"Born in Newark, NJ, Steve Swell has been an active member of the NYC music community since 1975. He has toured and recorded with many artists from mainstreamers such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich to so called outsiders as Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and William Parker. He has over 40 CDs as a leader or co-leader and is a featured artists on more than 100 other releases. He runs workshops around the world and is a teaching artist in the NYC public school system focusing on special needs children.

Swell has worked on music transcriptions of the Bosavi tribe of New Guinea for MacArthur fellow, Steve Feld in 2000. His CD, "Suite For Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers" (CIMP) ranked number 2 in the 2004 Cadence Readers Poll. He has also received grants from USArtists International in 2006, MCAF (LMCC) awards in 2008 and 2013 and has been commissioned twice on the Interpretations Series at Merkin Hall in 2006 and at Roulette in 2012.

Steve was nominated for Trombonist of the Year 2008 & 2011 by the Jazz Journalists Association, was selected Trombonist of the Year 2008-2010 , 2012 and 2014-2015 by the magazine El Intruso of Argentina and received the 2008 Jubilation Foundation Fellowship Award of the Tides Foundation. Steve has also been selected by the Downbeat Critics Poll in the Trombone category each year from 2010-2016.

Steve is presently a teaching artist through the American Composers Orchestra, Healing Arts Initiative , Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center (Bronx), the Jazz Foundation of America and Leman Manhattan Preparatory School.

Steve was also awarded the 2014 Creative Curricula grant (LMCC) for the project: "Metamorphoses: Modern Mythology in Sound and Words" which was taught in a month long residency at Baruch College Campus High School in Manhattan."

"Rob Brown (born February 27, 1962) is an American free jazz saxophonist and composer.

Rob was born in Hampton, VA. He started playing saxophone at the age of 12 or 13. His first gigs were with a local Virginia and swing band. He eventually studied at Berklee College for two years and worked privately with both Joe Viola and John LaPorta. After a year on the west coast, Brown bounced back to Boston, where he met pianist Matthew Shipp. He moved to NY in 1984 where he enrolled at New York University, earned a music degree, and studied with saxophone masters such as Lee Konitz, but the teacher who had more influence on Rob conceptually was Philadelphian Dennis Sandole. Rob took the train to Philly once a week to study with him for a year and a half.

His first issued recording was the duet with Shipp Sonic Explorations and since then has been actively leading groups or working as a sideman with Shipp, William Parker, Whit Dickey, Joe Morris and Steve Swell.

He is a 2001 CalArts/Alpert/Ucross Residency Prize winner and has received many Meet The Composer Fund grants. In 2006 Rob was awarded a Chamber Music America New Works grant."

"Michel Edelin is a French jazz flautist born in Paris 25 February 1941. Self-taught, he became known for his participation in the unique recording of progressive rock band Triode 1.

In the 1980s, he created his own groups: a sextet "Flutes Encounter" with François Couturier, François Méchali, Christian Lété, Denis Barbier and Jean Querlier. Then a quartet with Nico Nissim, Andy Emler, François Méchali, Peter Gritz, François Verly and Fredy Studer. A nonet in collaboration with François Méchali in which we find members of his quartet as well as Yochk'o Seffer, Michel Godard, Philippe Legris, Maurice Magnoni, Philippe Maté, Jacques Di Donato, Tony Lakatos, Jean-François Canape, Jean Querlier, Jeff Sicard, Jean-Marc Larché.

In the 1990s, he was invited to the quintet of the flautist Dave Valentin on the occasion of his European tour (festivals of Sète, Vienna, Montreux). He participated in Jérôme Bourdellon's "Flute Europe Express" with Barry Altschul, François Méchali and Jiri Stivin. He created a new quartet with Jacques Di Donato, Jean-Jacques Avenel and Simon Goubert.

In 2000, a duet with François Méchali, Recording of a duet with the Portuguese flautist Carlos Bechegas, Creation of a trio with John Betsch and Jean-Jacques Avenel Quintet with Jacques Di Donato, François Couturier, François Méchali and Daniel Humair who recorded two discs.

He joined the group "Waraba" by Jean-Jacques Avenel with Yakhouba Sissokho, Lansiné Kouyaté and Moriba Koïta. He plays frequently in Steve Potts orchestras where he finds Sophia Domancich, Stéphane Kérecki, Bruno Rousselet, Thomas Savy, Michael Felberbaum, Richard Portier and musicians playing in his own bands.

