Lineup

An instrumentalist who can play straight-ahead as well as smooth jazz with his own personal sound and not a small amount of charisma and stage presence, Chris Botti is truly a star in the world of jazz and beyond. The trumpeter has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Botti’s career was not an overnight success. Nonetheless, he went on to release a slew of not only top-selling albums, but also GRAMMY® award-winning ones. Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed album, When I Fall In Love, Chris Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four #1 jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and GRAMMY® Awards. His album, Impressions, won the GRAMMY® for Best Pop Instrumental. Performing worldwide and selling more than 4 million albums, he has found a form of creative expression that begins in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra. The trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. His bands have always featured top-notch jazz players, many of whom are established leaders on their own – from Geoffrey Keezer to Billy Childs. The man seems to do it all and do it with style.

Born and raised in London, D.P. MacManus later came to be known as “Elvis Costello.” He has been performing in public for over 50 years, solo, with the pianist Steve Nieve and with the bands Rusty, The Attractions, His Confederates, The Rude Five, The Sugarcanes and, his current ensemble, The Imposters. Costello is a writer and part-time musician who made a number of records in the 20th century, some of which are still remembered today, the most notable for many being the first five releases which were all produced by his friend, Nick Lowe. He has written several songs for motion pictures including The Scarlet Tide – his Academy Award-nominated collaboration with T Bone Burnett for Cold Mountain and You Shouldn’t Look at me That Way, as well as a number of yet-to-be-produced stage musical scores. Making his debut in 1977 with the release My Aim is True, Costello’s recording catalogue now runs to more than 35 titles, including Get Happy, Imperial Bedroom, King of America, All This Useless Beauty, North, National Ransom and Wise up Ghost with The Roots. Elvis is the composer and lyricist of over 600 published titles, including 15 songs co-written with Paul McCartney and renowned collaborations with Allan Toussaint, the Brodsky Quartet and T Bone Burnett. Costello’s most enduring songwriting collaboration has been with Burt Bacharach beginning with the song “God Give Me Strength” in 1995 and continuing to the present day. Their co-written, award-winning album “Painted from Memory” led to the composition of a significant number of songs for musical theatre.  Costello is a two-time GRAMMY® Award winner, two Dutch Edison awards and a 1989 VMA Award for “Veronica” for Best Male Video. He is a member of both The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2020 Costello was awarded an O.B.E. for his services to music.

American singer, songwriter and guitar warrior, William Royce “Boz” Scaggs, became a household name as a member of the Steve Miller Band and award-laden solo career. After a short stint as a bandmate of Steve Miller, Boz began his solo career and hit the charts with singles “Lido Shuffle” and “Lowdown,” from album Silk Degrees, and followed it up with two more platinum-certified albums. Boz spent a large portion of the ’80s in a hiatus, but returned to recording and touring in 1988, even opening a popular music venue in San Francisco. His touring and recording has lasted for several decades, cementing his role as a guitar legend. He’s even credited with helping the formation of Toto. His friendship with former-bandmate-turned-Toto has continued for decades, resulting in collaborations and concerts performed together.

Melody Gardot was surrounded by music from the start and she grew up singing songs with her mother while riding in the car and taking piano lessons. By her teenage years, Gardot began to perform around Philadelphia, even as her studies led her more towards art and fashion. Then at the age of 19, while riding her bicycle on a city street, she was hit by a car making an illegal turn. The tragic event changed the course of her life. The resulting head and pelvic injuries led to two years of an exceedingly slow and painful recovery process. Gardot had to recover memories and reestablish motor and communication skills. While still in her hospital bed, she wrote and recorded songs that would become her first recording, the 2005 EP Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions. Gardot’s breakthrough came in 2009 with My One and Only Thrill, which peaked at number two on Billboard’s U.S. Jazz Albums chart and eventually sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Three years later, in 2012, she released The Absence, which debuted at the top of Billboard’s Jazz LP chart. Currency of Man followed in 2015, with Gardot’s voice developing a stronger, more robust edge and a musical direction that furthered her exploration of using recording techniques to creatively craft songs for modern ears, strongly influenced by R&B, blues and traces of modern pop. Looking back at two decades of personal progress, musical ascendancy and stunning consistency all points to the idea of an artist of lasting power who has many chapters left to write in her story.

