Born in Lansing, Michigan, Hans Schuman began playing drums at the age of 13 while growing up in Tucson, Arizona.

A graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, Hans has performed with world renowned artists including Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Reed, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings, Antonio Hart, Christian McBride, Marcus Strickland, Stefon Harris, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Seamus Blake, Geoffrey Keezer, and Joshua Redman among many others.

In 1994, Schuman founded JazzReach Performing Arts & Education Association, Inc. with proceeds from the reluctant sale of an inherited Steinway Grand Piano. Since inception, Schuman has successfully positioned the organization as one our nation’s leading provider of live educational content for young audiences. As Founder, he has overseen the organization’s day-to-day operations and as Artistic Director, he has conceived, developed, written, and produced the organization’s entire repertoire of touring programs and has participated as a performing member of METTA QUINTET in its 20+ year history.

Greg began playing saxophone as a young boy growing up in Peoria, IL. Currently based in the NYC-area, Ward has had the opportunity to perform and record with a varied group of distinguished peers and luminaries including Prefuse 73, Lupe Fiasco, Tortoise, William Parker, Andrew D’Angelo, and Mike Reed.

A 2004 graduate of Northern Illinois University, Ward spent years cutting his teeth on the Chicago jazz scene, taking advantage of every opportunity that was offered to him including projects for the International Contemporary Ensemble, Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series, the Peoria Ballet Company, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Since his arrival on the NYC scene in 2009, he’s produced a number of adventurous, widely praised recordings as a bandleader and composer.

In recent years, he’s composed and performed a commission for the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and was selected as one of the two New Music USA Van Lier Fellows. He was also commissioned by NYC’s Jazz Gallery to write a visionary multi-media piece for septet inspired by the life and work of renowned artist and sculptor, Preston Jackson. He’s also recently collaborated with composer, sound designer, and performer Caleb Willitz on the film score for Beresford Bennett’s film “Pinch” and on an electro-acoustic project “Gaps and Spaces: Synoptic Optiks.”

2014 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Winner and Grammy Award winning tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery has become one of the jazz world’s most talented rising stars and in-demand sidemen. He has recorded eight studio dates as a leader and been on numerous other recordings.

He began his professional career touring and recording with The Eric Reed Septet. Since then he has been a member of many groups, including The Mingus Big Band, Orchestra and Dynasty, Ron Carter’s Great Bigband, Abdulah Ibrahim’s Akaya, The Ben Riley Quartet, and Jazz At Lincoln Center’s “Music of the Masters,” consisting of musicians hand picked by Wynton Marsalis to perform the music of jazz legends Dexter Gordon and Miles Davis.

Since 2006, Wayne’s been a member of the renowned trumpeter Tom Harrell’s working quintet with whom he has recorded seven CDs with. He also leads, records, and tours with his own critically acclaimed groups. Grammy-award winning jazz writer Niel Tesser writes of Wayne: “Pay special attention to tenor man Wayne Escoffery, whose rapid development – from album to album (and seemingly solo to solo) – has given us a jazz hero for the coming decade.”

Rashaan Carter grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. It was there, with the nurturing of his father, a saxophonist, and his mother, a jazz radio programmer, Rashaan forged an interest in music. After stints with various instruments, the bass became the voice for his musical expression.

Rashaan worked and gained experience in the local scene in Washington, D.C. and after high school, moved to New York City to attend the New School University. At the New School, Rashaan studied with Buster Williams and Reggie Workman. While attending the New School he also began to work with many of the faculty including Joe Chambers and Jimmy Owens, among others. Since moving to New York, Rashaan has become entrenched in the jazz scene and has worked with Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller and Louis Hayes, Wallace Roney, Marc Cary, Cindy Blackman, Doug and Jean Carn, Antoine Roney, Sonny Simmons, and many more. He’s also studied with one of his prime influences, Ron Carter.

Rashaan regularly performs with a myriad of artists in and outside of New York and can be found on various recordings as well.

Glenn Zaleski is one of the leading up-and-coming voices in the New York jazz scene. Originally from Boylston, MA, Glenn has made a name for himself playing with the likes of Ravi Coltrane, Lage Lund, and Ari Hoenig. His debut album, “My Ideal,” was released in March of 2015. Downbeat Magazine named it “sublime,” JazzTimes called it, “an engaging set by a talent worth watching,” and the NYTimes said, “a strong statement,” praising its “fluent but unhurried sense of phrase.”

He’s also released two recordings with the collective, Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato as well as a duo record with his brother, saxophonist Mark Zaleski. (“Duet Suite,” 2010). In 2011, Glenn was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, as well as a finalist for the 2011 APA Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz. He attended the Brubeck Institute Fellowship program in Stockton, CA from 2005-2007 and then finished his undergraduate studies at The New School in 2009. From 2009-2011, while working towards his graduate degree at NYU, Glenn was also on NYU’s faculty, teaching a variety of classes and private students.

