A talented vocalist and composer born in Washington, DC, and raised in North Carolina, seamlessly navigates the musical intersection of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, and soul. Renowned for her improvisational skills and the natural richness of her clear tone, she stands out as one of the most sought-after artists in the contemporary music scene. Hailing from a musical family, Christie, the third of four musically gifted children of jazz bassist Carroll Dashiell, Jr., has been immersed in music throughout her life. A graduate of Howard University and the Manhattan School of Music, she gained recognition as a member of the university's premier vocal jazz ensemble, Afro-Blue, and garnered accolades in DownBeat Magazine's Student Music Awards. Christie's debut solo album, "Time All Mine," made waves on the Billboard and JazzTimes charts, solidifying her position in the jazz world. In addition to her solo career, she collaborates with renowned artists and is a faculty member at Temple University, Howard University, and The University of the District of Columbia. Christie's eagerly anticipated sophomore album, "Journey in Black," funded in part by Chamber Music America's Performance Plus Grant, explores themes of freedom, legacy, grief, and joy through seven original compositions and two arrangements. The album features a stellar lineup of musicians and receives creative guidance from NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves. 

Eric Kennedy is a multiple percussionist, vocalist, educator, and composer based in Baltimore, MD. Kennedy has performed, toured, and recorded with luminaries such as Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, Bobby Watson, Gary Thomas, Wallace Roney, Pansori master Ahn Sook Sun, and many others. Additionally, He is a bandleader and was the last drummer/vocalist of the National Heritage Award Winners, The Holmes Brothers.  Kennedy has received numerous awards and grants for both performance and composition. In 2004, Kennedy was runner-up in the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, he was co-composer for the award-winning documentary “Footprints of Pan Africanism”, and was most recently awarded the 2023 Jazz Journalist Association Jazz Hero Award for Baltimore.   

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Kennedy has presented masterclasses, clinics, workshops, concerts, and lessons worldwide.  Kennedy currently teaches Jazz Percussion and Voice at Towson University, has served as a teaching artist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program for the past ten years. and has previously taught in the Baltimore City Public School system and was on jazz faculty at the Peabody institute.   

Jeff Reed is an acoustic and electric bassist, composer, and educator residing in Baltimore, MD. One of the most in-demand sidemen, Reed has performed extensively throughout the United States and internationally. As a sideman, Reed has worked with bass clarinetist Todd Marcus, vibraphonist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Wolf, and trumpeter Sean Jones. Jeff has also performed with a slew of musicians over the years including Gary Thomas, Miguel Zenon, David Sanchez, Dave Kikoski, Dave Liebmann, Jeff Coffin, Bennie Maupin, and Tom Morello to name a few. Reed has also been recorded on over fifty full-length albums.  

In addition to his sideman work, Reed leads his own group and released his first record “Look for the Light” on Stricker Street Records in 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Towson University and a Master of Music from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition to performing as a sideman, Reed is an adjunct faculty member at Towson University.  

Michael is one of the world's eminent trombonists, lending his versatile sound and signature improvisations to over 200 recordings and groups as diverse as Grammy winning artists David Sanborn, Christian McBride, Kanye West, Michel Camilo, and Alicia Keys. Born in Augusta, GA, he played the saxophone and trumpet before choosing the trombone at age 17. In 2001, Dease moved to New York City to become part of the historic first class of jazz students at The Juilliard School, earning both bachelors and masters degrees.  

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Dease is a three-time winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Critic's Poll for Trombonist of the Year, from 2021-2023. He also received the Rising Star Jazz Trombonist in 2016. Additionally, he’s a four-time Grammy award winner, collaborating with Christian McBride and Alicia Keys. He serves as tenured full professor of jazz trombone at the renowned Michigan State University jazz program, where he received the 2019 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award and the 2018 MSU Teacher/ Scholar Award. Prior to MSU, he was on faculty at Queens College - CUNY, The New School and Northeastern University. In 2015, Michael founded the Jazz Institute at Brevard at the Brevard Music Center, and he continues to direct the Institute along with the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp (Japan) and serves as the trombone faculty at the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute (New York).  Most importantly, Dease enjoys spending time with his extraordinary wife and Professor of Percussion at MSU, Gwendolyn Dease, and their daughters Brooklyn & Charly.  

