"Sonelius Smith (born December 17, 1942) is known both for his innovative contributions to jazz as composer and pianist and for his collaborations with some of the late twentieth century's greatest jazz musicians.

As a composer, Smith has created work performed by pianists Ahmad Jamal and Stanley Cowell and saxophonists David Murray and Robin Kenyatta. As a jazz pianist, Smith has performed with Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton and Stanley Cowell, and been a member of several noteworthy musical groups, including the Piano Choir, which The Washington Post described in 2000 as a multi-genre "Masters of the Piano ... [s]et up on nine Steinway pianos in a semicircle with the keys facing the audience [showcasing] the best of three centuries of piano history." In 1977, The New York Times described Smith's performance with Clifford Thornton's jazz quintet as "forcefully inventive." In 1991, AllMusic described the David Murray Big Band album, which Smith recorded as a member of the David Murray Quartet, as "generally brilliant."

Between 1970 and 2001, Smith performed, played or composed the music for some forty-five albums, including one of his own: The World of the Children (1977), originally released by the storied Strata-East Records, but remastered by Pure Pleasure Records Ltd. in 2021. In a review of the remastered edition, Robbie Gerson of the UK's Audiophile Audition praised its "aspirational soul, free jazz and lyrical expression" and "Smith (the composer) [for] shin[ing] on acoustic piano with a complicated, transcendental improvisation ... incorporat[ing] both Latin and African patterns," which he described as "captivating," noting that "[a]nother Smith composition ("Conversation Piece") captures the opposing earthy and graceful abstraction."

In 2005, Smith's collaboration with Shamek Farrah on "Julius" was included in Mastercuts Breaks, a compilation released by Mastercuts that also featured Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown and Nina Simone."

Brooklyn-based bassist and filmmaker Adam Kahan works at the intersection of jazz performance and documentary filmmaking, directing films on Rahsaan Roland Kirk (The Case of the Three Sided Dream) and bassist Buster Williams (Bass to Infinity). As a musician, he has maintained a longstanding partnership with pianist Sonelius Smith, performed with Claire Daly and David Durrah, and led the Lo-Fly sextet, exploring jazz traditions through improvisation and collaborative performance.

Japanese drummer Hiroyuki "Matsu" Matsuura is active in New York's jazz and creative music communities, performing across straight-ahead jazz, improvisation, and stylistically diverse ensembles. His collaborations include guitarist Ron Jackson, saxophonist Carl Bartlett Jr., and bassist Adam Kahan, alongside participation in the Burnt Sugar collective.

New York tenor saxophonist Rodney Chapman, also known as Godfather Don, bridges free jazz, reimagined standards, and underground hip-hop. His jazz collaborations include William Parker, Daniel Carter, Reggie Nicholson, Ronnie Burrage, and Sam Newsome, while his hip-hop production work includes recordings associated with Kool Keith and Nas.

New York trumpeter and composer Michael Irwin studied with Jon Faddis at SUNY Purchase and works across contemporary jazz, free improvisation, and popular music. He has performed with Kenny Wollesen, Federico Ughi, and Joel Forrester, leads the Highline Jazz Quartet and Brooklyn Bears, and has contributed to recordings by Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, and The Budos Band.

Flutist Gene R. Coleman contributes to the New York jazz and improvisational music scene, appearing alongside pianist Sonelius Smith, bassist Adam Kahan, and an extended ensemble on the 577 Records album We'll Let You Know When We Find Out.

New York jazz drummer Clay Herndon has performed across generations of creative jazz, appearing on saxophonist Shamek Farrah's 1974 Strata-East album First Impressions. His work encompasses spiritual jazz, ensemble improvisation, and traditional jazz performance, including collaborations with pianist Sonelius Smith and bassist Adam Kahan.