Born in Detroit, Christopher Collins is cited as holding a singular place in the Detroit culture and jazz scene. He is in his 12th year as president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, nearly 30 years as Professor/Valade Endowed Chair in Jazz at Wayne State University, and an active jazz artist.
wdAllen Dennard is a trumpeter, composer and bandleader who was born and raised in the city of Detroit, Michigan. At the age of nine, Allen decided to join his elementry school's band, John Trix Elementary. From then on, he never put the trumpet down, finding a whole new passion for instrumental music. Michael Malis is a composer, pianist, and music educator based in Detroit, Michigan. A multi-faceted musical artist, he works genres in improvisational, concert music, and interdisciplinary settings.
Tariq Gardner is a Detroit Native and son of its music community. Learning from the ranks of esteemed musicians such as Marion Hayden, Robert Hurst, Marcus Belgrave, George Davidson, and Wendell Harrison.
Melody Balos is an up-and-coming jazz vocalist, composer, and arranger in the Detroit area. After winning the Detroit Jazz Festival's Youth Vocal Competition in 2017, she went on to pursue jazz studies as a vocalist at Wayne State University, and recently graduated with university honors.
Cyrus Keshtkar is a recent graduate of Wayne State University's Jazz Studies program with a specialty in jazz guitar.
Trevor Lamb is a professional working bassist in the great city of Detroit. He began his music career studying at Wayne State University located in the heart of Detroit under the mentorship of Paul Keller.
