Chloe Rowlands

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Chloe Rowlands is a Brooklyn-based trumpet player, composer, arranger, and music educator. Born in Seattle and raised in Phoenix, she moved to NYC in 2010 to study at The New School College of Performing Arts, where she now is on faculty teaching trumpet.

Chloe is the Trumpet 2 chair-holder for Gypsy on Broadway and is a member of the critically acclaimed brass quartet The Westerlies, which the New York Times describes as “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk.” She also enjoys playing a wide variety of musical styles and has performed, recorded, toured and collaborated with artists such as Fleet Foxes, the ten-time GRAMMY award-winning Manhattan Transfer, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, GRAMMY award-winning The 8-Bit Big Band, Durand Jones and the Indications, Big Red Machine, Haley Heynderickx, and Theo Bleckmann. Recent notable performances include the Hollywood Bowl, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Forest Hills Stadium, the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Blue Note NYC, the Java International Jazz Festival, and the Jarasum International Jazz Festival.

Chloe has also worked in film and television, where she can be seen and heard featured throughout the soundtrack to Billy Crystal’s self-produced and directed film “Here Today,” and has recorded music for and appeared in the HBO original series “Gossip Girl.” As a composer, Chloe has been commissioned to write music for chamber music, ballet, concert bands, jazz ensembles, and has composed and produced original scores for short films, TV shows, and documentaries.

Lilan Kane

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Oakland-based soul singer and composer Lilan Kane (LEE – lawn) is authentic, on and off stage. The sultry honesty in her voice is as raw as her lyrical stories of love, life and self-discovery. A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Kane has sold out numerous residencies at Yoshi’s Oakland and SFJAZZ as well as performances at Minton’s Playhouse (NYC), Chris’s Jazz Cafe (Philly), French Quarter Festival (New Orleans), Concord Pavillion, The Mint (LA), Fillmore Jazz Festival and many others.

Her songs have been featured on KCSM, WGBO, Jazziz.com, Soulandjazz.com, Soultracks.com, Thisisrnb.com and others.

Kane has sung with Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra, Tom Browne, and opened for Hall & Oates, Lenny Williams, Freddie Hughes, The Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Sharon Jones, Trombone Shorty, and Morgan James.

 

Ian McArdle

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Ian McArdle, from Oakland, California is a recent graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he obtained a Bachelor of Music degree.  He has had the privilege of studying with Dan Wall, Susan Muscarella, Billy Hart and Jamey Haddad.

Ian began playing piano in elementary school. At that age he preferred playing along with his favorite songs over more formal classical studies.  However, in eighth grade with the discovery of jazz, he became much more serious about music.  In high school, McArdle played with the national award-winning Jazzschool Studio Band under the direction of Keith Johnson and the Oaktown Jazz Workshop led by Khalil Shaheed.

Ian received the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Dean’s Scholarship and awards for Outstanding Musicianship from the Campana Jazz Festival, CSU East Bay Jazz Festival and the Sacramento State University Winter Jazz Festival.

He has performed at Yoshi’s Jazz Club, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival as well as jazz venues in Italy and France.  In 2026 Ian released his debut album “Halcyon Week” a collection of original songs and productions.

Ryan Trujillo

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A California native, Ryan Trujillo began his formal musical education in 2011 at Redding CA’s Shasta Community College. Notable achievements from his time there include cofounding the college’s first jazz combo, which would receive unanimous superior ratings at the 2015 Cabrillo Jazz Festival, and portraying the titular character/lead in the Shasta College Opera Theater production of Gounad’s Faust. Following completion of an Associate’s in general music, Ryan transferred to San Jose State University.

Trujillo would study a combined 5 years at SJSU between undergraduate and graduate school under the guidance of bay area jazz bass titans John Shifflett and Dan Robbins. Specific accomplishments at SJSU include accompanying guest artist Dee Dee Bridgewater with the SJSU Jazz Orchestra dir. Aaron Lington, studying Afro Cuban culture, tradition, and music abroad in Havana, Cuba with the SJSU Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble dir. Jeff Lewis, performing Claude Bolling’s Concerto for Jazz Piano Trio and Orchestra with the SJSU Symphony Orchestra dir. Fred Cohen, as well as directing the SJSU Jazz Ensemble.

Since graduating in 2022, Trujillo has firmly established himself as a performer working with a wide variety of groups and managing his own projects. He continues to study the music and cultures of latin America and has become a pillar of the California jazz community as a performer, recording artist and educator.

Ryan maintains a private lesson studio, is a teacher at East West Music and Dance in Cupertino and Opus 11 in San José, is an upright and electric bass coach for Homestead and Cupertino High Schools, and is regular faculty for the San Jose Jazz and Stanford Jazz middle and high school education programs.

