Born September 3rd, 1967 in New York City, guitarist Peter Bernstein has been a part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. During that time he has participated in over 60 recordings and numerous festival, concert and club performances with musicians from all generations. As a leader, Peter has made five recordings for the Criss Cross Jazz label. The latest, Heart's Content, features the all-star rhythm section of Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, and Bill Stewart.

While a student at The New School, Peter met the legendary guitarist Jim Hall, who asked him to participate in his Invitational Concert as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival. The event featured such guitarists as John Scofield and Pat Metheny and was released as a CD by Music Masters. Hall once noted that Peter "...has paid attention to the past as well as the future. He is the most impressive young guitarists I've heard. He plays the best of them all for swing, logic, feel and taste."

That same year, Peter was discovered by alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and took part in the first of four recordings with him. He was a regular member of his group throughout the 1990s. "Some people just have it." Donaldson said. "...most of the time you have to teach someone what to do, but Peter knows it all."

Peter has also enjoyed long musical associations with legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb (Cobb's Mob) as well as organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart as a member of their highly acclaimed trio. Peter was a member of Joshua Redman's band from 1995 through 1997, playing on Redman's Freedom in the Groove CD. He played in Diana Krall's quartet from 1999 through 2001, performing in North America, Europe and Asia and making numerous television appearances. Peter regularly plays with Dr. Lonnie Smith, the legendary organist who was introduced on the George Benson Cookbook albums. He has recorded five CDs with organist Melvin Rhyne, known for his association with Wes Montgomery. In addition, Peter has appeared in groups led by Nicholas Payton, Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Eric Alexander.

Peter has taught at the Julliard School, Berklee College of Music, North Texas State University, the New School Jazz Program and the Jazz Conservatory in Amsterdam.

Peter has been fortunate to gain the respect of his peers and mentors. He has been recognized in both the readers' and critics' polls in Down Beat magazine for the past three years. He continues to hone his style through writing and performing and has developed a distinctive and unforgettable guitar voice that is all his own. See also PeterBernsteinMusic.com.

Peter Bernstein is featured on Anton Schwartz's CD, Radiant Blue.

With ear-opening creativity and a passion for his craft, Tim Bulkley is an exciting drummer on the national scene. Always open to new musical situations, Tim has worked with a an array of musicians that includes Stanley Jordan, Mike Zilber, Ray Drummond, Michelle Hendricks, Anton Schwartz, and the late Smith Dobson Sr. Tim is also involved in Telepathy, an avant garde group, the Invisible Cities, an alternative rock group, and Octagon, a multi media dancer/musican collaberation. Tim Currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. See also TimBulkley.com.

Tim Bulkley is featured on Anton Schwartz's CDs, Holiday Time and Radiant Blue.

Russ Ferrante, founding member of the Grammy winning band The Yellowjackets, has writen with and produced records for Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Michael Franks, Diane Reeves, Rita Coolidge, Sadao Watanabe, Marilyn Scott, Eric Marienthal, and Sergio Salvatore among others. He has also arranged for Take 6, The GRP Big Band, Lee Ritenour, and many others.

Artists Russ Has Performed With: "There are so many, but at the risk of omitting some, I'd say my favorite have been: Jimmy Witherspoon, Joni Mitchell, Jim Pepper, Joe Farrell, Bobby McFerrin, Robben Ford, Al Jarreau, Marilyn Scott, Kevyn Lettau, Ernie Watts, Sadao Watanabe, GRP Big Band, Lee Ritenour, Tom Scott, Take 6, Michael Franks, Eric Marienthal, and Brenda Russell." See also www.yellowjackets.com.

Bruce Forman, acclaimed a "prodigious talent" by Down Beat, has worked as a leader and a sideman with many of the greatest names in jazz. He has performed at most major jazz festivals and clubs around the world. Luminaries such as Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington, Freddie Hubbard, Ray Brown, Eddie Jefferson and Richie Cole have featured him in their bands. He has many albums to his name as a leader, and has recorded with jazz greats Bobby Hutcherson, Tom Harrell, George Cables, Mark Murphy, Jimmy Knepper, and many more. In Jazz Times, Barney Kessel said, "Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age on guitar right now. He is so good. I think you have to go beyond jealousy or competition; it's so obvious that you almost show your ignorance if you don't admit it."

