Mishla K Gershenson

Darren Leonidas

Born: February 6, 1969

Born in NYC in 1969, Darren Leonidas first began playing guitar at the age of 11 years old. Growing up in a household with numerous musicians and surrounded by music for most of his life, Darren credited Eric Clapton as the reason he originally began playing guitar. Along with Clapton, Darren was deeply inspired by other 60s and 70s era rock-and-roll bands like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.

After moving to New Jersey in his teenage years, Darren discovered Jazz and quickly became engrossed with the genre. Albums from notable artist such as George Benson, David Sanborn, and Pat Metheny caught his interest. After graduating high school, Darren studied jazz at William Paterson University, studying under Jazz Virtuoso Vic Juris. It was here where Darren developed a deep appreciation for Modern Contemporary Jazz and instilled an overall drive to seek out all forms of music.

Kristina Aglinz

Born: March 2

Kristina Aglinz is a swanky jazz, funk, and R&B singer/songwriter, and her band

is renowned for their innovative arrangements with original songs and the American jazz

songbook. They have graced various venues and events, including Vibrato Jazz &

Grill, The Baked Potato, Campus Jax, Catalina Jazz, Spaghettini, URBAN Press

Winery, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and Musicians Institute, receiving

Tevet Sela

Born: December 19, 1975

Alto saxophonist Tevet Sela brings a wealth and breadth of influences to his playing that few musicians possess. The adept and dexterous post bopper’s music is often drenched in heavy blues, klezmer and Middle-Eastern inflections. His music is full of wisdom, emotion and storytelling.

Tevet started his professional musical career while he was in his teens, frequently performing his original compositions and becoming a sought-after session player. He contributed his unique sound to TV and film soundtracks, and to numerous albums, including the multi-platinum ‘’Idan Raichel Project’’ album.

Kate Skinner

Jazz pianist and vocalist Kate Skinner maintains an active performing, composing, and teaching career in the western United States.  A native of Ogden, Utah, Skinner pulls influences from the bluegrass and classical roots of her childhood into both her songwriting and performing as a jazz musician.  In her teenage and college years, Kate delved into R&B, funk, and hip hop, genres that also continually find their way into her musical explorations helping to create her own unique voice.  Part of this unique voice is an obsession with alternative keyboard instruments and a study of the great keyboardists of jazz, rock, and funk. 

Gaby Cotter

Keith L. Brown

Born: August 13, 1983

Keith L. Brown is an accomplished composer, educator, and pianist, who has established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists in contemporary jazz. He was born in Memphis, TN, and raised in Knoxville, TN, where he began playing piano and bass at a young age. Keith grew up in a musically inclined family, where both his parents were musicians, and many of his aunts and uncles possessed exceptional musical talent. His father, Donald Brown, is a world-renowned jazz pianist/composer, having performed with many greats, and his mother, Dorothy, is also a pianist who plays various woodwind instruments.

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.

Kaori Yamada

Born: December 23, 1971

KAORI YAMADA DRUMMER Jazz drummer Kaori Yamada was born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref., Japan. Kaori started to learn the piano at the age of 4 and she graduated from the School of Music, at Takamatsu Junior College, majoring in classical piano. Kaori began to play drums on her own initiative at the age of 14. She was particularly interested in Soul, R&B, and Jazz, music her brother was listening to at the time, and she developed a strong desire to become a professional drummer. From 1991 to 1995, Kaori was based in Hiroshima where she qualified as a drum instructor under the R.C.C. Takeshi Inomata Drum School at YAMAHA Music Shops, Chugoku Region

Barry Danielian

Born: February 27, 1962

Trumpeter/Producer/Arranger Barry Danielian has for nearly four decades performed with many of the biggest names in the music industry.
Barry’s touring and recording credits read like a who’s who of the music business. Having worked with such diverse artists as Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Sting, Tower of Power, Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Charles, KRS One, Public Enemy, Branford Marsalis, Paul Simon, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Tito Puente, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Southside Johnny and the Jukes, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, The Roots and Bono.
Since 2012 he has been on tour with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Barry has been one of the most in demand trumpeters and arrangers in NYC. He has recorded on over 500 records, and is constantly requested by such legendary producers as: Phil Ramone, Jay-Z, Arif Mardin, Randy Jackson, Barry Eastmond and Narada Michael Walden. He is a prolific writer, arranger and producer whose music is used throughout the media industry including NBC, CBS, HBO, Showtime, A&E, The Discovery Channel and Fox. He has two CDs as a solo artist. “Common Ground” released in 2004 received much critical praise and his release “Metaphorically Speaking” has been available since 2013.
Trained from an early age in his first love, jazz, some of Barry’s most memorable performances have been with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson, Illinois Jacquet, Paquito D’Rivera, McCoy Tyner and Branford Marsalis. Equally valuable in the evolution of his style were some of his first New York gigs, with Latin music giants Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente. Starting in 1984, he toured widely with these bands over a number of years and began an impressive series of Latin recordings with such artists as Marc Anthony, Shakira and Ricky Martin.
Barry has been on the “short list” of legendary R&B artists such as The Temptations, The OJays, The Four Tops, The Spinners, The Dells and The Whispers.

Barry attended the Berklee College of Music from 1980-82, where he graduated with the 1982 Faculty Performance Award. He earned a B.A. in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University. In 1984 he was honored with the University of Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Competition’s Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award, and in 2000 and 2001 became the only unsigned artist nominated for the Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards.
Barry currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he spends most of his time composing and producing when not on tour with “The Boss”. Barry is also a licensed Acupuncturist and a board certified Herbalist.