Saxophonist, Composer and Educator Sharel Cassity is a nationally acclaimed saxophonist prominent on New York and Chicago jazz scenes. Named "Rising Star Alto Saxophone" of 2023 in Downbeat Magazine with a cover story, Cassity has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, & The Colbert Show, is in the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award.  Cassity has worked with Multi-Grammy Award-winning artists Jennifer Hudson, Natalie Merchant, Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Williams, & Trisha Yearwood among others. She has also performed alongside NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winning artists Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, and Christian McBride. Additionally, Cassity has been a featured guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. As a bandleader, Cassity's five albums have received top-rated reviews in publications like The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Downbeat, American Indian News, and a cover feature on Saxophone Journal. Cassity earned a Master's Degree under full scholarship at Juilliard in NYC, and gives back to the next generation teaching at DePaul University and Elgin Community College. Cassity is a current member of the Dizzy Gillespie Afro Latin Experience, Nicholas Payton’s TSO, the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, and runs her record label "Relsha Music." Cassity is the director of the non-profit educational program "Jazz Up,” and is a proud Yamaha and Vandoren Performing Artist.   

Bass clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus their work primarily on the bass clarinet. Though use of bass clarinet in jazz typically leans heavily towards avant-garde and free-jazz styles, Marcus’ straight-ahead playing has carved out a unique voice for the instrument in modern jazz. Marcus has annually been voted a Rising Star in Downbeat Magazine’s Annual Critics Poll and The New York Times writes, “Mr. Marcus is probably the most inventive bass clarinetist working in straight-ahead jazz today…[and] lives in Baltimore, where he is a guiding light on the city’s jazz scene who doubles as an activist and organizer.”  Marcus actively leads small ensembles such as the Todd Marcus Quintet and his nine-piece Jazz Orchestra on original compositions and jazz standards. He also offers clinics and masterclasses that focus on jazz, composition, music business, and the incorporation of other cultural music with jazz.   He has worked with other jazz artists such as Gary Bartz, Bennie Maupin, Don Byron, Larry Willis, Gary Thomas, Joel Frahm, Tim Warfield, Ralph Peterson, Warren Wolf, Sean Jones, and Orrin Evans.  Marcus has been a featured artist at the 2017 Jazz Tales Festival in Egypt, 2015 Cairo Jazz Festival in Egypt, and in 2005 at the 1st World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Holland.  Marcus balances his music career by running Intersection of Change, a nonprofit addressing poverty related issues in his Baltimore neighborhood.  The organization runs a community arts program for all ages, a recovery program for women overcoming drug addiction, an urban farm, and has achieved significant community revitalization by renovating abandoned building and vacant lots.  

International Trombone Association’s Carl Fontana Competition, the ITA’s 2013 JJ Johnson Competition, the 2014 American Trombone Workshop National Jazz Solo Competition, and the 2015 Texas State Trombone Symposium Jazz Trombone Competition. He was also a finalist in the 2018 Curtis Fuller Jazz Trombone Competition in Detroit, Michigan, and the University of North Texas jazz trombone competition for two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. Based in Baltimore, MD since March 2021, Javier relocated from New York City after securing the lead trombone position in the US Army Band’s premier musical unit, "The Pershing’s Own". He also joined the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University as a jazz trombone, arranging, and harmony teacher. In the summer of 2023, Dr. Nero released his sophomore album for full jazz orchestra titled “Kemet”, featuring nine original compositions and two arrangements for full big band, with special guests including Randy Brecker, Sean Jones, Christie Dashiell, Warren Wolf, and Tim Green. Javier continues to perform and record with Grammy-Award winning ensembles in New York City, such as the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the 8-bit Big Band, Steven Feifke Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows, The Robert Edwards Big Band, Manuel Valera Jazz Orchestra, and Lucas Pino’s No-Net Nonet.

Nero holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School, a Master of Music from the University of Miami in Studio/Jazz Writing, and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a minor in classical trombone performance from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in May 2017.

1st Runner-Up in the 2010 Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition, the award-winning and critically acclaimed vocalist, arranger, educator, and composer Charenee Wade has excited audiences all over the world with her ingenuity and vibrancy through her artistry. Recipient of the 2017 Jazz at Lincoln Center Millennial Swing Award, Wade has worked with notable artists including Wynton Marsalis, Terri Lyne Carrington, Christian McBride, Winard Harper, Eric Reed, Jacky Terrason, Curtis Lundy, Robert Glasper, and Kyle Abraham (MacArthur Genius Awardee).

