, Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, Steve Turre, Bobby Hutcherson, Lalo Schifrin, James Moody, The Latin Giants of Jazz, Omar Sosa, Buena Vista Social Club, Batacumbele, Lázaro Ros, Francisco Aguabella, Armando Peraza, El Conjunto de Clave y Guaguancó, John Faddis, and Mark Murphy. Lectured and/or offered residencies at the Berklee School of Music, Yale, UCLA, Whittier College, Michigan State, Univ of Wisconsin at Madison, Dillard Univ, UC Berkeley, UC Sacramento, UC Santa Cruz, UC Monterey Bay, San Jose State Univ, SF State Univ, Humboldt State Univ, and Brigham Young Univ, as well as throughout Europe and Latin America. Currently on faculty of the College of San Mateo, Jazz Camp West, and director of the highly acclaimed John Santos Sextet. www.johnsantos.com.

Jaz Sawyer, (Drums, Percussion)
MPA, Metropolitan College of New York; BFA, Mannes Jazz & Contemporary Music Program. A San Francisco native, drummer and percussionist Jaz Sawyer has performed and recorded with major artists including Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Phil Lesh & Friends, Abbey Lincoln, SF Symphony, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Irvin Mayfield among others. He has performed at The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard, Carnegie Hall (NY), Davies Symphony Hall (SF), The New Morning (Paris), The Concertgebow (Germany), Red Sea Festival (Israel), and the North Sea Jazz Festival (Cape Town). Founder and CEO of Pursuance Records, he is also actively involved in communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York, and continues to conduct workshops and special events throughout the country as part of his mission to improve music education for young musicians. www.pursuancerecords.com.

Anton Schwartz (Saxophone)
MS in Computer Science, Stanford U.; National Science Foundation Fellow; BA in Mathematics and Philosophy, Harvard U., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. Faculty, Stanford Jazz Workshop; clinician, Brubeck Institute; performer, composer and recording artist; headliner, Blue Note, Yoshi’s, Blues Alley, Monterey Jazz Festival; featured artist on NPR’s JazzSet, 2005. www.antonjazz.com

Dave Scott (Trumpet)
MA in Trumpet Performance, U. of Northern Colorado; BA in Instrumental Music, U. of Michigan. National performing and recording artist, jazz, classical idioms; lead trumpet, Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, The Realistic Orchestra,
Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra; performs with Boz Scaggs, Glide Memorial Church Change Band, Brass Monkey Band; founder of Trumpet Supergroup, Dave Scott Jazz Quartet. www.davescott.org.

John Shifflett (Bass)
Attended graduate school in Music, U. of Iowa. erved on the faculty of the Jazz Studies program, U. of Iowa. Currently teaching bass and small ensembles at San Jose State University. Played countless studio sessions and many pit orchestras; toured with Dave Liebman, Boz Scaggs, Taylor Eigsti, Madeleine Peyroux, Scott Amendola Band; also performed with Red Holloway, John Zorn, Bobby Hutcherson, Norma Winstone, John Stowell, Ann Dyer, Ernie Watts, Smith Dobson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Harold Land, Kurt Elling and many others.

Marcos Silva (Piano)
Advisor, Jazzschool Brazilian Program. National and international performing and recording artist, composer, arranger, producer, educator; performed with Leny Andrade, Emilio Santiago, Marcio Montarroyos, Jon Lucien, Claudio Roditi; Music Director, arranger, keyboards for Flora Purim, Airto, Toninho Horta, Paquito D’Rivera, Bud Shank, Ricardo Silveira, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Danilo Caymmi, Edu Lobo, Joyce; leader, Marcos Silva and Intersection.

Nate Sloan (Piano/Banjo. Part-time)
BA in Music, Brown University; PhD candidate in Music History, Stanford University; Research on jazz, Tin Pan Alley and Jewish music, with emphasis on urban geography and musical mapping; Composer and lyricist in musical theatre, including Leavittsburg, OH (2009) and Baz and Me (2010); Pianist and (occasional) banjoist.

John Stowell (Guitar)
Thirty years of freelance experience teaching and playing internationally, adjunct faculty at numerous colleges in the Pacific Northwest, published author (Mel Bay and Truefire), contributing columnist (Guitar Player, DownBeat, Canadian Musician, etc.), ten CDs as a leader, twelve as a co-leader. Performance credits include Paul Horn, Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Dave Liebman, Billy Hart, Don Thompson and Pete Christlieb. www.johnstowell.com.

