Exploration (Don Friedman Quartet), Classic Jazz from Miles Davis, Dinah Washington, Freddie Hubbard, Recent Jazz from Tina May, Dave Douglas, Michael Mayo, Birthday Music from Ike Quebec, Malachi Thompson, Vital Information, and more

by David W. Daniels
August 26, 2025

The program will feature classic jazz, current jazz that is in the tradition of classic jazz, jazz fusion, and music by local artists covering all forms of jazz. We do this in three segments, each an hour long: 1: Classic jazz; 2: Recent jazz that is in the tradition; and 3: Jazz musicians who had birthdays ...

Ksenia Vasileva

Ksenia Vasileva is a Russian-born, New York City–based bassist, sound designer, and composer whose career bridges live performance, sonic branding, and music technology. After achieving major success in her home country performing across jazz, pop, and experimental scenes, she decided to move on and pursue an international path in music and innovation.

She was awarded a 70% scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music, where she received multiple honors, including the prestigious Wes Wehmiller Scholarship. During her time at Berklee, she collaborated with faculty, worked as a performer and assistant, and discovered a passion for technology. Her senior project — a self-built synthesizer — became a semifinalist in the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition.

Luchito Munoz

Born: January 29, 1979

Luchito Muñoz, was born in Lima on January 29, 1979. Self-taught pianist, singer, arranger and producer.

He was a soloist and trio pianist in several exclusive venues in Lima - Perú. He later become  in bolero and salsa singing, joining important national orchestras. In 2004, he joined the ‘Oscar Quesada and Los Titanes de Colombia’ Orchestra as vocalists. In 2009, he moved to Trujillo and formed his own septet, "Latin Soul," where he began experimenting Afro-Latin genres & Afro American fusion and developing his skills as arranger. He toured the country several times, remaining active in concerts. In 2019, he recorded his first album as a solist singer, handling all arrangements, compositions, and general production. He also formed his own live orchestra. This album was considered by critics to be the best salsa album recorded in Peru in the last 20 years.

Sugar Bomb

Active since: 2023

Sugar Bomb is an instrumental groove jazz trio formed in 2023 in Asheville, NC. ?Known for their dynamic range in taste and performance, they are often described as modern, playful, and refreshing. The trio consisting of Jacob Bruner (keyboards), Eli Kahn (bass/guitar), and Joe Enright (drums) draw from a wide range of influences spanning classical and jazz to fusion, hip hop, and electronic music. Often categorized as jazz for simplicity’s sake and perhaps highlighting their love for improvisation, Sugar Bomb creates a genre-defying kaleidoscope of musical expression through sensitive, yet high-energy performance and composition.

Rachel Spencer

Born: 1995

Rachel Spencer, a versatile and engaging trumpeter, is an in-demand trumpeter based in Austin, Texas. Her career thus far spans various genres and ensembles, including but not limited to: Straight-ahead jazz, funk, hip hop, commercial, and orchestral playing, as well as extensive experience in musical pit orchestras. Notable for her stylistic prowess and expressive tone, she has toured internationally and shared stages with renowned musicians like Graham Reynolds, Peggy Stern, Nikki Glaspie and Andre Hayward, to name a few. In Austin, she has regularly performed as a leader and a side musician in the cities top music venues including but not limited to: Monks Jazz Club, The Elephant Room, Parker Jazz Club, Antones, The 04 Center, Emo's The Continental Club, The Electric Church, Mohawk, Half Step, The Long Center, and SXSW showcases, among others.

Jeffrey Gimble

Born: March 6, 1962

Raised in Texas blues country, in a house full of music, the son of Houston saxophonist and bandleader, Maynard Gimble, he began to reveal his budding talent at the age of four. But, despite his early connection with jazz – frequently going to gigs with his father — it was the musical theatre that dominated the early part of his long career. His resume as an actor includes performances in stage shows such as Hair, Forbidden Broadway and The Tempest, as well as the cult film, Crimson Force.

“For most of my life jazz was something I really liked, and I listened to it... but it was never something that I really explored until I moved to L.A. a few years ago.”

David Garfield

David Garfield has been driven by the same mission statement since moving from his hometown of St. Louis to Los Angeles as a teenager in the early '70s: “I make music.” Fully living up to this vision and in more expansive ways over the past few decades, the multi-talented keyboardist, composer, arranger and recording artist has established himself an eclectic force of musical nature. At any given point during his career—and often at the same time—he has been a renowned songwriter, producer, bandleader (of Los Angeles based contemporary world jazz collectives Karizma and Los Lobotomys), arranger, recording artist, record label owner (Creatchy Records), session and touring musician, musical director and composer of various commissioned themes for global organizations.

Carlos Ferreyra

Born: March 6, 1987

Carlos Ferreyra is a Woodwind specialist based in Kansas City, MO, and has brought his versatile musicianship to audiences in the KC area since 2010. With a broad interest in traditions ranging from classical European and Indian to funk and the folk music of his native Uruguay, Carlos finds his most personal expression in jazz. Drawing inspiration from the great standards of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis, he has honed his craft while residing in Kansas City and New Orleans, two pillars of jazz history and tradition, through studies at Missouri Western State University, and internationally during a residence in Spain.

Lucious Crawford

Born: September 15, 2006

Lucious Crawford is a saxophonist and composer based in New York City, dedicated to preserving the spirit of traditional jazz while embracing the evolving language of the genre. A native of Washington, D.C., Crawford began his musical journey at the age of three and has since developed a voice rooted in the expressive depth of straight-ahead jazz. His inaugural album, Ballads n Blues, captures the essence of his early artistic vision—melding lyrical balladry with the soulful grit of blues in a way that honors the lineage of great jazz storytellers. Crawford’s playing is the great Hank Mobley, whose warm tone, melodic phrasing, and understated brilliance deeply shaped his approach to the tenor saxophone

Kevin Dorrian

One of the hardest working swinging drummers, Kevin blends deep rhythmic vitality with an innate sense of super-accurate feel and timing. He is known for great subtlety in his accompaniment, delivering subtle nuances within the scope of his drumming and is both creative and adaptive in his approach to whichever musical style is called for. He is primarily a jazz drummer – equally at home in the context of an instrumental group, or as a part of a backing trio for an accomplished singer.

Playing drums has been a burning passion of mine since I was a young boy. I can still recall the first time I sat behind a drum kit. I was about four years old and fortunate to be the son of one of Scotland’s top jazz pianists. His drummer had a glittering Blue Slingerland drum kit – and from the moment I sat on the stool – I was hooked! Fast forward ten years and I began drum lessons having already spent time learning piano, but my path was to combine learning Orchestral percussion with playing with an assortment of school rock, blues and jazz groups. Unquestionably, I earned my spurs, by sitting in, listening to other drummers, buying records which featured great drummers and so on. My influences back then are similar to the ones I have now – drummers with a ‘sixth sense’ for the purity of their playing – and in particular, a ‘roll call’ of great jazz drummers from the 40′s and 50′s- too many to mention, but who all play with such verve and swing. I am fortunate enough to be called upon very regularly as a small group drummer – backing vocalists, playing in instrumental groups, etc and you’ll find me currently filling the drum stool with JazzMain and Bossa Trio