"Vibrant and Swinging"--New York City Jazz Record
Tomoko Ohno, plays an ambitious role in the worldwide jazz scene, having collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Joe Henderson, Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, Houston Person, Rufus Reid, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band and Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, the Jay Leonhart trio, the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and The Spirit of Life Ensemble. Tomoko performs frequently at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Birdland , in addition to appearing on live radio broadcasts by WBGO and WNYC, and ABC TV's Good Morning America.

“ELEW is a seriously gifted musician” -- The New York Times
ELEW is a first prize winner of the Thelonious Monk competition. He has performed regularly with Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Elvin Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove, and John Hendricks among countless others. He thereafter began fusing his piano techniques with rock guitar-based ideas and experimental prepared piano methods, generating a powerful crossover brand he coined “RockJazz”. While winning multiple awards, ELEW has re-imagined songs by The Killers, Nirvana, Coldplay and Michael Jackson, to name a few.

"Shoko Nagai treats every moment as an opportunity for deep synchronicity.” -- The New York Times
Shoko Nagai is a versatile musical artist who performs with a broad array of world musicians, while composing scores for both film and live performance. Since moving to the U.S. from Japan, Shoko studied at the renowned Berklee School of Music, adapting her skills for "prepared" piano, accordion, and other keyboard instruments. Her work is often inspired by the minimalist approach of composer Toru Takemitsu. Whether she is performing jazz, Klezmer, Balkan, or experimental music, Nagai is a charismatic presence onstage, who hypnotizes audiences with her intense focus and virtuoso sound.

Saxophonist Jon Irabagon, the 2008 Thelonius Monk Competition champion, is known for breaking boundaries whether in the jazz, avant-garde, or doom metal realms. He has topped virtually every worldwide instrumental poll over the last ten years. Jon is joined by pianist Burnett Thompson to launch the Reformation, Age of Mayhem project, secular and profane music of the 16th century in a new light.

“Saxophonist Jon Irabagon is a subverter of the jazz form, a revolutionary.” New York Jazz Record

A native of Japan, pianist Martha Kato won the coveted Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award and 2nd prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Martha studied with Kenny Barron at the Juilliard School, and is enjoying a blossoming career in New York, Europe, and Japan. She is a frequent performer at every major New York jazz venue.

Andy Milne is a distinct voice at the heart of New York’s creative jazz scene for over 20 years, collaborating with dancers, visual artists, poets and musicians spanning jazz, classical, pop, folk, and world music. Collaborations include Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, and Cassandra Wilson. A student of Oscar Peterson, Milne also composed music for a series of films directed by William Shatner. He is a full-time professor at The University of Michigan and holds teaching positions at New York University, and the New School.

Ron Stabinsky recently released his debut album, receiving four stars in DownBeat and number one debut of the year in the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. A fearless creative force, he throughout the world with free-improvising saxophonist Jack Wright, lead trumpet legend Dave Stahl, bass trombone virtuoso David Taylor, and NEA Jazz Master David Liebman. Recent concerts include Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Fest, Moers Festival (Germany), Jazzfestival Saalfelden (Austria), Jazz Festival Willisau (Switzerland), and Belgrade Jazz Festival. Ron is a key member of ensembles Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Relâche, the Charles Evans Quartet, the Meat Puppets, and the Peter Evans Ensemble.

Two time Grammy winner Alan Broadbent began his career with Woody Herman’s band as pianist and arranger. Next up were lengthy collaborations with Nelson Riddle, and Johnny Mandel. Subsequent collaborations included Shirley Horn, Herbie hancock, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, Paul McCartney, and Diana Krall. His Grammy awards resulted from his work with Natalie Cole and Charlie Haden. “…one of the greatest living jazz pianists.” The Los Angeles Times

New York-based pianist Miki Yamanaka maintains weekly residencies at Smalls and Mezzrow Jazz Clubs in NYC, and has appeared at most jazz venues in New York City. Miki arrived in New York from Kobe, Japan to study with Jason Lindner, Jeb Patton, and Fred Hersch, Sam Yahel and Larry Goldings. In 2015 she was selected for “Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead”, an intensive composition residency at the Kennedy Center. She recently earned her Master of Music degree from Queens College, receiving the Sir Roland Hanna Award. Miki has appeared in concert with many notable musicians including Steve Nelson, Seamus Blake, Jerry Dodgion, Victor Lewis, Rich Perry, Antonio Hart and Peter Bernstein.

Michael Weiss has appeared with a host of major artists and ensembles during his career. Memorable collaborations include Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Jon Hendricks, and Lou Donaldson, among countless others. Weiss is a two-time Doris Duke/Chamber Music America New Works grant recipient and was the grand prize winner of the 2000 BMI/Thelonious Monk Institute's Composition Competition.

""Weiss' shrewd writing and arranging skills are as clearly in view as his sleek piano work" The New Yorker

Victor Gould, completed his undergraduate degree at Berklee College of Music where he was a recipient of the Herbie Hancock Presidential Scholarship. He graduated from Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz with a Masters Degree. Gould's honors include the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award, and in 2006 he was a semifinalist in The Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. As a member of the Donald Harrison Quartet, Gould recorded three CD's and a DVD, and toured the United States and Europe. He has performed with Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Wallace Roney, et al.

"He's got the musical world on a string, in his mind, and at his fingertips." All About Jazz

New York based, multiple Grammy award winning composer, arranger, pianist and music producer Daniel Freiberg has spent most of his life at the intersection of the distinct worlds of classical, jazz, rock and Latin American music. Daniel Freiberg’s jazz arrangements have been performed by Stephane Grapelli, Dizzy Gillespie All Stars Big Band featuring Paquito D'Rivera, The Wynton Marsalis Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Regina Carter, Claudio Roditi Quintet, WDR Big Band, et al.

"subtle harmonies and supple rhythms in Mr. Freiberg’s compositions" The New York Times

Photo: Diriki Rice