Peabo Byrson is a world-renowned balladeer, starting off as the lead singer Al Freeman & The Upsetters and Moses Dillard & The Tex-Town Display. Peabo had back-to-back gold albums with Reaching for the Sky and Crosswinds. Later he worked with the phenomenal Roberta Flack for the Live & More. Peabo delivered with the smash hit “Tonight I Celebrate My Love,” but it was with the help of Disney movies before he earned his GRAMMY® with Beauty and the Beast and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. Beyond his own music, Mr. Bryson is looking to help nurture deserving new artists. “I’d like to find some serious talent and give them wings,” he states. “As far as I’m concerned, everything is going to get better,” Peabo concludes. “I’m feeling like I’m in a really good place musically.”

“I’m amazingly blessed. I will never ever say that I’ve lived the perfect life to be shown such favor with God or the people, but here I am,” declares the incomparable Regina Belle. The Academy Award-winning and Multi GRAMMY®-winning singer, songwriter, and actress, with a string of hits, Regina Belle has made a career following her heart and moving gracefully between the worlds of R&B, Gospel and Jazz. She is an entertainer of immeasurable musical talent. This New Jersey native has earned distinction as an international treasure. Her luminous vocals on the Peabo Bryson duet, “A Whole New World” (Grammy’s Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1994) solidified her place as music royalty. Belle’s vocal abilities were demonstrated at a young age, with her first solo at the age of 8, at Friendship Baptist Church in New Jersey, pastored by her uncle, the late Dr. Fred M. Belle, Jr. The entertainer’s natural gifts were further polished at Dwight Morrow High School and the Manhattan School of Music for Preparatory College, where she studied classical voice training with Inga Wolfe. Although having received a full scholarship to attend Manhattan School of Music, she opted to aim her sights on the elite Rutgers University to study both Africana Studies and Music.

After 30 years in comedy and over 30 Jazz Cruises, Alonzo Bodden has been able to marry his two passions: comedy and jazz. “There is nothing like the cool and creativity of the jazz world, I love it,” says Alonzo. His big break was “New Faces of Comedy” at the Just for Laughs Festival (Canada). He credits winning Season 3 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, as his introduction to America. With four comedy specials, sitcoms, The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and The Nightly Show to his credit, he has done it all. His comedy CD, Man Overboard, was recorded on a Smooth Jazz Cruise. His latest comedy special, “Stupid Don’t Get Tired,” is available on YouTube. “The highest compliment I get is when I’m riffing onstage during a cruise and one of these brilliant musicians says “that’s jazz.” What could be cooler than that?”

Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer has earned her place in music history — with her GRAMMY®-nominated debut album Saxuality (over 2.5 million copies worldwide copies sold), performances with the greatest names in music (including Prince, Van Morrison and Maceo Parker) and her worldwide concert tours and legendary live shows. Her latest album, We Never Stop, garnered rave reviews from critics and fans alike, resulting in the US Billboard No. 1 hit “Convergency” featuring Chic-legend Nile Rodgers. She’s been a popular headline artist on The Smooth Jazz Cruise for many years and is thrilled to return once again to add her energetic funky stuff to the musical mix.

Jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal figures in music and the related arts. Leader of the Emmet Cohen Trio and creator of the “Masters Legacy Series,” Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist and dedicated music educator. Winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Emmet is also an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis. Emmet Cohen has performed, recorded, or collaborated with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Herlin Riley, Lea DeLaria, and Bill T. Jones.

Veronica Swift’s new eponymously titled album is a masterful coming-out story. On her previous albums, Confessions and This Bitter Earth, she ascended to the upper echelon of early 21st century jazz singers because of her virtuosic brilliance, interpretive ingenuity, bracing songwriting and keen arrangements. Simply put, Swift is not only one of the most dazzling singers to emerge in her generation, she’s one of the most versatile.

Swift first gained major international attention in 2015 when she won second place in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Vocals Competition. Four years later, Mack Avenue Records released her acclaimed album Confessions when she was only 25 years old. She demonstrated her flair for conceptual song cycles on her follow-up album, This Bitter Earth, which not only gave glimpses of her rock influences but thematically touched upon some of the harder truths of being a woman, particularly when it comes to domestic abuse.