Other events include Bénédicte Alexandre-Gil, Thierry Balasse, Jeff Boudreaux, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Manu Codja, Philippe Deschepper, Eric Groleau, Chris Hayward, Kristof Hiriart, Alain Jean-Marie and David Jisse, Francois Laizeau, Serge de Laubier, Malik Mezzadri, Phil Minton, André Minvielle, Adam Nessbaum, Ronnie Lynn Patterson, Barre Philips, Larry Schneider, Hervé Sellin, Olivier Sens, Wilfried Wedling, Louis Winsberg and Camel Zekri...

He invited the flautist Nicole Mitchell and the violist Steve Lehman to join his trio for the Sons d'hiver festival. Steve Lehman also participates in the "Dolphy Spirit" in which the three instruments of the reference musician are represented: sax alto, flute and bass clarinet (Thomas Savy). Steve Lehman is also the special guest of "Kuntu", the record of Michel Edelin Trio. Nicole Mitchell (flute) and his "Indigo Trio" (Harisson Bankhead and Hamid Drake) invite Michel Edelin for two concerts (the South Pole in Strasbourg and the festival of Junas) and a recording for Rogueart.

In 2013 he created "Flute Fever", bringing together the flute players Sylvaine Hélary, Ludivine Issambourg, bassist Peter Giron and drummer John Betsch 2.

In 2014, at the Sons d'Hiver festival, the trombonist Steve Swell (en) is the guest of the quartet which then integrates the bassist Stéphane Kérecki. Steve Swell and Michel Edelin also play a duet at the loft Rogueart.

He is scheduled at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival as part of "Spotlight on french jazz" where he plays with cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Dylan van der Schyff.

He is the author of "Ze Blue Note", opera-theater for quintet and choir of children also declined in oratorio under the title of "Voices for a Blue note". "

"Peter Giron was born in the Bronx on November 2, 1952. Installed in France for almost thirty years, he is one of the animators of this American community whose dynamism is essential to the vitality of jazz in Paris. Sarah Morrow, Kirk Lightsey, Sylvia Howard and especially his old accomplice John Betsch (another pillar of clubs!) In the trio of Jobic Le Masson (p), with whom he released the album Hill (Enja, 2007). This trio is now regularly hosting Steve Potts (ts), which should result in a new recording. Peter Giron participates in many formations: that of Rick Margitza (ts) - with Jeff Boudreaux (dm) and Manuel Rocheman (p) - which is every month in residence at Baiser Salé and which has just passed in studio; That of Denise King (voc) who will perform in July at Sunside with Chris Culpo (p) and Tony Match (dm); That of Julien Coriatt (p) with Viktorija Gecyté (voc); And the quartet of Ricky Ford (ts) with Tom McClung (p) and Doug Sides (dm). The bassist will also be on record with Philippe O'Neill (dm) with Ronald Baker (tp, voc), and is working on another recording project with Francis Bourrec (ts) and Olivier Hutman (p). Professor at the IMEP (International Music Educator of Paris, ex-American School), his teaching activity did not allow him to develop his career on the international level, although he is in his element with the artists of this Dimension: Luther Allison (with whom he shot for four years), but also Kurt Elling, Dave Liebman, Archie Shepp, Ted Curson and more recently Steve Turre . A discreet musician who is nonetheless a centerpiece for the best rhythm sections."

"John Betsch (born October 8, 1945 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American jazz drummer. Betsch was born in Jacksonville, Florida. His mother was a church organist and pianist, and his older sister Marvyne a soprano singer. He began playing drums in the school orchestra at the age of nine. He attended Fisk University, and while still a student there, at the age of 18, he began playing professionally with pianists Bob Holmes, Ernest Vantrease, and trumpeter Louis Smith. Betsch studied at Berklee College of Music and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst under Max Roach and Archie Shepp. After playing in organ trios, he released an album as a leader, Earth Blossom, in 1975. That year he moved to New York City, where he played with Marion Brown, Paul Jeffrey, Max Roach, Jeanne Lee and Henry Threadgill.

Between 1977 and 1979 Betsch joined Abdullah Ibrahim's ensemble, and from 1980 to 1982 he was with Archie Shepp's band that featured Hilton Ruiz, piano, Santi Debriano, bass and Roger Dawson, congas and percussion. In 1983 he recorded with Roger Dawson's septet featuring Hilton Ruiz, reedman John Purcell, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, bassist Anthony Cox and multi-percussionist Milton Cardona. Following this he was a member of quartets led by Marty Cook.

Since 1985 Betsch has lived in Europe, playing with Jim Pepper and Mal Waldron as well as in a band with his wife, French pianist Claudine François. In the 1990s he played in a group with Steve Lacy, and with Özay Fecht and in a trio with Elvira Plenar and Peter Kowald. He has done other recordings with Thomas Chapin, Marilyn Crispell, Klaus König, Billy Bang, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Uli Lenz and Simon Nabatov."