Jeff Watts, the drummer they call "Tain," spent his formative years with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and his compositional skills now command equal attention.

Jeff initially majored in classical percussion at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University, where he was primarily a timpanist, followed by enrollment at the Berklee School of Music. Jeff joined the Wynton Marsalis Quartet in 1981 and proceeded to win three Grammy Awards with the ensemble: Black Codes From The Underground, J Mood and Marsalis Standard Time. Watts left Wynton Marsalis in 1988. After working with George Benson, Harry Connick. Jr. and McCoy Tyner, he joined the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 1989, winning Grammy's for I Heard You Twice the First Time and Contemporary Jazz.

In the film and television industry Jeff has appeared as both a musician on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as an actor, Rhythm Jones in Spike Lee’s "Mo Better Blues". Jeff joined Kenny Garrett's band after returning to New York in 1995 and continued to record and tour with Branford Marsalis as well as Danilo Perez, Michael Brecker, Betty Carter, Kenny Kirkland, Courtney Pine, Geri Allen, Alice Coltrane, Greg Osby, McCoy Tyner, Steve Coleman, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Harry Connick Jr, and Ravi Coltrane.

Lezlie Harrison is her own personal renaissance. Her constant state of evolution and growth brings with it, gifts for those those paying attention.

As a vocalist both bold and subtle, her vulnerability attends to the fragile matters of our collective human affairs while her optimistic momentum inspires us to rise above any tribulation to rejoice. Be it Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Soul ,The American Song Form, original compositions or any song in ANY form, Ms. Harrison will imbue it her distinctive stamp and make a very personal delivery.

On the planet's premier Jazz radio station ; WBGO, her voice as a regular curator and presenter reveals the love and pride with which she regards America's classical music. Hyper-active on the New York and global Jazz scenes, Lezlie is also along with the late Dale Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, a member of the triumvirate responsible for launching New York's world renowned JAZZ GALLERY.

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

He has imparted his unique rhythmic and vocal styling upon groups performing everything from Gothic Funk at the quintessentially New York rock club CBGB’s to Afro Cuban jazz on the grand stage of the prestigious Carnegie Hall. He has performed and recorded with artists as varied as the classic Cuban arranger, composer, and bandleader Chico O’Farrill, to legendary jazz pianist George Cables, to contemporary Pop divas Jewel, Faith Hill, and Brandy.

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, Paquito D’Rivera, and Hilton Ruíz; jazz greats Frank Wess, Danny Mixon, Benny Powell, Calvin Hill, and Arthur Blythe; and pop veterans Leon Pendarvis, Barry Eastmond, Jerry Barnes, and Ira Siegel.

Jazz House Kids, incorporated in 2002 by its founder, Melissa Walker, is the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz: America’s home-grown art form. They ensure that every student has access to music, education, mentoring, and apprenticeship. This is the 5th year that these talented students will join CJJ Festival.

Flemington Community Partnership's mission is to foster a thriving business community in the Borough of Flemington. ExploreFlemington.com

Sheila Elaine Anderson - After spending seventeen years on the production and sales side of publishing, Ms. Anderson left to pursue a career in broadcasting. Always interested in jazz, in 1995 she joined the staff of WBGO, Newark, New Jersey where she hosts Weekend Jazz After Hours and Salon Sessions. She has authored three books: The Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac (2003), How to Grow as A Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed (2005) (both published by Allworth Press) and most recently, The Little Red Book of Musicians Wisdom (Skyhorse Press, 2012). In addition, she is the curator of the Newark Museum’s Jazz in the Garden Series and a Columbia University Community Scholar. Ms. Anderson is an alumna of Baruch College, CUNY (B.A., English) and resides in Harlem.

Legendary jazz drummer, Jimmy Cobb, was born in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1929. A superb, mostly self-taught musician, Jimmy is the elder statesman of all the incredible Miles Davis bands. Jimmy's inspirational work with Miles, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Co. spanned 1957 until 1963, and included the masterpiece "Kind of Blue", the most popular jazz recording in history. He also played on "Sketches of Spain", Someday My Prince will Come", "Live at Carnegie Hall, "Live at the Blackhawk", "Porgy and Bess", and many, many other watershed Miles Davis recordings.

Jimmy did his first recording with Earl Bostic and played extensively with Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderly, before joining Miles in 1957. by 1963 Tony Williams took over the Miles drum chair in 1963 and Jimmy left Miles to continue to work with Miles' rhythm section, Winton Kelly and Paul Chambers behind Wes Montgomery. In addition to several Winton Kelly Trio Albums, the three did albums with Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, among others, before disbanding in the late 60's.

Trombonist and singer Lucien Barbarin stands out in the New Orleans traditional jazz scene not only for his superlative technique, soulful playing and showmanship but also for his far-reaching national and international career. He made his debut at age six, playing drums in the Onward Brass Band, with his great-uncle Paul Barbarin , and has played with: Harry Connick Jr., Dr. Michael White, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Doc Cheatham.

A member of Harry Connick, Jr.’s big band since 1991, Barbarin has also performed with, Lionel Hampton, Kermit Ruffins, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, among others. His gigs have included the Grammy Awards, the Superbowl XXVI, the 2006 Olympics, Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the White House and playing for the British Royal Family. He has also has appeared on numerous TV shows including Late Night with David Letterman, The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Arsenio Hall Show and The Tonight Show. In addition, Barbarin – who is descended from one of New Orleans’ best-known musical families – can be heard on more than 25 CDs, including several of his own.

