Winard Harper hails from Baltimore, Maryland was considered to be a child prodigy. He studied at the Conservatory of the University of Cincinnati and at Howard University, before being awarded a scholarship to study Jazz under the guidance of Jackie McLean at the University of Hartford. His first gig was with Dexter Gordon, followed by engagements with Johnny Griffin and soon after, a permanent position in Betty Carter’s band. By the late 1980’s he was part of the Young Lions, sharing the limelight with his brother Philip and the stellar band members of The Harper Brothers, having five much lauded albums and Billboard 100 positions to their name.

As a result of his passion for the cause of Jazz and his cultivation of mentoring young talents along the lines in which he himself had been privileged to receive mentorship from those who constituted the pillars of the Great American Art Form at that time, Harper developed the Jeli Posse, who’s most recent recording COEXIST is on the JLP label.

A NYC-based singer songwriter with an international presence, Gies has toured in Scotland, France, Germany, England, Austria, Italy, and Brazil. Dubbed “a pro” by Newport Jazz Festival founder, George Wein, she is recognized for her full-bodied, emotionally expressive voice and distinctive phrasing. Her newest duo recording features German 7-string guitar legend Helmut Nieberle.  TOMORROW AND TODAY will be released on Bobtale Records in fall of 2019. Gies is currently working on a recording of original music in collaboration with producer and guitarist Sandro Albert.  Live performances of her original music are recognized for Gies’ signature jazz-pop style and engaging lyricism.

Born in Little Haiti-Miami Florida, pianist, organist, and composer Willerm Delisfort is a versatile musician and a go-to bandmate across jazz, gospel, R&B, hip hop, soul, and all sorts of fusions. In addition to leading the Willerm Delisfort Project, Delisfort’s stylistic breadth has led him to work with artists such as Fareed Haque, T-Pain, Lauryn Hill, Kirk Whalum, Louis Bellson, Lew Soloff, Calvin Newborne, Corey Wilkes, Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, David Sanchez, Jennifer Holiday, George Freeman, Red Holloway, and many more.

Performing in between sets.

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

“It’s no surprise that the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience has a repertoire broader than its name suggests… Gillespie’s multifaceted legacy should shine bright.” – The Washington Post

The musicians are drawn from the high-calibre pool of New York-based talent that frequent the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and All Star groups, such as trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, saxophonist Sharel Cassity, Brazilian pianist / vocalist Abelita Mateus, drummer Tommy Campbell and percussionist Roger Squitero. They perform with energy, verve, and style, putting their own fresh stamp on a well-known genre.

FIVE PLAY, the sister group of the world-renowned DIVA Jazz Orchestra, was formed in 1999. The quintet is comprised of DIVA's rhythm section and two of its foremost soloists.

FIVE PLAY is: Sherrie Maricle, music director/drums, Tomoko Ohno, piano, Noriko Ueda, bass, Jami Dauber, trumpet, and Janelle Reichman, tenor sax/clarinet.

FIVE PLAY is rooted in the jazz tradition and is fueled and inspired by the members’ collective, creative vision to swing through the twenty-first century. The quintet’s repertoire is comprised of innovative arrangements of classic and contemporary standards, as well as original music composed and arranged by band members. The group’s library was conceived to highlight the distinctive styles of each individual and to create a unique, exciting and powerful ensemble sound.

Ask anyone who has ever experienced him play, he owns his music. There are no wasted beats, or breaks. Every sound, every moment of silence, has a purpose. You cannot hear him and not feel the intensity behind his playing. The rhythm talks to you and the conversation between sound and emotion has always been the best recipe for good music, with Jennings you get both. Jerome has always valued education and the pursuit of excellence. In 2004 he graduated from Rutgers University Mason Gross School for the performing arts. Later, the summer of 2007 Jerome earned a Masters Degree from the prestigious Juilliard School in Manhattan NY. Beginning fall 2017, Jerome has accepted the position as Resident Conductor of The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra.

Performing in between sets.

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 eight 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 Tavern on George. (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

Nat Adderley Jr. is best known for his work with Luther Vandross. Nat wrote (and arranged) Luther’s first top 20 pop hit, “Stop to Love”, and some other important Luther songs, including “Wait for Love” and the Grammy-nominated “Give me the Reason”. Nat also arranged many of Luther’s most popular records, including “Superstar,” “Here and Now,” “If Only for One Night,” “Creepin’,” “If This World Were Mine”, “So Amazing,” “There’s Nothing Better Than Love,” “Never Too Much.” and “Love Won’t Let Me Wait.” More recently, Nat produced tracks on the last seven Vandross studio albums. These include “My Favorite Things,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Going Out of My Head,” “Knocks Me Off My Feet” and “The Closer I Get To You,” a duet with Beyonce Knowles. That track also appears on Beyonce’s album Dangerously in Love, and it won the Grammy in 2004 for best R&B performance by a duo or group. In 2003, Nat produced Luther’s Live 2003 at Radio City Music Hall. Nat was Luther’s musical director from 1981 until his death. Many other artists have had major successes with help from Nat Adderley Jr. Nat wrote “The Wave” for Kirk Whalum, arranged Natalie Cole’s 1987 hit recording of “When I Fall In Love,” produced “Just Another Lonely Night” for Johnny Gill, arranged most of Aretha Franklin’s album Jump To It, produced Gloria Lynne’s album No Detour Ahead, and did the string arrangement for Doc Powell’s Grammy-nominated version of “What’s Going On.”

Tenor Saxophonist Javon Jackson is not one to be pigeonholed as he swings hard no matter it if funk, soul or hard bop. He came into international prominence touring and recording with the legendary drummer Art Blakey as a member of his band, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

Symbolizing a new generation of musicians that blended tradition with neo-jazz, Jackson went on to release 14 recordings as a band leader and tour and record over 135 CDs with jazz greats including Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Haden, Betty Carter, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Donald Byrd, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Richard Davis, Bobby Hutcherson, Curtis Fuller, JoAnne Brackeen, Stanley Turrentine, and Ben E. King. His most recent, For You! (Solid Jackson Records), features Jeremy Minasia (piano), David Williams (bass) and McClenty Hunter (drums).

"...She may well be the best young straight-ahead jazz singer of her generation." - Will Friedwald, The Wall Street Journal

Vocalist Brianna Thomas was born and raised in Peoria, IL where she first cut her teeth as a performer.  First taught and influenced by her Father, a drummer and vocalist, Charlie Thomas, Brianna comes from a rich background of diverse musical influences.  Brianna moved to NYC in 2007 to attend college at The New School University and has since established herself as a talented vocalist on the scene today. Since graduating in 2011 She has performed with jazz greats Wycliffe Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, Russell Malone, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra and longtime hero Dianne Reeves. Thomas has also performed Nationally and Internationally ranging from the "Women In Jazz Festival" at Jazz At Lincoln Center to the prestigious Montreaux, Umbria, Bern and Sochi Jazz Festivals.  Brianna released her debut album You Must Believe In Love in 2014 on Sound On Purpose Records. The best illustration of Ms. Thomas is given by the words of legendary trombonist and Jazz Messengers Curtis Fuller: "a marvelous new artist who has all it takes to reach the top of the jazz profession and music in general."

Performing in between sets.

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.