“I remind people that any exploration of music outside of straight ahead jazz is an addition, not a subtraction,” Swift continues. “I just hope this album helps people embrace every aspect of who they are, and let it guide their own self-expression.”

John Splithoff is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who splices together throwback soul, modern production, and laid-back pop. A native of Chicago, Splithoff began gaining momentum following the independent release of his breakout single, “Sing to You.” Driven by a hypnotic howl, breezy guitar, and an unbreakable bounce, the track generated over 100 million streams, occupied coveted real estate on noted Spotify playlists and reached the top 8 at AC Radio, paving the way for Splithoff to continue to releasing music to an a growing fanbase.

Splithoff has toured globally as a headliner with appearances at renowned festivals such as Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Most recently, Splithoff collaborated with renowned jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti, penning the David Foster produced single, “Paris,” out fall 2023 on Blue Note Records. 2024 sees Splithoff on a global tour with stops from San Francisco to Singapore and putting touches on his sophomore album, due out spring 2025 via Virgin.

Julian “J3PO” Pollack is a Los Angeles-based pianist/keyboardist and producer described by Timeout New York as a musician who “deftly balances virtuosity with tenderness.” Julian is known for his innovative use of keyboards and synthesizers in jazz, fusion, hip-hop and electronic styles of music. He has toured extensively with the legendary Marcus Miller, as well as Chris Botti, and has performed and/or recorded with Herbie Hancock, Santana, David Sanborn, Talib Kweli, Cindy Blackman, Joe Lovano, Mike Stern, Ledisi, David Foster, Lisa Fischer, Eric Harland, Marcus Gilmore, Casey Benjamin, Michael League, Bob Reynolds, Kamasi Washington, Jonathan Butler, Tierney Sutton and many others.

In 2020, he completed his first feature film score for the movie The Sound of the Wind. When he was 18 years old, having just moved to New York City from his native California hometown of Berkeley, he was featured on Piano Jazz, hosted by Marianne McPartland—the syndicated NPR show. He attended New York University, obtaining a master’s degree in jazz performance and composition. In his early twenties he recorded two piano trio albums: Infinite Playground (2010 – Junebeat Records) and Waves of Albion (2013 – Berthold Records). He also wrote music for orchestra: Piano Concerto (2012) and Night Flower (2013). Shortly thereafter, he began hanging out in the Lower East Side’s music scene of the early 2010s where he went on to meet his peers in the jazz-fusion/hip-hop/electronic genres that would influence the sound he is known for today. He joined the unique experimental hip-hop/progressive-soul ensemble The Lesson GK, which hosted a sold-out weekly event at Arlene’s Grocery for almost a decade, consisting of all improvised music.

In 2019 Julian released Small Plates under his moniker J3PO. The album is a collection of 12 compositions that range from simple lo-fi beats to complex jazztronica future house tracks. Inspired by analog synths and sample-based music, the album fuses Julian’s love for today’s contemporary production styles with a nod to the jazz tradition and the spontaneity of live music and improvisation. In 2021, Julian released his follow-up album MAINS (2021 – Ropeadope) to much critical acclaim, and in 2023 he released a beat-tape called Sweet Treats.

Dan “Chimy” Chmielinski is a New York Times critically-acclaimed, award-winning bassist, composer, synthesist, sound designer and bandleader. Currently based in Los Angeles, Dan maintains a bi-coastal schedule comprised of live performances, film scoring and music production. Dan founded and leads several groups of his own, including Four by Four, an octet which showcases a jazz quartet alongside string quartet, and Circuit Kisser, an electronic ensemble consisting of five synthesizers, electric bass and drums, combining jazz harmonies and electronic music; both showcasing Dan’s original compositions.

He began playing bass at age three, initially utilizing a toddler-sized acoustic bass his parents created using a half-size cello with bass guitar strings. Dan received his master’s degree in jazz studies from The Juilliard School in 2017 where he also earned his bachelor’s degree studying under the great Ron Carter.