ABOUT BEATLECONCERT

BEATLECONCERT pays tribute to Beatles’ later years, essentially their most innovative music created in the studio and never played live.

Comprised of some of Seattle’s best known musicians, members of the BEATLECONCERT band have accompanied well known names such as Dave Matthews, members of Pearl Jam, The Head and the Heart, and more.

The BIMA show presents the “unplugged” version of the band, which features a more intimate, acoustically oriented show.

Follow BEATLECONCERT: Website | Facebook | @beatleconcert

ABOUT HONEY MOON’S “A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT”

A Not So Silent Night brings your favorite classic holiday hits down the chimney in a way only Honey Moon can deliver… including presents, special guests, sonic bliss, and all the holiday cheer you can handle. Captivating, sultry sounds embracing the last century of American popular music, Honey Moon embodies classic Americana with its multitudes of influence—big band, bop, hardcore twang, French café, film noir, sonic sounds from the space age, metropolitan music, and more!

Follow Honey Moon: Website | @francisdrivevintageguitars

ABOUT JUN IIDA

Award winning trumpeter, composer, and educator Jun Iida is known for his dynamic and versatile contributions to the jazz and contemporary music scenes.

With an impressive array of performances at renowned venues and festivals across the world, Iida has built a reputation as a skilled performer and a dedicated educator. Iida’s musical talents extend beyond performance into composition and education. He regularly teaches private trumpet lessons and has conducted clinics and masterclasses at schools and events throughout the West Coast and New York, including those supporting the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition. Additionally, he curates projects and events that celebrate and promote the intersection of music and culture. His notable curation work includes Hai! Japantown, a series showcasing AANHPI artists in Seattle, and Sake x Jazz Presents, a collaboration combining jazz music and sake culture.

A recipient of multiple awards and grants, Iida’s artistry has been recognized by the greater music community, earning him several Golden Ear Awards nominations and a spot on the 2025 Jack Straw Artist Support Program. His debut album as a leader, Evergreen (OA2 Records), was released in January 2024 to great acclaim, showcasing his evolving voice as a composer and performer.

Fluent in both English and Japanese with strong connections to both Japanese and American cultures, Iida continues to push the boundaries of jazz performance and education, fostering a deeper appreciation for the genre while engaging with diverse audiences worldwide. His passion for both performance and mentorship solidifies his place as one of the emerging voices in contemporary jazz.

Follow Jun Iida: @juniidamusic

ABOUT GRETA MATASSA

“Matassa’s performance was a marvel of virtuosity.” —Los Angeles Times

In the Pacific Northwest, where she built her career, Greta Matassa wins wide acclaim; 8 times, the readers of Earshot, the Seattle Jazz Magazine, have voted her the best jazz vocalist in the Northwest including another award in 2021. She was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2014. Jim Wilke, the Seattle jazz maven and host of the syndicated “Jazz After Hours” radio program, praises her versatility. “She has a fearlessness in approaching material,” Wilke says, “that makes her like an instrumentalist in a jam session.”

Bassist and producer John Clayton says “One of the best jazz singers we have to boast about these days.”

Her 40 year career has been a whirlwind of exciting opportunities and experiences. Over the last 20 years she has become established as one of the greatest jazz singers of her time. Working with top jazz musicians in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. In 2016, She was featured with bassist John Clayton’s group in a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. She has recorded 11 CD’s. Her latest release, Portrait, on Origin Records is receiving rave reviews.

Her decision to start teaching was probably her greatest contribution to the future of the genre she loves so much. For the last 20 years Greta has become one of the most unique and respected educators in the field today. Offering individual lessons and mentorships as well as establishing loyal student bases from Seattle to Japan, from Alaska to Kauai, from Chicago to New York. Greta travels extensively teaching and performing.

“The album (Portrait), closes with Billy Strayhorn’s ‘Lush Life.’ All members of the quintet support Matassa and one another in what could become known as a definitive vocal version of that masterpiece.” —-Rifftides

“Boppish, snappy and conversational.” —Downbeat

“One of the best jazz vocalists we have to boast about these days.” —John Clayton

“Worldly, gentle, bold, dynamic, Favorites From a Long Walk is a gift for the heart. Greta Matassa is one of America’s finest singers, and stands firmly among the best in today’s jazz.” —Jazz Review

“Greta Matassa moves from triumph to triumph.” —Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times

”She can give Ms. Streisand a run for it!” —Seattle times

“Matassa is a Seattle treasure.” —Seattle Times

“Her scatting is as confident, nimble an energetic as Ella’s and her phrasing is hip like Nancy Wilson’s.” —Earshot Jazz

Performance Description: Native Bainbridge Islander, Greta Matassa returns home for this concert. She will be performing materials from many of her 10 CDs including material from her new upcoming release We Are Gathered Here on Origin Records (coming in 2027). Greta’s performances reach across the great American songbook and into jazz interpretations of contemporary music as well. Lots of original compositions will be included in this concert.

Follow Greta Matassa here.