ART HIRAHARA (Band Leader/Piano)

Art Hirahara is a jazz pianist and composer residing in Brooklyn, NY. After a formal musical education at Oberlin Conservatory and California Institute of the Arts, Art moved to San Francisco where he honed his craft, eventually moving to New York City in 2003.  In New York, he has pursued his musical development with an ever increasing circle of eminent musicians.  Included among those Art has worked with are: Dave Douglas, Vincent Herring, Stacey Kent, Akira Tana, Rufus Reid, Don Braden, Roseanna Vitro, Fred Ho, Victor Lewis, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra, Jim Black, Jenny Scheinman, Greg Cohen and royal hartigan.  Art has been fortunate to perform around the world in such places as Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and extensively around the United States.  Art performs regularly in New York City and teaches piano and composition privately.

BILL EASLEY (Reeds)

Bill Easley has had a diversified career as a professional musician. He joined musicians union, Local 115, in 1959, making 2009 the 50th year of his professional career. Bill represents the fourth generation of a family dedicated to music.

He moved to New York City in Sept. of 1964. He was a part time student at the Julliard School of Music while getting his feet wet in the uptown Jazz Scene.  Easley joined The George Benson Quartet in Jan. of 1968 and traveled with the great guitarist for the remainder of the decade. This band worked in such legendary jazz spots as Minton's Playhouse in N.Y., The Plugged Nickel in Chicago, The Jazz Workshop in Boston, and The Hurricane in Pittsburgh.

In the mid 1970s that Easley first toured with the Duke Ellington Orch. under the direction of Mercer Ellington.  His Broadway Credits include; Sophisticated Ladies, The Wiz, Black and Blue, Jelly’s Last Jam, Swingin' On A Star, Play On, Fosse, and most recently, The Wild Party.

Easley has played with such notables as George Benson, Ruth Brown, Isaac Hayes, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Bobby Short, Louie Bellson, Nicholas Payton, Charles McPhearson, James Williams, Sir Roland Hanna, Earl May, Illinois Jaquett, Ron Carter, Frank Foster, Mercer Ellington, Warren Vache', Panama Fransis and Grady Tate among many others.

In addition to his extensive discography as a sideman, he also has six recordings as a leader; Wind Inventions, First Call, Easley Said, Business Man's Bounce , Hearing Voices, and soon to be released Love Stories.

Bill was a part of the Jazz Repertory Movement, playing in The American Jazz Orchestra (John Lewis); The Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra (David Baker); and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (Wynton Marsalis). He was a guest soloist with The Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra (Jon Faddis) in its tribute to Benny Goodman on Nov. 21, 1993.

St. Bonaventure University, which is near Olean, NY, presented its first Artist's Award to Bill Easley on April 19, 1997. The Bill Easley Quartet returned to St. Bonaventure University to play for a packed house at the the Regina A. Quick Arts Center for the Performing Arts on April 29, 2006.   Recent years have been spent working on Broadway, recording, touring, teaching, and playing with the finest musicians in the world.

CALVIN JONES (Bass)

Acoustic and electric bassist Calvin Jones was born in North Carolina.  His recording resume numbers over 40 c.d.s and he has toured and performed with Ray Anderson, Patti Austin,  Don Braden, Cecil Brooks, Tom Brown, Alex Bugnon, Donald Byrd, Steve Coleman, Carla Cook,Ted Curson, Chico Freeman, Darrell Grant, Craig Harris,Jon Hendricks,Andrew Hill,Javon Jackson, Angela Johnson, Ronny Jordan, Eartha Kitt,Dave Koz, Les McCann, Greg Osby, Max Roach, Pharoah Sanders and James "Blood" Ulmer .  Mr. Jones has performed on Broadway with  "Bring 'N Da Noise, Bring 'N Da Funk (including the first national tour),  "Aint Nothin' But The Blues" and "All Shook Up".  Touring and performing has taken Mr. Jones to some 31 countries and 43 of the 50 U.S. states.

WILLIE MARTINEZ (Drums)

Willie Martinez has been a familiar face in New York City’s eclectic music scene for well over twenty-five years. As well as being one of the most sought after drummers on the Jazz scene today, Willie is also a gifted composer, arranger and vocalist.

Willie’s considerable rhythmic and vocal talents have been featured with groups performing everything from Gothic Funk at the quintessentially New York rock club CBGB’s to Afro Cuban jazz on the venerable stage of the Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.  He has performed and recorded with artists as varied as the classic Cuban arranger, composer, and bandleader Chico O’Farrill, legendary jazz pianist George Cables and contemporary Pop divas Jewel and Faith Hill.

His performances have been documented on television, video and CD, sharing the stage with a wide variety of artists representing a Who’s Who in the American music industry, including Latin legends Bebo Valdes, Ray Santos, Dave Valentín, and Hilton Ruíz; jazz greats Steve Turre, Danny Mixon, Benny Powell, and Arthur Blythe; and pop veterans Leon Pendarvis, Barry Eastmond, Jerry Barnes, and Ira Siegel.

Mr. Martinez has also recorded and performs internationally leading his own La Familia Sextet, an ensemble that features his original compositions and arrangements; as well as the Willie Martinez Trio that features Willie on drums and lead vocals.