He has performed around the globe and has played venues and festivals including The Hollywood Bowl, Chicago Symphony Center, The Newport Jazz Festival, The Monterrey Jazz Festival, The Umbria Jazz Festival and the Ravinia Festival. He has been continuously inspired and mentored by some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Richard Davis, Ben Wolfe, Jason Heath, Carlos Henriquez, Jay Anderson. Dan was one of 15 musicians selected to participate in Ravinia’s prestigious Steans Institute, where he collaborated with jazz masters David Baker, Nathan Davis, Curtis Fuller, and Rufus Reid.

Sy Smith has long since solidified her place in the world of underground soul music (she’s often called “the hardest working woman in underground soul”). This Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer helped cultivate the nu-soul scene in that city more than 10 years ago, a scene which now easily boasts some of the most progressive artists of that genre to date, some of whom came directly from Smith’s own band line-ups (including Thundercat and Kamasi Washington). Her catalog includes 5 studio albums, with contributions from a who’s who of producers (James Poyser of The Roots,;Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest and Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange). All 5 of her albums, including her brand new project, “Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete”, have been heralded by critics around the world for Smith’s lyrical dexterity, her vocal whimsy (often colored with a very distinctive rhythmic swing that’s all her own) and her ability to spin a story like few others in soul music. Listeners often remark on Smith’s vocal range, which moves effortlessly from a speakeasy, gritty alto all the way to a stratospheric soprano whistle register reminiscent of the late Minnie Riperton.

Smith’s career began as a backing vocalist on some of the music industry’s most coveted gigs. She has provided supporting vocals for Whitney Houston, Sheila E., Meshell Ndegeocello, Chaka Khan, Usher, Macy Gray and The Rickey Minor Band (as seen on American Idol for six seasons and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno). Most recently though, she’s caught the ear of jazz aficionados as a featured guest with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti. Audiences around the world are often astounded to see Smith’s voice and Botti’s trumpet go note-for-note in playful competition on stage, and her performance of “The Look Of Love” on his GRAMMY-nominated DVD “Live In Boston” is an audience favorite. Jazz critics have also taken note of Smith’s solo performances in her genre-bending presentations (e.g. “SySingsJanet!”, her jazz-reworking of classic Janet Jackson songs), which include her often sitting in on piano, synth bass and manipulating her own vocal effects on with an on-stage processor.

Smith has received two NAACP Theater Award nominations, both for best supporting actress in a comedy/musical, for her theater work in Los Angeles (Michael Ajakwe’s If You Don’t Believe: A Love Story, Body Language), and she has numerous television acting credits (Ally McBeal, How I Met Your Mother, American Dad). Her voice can be heard as the character of Aisha on the popular video game franchise Saint’s Row (she also wrote/produced some of the music for this game!). She has an Emmy nomination for her songwriting (Best Music/Lyrics for “Welcome Back All My Soulmates” for HBO’s Dancing In September). This NYC-born/Washington DC-raised woman is a proud graduate of Howard University where she earned a bachelor of science in psychology.

Lee Pearson is known as one of the most vibrant and electrifying drummers of today. He plays with some of the finest names in music. From Broadway to Jazz, Hip-Hop and R&B, he maintains the classic vocabulary of percussion.

Lee, a Baltimore Native, began playing drums at the age of two. His parents Lee Sr. and Judith Pearson, bought his first drum set at the age of three.

In addition to recordings, Lee Pearson has toured and performed with Chris Botti, Sting, Spyro Gyra, Mark Gross, Antonio Hart, Mike Stern, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Roy Ayers, Chaka Khan, Lonnie Listen Smith, Gene Con, Bobbi Humphreys, Ronnie Laws, Jon Lucien, Hank Jones, John Hicks, James Carter, Adam Rodger, John Medeski, Bobby Watson’s, Kenny Garrett, Little Jimmy Scott, Tim Warfield, Javon Jackson, Roy Hargrove, Casey Benjamin, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Donald Harrison, Curtis Lundy, Wayne Henderson, David Murray, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Band.

He Also participated in a world tour with Savion Glover’s four time Tony Award-winning Broadway show, Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk.

