Greg Chako

Born: June 12, 1958

Greg Chako – Jazz Guitarist, Composer, and Bandleader

Cincinnati-born guitarist Greg Chako has spent over four decades performing, recording, and promoting jazz across the globe. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Chako has played with legends including Junior Cook, Curtis Fuller, Richie Cole, Herb Ellis, Jimmy Raney, and Delfeayo Marsalis. His career has taken him from the jazz clubs of Hong Kong and Singapore to festivals and concert halls throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.

As a bandleader, Chako has released many acclaimed live and studio albums, ranging from swinging trios to horn-driven ensembles and intricate solo guitar works. His recordings — praised for their warm tone, lyrical phrasing, and inventive arrangements — have earned spots on the JazzWeek, CMJ, and RMR charts. Critics have described his playing as “muscular sound wrapped in gloves of velvet” (Jazz Journal) and “a wonderful showcase” (Just Jazz Guitar).

Andrew Kushnir

Born: November 1, 1989

Andrew Kushnir is a Brooklyn-based jazz drummer and co-leader of the group Straight Up! alongside guitarist Reed Miller. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he began his musical studies with drummers Michel Berthiaume and Jim Doxas.

From 2012 to 2015, Andrew attended Berklee College of Music, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Performance. In 2017, he completed a Master of Music in Instrumental Performance with a focus on Jazz Studies at NYU. Since then, Andrew has become a staple of the New York City jazz scene, performing regularly as both a bandleader and sideman.

Philippe Mass��

Born: January 20, 2000

Philippe Massé is a Montreal jazz double bassist and composer who incorporates elements of Middle Eastern, Latin and sometimes metal music, creating his own unique style. 

Philippe studied at Cégep Marie-Victorin and Université of Montréal, where he was mentored by Pierre-Alexandre Maranda, Sébastien Pellerin and Frédéric Alarie. In 2020, Philippe founded his trio with the aim of pushing back the boundaries of Modern Western jazz, incorporating elements of Oriental music to create a unique musical style close to his idols.

It wasn't until 2023 that he formed his final trio with university colleagues Sacha Desjardins on the piano and Alexandre Massé on the drums, resulting in his first album, Le vent, to be released in 2025. 

Ilario Ferrari

Born: September 9, 1986

Early Years and Musical Journey

Born In southern Italy in a picturesque city called Terracina, Ilario has manifested a musical vocation since his early years. Though his grandfather was a reputed song-writer, Ilario never had the chance to meet him and grew up in a "non musical" family. Under the mentorship of guitarist Andrea Renzelli during his teenage years, Ilario delved into formal music education, mastering the guitar and self-teaching piano and composition. At just seventeen, his inaugural band, VST, earned a coveted spot in the finals of the prestigious national competition "Rock Targato Italia'' in Milan.
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Upon completing high school, Ilario ventured to Rome and co-founded the "Studio Mobile" recording studio with sound engineer and lyricist Giovanni Leo. For five years, he showcased and developed his versatility as a pianist, guitarist, and composer, crafting a diverse array of music projects, from orchestral works to pop/rock productions.

Musical Education and Recognition

Kelly Green

Kelly Green is one of New York City’s most exciting new jazz artists, "well worth discovering" (NYC Jazz Record) !

A true triple threat—pianist, vocalist, and composer—Green brings a unique, genre-bending approach to her music, captivating audiences of jazz aficionados and casual listeners around the world.

She has shared the stage with musical visionaries such as Christian McBride, George Coleman, and Billy Hart, and has appeared at venues and festivals including The Kennedy Center, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland Theater, Blue Note, DC Jazz Festival, and Montclair Jazz Festival.

Pat Bianchi

Born: December 7, 1975

A modern ambassador of the mighty Hammond B3, organist Pat Bianchi demonstrates a deep knowledge of jazz-organ history yet draws from a wide range of other musical influences. The result is a unique and creative voice that acknowledges the tradition while looking beyond at the same moment. 

His musical tenacity paved the way for 9 CD releases as a leader, extensive tours through out the United States and Europe, appearances at numerous jazz festivals and most recently opening for Steely Dan for 3 consecutive east coast tours. In addition to being a prolific bandleader Bianchi has appeared as a guest on over 30 recordings. The award winning organist has also enjoyed tenured membership in the bands of some of the most highly revered artists in jazz including; Pat Martino, Lou Donaldson, Joe Locke, Ralph Peterson Jr. and Chuck Loeb. 

Waveteller

Active since: 2019

An exploration of musical interplay, Waveteller plays music that draws heavily on rhythmic concepts and the elasticity of time. From fast paced energetic grooves, to open, vast melodies, musicians Michael Mear, Casey Golden and Ed Rodrigues share emotion and stories through their performance.

Following the release of their self-titled debut album in 2020, which received high critical praise from both The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald, Waveteller has been regularly performing on the Australian Jazz scene. With high energy, engaging performances, Waveteller are a modern jazz trio not to be missed.

Angelina Kolobukhova

Angelina Kolobukhova was born and raised in Minsk, Belarus. She started classical piano lessons when she was 5 years old and at 8 years old, she fell in love with singing when she met her voice teacher, Veronika Yanovskaya, who introduced Angelina to jazz music and sparked the fascination with Ella Fitzgerald’s improvisation and Ray Charles’s soulful singing. While receiving her primary education, Angelina participated in international vocal competitions and festivals in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), attending masterclasses and meeting like-minded musicians. In addition to jazz music, Angelina also became inspired by soul artists like Stevie Wonder and Jill Scott, and she released her first single, Off the Road when she was 17.

Vera Maia

Born: 2010

For a long time Macarena Rocha composed and was leader of the collective V��ra Maia (2010–2018). A trio/orchestra of indian tabla, trumpet and guitar & spanish vocals. Her music fused jazz with traditional ethnic music from the East and the Latin American healing-chants of Icarus, from the jungle. She's accompanied by Dhanvantri Dub (tabla) and Adrian Sage (trumpet) on Maianthemus (2015). By Juan Elgueda on tabla, Alejandro Pino on trumpet & flugelhorn, Cristian Gallardo on alto & tenor saxophone, Ignacio Hernández on electric guitar, sometimes on stage in a special concert mode "Hip soul jazzy". Then by Benjamín Saiz on drums & percussion, Javier Aguilar on bansuri & ethnic flutes, Fabrizio Labrín on electric guitar, Matias Donoso on bass, Juan Pablo Salvo on trumpet and Miguel Ángel Cortés on bassoon at last in a new huge group, with new arrangements, more free improvisation and much more artists; developing the hipfolk, rocksoul and ethnic-rap style, in the Chilean scene for those years. Maianthemus had an excellent reception in Turkey and India, so the band received a lot of invitations to perform there.

Kahoma Trio

Active since: 2013

Kahoma Trio (former Jan Kavka Trio) is czech band which plays improvised music. Work of KT is based mainly on song form with elements of rubate or timbre playing. KT uses natural acoustic properties of instruments and is open for experiments.