Akira Tana (Drums)
BM in Percussion, New England Conservatory, 1979; BA in East Asian Studies, Harvard University, 1974. Performed with jazz greats Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Hubert Laws, Milt Jackson, Jim Hall, Art Farmer, The Paul Winter Consort, Paquito D’Rivera, James Moody, J.J. Johnson, Lena Horne, and The Manhattan Transfer, among others. Performed at the Tanglewood Festival under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Gunther Schuller and has accompanied diverse artists such as Charles Aznavour, Maurice Hines and Van Dyke Parks. Teaches privately and at San Francisco State University. Conducts clinics and master classes throughout the country sponsored in part by Yamaha Drums and Vic Firth Sticks. www.akiratana.com.

Sheryl Lynn Thomas
(Business of Music — Marketing)
BA in Drama from San Francisco State U. with emphasis on Musical Theater. Marketing Director, Jazzschool Inc.; Marketing and Publicity Director, Patois Records; Latin jazz and world music recording artist; award recipient and honorary member of the international Thespian Society; vocal and acting training with San Francisco Academy for The Performing Arts, Seydways Acting Studio and John Howard Swain.

Mads Tolling (Violin, Viola)
Internationally renowned violinist, violist, and composer. Two-time Grammy award-winner with the Turtle Island Quartet. As violist with the quartet, 2003-2007 and now as first violinist, 2007-present, Mads maintains an active touring and recording schedule as well as composing and giving master classes. Tours as jazz violinist with the acclaimed bassist Stanley Clarke and his touring band. In 06 and 08 as part of Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy awards for Best Classical Crossover album with the recordings “4+Four” and “A Love Supreme - The Legacy of John Coltrane.” Tolling has received Denmark’s Sankt Annae’s Award for Musical Excellence as well as grants from Queen Margaret, the Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award. He has performed with Paquito d’Rivera, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Stefon Harris, Sergio & Odair Assad, Leo Kottke and Russell Ferrante.

Arjun Verma (Sitar) B.A. in Psychology, Dominican University of California. A student of sitar maestros Roop Verma and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Recipient of the prestigious Shenson Fellowship for the San Francisco Foundation. Performed throughout the US and Europe including the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the New School in New York City and Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic. Currently on faculty at the Ali Akbar College of Music.

Wayne Wallace (Trombone)
National and international performing artist, composer, arranger, educator; faculty, San Francisco State U., Stanford Jazz Workshop, San Jose State U., UC Berkeley, Jazz Camp West; grants, N.E.A., Zellerbach Foundation,
San Francisco Arts Commission, Creative Work Fund; recording artist, producer, arranger for Angela Bofill, Celine Dion, Con Funk Shun, Pete Escovedo, Chris Isaak, Santana, Sister Sledge; performed with George Duke, Joe Henderson Big Band, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Bobby Hutcherson, Irakere, Dr. John, Eartha Kitt, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Tito Puente, John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, Sonny Rollins, The Temptations, James Taylor, McCoy Tyner Big Band, Los Van Van, Tony Williams, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Winwood and Stevie Wonder.
www.walacomusic.com.

Katherine Westine (Piano)
Post-graduate studies in Early Music, Norddeutsche Orgelakademie, Bremen, Germany; MA in Organ Performance, Lone Mountain College, San Francisco; BA in Music History, U. of Washington, Seattle. Co-producer, Florio Street Concerts.

Michael Zilber (Saxophones)
Ph.D. in Composition, NYU; MM in Composition, Tufts U.; B.Mus. in Composition, New England Conservatory. National and international performing and recording artist, composer, arranger, educator; performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Dave Liebman, Miroslav Vitous, Bob Berg, Eddie Henderson, Fareed Haque, Geoff Keezer, Donald Harrison, John Handy, Dave Douglas, Rachel Z, James Genus, Narada Michael Walden, Barry Finnerty Steve Smith, Bruce Barth www.michaelzilber.com

Dann Zinn (Saxophone/Flute)
BA Music Performance CSUEB, UCLA 3-tim FAA Outstanding Teacher Recipient. Leader Dann Zinn Band. Featured on over 40 CDs. Performed/Recorded with Joe Henderson, Dave Eshelman, Jeff Tain Watts, Mary Wells, Frank Harris, Barry Finnerty. Faculty CSUEB, UCB, and Brubeck Institute. www.dannzinn.com