Nathan Douds

Nathan Douds is a freelance percussionist, pianist, andeducator. He is a graduate of Youngstown State Universitywhere he earned a Bachelor's Degree in percussionperformance and a graduate of Bowling Green StateUniversity where he earned a Master's Degree in JazzStudies, applied piano.

Nathan has has been playing professionally since the age offourteen, and since then, he has played in a variety of genresincluding: jazz, pop, R&B, brazillian, afro-cuban, 50s,progressive rock, orchestral, chamber music, musicaltheater, elctronic, electro-acoustic, and many others. He hasworked with many diverse artists and groups including JoeLovano, John Hollenbeck, Kenny Werner, the Cleveland JazzOrchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Bobby Selvaggio,and Sean Jones.

dr�� elijah

Andrés Elijah is a multi-instrumentalist performer and composer originally from Walla Walla, Washington and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Performing under the name, dré elijah, he attributes much of his musical influence to his Guatemalan, Colombian, and Pacific Northwest roots and family heritage cultivated from four generations of musicians. Andrés’ approach to sound is heavily influenced both by the music he grew up with but also his unique experience, being born deaf in one ear. As a deaf musician, he places emphasis on the vibration and rhythm his sounds create, and he is known for dancing on stage when he’s behind a piano, microphone, or playing trumpet

Transcendence

Active since: January 1, 2000

“Transcendence” is a new dynamic trio featuring keyboardist Bob Gluck, bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan, and drummer Karl Latham. 

Bob Gluck is a pianist, electronic musician, and writer. Among his thirteen recordings are Early Morning Star (2020, with Andrea Wolper, Kinan Azmeh, Ken Filiano, and Tani Tabbal) and Infinite Spirit: Revisiting Music of the Mwandishi Band (2016, with Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, and Christopher Dean Sullivan). His University of Chicago Press books, now joined by Pat Metheny: Stories Beyond Words include You’ll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Bandand The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles. His book The Musical World of Paul Winter was published by Terra Nova Press in 2025. Other musical collaborators have included Aruan Ortiz, Michael Bisio, Joe Giardullo, Neil Rolnick, Andrew Sterman, Dean Sharp, and Jane Ira Bloom. Bob Gluck is Professor Emeritus at the University at Albany. http://www.electricsongs.com/

Kathy Sanborn

Born: January 16

Kathy Sanborn is an American award-winning jazz vocalist, composer, and recording artist. Known for her velvet voice, Sanborn takes jazz music into the modern era with her sultry, contemporary sound. Her unique contralto voice interprets her original compositions in an emotional way that captivates the listener. Sanborn's latest album, Romance Language, releases July 11, 2025. 

Steve Blanco

Born: August 3, 1973

STEVE BLANCO is a Nashville-based dynamic multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, and filmmaker who thrives at the intersection of music and cinema. Raised in a creative environment with a Moroccan belly dancer mother and a father who was a NYC cinematographer, Steve's early exposure to the arts deeply influenced his path. Growing up alongside a mentally disabled brother instilled in him a profound empathy and a drive to express himself through music and filmmaking.

Starting as a trumpet player and later mastering drums, piano, and electric bass, Steve's passion for creativity expanded when he discovered filmmaking through his father's super 8mm camera. He honed his musical talents further, earning a B.F.A. degree in piano performance from Purchase Conservatory of Music.

Ezequiel Balseca

Born: January 11, 1994

Pianist, keyboardist and composer Ezequiel Balseca is a renowned South American jazz musician with years of training and performance experience across the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Ezequiel is the director and composer of the Ezequiel Balseca Trio, which was nominated for Jazzahead 2020. He currently leads the 'Mad Gamble' in Narrm. In addition to contributing to Narm's vibrant musical scene, playing in a number of line-ups.

Throughout his career, Ezequiel has collaborated with a range of internationally acclaimed musicians and ensembles, including Wolfgang Schmid, Mindy Meng Wang, Christian Lillinger, Nana Koizumi and Zbyszek Szwajdych, among others.

Doug Wilde

Doug is the principle composer, music director, and keyboard player for the Canadian world/ jazz /fusion group Manteca.   Doug has also released a number of projects under his own name, both “Chamber/ Scenic Jazz” and “Ambient Music”. His latest project “ The Sixth Dimension” is a unique reworking of  traditional jazz  harmony, using six-note scales.
As a composer and founding partner of the music production company "Harris Cole Wilde " (later known as "Jungle Music") Doug spent many years writing and learning on the front lines – creating all kinds of music, working with great musicians and recording everyday. As a screen composer, Doug has created well over 1500 scores for radio and television commercials – including numerous scores for TV variety, documentary programming and radio drama. Doug also has extensive experience as a music director for live television. He has composed, arranged, and led bands for the Gemini and Genie awards, weekly national variety shows, Canada Day from Parliament Hill and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Warren Byrd

Born: January 24, 1965

Pianist / vocalist / composer Warren Byrd is a Hartford native with an international touring schedule after many fruitful years playing Jazz throughout Connecticut, Southern New England, and New York.

Early Years: He’s youngest in a family of music lovers. Showing talent early on, he was encouraged to perform, singing in the Gospel choir at age 4. Also, he was nurtured to love big band jazz early. Would pursue a Theatre career starting at age 14 and had amassed extensive performing credits throughout his teen years. He began composing music at about age 11. Grew into a passion for bebop jazz, especially the music of Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson. Studied Jazz Piano and Music Theory notably with Thomassina Neely, Music Director of Warburton Community Church and R. Leslie Childs Music Teacher at South Catholic High School. Several consecutive summers in the Hartford Stage Company Summer Youth Theatre exposed him to fine musicianship in the aegis of John Johnson, Ed DeGroat, and Stephen Barnicle leading to a curiosity for 20th century classical music, especially Stravinsky. By high school graduation 1983, he’d earn a full scholarship for Classical Voice at Hartt College of Music. He would soon leave to forge his own studies of Composition, Theory, and Jazz Piano.

Michael Snow violin and keyboards

Joe Nichols

Born: 1994

Joe Nichols is the bandleader, keyboardist/pianist and composer for prominent UK jazz group Nimbus Sextet. Nimbus Sextet's two albums on Acid Jazz Records - Dreams Fulfilled (2020) and Forward Thinker (2022) - have gained universal acclaim from the likes of Jazz FM, Jazzwise, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music