Brian Martin

Award-winning trombonist, composer, and educator Brian Martin is based both in the music scene of his home state of Iowa as well as the Greater Boston area where he currently resides. As a performer, Martin has performed alongside international and national touring artists in addition to leading his own groups. His most ambitious project is his Brian Martin Big Band, an ensemble ranging from 17-20 pieces dedicated to performing his original music, which is composed of musicians from New England and the Midwest.

As a writer, his compositions and arrangements have received accolades from the Jazz Educators Network and DownBeat Magazine

Will Bradley

Born: July 12, 1912

Wilbur Schwichtenberg, born on July 12, 1912, was a popular American trombonist and bandleader who rose to fame in World War II, at the height of the swing era. After playing trombone in New York for various dance orchestras during the 1930s, in 1939 he changed his name to Will Bradley and co-founded his own big band with drummer and singer Ray McKinley. Their orchestra became renowned for popularising African-American boogie woogie rhythms and incorporating them into hits like "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and  "Scrub Me Mama, with a Boogie Beat." Despite his personal preference for ballads, Bradley's collaborations with McKinley and pianist Freddie Slack helped his band briefly become known as one of the most distinctive hard-swinging outifts in the country

John Yao

Born: June 25, 1977

For almost twenty years, John Yao has been honing his talents as a trombonist, composer and arranger, and cementing his place on the New York City jazz scene. Yao’s lyrical soloing and expressive, round tone, combined with his relentless drive to push the boundaries of harmony and rhythm, have established him as a unique and forward-thinking jazz talent. Yao has earned wide acclaim. In April 2025 he was appointed to the 100th class of Guggenheim Fellows in the field of Music Composition. In 2023, Yao earned a place in both the Rising Star Trombone and Rising Star Big Band categories in the DownBeat Critics Poll.  Lucid Culture proclaims, “John Yao is one of New York’s elite trombonists,” and All About Jazz calls him “a strong compositional voice and effective band-leader able to use his 17-piece band to paint across a wide spectrum and infuse his complex writing with a thoughtful balance of audacity, structure, humor, and sonic might.”

John Sturino

Freddy Martin

Born: December 9, 1906

Freddy Martin (December 9, 1906 - September 30, 1983) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader best known for his smooth, danceable arrangements and his adaptations of classical melodies for modern swing music lovers. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Martin began his musical career as a saxophonist and formed his own band in the early 1930s. He gained national attention with his orchestra during the big band era, performing at prestigious hotel ballrooms and being featured on widely-heard radio broadcasts.

Martin's band was known for its sweet style, appealing to audiences who favoured melodic arrangements over the harder "hot" sounds that were also popular at the time. In 1941, he had a major hit with "Tonight We Love," a song based on Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat." This piece helped define his orchestra's unique classical-pop-jazz fusion approach and naturally became his theme tune. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Martin's band continued to tour and record and featured prominent vocalists such as Clyde Rogers and Merv Griffin.

The Modernaires

Active since: 1934

Formed in the mid-1930s, the Modernaires began as a male vocal quartet known for their tight harmonies and polished sound, initially gaining attention through radio broadcasts and studio work. Their big break came in 1941 when they joined forces with bandleader Glenn Miller, adding Paula Kelly as the female lead and completing the signature lineup. With Miller, the group became a cornerstone of the swing era, contributing to classics like “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “Juke Box Saturday Night.” Their smooth blend and rhythmic precision helped redefine vocal jazz, bridging the gap between pop sensibility and jazz sophistication in an era dominated by big bands.

Sean Imboden

Sean Imboden is an American saxophonist and composer. Sean's music pioneers forward-thinking, original compositions, and presents cutting-edge live performances. Sean has performed and recorded with GRAMMY-winning artists and jazz luminaries, including Slide Hampton, Taylor Eigsti, Mike Rodriguez, Sean Jones, Emmet Cohen, Steve Allee, Kenny Phelps, John Raymond, and Valery Ponomarev (of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers). A long-time member of Indianapolis-based quartet Tucker Brothers, Sean plays on the band’s four critically-acclaimed albums. An active sideman, Sean has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, and Idina Menzel. Sean toured internationally for many years with various Broadway productions, and as a featured soloist with Blast II. Sean has taught at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and is currently on faculty at Butler University and Ball State University. Sean works with students around the world through his online Virtual Studio.

Broad St. Jazz

Broad St. Jazz Bands has some of the best Atlanta area musicians which are passionate about the jazz music and the transformative power it can have on a community. 

Broad St Jazz Bands mission is to entertain, enrich, unify, and connect our local community through Jazz music.

Mr. Tim Otis is the musical director of Broad St. Jazz Bands.  Tim is a retired U.S. Marine Corps musician, USMC All Star Jazz band member, and National Director for Musician Recruiting.

Jack Hylton

Born: July 2, 1892

Jack Hylton was a British pianist, bandleader, composer and impresario who played a key role in the development of popular dance music in the early 20th century. Born in Great Lever, Lancashire, on July 2, 1892, he began his career as a pianist and singer in his father's pub before working as a musical director for theater productions during World War I. In the 1920s and 1930s, Hylton's orchestra gained international recognition, recording extensively and touring across Europe. Hylton also introduced jazz and blues influences into British dance music, becoming known as the "British King of Jazz" and helping to popularize the genres in the UK

Sammy Kaye

Born: March 13, 1910

Sammy Kaye (1910 - 1987) was an American bandleader and songwriter best known for his tagline "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye." Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Kaye studied at Ohio University before forming his own orchestra in the 1930s. His band became widely successful, recording numerous hits, most notably "Swing and Sway" in 1937 and "Daddy" in 1941. Kaye's band's signature style leaned more towards more sweet, catchy dance tunes, opposed to some of the louder, brassier and more solo-based bands of the era. He was also known for audience participation gimmicks, such as "So You Want to Lead a Band," where guests conducted his orchestra