Vinnie Sperrazza

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Vinnie Sperrazza is a Brooklyn-based jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, author, and educator, noted for his deep swing, versatility, and commitment to new music. Born in Utica, NY, Sperrazza moved to Brooklyn after completing his studies at William Paterson University, where he was mentored by pianist James Williams.

He’s composed for the groups Vinnie Sperrazza Trio, featuring Ethan Iverson and Michael Formanek, whose first album of Sperrazza compositions was released in March 2023, and Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal, featuring Loren Stillman, Brandon Seabrook, and Eivind Opsvik, with three albums of Vin’s originals since 2014.

Sperrazza is a part of several collectives, including Ember, with Caleb Curtis and Noah Garabedian with a new album out August 2023, the Choir Invisible, with Chris Tordini and Charlotte Greve, with two albums on Intakt Records, and PLAY, featuring Jacob Sacks and Masa Kamaguchi, regularly recording for Fresh Sound Records.
Additionally, he is a member of Matt Bauder’s Hearing Things, the Hank Roberts Sextet, Michael Formanek’s Drome Trio, and many other NYC-based groups. He tours regularly with the Mark Morris Music Ensemble, led by Ethan Iverson, playing Iverson’s scores and arrangements

Also a committed writer, Sperrazza’s Substack entitled Chronicles has been active since October 2022 and features nearly 200 in-depth articles focused on the history of jazz and jazz drumming, with deep dives on well-known and lesser-known figures. An experienced clinician and devoted private instructor, Sperrazza’s teaching emphasizes fundamentals and listening, core components upon which he’s built his musical life.

Sami Stevens

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Singer-songwriter Sami Stevens harnesses Jazz, Soul, Folk and Indie Rock influences to create truly intimate original music. Accompanying herself on piano or Wurlitzer, Sami delivers dynamic, personal performances deeply steeped in the lineage of the great American singer-songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s.

In 2023, Sami released her debut solo album ‘Morning’ on Sunnyside Records. Born from a love of classic American music and an ear for storytelling, ‘Morning’ showcases Stevens’ rich vocal delivery as it ebbs between intimate personal stories and stunning symphonic textures, treating the vastness of the human condition with painterly impressions and an empathetic disposition. Glide Magazine wrote “Sami Stevens did more than impress with her first solo outing, she quickly established herself as one of the most promising songwriters to appear in the past few years.”

Sami is also an avid collaborator; fresh off of a two year run with nine-time Grammy winner Norah Jones on auxiliary keys and background vocals as Norah toured her 2024 release ‘Visions.’ Other ongoing collaborations include Rose Thorne by Kenny Wollesen, I Insist by Kazemde George, The Way I Feel Inside by Marty Isenberg, Brave New World by Tredici Bacci, and a new one woman show by John Zorn and Jesse Harris, currently in development.

Sami’s performance and recording career has transcended genre; she has performed with Brian Blade, Emily King, John Scofield, Gary Wilson, Curren$y, and Jason Moran, and has opened for Rachael Price, John Zorn, and Talib Kweli. Sami has appeared on film and TV soundtracks including Archer, Sesame Street, and the French Italian (Cat Cohen). She has toured five continents with various projects, appearing at the Barclays Center, the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Nippon Budokan, the Apollo Theatre, Red Rocks, the Kennedy Center, Paramount Brooklyn, the Late Show with Steven Colbert, Lincoln Center, Cotton Club Tokyo, and National Sawdust. She has performed at music festivals including Big Ears, Austin City Limits, and SXSW. Her projects have been lauded by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Downbeat, and the New York Times, and featured on various official playlists, including Spotify’s “Best Vocal Jazz of 2021.”

Sami Stevens studied privately with Dominique Eade and John McNeil at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she graduated with a BM in Vocal Jazz Performance in the fall of 2014. Sami also received a BA in Psychology from Tufts University. She grew up in East Winthrop, Maine, and is currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

Ben Feldman

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Hailed as one of the most versatile and dynamic up-and-coming instrumentalists on the scene, Ben Feldman (b. 1999) is a multi-award winning bassist, composer, and educator currently based in NYC. He holds a Bachelor’s of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Ron Carter and Buster Williams, and a Masters of Music from the Juilliard School.

Growing up in Seattle, Ben benefited greatly from the city’s strong jazz education. He began playing bass at the age of 13, inspired by his band director at Hamilton International Middle School, Dan Rowe. He continued on to Garfield High School where he joined the jazz band and orchestra, as well as the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. While in high school, he quickly began working as a professional bassist, playing with Seattle luminaries including Jay Thomas, Mark Taylor, Dawn Clement, Johnaye Kendrick, Bill Anschell among others.

