Art was born and raised in Chili, NY. Following high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy with a rating of MU (Musician) and completed 5 years of service, performing in Navy Band Northeast in Newport, RI. He then attended Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, earning a B.A. in Jazz Composition and a Master of Music, respectively. After teaching privately and performing extensively around New England for several years, Art moved back to Rochester with his wife and two kids in 2015. He currently co-manages a busy wedding band, writes and arranges music, and performs with the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Jon Randall Octet, Your American Jukebox, and The Uptown Groove. Outside of music, he enjoys cooking, exercising, skiing, and spending time with his family.

Christos was born in Gates NY, and his musical journey started with piano lessons at age 6, then drums much later at age 12. His early drum playing was self-taught, starting with Hard Rock and Metal, then adding other genres of music along the way Even Greek Pop and Folk music was in the record collection for learning and practicing at that time. Eventually, his listening and learning to play Jazz would become his primary playing foundation. Formal studies began at Monroe Community College (MCC) in 1993 with Charles Morey, and continued with more intensive study from Jim Tiller of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO). He graduated from the Crane School of Music in 1999 with a Bachelors in Music Education. Along with studying percussion under James Petercsak, notable professors include Rick Bunting, Scott LaVine, and Jazz professor Bret Zvacek. After graduating, Christos returned to Rochester and began playing with various groups, including Catch22(modern/classic Hard Rock cover band), The Brockport Community Big Band (Big Band Jazz), and Hard Logic (Jazz Fusion). From 2008-2012, he began work as a musician on cruise ships, specifically Celebrity Cruises, playing nightly shows in a 1200 seat theater inside the ship, as well as Jazz/Ballroom Dance sets in various lounges and nightclubs. He returned to Rochester in 2012, and returned to MCC, this time attaining an Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems in 2015. His day job currently is a production worker at Bristol ID Technologies in Lima NY since 2020. In 2018, he joined The Zac Brown Tribute Band, and is having a great time performing with his fellow bandmates. He’s also enjoying his time performing with Jon and the group: “The charts are interesting and challenging, and the band sounds really great. I’m looking forward to performing these arrangements live to an audience.

In the course of his career, guitarist-composer Dave Wright has played gigs at venues from the US West Coast to Western Europe. Some musical accomplishments include: More than 300 shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall as house guitarist with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra; many shows with performers such as the Fifth Dimension, Diahann Carroll, Rita Moreno and Frank Sinatra Jr.; performing with the Rochester Philharmonic Pops for artists including Patti Page; recording on albums and industrial recording sessions; performing with many of western New York’s most talented musicians, including four years with Prime Time Funk, various dates with the Bill Tiberio Group and others. Dave has recorded a number of original albums, the most recent of which is Dave Wright and The Band Of Opportunity’s album “Aurora Borealis” (2023), available at www.BandOfOpportunity.com, on Spotify, and other major streaming services. Dave studied jazz guitar with Gene Bertoncini (alumnus of Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, Clark Terry, Paul Desmond) Randall Dollohan (alumnus of Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Turrentine, Edgar Winter, Steve Morse) and Tom Rizzo (alumnus of Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen) and attended the Studio Jazz Program at the University of Miami, Coral Gables. Dave is the son of Rayburn Wright, award-winning composer, arranger and jazz educator (as head of Eastman School of Music’s Jazz and Contemporary Media Department). While growing up, Dave was lucky enough to spend time around the many musicians his father worked with, for example Keith Jarrett, Toots Thielemans, Dave Brubeck, Nigerian drummer Olatunji, and Henry Mancini. Dave is also the son of the talented artist Doris B. Wright. With an artist for a mother and a musician for a father, Dave grew up in a home where writing a song or creating art was a normal and consistent activity, and this had a deep effect on his life. When Dave is not at home, he is often traveling to beautiful and exotic places around the world, usually with a guitar and a camera in hand.

