"K. Curtis Lyle was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He was a founding member of the Watts Writers Workshop, joining it in 1966 and becoming a prominent member of the Los Angeles renaissance that the group represented. He has taught, lectured and read his poetry in performance in the major intellectual and urban centers of North America.

Lyle has published widely over the years and been anthologized in the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. Lyle's work has been widely adapted to music, especially to jazz. He built a performing and recording relationship with the late world renowned saxophonist and composer Julius Hemphill (1938-1995). The text of Lyle's poem, "Drunk on God", was recorded for Julius Hemphill's Big band (Electra/Asylum).

In June 2003, Lyle published a work of selected poetry entitled, Electric Church. In February of 2008 he published a long prose poem, "The Epileptic Camel Driver Speaks to a Refugee Death" (Firecracker Press). In November 2008, St. Louis Poetry Scores and Firecracker Press published a new work entitled, "Nailed Seraphim".

He currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri."

George R. Sams was a member of the St. Louis Collective the Black Artists Group. He studied trumpet with Bill Fielder (Alvin's brother) as well as Miles Davis. He is probably best Known as a member of United Front, they made 3 LPs including one for FMP's SAJ label: As well an LP on Hat Art.

Josh Weinstein, aka Adi Bu Dharma Joshua Weinstein, is a double bassist who also presents a radio show titled All Soul, No Borders on the Saint Louis radio stationg KDHX.

"Damon Smith studied double bass with Lisle Ellis and has had lessons with Bertram Turezky, Joëlle Leandré, John Lindberg, Mark Dresser and others. Damon's explorations into the sonic palette of the double bass have resulted in a personal, flexible improvisational language based in the American jazz avant-garde movement and European non-idiomatic free improvisation. Visual art, film and dance heavily influence his music, as evidenced by his CAMH performance of Ben Patterson's Variations for Double Bass, collaborations with director Werner Herzog on soundtracks for Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World, and an early performance with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

Damon has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including: Cecil Taylor, Marshall Allen (of Sun Ra's Arkestra), Henry Kaiser, Roscoe Mitchell, Michael Pisaro, Wadada Leo Smith, Marco Eneidi, Wolfgang Fuchs, Peter Brötzmann and Peter Kowald. After many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, and five great years in Houston, Texas working regularly with Alvin Fielder, Sandy Ewen, David Dove & Chris Cogburn, Damon will move to the Boston area in the fall of 2016. Damon has run Balance Point Acoustics record label since 2001, releasing music focusing on transatlantic collaborations between US and European musicians."

"Bob Moses (born January 28, 1948) is an American jazz drummer.

Moses played with Roland Kirk in 1964-65 while he was still a teenager. In 1966 he and Larry Coryell formed The Free Spirits, a jazz fusion ensemble, and from 1967 to 1969 he played in Gary Burton's quartet. He also recorded with Burton in the 1970s, in addition to work with Dave Liebman/Open Sky, Pat Metheny, Mike Gibbs, Hal Galper, Gil Goldstein, Steve Swallow, Steve Kuhn/Sheila Jordan (from 1979 to 1982), George Gruntz, and Emily Remler (from 1983 to 1984). In the early 1970s he was a member of Compost with Harold Vick, Jumma Santos, Jack Gregg (fr) and Jack DeJohnette.

His first session as a leader was in 1968, released as the record Love Animal. His second session as a leader was in 1973 with the release of Bittersuite in the Ozone. his records for Gramavision in the 1980s were critically acclaimed.

He is also the author of the drum method book Drum Wisdom.

Moses currently performs alongside John Lockwood, Don Pate, and John Medeski with noted guitarist Tisziji Muñoz and teaches at New England Conservatory."

"Henry Claude is a freelance Percussionist/Composer/Instrument Inventor and Builder based in St Louis MO. In addition to teaching Percussion and Percussion Ensemble at Washington University, Henry is also the Music Director of the Washington University Dance Division. Henry has been a regularly engaged percussionist with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra for more than thirty Years. He is the Principal Timpani/Percussion with Union Avenue Opera, and Timpanist of Kantori/Bach at the Seminary. Henry founded and directs the 'Nuclear Percussion Ensemble' the group is dedicated to the performance of percussion music from all over the world using a vast array of both traditional and found/invented instruments. He was an early mentor and collaborator for Joe Venegoni."