Tim Atherton – Trombone

Tim has performed, recorded and toured nationally and internationally. His many associations over the years include: The Amherst Jazz Orchestra, Jeff Holmes Big Band, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Herb Pomeroy, Donn Trenner, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and the Silk Road Project with Yo-Yo Ma. He is a Senior Lecturer in music at Dartmouth College and an Instructor in Low Brass and Jazz History at Westfield State College.

Chris Brashear – Violin, Mandolin and Guitar

Chris has toured extensively in the folk and bluegrass world, most recently as a member of Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group. He toured and recorded as a swing violinist with the Maurizio Geri Swingtet (Italy). He has also collaborated with the jazz guitarists Matt Mitchell and John Stewart, as well as the vocalist, John Ronstadt.

Eshu Bumpus – Vocals

Eshu learned to sing before he learned to speak. He is a storyteller, jazz vocalist, artist and educator who travels throughout the US performing in schools and conducting workshops in storytelling and creative writing. As a jazz vocalist, Eshu has performed with great musicians such as Archie Shepp, Vishnu Wood, and Billy Arnold.

Marty Jaffee – Bass

15-year-old Marty is a bassist, pianist, and composer from Conway Massachusetts. He is a member of the Conway-based youth jazz ensemble “Kwajmal”, and has toured and performed professionally in Italy, New York and throughout Western New England. He has been an outstanding contributor to both the University of Massachusetts “Jazz in July” program and the Litchfield Jazz Camp. Marty received the “most valuable musician” award from the Massachusetts Western District of the IAJE in February 2009.

Paul Arslanian – Piano

Paul started his professional career as a pianist, composer for dance and theater, and dance accompanist in San Francisco during the 1970s where he led his own jazz and Latin ensembles and was composer and pianist for the Bishop Norman Williams Quartet. He has recorded with such notables as Pepper Adams, Pharaoh Sanders, Dave Liebman, Woody Shaw, and Bill Summers, and been a sideman with Freddy Hubbard, and Terri Gibbs. In 1979, Paul co-founded the Jazz Tap Ensemble and as music director worked with Honi Coles, Foster Johnson, Cookie Cook, Eddie Brown, Harold and Fayard Nicholas, and many other tap greats. Since relocating to the East in 1984, Paul was pianist for the Archie Shepp Quartet for two years, released his own recording entitled “It’s the Feeling That Counts”, and toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe as music director for numerous productions, including Dance Umbrella’s Fascinating Rhythms tour which featured Savion Glover, Jimmy Slyde, and Gregory Hines. Paul’s jazz compositions have been recorded by George Coleman, John Hicks, Roy Hargrove, René Roznes, and Bertha Hope. Paul is currently a Senior Lecturer in dance and accompanist for the dance department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Bob Weiner – Drums and Percussion

Bob has toured and performed with Harry Belafonte, Itzhak Perlman, Betty Buckley, Jon Lucien, Dianne Reeves, Andy Statman, Rebecca Paris, Kenny Werner, Bob Moses and many others. He has taught at the Drummers Collective (New York, NY), New England Conservatory (Boston, MA) and Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA), as well as hundreds of private students.

Bob has co-authored two important percussion books, “Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset” with Frank Malabe and “Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset” with Duduka da Fonseca (Alfred Publications). He holds an Undergraduate degree in History (University of MA, Boston) and a Masters’ degree from Lesley University in Music and Human Development.

David "Ab" Arenius – Bass

David, a native of Rochester, NY, has been playing music for thirty-five years. From the mainstream jazz of Tal Farlow, Harold Betters, Herb Ellis, Clarence Sharp, and Harold Ousley to the avant garde of Archie Shepp, Anthony Braxton and Attila Zollar. Blues artists Big Joe Turner, Mat “Guitar” Murphy, Mose Allison, Joe Beard and Wailin’ Dave Robinson. Vocalists Dena DeRose, Michelle Hendricks, Marie Calloway, Nancy Kelly and his most recent recorded effort with Madeline Forster. His big band experience includes recordings with Joe Salzano’s Blue Devils and The Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Big Band as well as performances with the Music Educator’s Big Band at the Community Music School at the Eastman School of Music.

Stephen Page – Piano

Stephen has a B.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a concentration in Jazz piano and contemporary improvisation. He is a piano teacher, teaching private lessons in his studio in Western Massachusetts, and at the Northampton Community Music Center in Northampton, MA. He has extensive teaching and performing experience all over New England and New York. Stephen has studied or is studying with Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef, Charlie Banacos, Andy LaVerne, and Kenny Werner, among others. Stephen is also a licensed and nationally certified massage therapist.

www.stephencpage.com and www.myspace.com/stephenpagemusic