Emanuel Harrold

Born: December 21

Emanuel Harrold

For over 15 years, Emanuel Harrold has collaborated and toured with Gregory Porter as drummer and one of the founding members of the band. With almost 200 concert dates a year from 2012 Harrold is one of the most seen and hard jazz drummers out today. His drum contribution is on Gregory Porter’s ‘Be Good’, ‘Liquid Spirit’ and various contributions to albums such as “All Rise”,  “Still Rising”, Live in London, Live in Berlin to name a few. The blood Brother of the fantastic trumpeter Keyon Harrold. Emanuel has constantly strived for musical connection and excellence. 

Anthony Michelli

Born: November 22

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and currently based in Toronto, Anthony has been involved in music since a very young age.  Starting off on the accordion, on to the alto and tenor saxophones but being driven by the ever-present urge to want to play drums from the very beginning, Anthony built his own drum set and played from ear for years throughout his youth. He attributes a strong influence to having heard classical, cultural and popular music performed by his older sister on the piano and brother on the guitar as a part of his early musical development.

For over three decades Anthony has been active in international performance, recording, production and teaching career paths. He has collaborated with a vast number of distinguished composers and performers from all styles of music primarily focused on original music.  For a number of years he led the Anthony Michelli Bass-less Trio (SSR002), which features some of his original compositions.  Anthony was also an active contributing member of The Secret Quartet (Basho and Edition records UK) and the Piero Tucci, Quartet CANUK (U.K./CAN).

Anthony’s discography includes recordings in collaboration with several distinguished artists where he can be heard on over one-hundred internationally released recordings in the contemporary jazz, original composition, popular, creative and world music genres spanning from the year 1995 to the present.

His performance accolades include the 2010 Toronto Independent Music Award (TIMA) in the Best Jazz Category and for the Best Live Category. Michelli has been nominated for numerous JUNO Awards over the years as a member of several jazz, world and popular music categories.  In 2003 he received the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors-Festival International de Jazz de Montreal Award (Nancy Walker Quartet) and the 1995 Jazz Report Award for National Post Secondary School Musician of the Year.

Cesar Machado

Maria Karathanasopoulou

David Najera Gonzalez

Born: June 27, 1998

David Nájera González is a Mexican drummer, composer and educator currently based in NYC. Since his childhood, a strong gravitation towards music has acted as a driving life force. At the age of 19 he moved to NYC and attended the New School for Jazz And Contemporary Music.

David graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2021. After working for a year as a bandleader, sideman and educator, he decided to pursue a Master's degree at Queens College. There he was mentored by Dennis Mackrel, Antonio Hart, David Berkman, and Michael Mossman. He graduated in 2024.

?In 2021 he formed Patos, an octet ensemble for which he composed and arranged music up to 2022. He recorded five arranged compositions at Dimension 70 studios that were released on streaming platforms on February 9th, 2024.

McCoy Plaisted

Born: September 9, 2000

McCoy Plaisted (they/he) is a rising Hartford-based drummer, composer, arranger, and educator. Focusing on Jazz, McCoy began their study of the drums at age five. While attending Nashua High School South, McCoy’s music education was built upon performing in large ensembles, including the NH Jazz All-State Big Band and the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps. McCoy’s passion to pursue a musical career was sparked as they began composing and arranging music at age sixteen.

In 2022, McCoy graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Afro-American Music Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying under Jeffrey W. Holmes, Tom Giampietro, and Felipe Salles. While at UMass Amherst, McCoy’s studies at UMass Amherst led them to perform as the principal drum set player in the Downbeat award-winning Jazz Ensemble 1 and Marimba Band 1. They also were appointed as the center snare for the Sudler Trophy award-winning UMass Minuteman Marching Band and led its nationally recognized percussion section. McCoy produced and released two remotely recorded EPs, a junior and a senior recital, and composed and arranged dozens of works. By the end of their time at UMass Amherst, McCoy was awarded The Fletcher Henderson/Max Roach Scholarship Award for their outstanding achievements and dedication to the Jazz Studies program and represented the UMass Jazz Department in New York City at the International Association of Schools of Jazz 2022 conference.

Hubl Greiner

Hubl Greiner

is a musical cross-border crosser who willingly leans over the abyss and sometimes even further. In addition to MU �o, FRIENDS IN THE GARDEN , THE GUERILLA BOPS , FRAU.BACH , Sequoia Mønstars , HULU PROJECT (with Luigi Archetti) and THE DJ HOERSPIEL ENSEMBLE (with the writer Franz Dobler), he is known as the former head of the German cult band THE BLECH , as well as as a producer of countless acts and projects. He has made a name for himself beyond the borders of Germany as an unconventional, innovative and experimental musician, composer and producer.

Forrest Neil Young

Born: February 5, 1975

Known as the “Emergency Drummer,” Forrest Young studied jazz at Virginia Commonwealth University and has permeated the east coast music scene for over thirty years. He’s earned three Emmy Awards for his documentary soundtrack work and has headlined the Richmond Jazz Festival with his band featuring Chris Whiteman (Veronica Swift, D-Angelo) on guitar, Jonah Kane West on organ, and Dane Alderson (Yellowjackets, Bob Mintzer Big Band) on bass. Forrest is also a visual artist whose award winning word art drawings can be seen at LyricPortraits.com.

"Forrest plays so creatively with solid support, color, texture, passion, full dynamic range and even the use of silence