John Engstrom is a Rochester-area trumpet and flugelhorn player. He is known for his pure tone and commitment to learning. John has studied trumpet with Drs. Gordon Mathie, Richard Burkhart, Dan D'Addio, and Jonathan Kruger. He also played in college jazz ensembles under Ray Shiner and Hank Levy. John has been long active in the Rochester area, playing in pit orchestras, symphony orchestras, and various jazz ensembles. In addition to his busy trumpet schedule, he is currently taking jazz guitar lessons with Bob Sneider.

Professor John Nyerges earned his Bachelors in Music in Education, Piano and a Masters in Jazz Piano Performance Studies at Eastman. He has taught for the RCSD and Hochstein and started at MCC in 1999. He has taught Jazz Improvisation, Studio Production, MIDI, Performance class, piano classes, Jazz History and the Music Business. He also taught jazz piano and small group at Eastman’s Summer Jazz camp for more than 30 years. As a performer, John has 3 CD’s out of original compositions as a leader on NBRJazz which received critical acclaim from JazzTimes (sic) and Cadence magazines as well as local reviews, has another CD of Vince Ercolamento of piano & sax (2 originals & standards) and is listed on All About Jazz.com. John has performed on more than a dozen others, and has 3 more CDs coming out later this year. John’s Quartet performed at the RIJF several times (Rochester International Jazz Fest), Syracuse JazzFest, the Rochester International Jazz Fest (RIJF), and has been the jazz pianist for Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concerts for over 30 years, Jeff Tyzik conducting. He has also worked with the Buffalo (with ‘Doc' Severinson), Syracuse, Utica, Erie, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Williamsburg VA. and Wilmington, DE orchestras. Guests performed with the RPO or at Eastman, at Town Hall in NYC have included Joe Henderson, Maria Schneider, Steve Gadd, Benny Carter, The New York Voices, Arturo Sandoval, Peter Erskine, Gerry Niewood, "Doc" Severinson, Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Locke, Brian Scanlon, Chris Vadala, Terrell Stafford, Pat & Joe Labarbera, Denzal Sinclaire, Shayna Steele, Byron Stripling, Rich Thompson, Jeff Campbell, and Alexa Tarantino (and also appeared in concert and on the new Eastman Wind Ensemble CD with Alexa). He has also performed with Dave Rivello, Clay Jenkins, Victoria Corrigan, the NEJO (New Energy Jazz Orchestra), Vince Ercolamento, Mike McArthur, Mike Titlebaum and more. His Trio, the “Nyerges, Smith & Lake” band performs original music in the Rochester area. He also performs as a sideman for many other bands including A Few Bad Apples, Vince Ercolamento Band, Cabo Frio, Curtis Kendrick Band, Cinque, Bill Tiberio Band and the latin band Sofrito.

Jon started playing with pickup bands in 1966, and began serious study at The Sounds of Joy Music Studios in NY (affiliated with Juilliard) from 1978-1984, where he studied theory, ear training, reading, repertoire, small ensemble and big band performance. With pianist/composer Victor LaGamma, he founded the Greater Apple Jazz Ensemble (1985-1997), which appeared in many venues in and around NYC, including the Village Gate and Madison Square Garden. The group provided fertile ground to develop their composition skills. After moving to the Bay Area in 1997, Jon studied at the JazzSchool in Berkeley from 1999-2008: arranging for big band under Dave Lefebvre, post-bop jazz with Steve Erquiaga, and Brazilian jazz with Marcos Silva. Brazilian music became a particular passion. With his long-term collaborator, saxophonist Stephen Herrick, he founded the Jazz Horizons Octet in 2013. It continued until Jon moved away in 2020. Stephen died of cancer in 2019. Jon is currently a student of James VanDemark (Eastman) and a member of the Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, which recorded his arrangement of “In a Mellow Tone". Jon's primary influences are Pat Senatore (TJB), James Jamerson (Motown), Ray Brown, Eddie Jones (Count Basie Orchestra), and John Pattitucci (Chick Corea Akoustic Band). He strives to produce melodic bass lines and singing solos, with stable time, rhythmic precision and above all, a deep groove. He composed numerous choral works while a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington, some of which are still performed there.

