Jim Carroll has a diverse performance career including appearances at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, The White House, Yokohama Stadium, The Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall and the Apollo Theatre. As a versatile performer Mr. Carroll has worked with Michael Jackson, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Zoot Sims, Keter Betts, The Columbus Symphony, The Indianapolis Symphony, The Indiana Saxophone Quartet, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, The Jazz Arts Group, The Great American Music Ensemble, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and others. Carroll is currently leader and Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Active as an educator, he teaches at the Jamey Abersold jazz workshops and is Director of Instrumental Studies, Jazz Studies and Chair of the CVPA Faculty at George Mason University.

Bio coming soon!

Darden Purcell is a Washington D.C. based jazz vocalist. A multi-faceted musician, Ms. Purcell is an active featured soloist with big bands and small ensembles, band leader and vocal instructor. Ms. Purcell has collaborated with many of the world's top jazz artists including Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Dana Hall, Don Heitler, Glenn Wilson, Chip Stephens, Jeff Helgesen, Joan Hickey, Larry Gray, Dennis Carroll, Stockton Helbing, Joel Spencer, Darmon Meader, Michelle Weir, Lisanne Lyons, Dave Detwiler, Chris Vadala and The Airmen of Note, performing at concert halls and clubs throughout the nation, including the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Pops for Champagne (Chicago), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), The Blue Wisp (Cincinnati) and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson). Ms. Purcell is a former Washington DC Air Force Band vocalist, winning a slot in the pop/rock group High Flight. With High Flight she performed nationally (US Capitol, Pentagon, Air and Space Museum, DAR and Constitution Hall), as well as internationally, (Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Oman and Qatar) and can be heard as a soloist and back-up vocalist on High Flight's CD, Highlights. A highpoint of Purcell's Air Force career was touring with the elite jazz band, The Airmen of Note. Purcell was the featured vocalist, touring throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, as well as performing alongside gospel star BeBe Winans and Lari White for "Operation Desert Greetings," entertaining troops in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. In addition to being a featured soloist, Ms. Purcell performed back-up vocals, as part of the USAF Band Guest Artist Series, for nationally renowned recording artists, Chaka Khan, Bryan White, Janie Frickie, Freda Payne, Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore and Rita Coolidge as well as a nationally televised performance behind Darlene Love on "The Late Show with David Letterman." November 2009, Ms. Purcell released her debut CD, Easy Living, on Dallas based record label, Armored Records.

With appearances at Shanghai Concert Hall, the DC Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Umbria Jazz Festival, Pure Jazz Den Haag, and at major venues throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Europe, Victor Provost has been meticulously solidifying his reputation as a master of the Steel Pan and crafting an improvisational voice and style to be reckoned with. Born and raised on the island of St. John, Provost's musical journey began with classical piano lessons at age 10. Later, he traveled with the Steel Unlimited II Youth Steel Orchestra to the U.S., France, Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany. In 1998, Provost became the first steel pan player to be featured as a solo artist at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy. Since his move to the United States in 1999, Provost has had the fortune of performing and touring with several award-winning groups and has shared the stage with the likes of Jazz super stars Hugh Masakela, Nicholas Payton, Wycliffe Gordon, Ron Blake, Terrell Stafford, Bobby Thomas Jr., Tarus Mateen, Etienne Charles, Essiet Essiet, Rashawn Ross, Reuben Rogers, and Dion Parson. Provost also teaches at the Cultural Academy For Excellence and George Mason University, and teaches private lessons.

Jupiter Artist Harry Watters serves with the United States Army Band in Washington, DC and teaches Jazz Trombone at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His numerous Summit Records releases include the popular Love Songs and the three critically acclaimed Brothers discs with trumpeter Ken Watters. After graduation from the University of North Texas, Harry spent four years touring and recording with the renowned Dukes of Dixieland. Watters has performed with Doc Serverinsen, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Erich Kunzel, Kevin Mahogany, Wycliffe Gordon, Lou Rawls, Maureen McGovern, Bill Watrous, Carl Fontana, Jiggs Whiggam, James Moody, Peter Erskine, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock and the Boston Brass. In addition, Harry has appeared as a featured soloist with the Syracuse Symphony, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tulsa Pops, the West Virginia Symphony, the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band, the Janacek Philharmonic, the Moldovan Festival Orchestra and the U.S. Army Orchestra.

Originally from Miami, Rick Whitehead started playing the guitar at age 11. By the time he was 18, he was performing in shows on Miami Beach and worked with Connie Francis, Sandler and Young, Jayne Morgan, Glen Campbell and others. He joined the United States Air Force Band's Airmen of Note in 1969. As the featured guitar soloist for the USAF Band's Airmen of Note for 22 years, he toured throughout the United States, Far East, and South America with the group. While with the Airmen of Note some of the notables in jazz he performed and recorded with are vocalists Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Sue Raney and guitarists Mundell Lowe, Johnny Smith, and Roy Clark. He also worked with Dianne Schuur, Billy Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Jr. and Charlie Byrd. He appeared with the band on the Tonight Show, the Mike Douglas Show, Nashville Now, and performed at many major Jazz Festivals across the United States including Newport, Monterey and Mobile. He performed at The East Coast Jazz Festival and the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz in 2005. Prof. Whitehead is the recipient of the 2006 Washington Area Musician's Association award (WAMMIE) as Best Jazz Instrumentalist. The Rick Whitehead Trio has also won a WAMMIE in 1998 with their first CD Live in Captivity; their third CD, So There We Were, was nominated in 2007 as Best Jazz CD. The trio was nominated in 2004 and 2006 as Best Jazz Ensemble and in 2007 they won the award. Rick's solo CD Notes from Home was released in 2003 to rave review in The Washington Post and Just Jazz Guitar magazine. Rick is currently Adjunct Faculty in Applied Jazz Guitar at George Mason University.

