Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Patrick Bartley, Jr. is a musician with experience in a wide range of situations, most notably for appearing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and being featured in the Emmy-nominated HBO special Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts Masterclass, which premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

 

Although a South Florida native, Patrick is a has spent the majority of his professional music career in NYC prior to graduating from the Manhattan School of Music. As an on-demand sideman, he has performed and recorded with musicians such as Louis Hayes, Jonathan Batiste, Mulgrew Miller, Jeff Coffin, and Wynton Marsalis, and has performed at world-renowned venues such as The STAPLES Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Black Sea Jazz Festival.

 

 

34-year old Japanese-born pianist Miki Yamanaka has called New York City home since 2012 and in the past decade has wasted no time establishing herself as one of the leading personalities of her generation on the piano and beyond. Critics laud her “light, expressive touch and solidly crafted, mainstream approach” - Mike Jurkovic (All About Jazz), while audiences delight in not only her playing, but her vibrant personality as well.

 

Yamanaka has gained international recognition from her albums as a leader; her most recent and most celebrated release, “Shades Of Rainbow” (Cellar Music), features Jazz masters Mark Turner and her NYC rhythm section, Tyrone Allen and Jimmy Macbride. Additionally, Miki has emerged as a leader of the “New York Scene” via her notable residencies at mainstay West Village sister clubs Smalls and Mezzrow.

 

During the pandemic, she developed a successful in-home live-streaming weekly concert series cleverly titled “Miki’s Mood” where she features a veritable who’s who of NYC talent (including her husband and frequent collaborator - drummer Jimmy Macbride). The series showcases her vast knowledge of Jazz standards and tunes, often featuring themed offerings of various composers from both the Great American Songbook as well as iconic Jazz composers.

 

 

Russell Hall is an award winning double bassist from Kingston, Jamaica. He was introduced to jazz at the Dillard Center for the Arts directed by Christopher Dorsey. He continued his studies with master bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe at The Juilliard School in New York City.

 

He has been blessed to work with legends such as Edward Norton, Kathleen Battle, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Barry Harris, Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mwenso and The Shakes, Emmet Cohen and Jonathan Batiste and Stay Human. His band, “Bessie and The Rainbowkids” is a group comprised of artists from all around the world who’s mission is to bring peace to all ears and love to all hearts. in addition, Russell is a part of “The Blacksmiths”, an arts coalition dedicated to social justice.

 

 

Drummer, composer and educator, Tomohiro Mori was born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1992. He started playing the drums at age 3 and piano at age 5. Being raised by musical parents, Tomo was exposed to music at a very early age. His mother and father, who played piano and guitar respectively, formed a family band and played Beatles covers, in which Tomo was an active part of.

Originally, Tomo wanted to form a band with friends around his age. Although he initially did not have a strong interest in jazz, his pianist friend called Tomo to form a jazz band. Finally, he started playing jazz and formed a jazz band with his friends when he was thirteen years old. He has performed in gigs and music festivals around his hometown with this group.