Wade's current CD, Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, is a powerful re-interpretation of the poet's musical library, which features notable artists, including Lonnie Plaxico, Marcus Miller, Stefon Harris, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Christian McBride (spoken

word).

An alumnus of Manhattan School of Music and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Wade has performed at some of the top venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, The Apollo, and has performed at major festivals worldwide including Montreux, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Istanbul Jazz Festival, Spoleto, Savannah

Music, Jazz En Tete, Bern Jazz Festival, and Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. As an educator, Wade has taught masterclasses, clinics, and jazz camps in the U.S. and internationally and is currently an instructor at Aaron Copland School, Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and The Juilliard School.

Dominick Farinacci, a trumpeter and Ropeadope recording artist from New York City, served as Jazz at Lincoln's ambassador in Doha, Qatar, fostering musical integration globally from 2013-2015. A 2022 Cleveland Arts Prize recipient and Juilliard graduate, he launched his career in Japan, releasing twelve albums globally. Praised by The New York Times for his poise, he's featured on ABC's Good Morning America and a TED Speaker. Vanity Fair profiled him, and Quincy Jones hails his achievements. Farinacci advocates music's role in community wellness and education, speaking at TED MED in 2014.

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He co-founded Modern Warrior LIVE, a narrative on a veteran's combat trauma, endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and showcased at notable venues. Farinacci directs the Tri-C JazzFest Academy in Cleveland, where his 2016 album "Short Stories," produced by Tommy LiPuma, features renowned artists. His latest release "TRIAD" (March 2024) marks his Ropeadope debut.

Kris Chesky, a jazz trumpeter, recently joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in Performing Arts Health, with appointments at the Peabody Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His tenure marks the establishment of a new academic department in Performing Arts and Health at Peabody, the first since 2014. Previously, Chesky was a professor at the University of North Texas, where he pioneered an award-winning undergraduate occupational health curriculum and established a groundbreaking field of music & medicine for graduate musicians. He emphasizes teaching and mentoring, with his students contributing research and holding academic positions worldwide.

Chesky's leadership extends to projects like Health Promotion in Schools of Music, ensuring occupational health education in US tertiary music programs. Collaborative research defines his work, spanning epidemiology, biomechanics, hearing conservation, mental health, and education policy in performing arts. He's recognized with awards like the 2010 Safe-in-Sound Award for addressing music-related hearing disorders. As an editorial board member and reviewer for academic journals, Chesky's influence is profound, impacting health and safety accreditation standards across music education institutions and public-school music programs in Texas.

Trumpeter Marques Carroll is a dynamic performer, composer, and educator deeply committed to preserving Jazz culture and sharing his passion for music globally. His albums, "The Ancestors’ Call" and "Foundations," offer a soulful exploration of culture and consciousness, resonating with audiences worldwide. "The Ancestors’ Call," in particular, earned consideration for a GRAMMY© nomination in 2021, showcasing tracks like “The Ancestors’ Call Upon Us” and “Generational Response.”

Marques's talent extends beyond music performance. He's also an Emmy recipient for his contributions to "Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots," a documentary highlighting African heritage.

As a co-founder of JMarq Records and leader of the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, Marques is at the forefront of innovative music projects. He also holds a permanent sub-membership in the esteemed Count Basie Orchestra.

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Marques is highly respected in education. He has served as Musical Director for Chicago Jesuit Academy since 2007 and currently teaches Jazz trumpet at a university in Chicago. Additionally, he authored the "Holistic Trumpet" method books, offering valuable insights into brass pedagogy.

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Marques's dedication to preservation, innovation, and unity is evident in all facets of his career, from his performances and compositions to his teaching methods.

Drummer, composer, and educator Colleen Clark is vibrant on the scenes in NYC and the southeastern United States. Clark has guest performed with the 8G Band on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers and can most recently be heard playing on ALLIANCE, in which she co-leads with Sharel Cassity, Michael Dease’s “The Other Shoe” (Origin), and upcoming releases by CC+ The Adelitas, The Southern Pines, Michael Dease and Matt White. She has shared the stage with jazz luminaries, including Branford Marsalis, Rodney Whitaker, Catherine Russell, Camille Thurman, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and Mimi Jones. Clark has been featured in DOWNBEAT magazine and is also an ASCAP award-winning composer. Clark was invited by the ASCAP Foundation to lead her band at the Kennedy Center. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the University of South Carolina’s Jazz Girls Day. Dr. Clark is the only woman and drummer earning a jazz doctoral degree from the University of North Texas.