The story behind Fernando Varela begins and ends with a voice. Carole Bayer Sager aptly described it as “a voice touched by God.” Fernando’s powerful voice tells the tale of a breathtaking tenor whose spirit and determination has defied the odds. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he discovered his exceptional talent at seventeen under the tutelage of opera icons: Maestro Chiaramello (Pavarotti’s conductor and arranger), Wilfredo Doherty, Cesar Ulloa and Placido Domingo.

Fernando Varela first captured the hearts of millions as a finalist on America’s Got Talent. His artistry has graced the screens of countless homes through multiple TV specials, including his very own solo special, “Coming Home,” “An Intimate Evening with David Foster,” “Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring Gloria and Emilio Estefan” and “The Grammy Salute to Music Legends.”

Fernando’s talent has earned the stamp of approval from giants in the music industry: Quincy Jones, David Foster, Clive Davis, Babyface, Jimmy Jam, Patrick Hamilton and Diane Warren —leading to two major label deals with Sony and Universal Music. David Foster has dubbed Fernando as “my secret weapon,” Oprah Winfrey described his performance as “a spiritual experience” and Barbra Streisand exclaimed “you’re going to be a global star!”

Fernando has performed in over 75 countries for Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers while sharing the stage with legends like Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan, Michael Bublé, Sarah Brightman, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler, The Beach Boys, and Josh Groban, to name a few.

“For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver,” a recording by the Christian Mcbride Big Band featuring Mark Whitfield and Joey Defrancesco has received the 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble! This is the most recent collaboration between Whitfield and McBride, a musical relationship that began over 30 years ago when they were both featured members of the Jazz Futures, an All-Star Jazz Band that also launched the career of the late Roy Hargrove.

Mark Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, the world’s foremost institution for the study of Jazz and modern American music in the spring of 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his to his native New York to embark on a career as a Jazz Guitarist that has afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with such legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his mentor, the great George Benson.

In 1990 the New York Times dubbed Whitfield “The Best Young Guitarist in the Business.” Later that year, Warner Bros. released his debut album The Marksman. The success of his debut release led to a recording career that has produced a total of 16 solo recordings and a myriad of collaborative efforts with some of the most important artists in recent years; Sting, Steven Tyler, D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Robert Glasper and the aforementioned Christian Mcbride.

​ Mark Whitfield remains extremely active as a performer, recording artist and sideman and as a highly sought after instructor and master clinician. Along with this most recent GRAMMY nomination, several new projects featuring Whitfield’s talents were released in the last few years.

By age 31, Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the post-bop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. This duel-threat ability was recognized by the 2022 Downbeat Critics Poll where he appeared as not only the #2 Rising Star Male Vocalist, but a top Rising Star Trumpeter as well. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he’s a highly capable pianist as well.

Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved his own viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award winning “8-Bit Big Band.” In early 2020 he released A Lot of Livin’ to Do, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut One of a Kind. This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose GRAMMY-award winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes. His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world.

Nashville, Tennessee is justifiably known as the world’s epicenter of country music, but it has produced at least one other star from a completely different genre – jazz pianist and singer Kandace Springs, whose natural gifts for lyricism and soulfulness have taken her humble start as a parking attendant and lounge pianist, to featured performer at major concert halls and festivals around the world, and recognition as one of the premier female artists of the Jazz/Soul genre.

“A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep…This woman is on fire.” — The New York Times When talking about Morgan James, it’s best to start with the voice – an instrument through which she can communicate anything. A gift bestowed upon her that she has expertly trained, meticulously nurtured, and passionately galvanized into action by an urgency to make real music. Next, the stories, and she has them in spades. They are full of truth and beauty, heartache and thoughtfulness. They reveal colors we weren’t expecting to see. They make us close our eyes and relate. And finally, the soul – the emotional and intellectual energy through which these parts are fueled. That special something that prompted The Wall Street Journal to herald her as “the most promising young vocalist to come along so far this century.” Morgan James is a soul singer and one voice is all it takes. The right vocalist can make you fall in love at first listen, elicit tears or bring you back to a different era altogether. A microphone and a stage remain the only necessities. That holds true for New York-based soul singer, songwriter, and Broadway actress Morgan James. Morgan’s latest full album Nobody’s Fool is a luminous love letter to 90s R&B, featuring nine brand new songs, and one cover of Jeff Buckley‘s “Everybody Here Wants You”; the release of which culminated in a 60 city US tour with her band. The album is her third original soul album recorded at the world-class Memphis Magnetic Recording, along with Memphis Magnetic and A Very Magnetic Christmas, both recorded live to analog tape.

