Jay Brandford (alto saxophone) performs in New York and internationally with Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet, David Berger’s Sultans of Swing 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 Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Fosse, Chicago, Bells Are Ringing, and Hairspray. Dave writes for and plays extensively with the Dave Brandom Quartet and has released his debut CD entitled “Home.” Dave’s Bachelor in Music is from the University of North Texas and his Masters is from Purchase College. He currently teaches at Purchase College, Lehigh University, and has been a guest artist/clinician at many local schools. 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) has toured with Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis and Louie Bellson big bands. He has recorded with Count Basie, David Sanborn, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson and played on 31 major films including Wolf, Interview With a Vampire, Cape Fear and Chicago. Currently, Larry tours and records with the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra (2 Grammy nominations), Bob Mintzer Big Band (Grammy winner), and The Joe Lovano Nonet.
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.
Ralph Lalama (tenor saxophone) has found worldwide fame with such luminary bands as the twice-Grammy-nominated Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (formerly the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis), the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and the Grammy-winning Joe Lovano Nonet. Critics and fans have compared his sound to that of Sonny Rollins and Hank Mobley, but Ralph’s voice is an unmistakable unique one, as showcased on five CDs he has led for the Criss Cross jazz label - one of them ("Circle Line") earning him four-and-a-half stars from DownBeat magazine. Ralph now 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. 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) is active on the New York jazz scene and performs with the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin and Cameron Brown’s “Don Cherry Tribute” band. Voted “Best College Jazz Instrumentalist” by DownBeat magazine in 1999, he has been described as displaying “a brilliant virtuosity & flexibility while handling some very complex harmonic lines & intervals” and his recent release, Translucent Space, is garnering rave reviews. www.jasonrigby.net
Ted Rosenthal (piano) entered the international spotlight by winning the 2nd Thelonious Monk Competition. He has released 9 CDs as a leader including "The 3B's," which received 4 stars from Down Beat Magazine. 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, the Manhattan School of Music and Queens College. 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, and Ray Barretto. A sideman on several hundred CDs, he is also a leader on 8 and co-leader on another 15. The Harvie S Band, whose new CDs "Texas Rumba" and “Funky Cha” received rave reviews, has performed worldwide. Harvie has been the jazz bass instructor at The Manhattan School of Music since 1984 and has taught master classes at institutions worldwide. 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 and has a new and quite successful venture, performing with symphony orchestras throughout the country and abroad. 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.
