Mike Clark is an influential American drummer best known for his groundbreaking work with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, combining deep funk grooves with advanced jazz improvisation in a career spanning decades of collaborations across jazz, fusion, and funk.

Henry Franklin is a veteran bassist and composer associated with the West Coast jazz and spiritual jazz scenes, having performed with artists including Hugh Masekela, Freddie Hubbard, and Stevie Wonder while leading numerous projects under his own name.

Babatunde Lea is an Oakland-based percussionist and composer whose work blends jazz, African, Caribbean, and Latin traditions, performing with artists such as Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Matt Clark is a Bay Area pianist, composer, and educator known for his versatile work in modern jazz, funk, and Latin-influenced ensembles, balancing sophisticated harmony with groove-oriented improvisation.

Dave MacNab Hamilton is a guitarist and composer active in jazz, fusion, and experimental music settings, recognized for fluid improvisation and stylistic versatility across acoustic and electric contexts.

Mads Tolling is a Grammy-winning violinist and composer known for blending jazz, classical, and Scandinavian folk influences, widely recognized for his work with bassist Stanley Clarke and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty.

Matt Renzi is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger whose lyrical and harmonically rich approach spans jazz, chamber music, and contemporary composition.

Mike Rinta is a San Francisco Bay Area trombonist and arranger active in jazz, Latin, and experimental ensembles, noted for his warm tone and expressive ensemble work.

"Ben Davis is a cellist from the United Kingdom known for his improvisation. His group Basquiat Strings was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2007. He is a member of the F-IRE Collective.

Ben Davis' self-stated aim is to make "alternative string music that people want to listen to". His group, Basquiat Strings, originated as a standard string quartet (two violins, a viola and a cello). Only later did cellist Davis decide to add double bass "to strengthen the rhythmic accompaniment". Basquiat Strings were nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize.

Ben Davis studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later at the Banff School of Fine Arts with Dave Holland.

He has since pursued a varied musical career encompassing classical, world, pop, early music and jazz. He has performed with Django Bates, Hassan Erraji, The Dufay Collective, Evan Parker, Christine Tobin, Steve Buckley, Huw Warren, Jason Yarde, Kylie Minogue, Julian Joseph, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and the R. S. C. He has recorded with Claire Martin, Jamiroquai, Ingrid Laubrock, Oriole, Julia Biel, Patricia Kass, D-Influence and the Ben Davis Group, which was featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz On 3 programme. He recently completed a world tour with the French super-star, Patricia Chass and also formed The Jazz Cello Trio featuring Phil Robson. Ben Davis also teaches jazz cello and has led workshops for kids."

Jonathan Ring is a Bay Area French horn player and educator whose work bridges classical performance, jazz, and contemporary ensemble music.