Douglas Mapp is a Professor of Jazz Studies and String Bass at Rowan University where he coordinates the small jazz ensemble program. He has performed with numerous jazz artists including Monty Alexander, Terrance Blanchard, Natalie Cole, Patti Austin, Randy Brecker, Sean Jones, Ernie Watts, Larry McKenna, Jimmy Bruno, Ray Charles, James Moody, and George Russell. He can be heard on recordings by Jeff Majors, Philip Glass, R Kelly, Lana Del Rey, The Delaware Symphony, and the Relâche Ensemble. He holds degrees from the University of the Arts and Temple University.

Alphonso Horne is one of the most sought-after musicians today. Known for his high level of musicianship, Horne has performed with some of the leading musicians in jazz including, touring with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center (2013), performing on the PBS Special: Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett (2014), playing in the house band of the Late Show with Jon Batiste, and playing on Grammy nominated albums (Jamison, 2015; My Favorite Things, 2015). Horne was also featured in the 2019 film Bolden, playing a cameo role.

Horne leads an active career as a sideman. He has been a part of many projects including, the Cab Calloway Band (2014), touring with Allen Stone (2015), playing on Jamison Ross’ (Jamison, 2015) and Joey Alexander’s (My Favorite Things, 2015) Grammy Nominated albums, performing with the Count Basie Orchestra (2016), began touring with Rhiannon Giddens (2017), and most recently with Rihanna at the Video Music Award show in 2017. Horne also was the producer for Nancy Harrow’s album The Song is All (2016). 

Currently Horne is involved with many projects including, the annual Savannah Swing Central and Music Festival, where he commissioned an arrangement for this 2018 season, playing with Sammy Miller and the Congregation, who just finished a residency at Ars Nova (2017). As a leader, he is the bandleader of an early jazz band: Gotham Kings. Gotham Kings performs regularly at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem, New York. He is currently producing his original show “Mother Kofi: The Tale of an African Princess”. 

Brian Betz is a guitarist, composer, and educator who resides in the Philadelphia Metro Area, performing throughout the USA with many different musical artists. Brian has 6 CD releases available on the Dreambox Media label. Brian holds two degrees from Rowan University (BM, MM) and is endorsed by GHS guitar strings. He is a two-time winner of the Betty Carter International Jazz Competition (2004, 2007) and a runner up for the 2006 Henry Mancini Jazz competition. Brian is currently on the faculty at Rowan University where he teaches jazz guitar and jazz improvisation.

Denis DiBlasio is the Executive Director of the Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz Studies at Rowan University, saxophonist, composer, arranger and musical director for the Institute. He is an internationally acclaimed performer, clinician, and educator for the Yamaha Music Corporation of America. He is the author of five texts on jazz improvisation and a recording artist for Encounter Records with nine CD’s under his own name. He received the Master of Music degree from the University of Miami.

Jim McFalls is a twenty-one-year veteran of the famed United States Army Jazz Ambassadors. As the lead and Jazz trombonist of the JAS, has performed and recorded with veritable “who’s who” of jazz luminaries including Dave Liebman, Geoff Keezer, Denis Diblasio, Ingrid Jensen, Clark Terry, Jim Ridl, Slide Hampton, Tim Hagans, Gary Thomas, Christian McBride, Ron Blake, Dave Samuels, Jeff Coffin, Carl Fontana, Jon Faddis, and Toots Thielmans. In addition to his performance schedule, Jim serves as a full-time faculty member of the Jazz and Commercial Music Studies Division at Towson University where he directs the big band and teaches jazz history and jazz trombone. Mr. McFalls is an Antoine Courtois Artist/Clinician appearing throughout the US and abroad.

Dan Monaghan is one of the busiest drummers in the Philadelphia area. He has a Bachelors of Music in jazz studies from Temple University. Since then he has performed with some of the top names in jazz, including Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein, Uri Caine, and Randy Brecker. In addition, he has recorded with Dick Oatts, Garry Dial, Joe Magnarelli, Jimmy Bruno, Elio Villafranca, Joanna Pascale, John Vanore & Abstract Truth, Larry McKenna, Jon Lundbom & Big Five Chord, Norman David, Tom Tallitsch, Mike Kennedy, and many others. Dan has performed at the Mellon Jazz Festival, the East Coast Jazz Festival, the Wilmington Latino Festival, the Cremona Jazz Festival, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, Smoke, Ortlieb's Jazzhaus, Zanzibar Blue, and Chris' Jazz Cafe, among other well-known venues.

Skip Spratt has been teaching and performing in the Philadelphia/Atlantic City area since 1985. Since settling in New Jersey, Skip has performed with Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, Marie Osmond, Donna Summer, Frank Sinatra Jr., Bobby Caldwell, The Temptations, Jeffrey Osborne, Tommy Tune, Ben Vereen, Joel Gray, Maureen McGovern with the Ocean City Pops, The 5th Dimension as well as many others. He has also been a featured soloist in performance with jazz greats Randy Brecker, Bill Watrous and John Faddis. In 1990 he had the honor of performing for First Lady Barbara Bush and the US Senators wives in the Senate Caucus Room in Washington, DC. In addition to playing on many independent projects Skip has done jingles for KYW Radio, WPVI Channel 6, Bally’s Park Place and most recently Jefferson Navy Yard. His Television performances include appearances on Merv Griffin’s New Years Eve Show with Aretha Franklin, The Allen Thick Show in Montreal, Canada; The Iris Chacon Show in San Juan, Puerto Rico and The Variety Club Telethon in Philadelphia.

Sumi Tonooka has been called a “fierce, fascinating composer pianist” (Jazz Times), “provocative and compelling” (New York Times), and “continually inventive, original, surprising, a total delight,” (Cuadranos de Jazz, Madrid). With fifteen recordings to her name and a vast catalogue of compositions and award-winning works in genres symphonic, chamber, dance, and film, Tonooka continues to be a creative force. Most recently, Tonooka is a finalist in the Emerging Black Composers Project to compose her fourth symphonic work for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in December 2022. She is also a 2021 recipient of the Doris Duke, Creative Inflections Grant as a co-creator with vocalist/composer, Jen Shyu for In The Green Room, a multi- disciplinary music production inspired by the stories of women in Jazz. Other recent awards include, Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works grant, (2019) and composer in residence with the South Dakota Symphony through the New Music Alive Residency, New Music USA. Her first symphonic work “Full Circle” was performed by the American Composers Orchestra in NYC in 2013. Ms. Tonooka has performed with a wide range of artists including Rufus Reid, Kenny Burrell, “Philly” Joe Jones, and David “Fathead” Newman.