Cuban-born pianist and composer Harold L opez-Nussa begins an exciting new chapter of his fascinating career with his Blue Note debut Timba a la Americana, a vibrant album teeming with joy and pathos that was inspired by the pianist’s recent decision to leave his Cuban homeland and begin a new life in France. Produced by Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League, Timba a la Americana unveils a brand-new sound across 10 dynamic original compositions performed by a tight-knit band featuring harmonica virtuoso Grégoire Maret, Luques Curtis on bass, Bárbaro “Machito” Crespo on congas and Harold’s brother Ruy Adrián López-Nussa on drums.

Born in French-speaking Switzerland and based in New York, harmonica player, composer and GRAMMY winner Grégoire Maret is known for his virtuoso technique and emotional interpretations. Over the past decade, Grégoire Maret has emerged as a unique new voice for his instrument in the broad spectrum of the modern jazz world. In doing so, he has done nothing less than redefine the role of the harmonica in a multitude of musical styles. The list of musical heavyweights with whom Maret regularly collaborates is impressive: Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Cassandra Wilson and Marcus Miller are just the most prominent of his artistic partners. As a guest in the studio and on stage, Maret has enriched the music of other greats such as Prince, Sting, Elton John, Jimmy Scott, Dianne Reeves, Toots Thielemans, Tito Puente, Kurt Elling, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, David Sanborn and George Benson with his uniquely colorful playing.

We are privileged to have one of the top trombonists of his generation, Wycliffe Gordon, return for an encore performance as our Gospel Show host. Both an accomplished soloist and leader of his eponymous quartet, Wycliffe tours the globe performing for audiences of every caliber, from elementary school students to heads of state. The Jazz Journalists Association named him “2020 Trombonist of the Year” for the unprecedented 13th time, and Downbeat Critics Poll named Wycliffe “Best Trombone” again for 2020, bringing his award count to six (2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013 & 2012). In 2019, Wycliffe was presented the “Sonny Award” by the Suncoast Jazz Festival for his commitment to education, and he received the coveted “Louie Award” presented by the Louis Armstrong Museum, for his dedication and commitment to the music of Louis Armstrong. In 2017, he was presented with the “International Trombone Association Award,” which recognizes the highest level of creative and artistic achievement. In 2016, he released his 21st solo CD recording titled I Give You Love — a follow up album to his very popular “Hello Pops: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” CD. He also released Within These Gates of Mine, an original soundtrack and film score for the 1920’s silent film Within Our Gates by African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. His arrangements are frequently heard in film and television, including Race (the biopic of track legend Jesse Owens), NCIS: New Orleans, Manhattan, and the Netflix show White Rabbit Project. Adept at the tuba, trumpet and soprano trombone plus an accomplished composer and arranger, Wycliffe is also one of America’s most persuasive and committed music educators, serving as Director of Jazz Studies at Augusta University in Augusta, GA.

Terell Stafford, acclaimed trumpet player based in New York, has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Stafford is recognized as an incredibly gifted and versatile player, he combines a deep love of melody with his own brand of spirited and adventurous lyricism. Stafford’s exceptionally expressive and well defined musical talent allows him to dance in and around the rich trumpet tradition of his predecessors while making his own inroads.

Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning NYC-based pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was four years old. Growing up in Menlo Park, CA, Eigsti was quickly labeled a prodigy, and has since released 9 albums as a bandleader, in addition to appearing on over 80 albums as a sideman. In February 2025, Eigsti won his second GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his ninth and most recent album “Plot Armor” (2024, GroundUP Music), following a 2022 win for his eighth album “Tree Falls” (2021, GSI Records) in the same category. Eigsti has garnered a total of 4 individual GRAMMY® nominations over the years for his work as a recording artist and composer, including Best Instrumental Composition, and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, in addition to being featured on several other GRAMMY® nominated albums by Gretchen Parlato and Julian Lage, and co-wrote a featured composition with Don Cheadle for the GRAMMY® – winning soundtrack to the motion picture “Miles Ahead” (2017). Recently, Eigsti was the winner of Downbeat Magazine’s 72nd Annual Critic’s Poll for Rising Star “Pianist of the Year” for 2024. Eigsti has performed, toured, or recorded with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Sting, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Joshua Bell, Snarky Puppy, Esperanza Spalding, John Mayer, Vanessa Williams, James Moody, Turtle Island Quartet, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Vince Mendoza, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Lalah Hathaway, Joe Lovano, Hank Jones, and Frederica Von Stade, in addition to frequent touring collaborations with Ms. Lisa Fischer, Terence Blanchard, Chris Botti, Kendrick Scott, Ben Wendel, Erin Bode, Eric Harland, and Gretchen Parlato, amongst numerous others. 

Botti at Sea Music Director Eric Marienthal has won two GRAMMY® Awards and has been nominated ten times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Jeff Lorber Fusion and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Having performed in over 80 countries and played on hundreds of recordings, films and TV shows, Eric also has recorded 15 solo recordings including his latest entitled Double Dealin’ with his friend Randy Brecker. Eric’s recordings have produced several top 10 radio singles including three tunes that reached #1 on its respective chart. Eric is the recipient of the Berklee College of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. Eric was also named one of the top 3 alto saxophonists in Jazziz Magazine’s Readers Poll along with Phil Woods and David Sanborn. For the past 22 years Eric has organized an annual charity concert for the High Hopes Head Injury Program in Tustin, CA. These concerts have raised awareness for this great organization and have raised over 2 million dollars. For the past few years, Eric has applied his vast knowledge and experience in the world of jazz to being the Music Director for all of Jazz Cruises’ sailings. In that challenging role, Eric is charged with curating the performances, schedules and support for hundreds of the top musicians in the world. His ability to perform this task with skill and professionalism has made the quality of the programming on those sailings among the very best in the world.

Raised in the Virgin Islands, Reuben Rogers was exposed to varieties of music that included calypso, reggae, gospel and jazz. In his formative years, Rogers received encouragement from his parents to explore his musical talent. He began with the clarinet, experimented with the piano, drums, and guitar, and at the age of 14 found his true passion in the bass. He began touring professionally at the age of 17 with the Marcus Roberts trio. He has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Mulgrew Miller, Jackie McLean, Charles Lloyd and Dianne Reeves. He has toured extensively throughout the world and has recorded on over 70 albums. Committed to supporting the arts in the Virgin Islands, Rogers returns when his schedule permits to conduct music workshops in local schools and organize fundraising concerts that benefit the education of today’s island youth.

A native of New Orleans, Herlin Riley started on the drums when he was three. He played trumpet through high school, but he went back to drums in college. After graduating, he spent three years as a member of a band led by Ahmad Jamal. In the ensuing years, he worked often with Wynton Marsalis as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and of Marsalis’s small groups and appears on more than two dozen of the trumpeter’s albums. Riley played a large part in developing the drum parts for Wynton Marsalis’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album, Blood on the Fields. He has also worked with George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., and Marcus Roberts. As a leader, Herlin has released four albums: Watch What You’re Doing; Cream of the Crescent; New Direction; and Perpetual Optimism.

He’s also co-led a group with fellow Crescent City drummers Jason Marsalis and Shannon Powell, the New Orleans Groovemasters, that celebrates the music of New Orleans—past, present and future—with a fiery sound that evokes second lines of that city, as well as funk, R&B and jazz.

Upon arriving in the United States in 1994, Colombian-born Edmar Castañeda has made a name for himself as the preeminent jazz harp virtuoso. Castañeda brings forth a brilliance that beautifully merges the jazz tradition with a diverse set of styles and genres while bringing unbridled attention to a somewhat unfamiliar instrument: the harp. Singlehandedly, Castañeda has cemented the harp’s place in jazz with innovative technique and heartfelt creativity from a wealth of formidable collaborations with music titans such as Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Bela Fleck, Ricki Lee Jones, Marcus Miller and Paquito D’Rivera. In the same breath as the Yo-Yo Ma’s of the world, Castañeda fearlessly stuns audiences, musicians, and critics alike with his incredible talents as a player and composer. NPR’s “Fresh Air” touts, “…his technique is the real astonishment. Castañeda juggles lead, rhythm and bass lines, using a variety of hard and soft string attacks to keep those voices distinct — all without giving up the groove…His amazing technique…raises the bar for every harpist.” The New York Times notes, “…Castaneda… engage[s] modern jazz in ways that honor…cultural origins, and [he has] the capacity to astonish by virtue of [his] fingerstyle technique.”

