Jay Brandford (alto saxophone) performs in New York and internationally with Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet, the David Berger Jazz Orchestra and the Dave Liebman Big Band. He has recorded with many creative artists including Cleo Laine, Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Ray Bryant, David Taylor, Oliver Lake, Ben Riley, Dave Liebman, and David Berger. His arrangements have been recorded by Dick Johnson, the Ken Hadley Big Band and Peter Lerner. Jay was a semifinalist in the 1991 and 1996 Thelonious Monk Competitions.
Composer, arranger and saxophonist David Brandom (alto saxophone) has worked with Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., Maria Schneider, Dave Matthews' Super Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Temptations, Bobby Short and has played for numerous Broadway shows including Jersey Boys, Hairspray, In the Heights, Billy Eliott, and Nine to Five. Dave writes for and plays extensively with the Dave Brandom Quartet and has released 2 CD’s, Home and No Way Out, as a leader. Dave holds a Bachelor in Music from the University of North Texas and a Masters from Purchase College. He has taught at Purchase College and Lehigh University, and currently is a band director in the Edgemont, NY school district. www.davidbrandom.com
Trombonist Bruce Eidem has performed with over 100 big bands including those of Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, and Buddy Rich. He has worked in concert with Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Manhattan Transfer and Frank Sinatra and his recording credits include Broadway cast albums, movie soundtracks, Wayne Shorter’s 2005 Grammy-winning album and with legendary Afro-Cuban bandleader Mario Bauza. Bruce is honored to have been added to the WJO personnel.
Larry "Dean" Farrell (trombone) joined the Ira Sullivan Quintet at age 18. He has performed with Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, Louis Bellson and the Bob Mintzer Big Band and has recorded with Count Basie, David Sanborn, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson and on over 30 major films.Larry tours with the Joe Lovano Nonet, The Blues Brothers, David Mathews and Gwen Stefani’s “Holla Back Girl.”
George Flynn (bass trombone) has played extensively in the New York are, working with Buddy Rich, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the John Fedchock New York Big Band, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and countless others. He plays frequently on Broadway and appears on numerous movie soundtracks, most recently in “The Alamo” and “The Rookie.” George has a black belt in tae kwon do.
Craig Johnson (trumpet) has toured with Maynard Ferguson, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Jerry Lewis, and played with many great artists, including New York Voices, Chuck Mangione, Aretha Franklin and John Pizzarelli. His Broadway credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Fosse, and currently Spamalot. Craig lives in New Rochelle with his wife and two daughters.
Trumpeter Tony Kadleck has toured with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Blood, Sweat & Tears, recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Natalie Cole, Michael Jackson, and Luther Vandross, and performed with many greats, including Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, and the Boston Pops. In addition, Tony has also worked with the big bands of Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Don Sebesky, Bob Mintzer, Dave Grusin, and Buddy Rich. www.kadleck.com
Ralph Lalama (tenor saxophone) has found worldwide fame with such Grammy-winning, luminary bands as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Joe Lovano Nonet. He is an alumnus of the Woody Herman Thundering Herd, the Buddy Rich Big Band and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, under the direction of Jon Faddis. Ralph’s instantly recognizable, unique voice has made him a favorite among critics, who deem him "a first-class jazz soloist" (Zan Stewart, DownBeat). As a leader, he has five CDs on the Criss Cross jazz label and his latest CD on Might Quinn Productions, Energy Fields, has brought respectful reviews. Ralph shares his potent command of the jazz vocabulary with aspiring young musicians as adjunct professor at New York University, SUNY Purchase, and through private instruction. He was recently the cover feature for the educational publication Saxophone Journal. www.ralphlalama.com
Keith O’Quinn (trombone) joined Buddy Rich’s band as a jazz trombonist at age 20 and went from there to the bands of Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Louis Bellson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Mintzer and Maria Schneider as well as many others. Moving to New York in 1975, he joined the ranks of New York’s studio players and has recorded with such great jazz artists as Charles Mingus, Joe Henderson Big Band, Lyle Mayes, Dave Grusin, Phil Woods, Natalie Cole, and Tony Bennett as well as countless numbers of pop and commercial artists. He lives in Tarrytown with his wife and 4 children.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason Rigby (tenor saxophone) was voted “Best College Jazz Instrumentalist” by DownBeat in 1999 and has recently received acclaim from The New York Times, The Village Voice and AllAboutJazz. He has performed with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, and the Cameron Brown Quartet. Wire Magazine named his debut recording, Translucent Space, in its Top 15 Jazz Recordings of 2006. Early reviews of his new release, The Sage, call him "a young star on the rise." www.jasonrigby.net
Ted Rosenthal (piano) entered the international spotlight by winning the 2nd Thelonious Monk Competition. He has released 11 CDs as a leader including "The 3B's," which received 4 stars from DownBeat Magazine. He actively performs with his trio and as a soloist in the U.S. as well as Japan and Europe Rosenthal toured and recorded with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet; and performed with the Art Farmer and Phil Woods Quintets, with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Jon Faddis and The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. A recipient of three NEA grants, Ted teaches at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. He was a contributing editor for Piano and Keyboard magazine. www.tedrosenthal.com
Trumpeter Jim Rotondi has recorded and toured internationally with many artists including Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Toshiko Akiyoshi, George Coleman and Charles Earland. He also performs with his own group and has recorded nine CDs as a leader on the Sharp Nine and Criss Cross labels. A graduate of North Texas State University, Jim has given clinics at Emory University, the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp, and served on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, as well as being an affiliate faculty member at SUNY Purchase. www.jimrotondi.com
Harvie S (bass) has performed with jazz and Latin masters including Stan Getz, Jim Hall, Toots Thielemans, Paquito D'Rivera, Tony Bennett, Ray Barretto and Sheila Jordan. He can be heard on several hundred CDs, 12 as a leader and 15 as a co-leader. Harvie's latest CD, Now Was the Time, in duo with Kenny Barron (High Note Records 2008) received rave reviews. Harvie performs and gives workshops world wide and has been the jazz bass instructor at The Manhattan School of Music since 1984. www.harvies.com
Marvin Stamm, veteran trumpet soloist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra (1961-62) and Woody Herman Band (1965-66), gained considerable recognition in NYC for his playing with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (1966-72) and the Duke Pearson Big Band (1967-70) as well as performing with Frank Sinatra (1973-74) and the Benny Goodman Sextet (1974-75), while advancing a career performing in the NYC recording studios (1966 -89). In the late 80s, he returned to his first love -- jazz -- and is currently performing as a soloist, touring with his jazz quartet or in duo with pianist Bill Mays. Marvin and Bill have a new and successful venture, The Inventions Trio, with cellist Alisa Horn, performing jazz standards, original material, and music based upon classic themes. www.marvinstamm.com
Andy Watson (drums), a longtime fixture on the New York jazz scene, has performed and recorded with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Bill Frisell, Benny Golson, Jim Hall, Tom Harrell, Jon Hendricks, Woody Herman, Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis, Marian McPartland, James Moody, and others. All About Jazz called his performance on David Bixler’s recent release “one of the top ten for 2006.” Andy has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America.
Ed Xiques (baritone saxophone) has performed and recorded extensively with many artists including Jaki Byard, Herb Pomeroy, Woody Herman, Bill Watrous, Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ten Wheel Drive, Aerosmith, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Liza Minnelli. Ed is an adjunct professor at Vassar College and a former member of the BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop, where he was fortunate to study with Manny Albam, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely and Mike Abene. Ed continues to play in the Workshop orchestra.
