Sullivan Fortner, piano
For the past decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The GRAMMY Award-winning artist received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window (Mack Avenue, 2018), alongside multi-GRAMMY winner, vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant. As a solo leader, he has released Moments Preserved (Decca, 2018) and Aria (Impulse!, 2015) to critical acclaim, and he’s only getting started. This past year, Fortner earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist.
Evan Sherman, drums
A native of New Jersey, Evan Sherman (b. 1993) is a drummer/bandleader having performed, recorded and toured internationally with Ron Carter, Cyrus Chestnut, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Branford and Wynton Marsalis on the world’s most prestigious stages such as Kennedy Center, Village Vanguard, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Palau De La Música (Spain) JALC Doha & Shanghai and Newport, Detroit, Jerusalem festivals.
The Evan Sherman Big Band has headlined at Lincoln Center, Blue Note, Birdland, Rainbow Room, Caramoor, and Perth International Arts Festival (AU). In 2017, critics cited Sherman as “a beacon of taste”, “who, though in his mid-20’s, plays here like an old master” (All About Jazz). In 2020, Evan was featured on NBC’s Today Show and released his debut quintet album, Sidewalkin’.
Marty Jaffe, bass
Marty Jaffe has shared the stage with musical icons Wynton Marsalis, Ingrid Jensen, Karrin Allyson, Harold Mabern, Sullivan Fortner, Sergio Mendes, and Steve Wilson. He has also performed in interdisciplinary productions directed by choreographers Bill T. Jones and Debbie Allen through the national YoungArts foundation. When not in NYC, Marty tours throughout the US and the world with numerous groups, especially with renowned vocalist Karrin Allyson and pianist Ben Rosenblum.
Originally from Conway, Massachusetts, Marty moved to New York in 2012 to enroll at Columbia and Juilliard, where he studied under the tutelage of musical giants Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Ray Drummond, Frank Kimbrough and many others. His accolades include being named a 2012 Presidential Scholar in the Arts and winning the International Society of Bassists’ jazz competition in 2013.