Bio coming soon!

Grammy Award winning drummer, producer and bandleader Joe McCarthy has lead a diverse career which has taken him from Symphony Orchestra and Big Band, to Afro Cuban, Bebop, and beyond. Joe is the leader/founder of Afro Bop Alliance, an Afro Cuban Jazz Ensemble based in the Washington DC area. The band's 2011 release, UNA MÁS, on OA2 records follows Afro Bop Alliance, released in conjunction with Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project on Heads-Up International, winner of the 2008 Latin Grammy for Latin Jazz Album of the Year and nominated for the 51st Grammy Awards in the same category. The band's 2 previous releases, Encarnacion and Camino Nuevo have received critical acclaim, worldwide. Joe has performed and or recorded with: The Caribbean Jazz Project, Eddie Daniels, Slide Hampton, Pat LaBarbera, Wayne Bergeron, Linda Oh, Luis Perdomo, Antonio Hart, Poncho Sanchez, Dave Samuels, Arturo O'Farrill, Michael Mossman, Ray Vega, Jimmy Bruno, Michael Formanek, Mitch Seidman, Luques and Zaccai Curtis, Mundell Lowe, Alain Mallet, Christian Howes, Roberto Quintero, Boris Kozlov and Arturo Stables. Joe is the Leader and Drummer for the United States Naval Academy Band's Jazz Ensemble, The Next Wave and Principal Percussionist of the USNA Band's Wind Ensemble. The Next Wave has released their debut, Just Gettin' Started. Joe is also co-leader of the Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band with their 2007 release of "Words Cannot Express," and 2010 release of "Bright Future" on OA2 Records. Active in education, Joe is an Adjunct Professor of Drumset and Afro-Cuban Percussion Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax VA and Georgetown University in Washington DC. Joe is in demand as a clinician throughout the US and abroad. He has written for Jazz Improv Magazine, Latin Percussion's "All About Rhythm" and has contributed to the educational websites of Zildjian and Innovative Percussion. Joe's Afro-Cuban Big Band Play-Along Book/CD and DVD of the same name are published by Alfred Music and have received rave reviews.

Professor Harold Summey was the winner of the Sixth Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition for drums in 1992. Since that time he has worked with such jazz greats as Wynton Marsalis and saxophonist Sonny Rollins. He continues to pursue a busy performance schedule in addition to his current position as percussionist with The United States Army Band.

Kenneth Rittenhouse, has led his own jazz quartet for the past 14 years. The group has performed in and around the Washington, DC area. He performs regularly with The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and has performed with jazz drummer Ralph Peterson; saxophonists Don Braden; bassists James King. He has also given clinics and master classes alongside Jazz Educator Jamey Aebersold and trumpeter/clinician Vince Dimartino. While at the University of Maryland, he studied with trumpeter Chris Gekker and performed in the UMD Jazz Ensemble directed by Chris Vadala. Kenny grew up in Fairmont, WV where he graduated from West Fairmont Senior High School. Kenny is a member of The United States Army "Blues" Jazz Ensemble in Washington, DC, the premier band of the Army, performing ceremonies and concerts at the White House, the US Capital, and in the DC metro area.

Tyler currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Jazz Saxophone at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Dr. Kuebler also currently performs as Lead Alto Saxohponist with the world-renowned USAF Airmen of Note. After serving with the USAF Band's Airmen of Note from 1998-2002 as Lead Tenor, Dr. Kuebler is thrilled to be back with the band after a six-year hiatus, this time leading the section. Prior to relocating back to the Washington D.C. Metro area, Dr. Kuebler was an Assistant Professor of Saxophone, Jazz Studies, and Music Theory and Director of the Studio Jazz Orchestra at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During his tenure at SIUC, Tyler was also a member of The New Arts Jazztet, a faculty jazz quintet in residence at the university. In addition to his educational commitments at SIUC, he taught at various musical summer camps, including the prestigious Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and the Governor's Honors Program in Georgia. Throughout his career, Dr. Kuebler has had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the biggest names in jazz and popular music, including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Sammy Figueroa, Julio Iglesias, David Liebman, Jack Sheldon, Randy Brecker, Paul Anka, Jerry Bergonzi, Clark Terry, Bobby Caldwell, James Moody, Dick Oats, Joe Lovano, Louie Bellson, Slide Hampton, Rosemary Clooney, Kenny Werner, Bob Mintzer, Gerry Mulligan, Conrad Herwig, Ernie Watts, John Fedchock, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb, Peabo Bryson, Steve Allen, the Tempations, and the Four Tops to name a few.