While in New Orleans he performs locally and helps raise his five children. Comment from Barbarin, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005: "I'm not running from New Orleans," said Lucien Barbarin, who suffered severe damage to his home. "I'm going to stay because I was born and raised there and I'm going to pass away there. We name drinks after hurricanes. We should be used to this."

Lucien can be seen daily playing trombone and percussion on Harry Connick Jr.'s daytime television show, HARRY.

A virtual United Nations of women, the members of Cocomama hail from five countries on four continents. Playing their own kind of World Latin music, powerfully virtuosic yet elegantly musical, Cocomama “brings it” creating a sound that is all at once fierce and beautiful!

Their debut album Quiero, which was included in the 2016 Grammy pre-nominations for Best Tropical Latin album, celebrates the coming together of a wide range of musical experiences in three different languages. As evidenced by their diverse repertoire, the group’s influences are limitless: Afro-Cuban, Classical, Jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Latin American, Soul, R&B and beyond. As well as showcasing the band members' songwriting and musical strengths, the music on Quiero strives to uplift and encourage as evidenced by the lyrics of the title track whose message is: “Follow your heart; find your passion, open your mind for destiny is in your hands”. “This album is special,” says Musical Director/Pianist Nicki Denner, “because it could only have been made by these particular musicians. Each member has their own artistic vision and talent which allows us to have a completely original sound.”

Since 2010 the New Brunswick Jazz Project has successfully fostered a supportive environment for regular live jazz performance in the New Brunswick area. NBJP partners, Jimmy Lenihan, Virginia DeBerry and Mike Tublin have gone from producing two jazz shows a month, to offering free, world class jazz performances four nights a week, year round.

Over the past seven and a half years, NBJP has presented more than 1000 events with world-renowned veteran musicians and emerging artists. Ravi Coltrane, Arturo O'Farrill, Ralph Peterson, Dave Stryker, Roseanna Vitro, Jerry Weldon, Akiko Tsuruga, Dezron Douglas, Freddie Hendrix, Joe Magnarelli, Ethan Cohen, Winard Harper, Kenny Davis, Tia Fuller, Vic Juris, Orrin Evans, Jerry Weldon, The Curtis Brothers, Sean Jones, Myron Walden, Virginia Mayhew, Ralph Bowen and Conrad Herwig are among the acclaimed national and international jazz artists and special guests who have performed for NBJP.

Live, straight ahead jazz is presented weekly at Garden State Ale House, INC Restaurant, the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick and Due Mari. (Full Schedule - http://nbjp.org) The New Brunswick Jazz Project has created a real jazz scene and now regularly draws guests from all over the state, as well as New York and Pennsylvania, to Central Jersey to enjoy this quintessential, uniquely American music.

". . .New Brunswick has now become a destination for jazz." ~ The New York Times

"The New Brunswick Jazz Project is quickly becoming New Jersey's freshest jazz presenters..." -The Star Ledger

The genius of Davell Crawford arises from his ability to play and sing the music of his passion—the music of his life. The New Orleans keyboardist, vocalist, composer and arranger soaked up the surrounding rhythms and harmonies that were his deep musical roots and nurtured his natural talent. Acclaimed as the “Piano Prince of New Orleans,” Crawford brings equal exuberance to both modern and classic jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, blues, gospel, soul, pop, American folk and touches of country-western. Growing up in New Orleans and presently residing there and in New York City plus spending many youthful days in Southwest Louisiana, Crawford’s influences run the gamut from Fats Domino to Sarah Vaughan, to Patsy Cline and even Liberace.

Her career spans genres, including playing with James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Sahib Shihab, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Heath, Jeff “Tain” Watts and many more. She has performed as a bandleader at the Monterey, Healdsburg, Litchfield, Perth Int'l Jazz Festivals, The Kennedy Center, Dizzy's at JALC and other festivals and venues. Her teaching credits include The Litchfield Jazz Camp, MSJA program at JALC, Centrum Jazz Camp, Mile High Jazz Camp, private instruction in Manhattan and more. Claire has won the 2017 Hothouse Jazz Award for baritonist of the year and has been in the Downbeat and Jazztimes Listener and Critic Polls steadily since 2000.   Claire Daly's most recent CD 2648 West Grand Blvd is produced by Doug Moody and features jazz interpretations of classic Motown 45s.

Marion Cowings is a bandleader, singer and educator. He was mentored by the legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks, and while still in high school was chosen as a vocal soloist with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. He went on to replace Dave Lambert in the ground breaking Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and over the course of his career has appeared at venues such as Lincoln Center, the Blue Note New York and Tokyo, the Berlin Jazz Festival, and in Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festival. Marion has numerous recording and performance credits to his name, as well as being the featured artist at countless concerts and clinics. He co-founded the vocal jazz department at New York University. Marion is the recipient of the advertising industry’s Clio Award and the National Endowment for the Arts Grant.

Jazz House Kids, incorporated in 2002 by its founder, Melissa Walker, is the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz: America’s home-grown art form. They ensure that every student has access to music, education, mentoring, and apprenticeship. This is the 5th year that these talented students will join CJJ Festival.