"Bruce Forman is in the forefront of musicians returning to the sound of the pure untreated hollow-body jazz guitar... he knows where he comes from -- stylistically and historically -- but also understands the importance of adding his own plays to the game. He truly is a keeper of the jazz guitar flame." -- Jazziz Magazine

Larry Goldings is considered by many to be one of today's premiere jazz organists, pianists and composers. Born and raised in the Boston area, Larry started playing the piano by ear at the age of nine. By the age of twelve, he had developed a love for jazz and sought out private instruction. His formative instructors included Peter Casino, the avant-garde Ran Blake, and world-renowned pianist, Keith Jarrett. In 1986, Larry left his Boston home to enroll in an innovative pilot jazz program at the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was there he began his professional career, being asked to tour and record with jazz singing legend, Jon Hendricks. Jim Hall, impressed with Larry's piano playing, asked him to join his band. He did, for a collaboration lasting almost three years.

In 1988, Larry happened upon a regular gig at a pianoless bar called Augie's on New York's Upper West Side. This became Larry's training ground as an organist where he was featured with several bands, including those of drummer Leon Parker and saxophonist Jesse Davis. Most important, Larry's own trio with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart got its auspicious start there, and the three musicians have since developed a musical rapport rarely seen in jazz groups today.

After college, Larry began exploring another of his passions - funk music - with Maceo Parker, one of the most influential figures in the history of funk. Worldwide exposure with Maceo brought Larry a record deal and the start of a solo career with a 1991 release for Verve Records called The Intimacy of the Blues. While riding the wave of an organ resurgence, Larry quickly made a name for himself as one of the most original and versatile organists on the scene. Guitarist John Scofield recognized this, and in 1993 hired Larry to play in what became one of Scofield's most highly acclaimed bands.

Under his own name, Larry has made nine critically acclaimed recordings. As a sideman he is on more than 40 CDs with such artists as John Scofield, Jim Hall, Maceo Parker, Michael Brecker, and most recently, singer James Taylor, on whose latest CD, October Road, Larry can be heard playing piano. See also LarryGoldings.com.

Art Hirahara is a jazz pianist/composer based in Brooklyn, NY. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in jazz piano performance at California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music degree in Electronic and Computer Music from the Oberlin College Conservatory. Art has performed regularly as a freelance musician at public concerts, clubs, and festivals around the United States, including Birdland, The Jazz Standard and the 55 Bar in New York City. He has performed with notable musicians such as Dave Douglas, Vincent Herring, Stacey Kent, Akira Tana, Rufus Reid, Wadada Leo Smith, Victor Lewis, Jim Black, Bill McHenry, Nate Radley, Jenny Scheinman, Take Toriyama, Sean Nowell, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra, Scott Amendola, Todd Sickafoose, Hafez Modirzadeh, royal hartigan, Anton Schwartz, Marcus Shelby, Anthony Brown and the Asian American Orchestra, Eric Crystal, Bob Kenmotsu, Chuck Sher, San Jose Taiko, and Helcio Milito.

Art has performed at major festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle and the Jazz Ost-West Festival in Nuremburg, Germany. Art has performed also played at venues extensively in Asia including in Kyoto, Yokohama, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. He has composed music for the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, a San Francisco-based comedy/theater group, as well as for the Asian American Theater Company. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of the pan-Asian percussion group, Asian Crisis. Art has studied performance and composition with Dave Douglas, Charlie Haden, Joe La Barbera, Neal Creque, Jimmy Owens, Wadada Leo Smith and David Roitstein. See also ArtHirahara.com.

Art Hirahara is featured on Anton Schwartz's CD, Holiday Time.

