Check back soon for 2008 biographies!

2007 Artist Biographies

	An Evening with Delfeayo Marsalis After years of producing jazz masterpieces for the likes of Harry Connick, Jr., Marcus Roberts, Spike Lee, and Ellis, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo steps into a lead role with Minions Dominion, a diverse album of acoustic post-bop to modern jazz.
	Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion Their Grammy nominated album And Sammy Walked In features a Miami-based combo with Figueroa on congas and percussion, and a two-horn frontline and a rhythm section that includes the piano, bass and drums. While Figueroa holds the band together with his enthusiastic drum work, the stage comes alive when the sounds from each of the players combine.
	Diane Schuur A two-time Grammy Award winner for “Best Jazz Vocalist,” Diane Schuur has performed with such greats as Stan Getz, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones, and has headlined many of the world's most prestigious music venues, including Carnegie Hall.
	James Moody Grammy Award nominee and legendary jazz saxophonist James Moody respects tradition, but takes great delight in discovering new musical paths, making him one of the most consistently expressive figures in modern jazz today.
	Groove Collective Fresh off a 2007 Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album,” Groove Collective continues to improvise and refine the stylistic cross-pollination of funk, jazz, house, Latin, hip hop, rock and every party-inducing sound in between.
	Flora Purim and Airto Moreira Purim’s six-octave voice has earned her two Grammy nominations for “Best Female Jazz Performance” and on four different occasions, Downbeat magazine’s “Best Female Singer” accolade.  Her husband Airto Moreira helped make percussion an important part of modern jazz.  Today the two continue to make a sensational and unique blend of cool jazz.
	Diego Urcola Three‑time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner Diego Urcola embraces South American jazz.  Urcola’s newest record Viva, released in 2006 and nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award marks a key moment in his now solo artist career.  Urcola says, “I like to bring the tango flavor from my country into the mix.”
	The Winard Harper Sextet The Winard Harper Sextet– led by virtuoso drummer Winard Harper–is a multi-cultural layering of sounds, rhythms and styles.  Winard Harper– known around the world for his style and his extensive knowledge of jazz history– leads five other musicians while performing an array of genres including African, Caribbean, world music, be bop, hard bop, and blues.
	Monk on Monk Too An accomplished drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger and record producer, T.S. Monk brings an unforgettable tribute to his legendary pianist father. Thelonious Sphere Monk is the recipient of numerous awards, including New York Jazz Awards’ Recording of the Year, Downbeat magazine’s famed “Readers Poll Award” and the Jazz Journalist Association’s “Critics Choice.”
	The Headhunters Originally founded in 1973 under the direction of Herbie Hancock, The Headhunters redefined modern funk, jazz and world music as one of the most innovative groups in history.  The current lineup includes Mike Clark– one of America’s foremost jazz and funk drummers– and accomplished percussionist Bill Summers.
	Robert Glasper Robert Glasper is a jazz pianist with a talent for smooth, complex compositions that reveal a slight hip-hop influence.  While Glasper has been influenced by many great musicians (Tyner, Hancock, Corea, Jarrett), he continues to generate a sound of his own with his delicate touch and harmonic sense.

2006 Artist Bios

Dianne Reeves: Four-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves is perhaps the preeminent jazz vocalist in the world. Her most recent Grammy award comes as a result of her performance on the critically acclaimed soundtrack, Good Night,and Good Luck.
Spyro Gyra: Spyro Gyra has effortlessly combined elements of jazz, R&B, Latin, Brazillian and even Caribbean music to become one of the most prolific and commerically successful groups on the scene.
Mingus Big Band: Celebrating the music of composer and bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979, this 14-piece band has eight recordings to its credit, four of which have been nominated for a Grammy.
Kathy Kosins Quartet with guest Shawn "Thunder Wallace: With a critically acclaimed voice and eclectic musical palette, this Detroit native has a natural ability to infuse her original material with the romanace of the swing era.
Liquid Soul: Hailing from Chicago, Liquid Soul's trademark mixture of jazz and urban dance music incorporates everything from hard-bop to hip-hop. THey have opened for Sting, played at the Inaugural Parade and headlined the first acid-jazz performance at the Newport Jazz Festival.
Hiromi: Pianist/composer Hiromi's eclectic mix of classical, rock and jazz first mesmerized the jazz community in 2003 with her debut album, Another Mind, which won the Recording Industry Association of Japan's "Jazz Album of the Year" award.