Mike Caruk, trumpet: began his jazz experience studying at the Hartford Conservatory in Connecticut as an electric bass player for Latin jazz ensembles. He then joined a local budding group called “Latin Flavor” and performed at local festivals and venues including the Hartford Jazz Festival. He studied trumpet privately at the University of Connecticut under the direction of trumpeter and educator Daniel Patrylak. He studied classical trumpet and participated in the UConn Jazz Ensemble and the UConn Symphonic Band. He currently continues his studies through improvisation workshops with the esteemed jazz trombonist, Dr. Ed Byrne.

Rob DeSesa, drumset: has played and taught percussion throughout the Greater Hartford area since 1980. Robert was classically trained and received his Masters in Applied Percussion performance from Hartt School of Music in 1981. Robert studied with Alexander Lepak, the former timpanist with the Hartford Symphony. He also studied with Stuart S. Smith at University of Hartford. Robert was an active member of the Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum (CMIF) from 1980-1982. CMIF was led by Leo Smith, who is current faculty member at California Institute of the ARTS. Robert has been performing and recording throughout the area including classical and jazz settings. Robert formed his own jazz quartet in 2003 and has also performed and recorded with various artists in Connecticut and Massachusetts areas.

Mark Dunlap, bassist: first studied guitar and switched to electric and then double bass. Dunlap studies composition with Grammy Award nominated composer, and long-time mentor, Ed Byrne, DMA. Dunlap also studies bass with accomplished NYC bassists, Santi DeBriano and Joe Fonda. Dunlap is a founding member and serves on the board of the Western New England Double Bass Society, a group of almost 200 performing double bassists that sponsors bass workshops and concerts throughout New England. He also serves as the Co-chair of the Holyoke Cultural Council. Dunlap manages every aspect of creating, performing, recording and promoting his own sound through his independent recording label and publishing company "Simmer Music.” He performs regularly in clubs and festivals in the Northeast USA & Germany.

Brad Rickert, piano/keyboards: Brad's journey with the piano began at age 10 with classical lessons and eventually shifted to the study of jazz and modern music theory at the Hartt School of Music. After attending Westminster College and Berklee School of Music for a few years, Brad hit the road with the Bobby Fitzgibbon Show for 2 years, playing the showroom circuit from Miami to Montreal. Upon returning to Connecticut, Brad became keyboardist and musical director for Mainstreet, an 8 piece local dance band eventually leaving to form his own band, Steppin' Out. Currently, Brad has been performing in a number of other jazz related venues including the Hartford Jazz Festival with Theresa Wright and solo work at Caveys in Manchester.

Dia Silverstein is a multi-instrumentalist from Southern California with unique voices on alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and flute. She attended University of California, San Diego and graduated with honors in June 2001 with her B.A. in Music Composition. Dia later went on to attend UMass, Amherst and graduated in May 2005 with her M.M. in Music Composition. During her musical career, she has studied with George Lewis, Anthony Davis, Adam Kolker and Marty Ehrlich, among others. Since relocating to the Western Massachusetts area in 2002, she has been a member of a number of ensembles including the jazz/funk project Outer Orbits, the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, the Amherst Jazz Orchestra, and the Latin Jazz ensemble Cidade. She frequently performs as a sideperson with local musicians as well as co-leading and composing for the Reincarnation project.