Josh Jones has played with such greats as Taj Mahal, Sheila E., rappers Too Short and Tupac, and saxophonist Steve Coleman. He is also the leader of several bands which are central to the San Francisco jazz/funk scene: The Josh Jones Latin Ensemble, Hueman Flavor, and the Josh Jones Trio.

Josh Jones is featured on Anton Schwartz's first CD, When Music Calls.

Jason Lewis holds a B.A. in music from the classical percussion program at San Jose State University. He has taught privately since 1991, coached at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and has performed clinics at schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Lewis has played with a variety of talented musicians, including Regina Carter, Joshua Breakstone, John Stowell, Mark Murphy, Taylor Eigsti, James Moody, Gary Burton, Boz Scaggs, and Kurt Elling. He has also performed with the San Jose Symphony and San Jose Civic Light Opera. Besides performing live throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, he has recently been touring with Michael Brook, Djivan Gasparyan, Ann Dyer, and Ashwin Batish. He can also be heard on the movie soundtracks for "Albino Alligator," "Affliction" and "Ratatouille" as well as on numerous other recordings.

Jason Lewis is featured on Anton Schwartz's CDs, When Music Calls and The Slow Lane.

Paul Nagel's first professional job was with guitarist Robben Ford's band (1971-72), backing blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. Since, he has had the opportunity to work with many of the world's greatest jazz musicians, including Dave Liebman, Richie Cole, Eddie Harris, Eddie Moore, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, and Bobby Hutcherson. He was a member of Ray Drummond's Quartet ('76-'78) and in 1980 formed a long-lasting association with vocalist Bobby McFerrin. Paul has performed at many of the world's greatest jazz clubs, festivals, and concert halls. He is currently touring the world with Boz Scaggs, in support of their recording, But Beautiful. See also PaulNagel.com.

Paul Nagel is featured on Anton Schwartz's CDs, When Music Calls and The Slow Lane.

John Shifflett's creative musicality, strong energy and rock-solid sense of time make him a staple of the Bay Area jazz scene. Now a San Jose resident, he pursued graduate studies in music at the the University of Iowa, where he also taught Jazz Studies and directed big bands. He has done countless studio sessions ranging from radio and TV jingles to country and pop recordings--but his primary focus has always been jazz. He has performed extensively with stunning list of musicians, including Kurt Elling, Mel Torme, Madeleine Peyroux, Boz Scaggs, Dave Liebman, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ernie Watts, Red Holloway, Tom Harrell, Will Bernard and Bobby Hutcherson.

John Shifflett is featured on Anton Schwartz's CDs, When Music Calls, The Slow Lane and Radiant Blue.

Inga Swearingen began her career as a singer/songwriter, accompanying herself on the guitar. Transitioning to jazz was natural for her; she scats with a mature talent -- yet sings with the emotional freedom and energy of her youth.

In February 2003, Inga began her graduate studies in Switzerland with Susanne Abbuehl. Later that year, she was the first to win the Shure Jazz Voice competition at the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival receiving both the vote of the judges and the audience ("First Place" and "Prize of the Public"). She returned to perform at the festival in 2004 with the Matt Baker Trio.

Inga has performed multiple times on the live NPR broadcast "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor, giving her the opportunity to perform all over the country. She has self-produced two albums, "Learning How To Fly" (2003), and "Reverie" (2005).

After earning her masters degree in choral conducting from Florida State University in 2005, Inga returned to San Luis Obispo, California where she is performing, recording and teaching.

See also IngaSwearingen.com.

John Wiitala has worked with some of the greatest names in jazz, including Joe Henderson, Junior Cook, Charlie Rouse, James Moody, Bud Shank, and Cecil Payne. He has toured with Richie Cole, Arturo Sandoval, Shorty Rogers, and Jessica Williams, and has played at jazz festivals around the world, including Monterey, North Sea, Montreux, Detriot, and JVC/Concord. His recording credits include work with Scott Hamilton, Jessica Williams, and Mark Levine.

John Wiitala is featured on Anton Schwartz's CD, Holiday Time.