Violinist Caroline Campbell has appeared as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Boston Pops and many other symphony orchestras. She has soloed in prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center and Madison Square Garden, and in exotic locations from Kuala Lumpur to Versailles and the Sydney Opera House.

In high demand both in the classical and popular scene, she has been nicknamed “violinist to the stars” and hand-picked to play duets with world-renowned artists including Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand, Steven Tyler, Adam Levine, Michael Buble, Rod Stewart, David Foster and Seal.

Caroline tours regularly with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, with whom she has appeared with the Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, NY Pops, Atlanta, Boston Pops, Houston, Malaysian, and St. Louis Symphonies.  Her concerts with Botti have spanned five continents and have varied locations such as the Blue Note jazz club in Milan, NYC’s Barclay Arena performing with Barbra Streisand, and an outdoor square  in Warsaw celebrating Poland’s EU Presidency.  She is featured playing Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla on his latest CD, Impressions, and was featured on two of Botti’s PBS Specials.

Guitarist Darnell “Showcase” Taylor captivates worldwide audiences through a style that balances tradition with innovation. Born and raised in Moncure, North Carolina, the self-taught musician started his love affair with instruments as a church kid having joined a local band at the age of 15. Playing throughout the country for a wide variety of artists, Taylor eventually met GRAMMY® Award winner Anthony Hamilton. The powerful, soul master added him to his critically acclaimed band where they continue to thrill music lovers across the globe. As a producer, he has composed more than 50 songs for Soul/Blues artist Willie Clayton, rising songstress Jackie Michael and award-winning saxophonist Marcus Anderson. A testament to his commercial appeal, he earned the attention of Ibanez Guitars who tapped the musician to serve as a face of its international brand. Taylor enjoys the beauty of collectively performing with some of the most dynamic artists of our time yet still recognizes the gift of his individual music interpretation. While contemporary music typically features a voice as storyteller, Darnell “Showcase” Taylor masterfully narrates the human experience of love, pain, joy, and defeat through a beautiful merger of man and guitar.

Carnell Harrell is a keyboard player from the Los Angeles area who has been playing professionally for over 20 years for agencies, private events, independent and major artists. Carnell plays a variety of styles including Gospel, R&B, neo soul, hip hop, jazz, soul, alternative rock, easy listening, singer/songwriter, smooth jazz and country. He’s played with a variety of artists including Jonathan Butler, Rahsaan Patterson, the Jacksons, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Brown, Kenny Latimore, Dave Koz, Boney James, Gerald Albright, Teena Marie, Andra Day, Thelma Houston, Peter White, Mac Powell, Israel Houghton, Macy Gray and more.

Born in South Dakota and raised in Washington D.C., David Dyson began playing baritone in school, but, after hearing recordings of Larry Graham and Louis Johnson, the desire to switch to the bass was overwhelming. In 1989, David worked with Maurice Starr (New Kids On The Block) as musical director, taking their live shows to an unprecedented pinnacle. As an artist, David has released Soulmates, The Dawning and Unleashed, all to critical acclaim. Throughout his career, David has earned quite a reputation as a bassist, songwriter, arranger and producer. He continues to strive for excellence as one of today’s most promising artists.

Chris Miskel is a Chicago drummer who carries on the Chicago reputation of producing some of the most talented musicians to date. By playing with many musicians, Chris has acquired the ability to play the drums in multiple styles and genres of music. He believes that adapting to the various musical situations is essential to being a well-rounded musician. When Chris is home between tours, he continues to strengthen his drumming techniques, solos and improvisation by performing in local clubs and participating in jam sessions. According to Chris, “Playing what I feel and being able to transcend my vibe to the fans and get a reaction from them is what makes my job wonderful.”