Among his accolades, Ben Feldman is a recipient of the Manhattan School of Music Presidential Scholarship and has appeared at many distinguished festivals and venues, such as Dizzy’s Club, The Django, the Kennedy Center, the International Jazz Festival Bern, musig im pflegidach, Jazz à Vienne, The Grammys After-Party, Regattabar, Umbria Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and the Vail Jazz Festival. Furthermore, he has shared the stage with world-renowned artists the likes of Stefon Harris, Jane Monheit, Sullivan Fortner, Gerald Clayton, Geoffrey Keezer, Dave Liebman, Regina Carter, Joey Alexander, and Matt Wilson. His own projects include the piano/bass duo series 4+88, which features performances with artists including Donald Vega, Glenn Zaleski, Jean-Michel Pilc and Paul Cornish, as well as co-leading the NYC-based bands FRIENDSHIP and Meridian Odyssey, which have released five critically acclaimed albums.

In addition to being an active performer, Ben is a passionate and experienced educator. He maintains a private studio and serves on the faculty of 92NY as a bass, guitar, and piano instructor. He has also given clinics at Portland State University, Central Washington University, Jane Addams Middle School, and Shorewood High School, among others.

George Grydkovets

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George Grydkovets is a guitarist, bandleader, and composer from Kyiv, Ukraine, currently residing in New York City. From an early age, George was playing all over Kyiv’s clubs with his band but eventually began playing music with some of the best Ukrainian jazzmen, such as Dennis Adu. With his “Kyiv Trio”, he has recorded a debut record – “Rise”, which came out March 25th, 2022 on the “Shifting Paradigm Records”. During his time in NYC, George completed his studies at The New School for Jazz and has performed with musicians such as Ari Hoenig, Steve Cardenas, Frank Perowsky, Sam Yahel, and others. Among the venues he has played were Nublu, Stone, as well as the Clifford Brown and Bern Jazz Festivals.

Parker Sibley

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Parker Sibley was born in Lincoln, Nebraska to a musical family. He began taking drum lessons at age 5, as well as picking up cello at 9 and trumpet at 10. From a young age, he was exposed to a wide variety of music. While still in high school, he was already working, playing a wide range of gigs, from jazz to country to punk.

After finishing high school, Sibley moved to Greeley, Colorado, attending the University of Northern Colorado (UNCo) to study with Professor Jim White. While living in Colorado, Sibley not only played in the top ensembles at UNCo, but was a force on the local scene, playing with Denver’s finest musicians, including Dawn Clement, Steve Kovalcheck, Remy LeBoeuf, among others. Sibley graduated with latin honors, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in May 2024.

After finishing his studies at UNCo, Sibley moved to Denton, Texas, where he recently earned his master’s degree from the University of North Texas. As a graduate teaching fellow in the drum set studio, he studied with Professors Quincy Davis and Jose Aponte, as well as Professor Emeritus, Ed Soph. Upon arrival, he quickly became an active presence on the Dallas scene, playing with local greats like Shelley Carroll, Bobby Sparks, Dave Meder, and Philip Dizack, among others. He also taught at New Song School of the Arts and Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, as well as maintaining a private studio.

In 2024, he was selected to the Jazz Aspen Snowmass program, led by Christian McBride. In addition to his school studies, Sibley has worked with Dru Heller, Matt Wilson, Kendrick Scott, and Gregory Hutchinson. He has won multiple downbeat awards in both group and soloist categories, as well as the Freddie Gruber Scholarship from the Percussive Arts Society.

Laura Simone

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Laura-Simone is a bassist and vocalist who has performed at nationally acclaimed venues like the BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Blue Note at Sea, the Kennedy Center, Monterey Jazz Festival, and more. She was a member of Marcus Miller’s five-person bass ensemble, alongside Meshell Ndegeocello (a 12-time Grammy nominee), Aston Barrett Jr., and Mamadou Kouyaté, for Steve McQueen’s art exhibit Bass—the director of 12 Years a Slave.

She was the 2024 fellowship winner of Living Jazz Camp which provided an intensive with Linda May Oh, Allison Miller, and Alicia Olatuja. She also was picked to be apart of Etienne Charle’s Afro-Carribean Big Band under Jas Aspen Academy. Past ensembles she has been apart of include Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra, where she toured Europe and the U.S. with Sean Jones and 2x Grammy winning vocalist, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Princeton University’s Creative Large Ensemble.

In her junior year of high school, she merged her love for music and activism by founding the Queen Amina Music Program, aimed at advancing the “women in jazz” movement. This program, designed for 4th-8th grade instrumentalists at Lawrence Intermediate and Middle Schools, teaches jazz history, improvisation, and modal progressions. Laura-Simone also secured grant funding to bring in guest artists, host masterclasses, and organize a public concert on March 15, 2023, featuring Grammy-nominated saxophonist and Oscar winner Tia Fuller.

Currently, Laura-Simone is a junior at Michigan State University, studying under renowned bassist Rodney Whitaker.