Kenneth Scott is retired from 33 years of public school teaching in Wayne and Oswego Counties. He was an active member of NYSSMA, MENC, and a NYSSMA adjudicator of woodwinds for 12 years. In 1977 Ken graduated from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY with a B.M. in music education and performance. Earning a MS/CAS in Educational Administration from SUNY Oswego in 1989. Ken served as Music Department Chair for three years in Oswego County before moving back to Rochester. Ken studied clarinet and bass clarinet with Stan Gaulke and Chester Rowell of the RPO, and clarinet with David Etheridge and Alan Woy at Crane. Other studies include saxophone with Steve Mauk, J.R. Monterose, and flute with John Oberbrunner of the SSO. He formally directed the Penfield Pops Concert Band, ECMS Vintage Jazz Ensemble and currently co-conducts the New Horizons Clarinet Choir. He’s a member of the Penfield Big Band, Rochester Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Music Educators’ Big Band, Southern Tier All-Star Jazz Band, and New Energy Jazz Orchestra.

Paul Chappell graduated from Fredonia State University where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Music Therapy with applied percussion (snare drum, timpani, mallet and multiple percussion). Studies with Theodore Frazeur focused primarily on orchestral percussion in private lessons and percussion ensemble 1988-91. The music therapy program required a competency in voice, guitar and piano. Following an internship in improvisational music therapy, Paul practiced as a music therapist in Rochester from 1992 to the present using music to achieve therapeutic objectives with clients in elder care, adult day treatment and the special education school setting. After graduating Paul played West African djembe with Bush Mango Drum and Dance during the 1990s. He played lead steel pan with Pangaia Steel Band and led student ensembles from 2000-present. Paul played drum set with The 12 Corners Klezmer Band in the 2000s. Musical theater experience includes productions for The Downstairs Cabaret Theater from 2010-2015. An interest in drums began early in life having used buckets to play along with the Beatles’ Sargent Pepper album as a child. Music was highly valued with his mother being a music teacher and all the kids were required to take instrumental lessons. His eldest brother is a professional violinist with The Jacksonville Symphony. Paul took three years of lessons on piano, asking for a drum set in second grade. Two years later his parents relented. Learning a few beats from a neighbor began the process. A change from piano to drum lessons was agreed upon, studying with Rochester drummers Roland Wilcox and Steve Curry in the 1980s. Paul played in the Penfield High School jazz bands led by Jim Dozier and Ned Corman. After several years of self-study Paul sought out the expertise of Mike Melito focusing on rudimental and jazz drum set from 2013-2021. Additional jazz experience includes participation in the Eastman Community Music School Jazz Performance Workshops led by Bob Sneider and graduate students during the 2010s. Paul has been a regular at open jams at The Rochester Jazz Festival, Pythodd Jazz club (second incarnation on Lake Ave) and UUU Art Gallery. Paul currently plays jazz drum set with The Penfield Big Band, XYZ Quintet and Jon Randall Octet. Improvisational rock groups include the Grateful Dead cover band Roc n Rye and blues band The Kind Brothers.

Will Frazier is trombonist, bassist, and arranger based in Rochester, NY since June of 2021. Will is currently performing with big bands, Latin bands, and jazz combos. Will was the Assistant Director of America’s Hometown Band in Muncie, Indiana and a middle school band director in Indianapolis. Will performed with the national tour of Oliver the Musical, a European tour of A Chorus Line, My Sinatra, Manhattan Transfer, Lorna Luft, Dom Deluise, the Eddy Howard Orchestra, the Ted Weems Orchestra, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, and the Harry James Orchestra. While living in New York City, Will performed in numerous big bands, orchestras, brass quintets and show bands. Will also has played his trombone and bass on Princess Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Will has a Masters Degree in trombone performance and Bachelors Degree in Music Education. He has also completed all course work towards a Doctorate at Ball State University. While at Ball State, Will has directed the Studio Jazz Ensemble and combo program, taught private trombone and jazz improvisation, and coordinated the annual Dimensions in Jazz Festival. His trombone and jazz teachers include Mark Buseli, James Beckel, John Seidel, Larry McWilliams, Flip Miller, Bernard Pressler, Alan Raph, Eric Goletz and Buddy Baker.