John “T-Bone” Paxton is a veteran trombonist and vocalist professionally active in Southeastern Michigan for many years. He is the featured singer and trombone soloist with the award-winning jazz ensemble, the Planet D Nonet. John is a 2nd generation musician and a son of the “Jazz Age.” His soulful sense of swing, phrasing, and his ability to interpret and bring personal meaning to a lyric allows him to connect to his audience at an emotional level, both as a vocalist and as an instrumentalist. John was integral member of the Sun Messengers band for decades, leaving to

Douglas Brown is a multi-talented eclectic artist. His roots are in Blues, R&B, Jazz, Rock, and Folk. Douglas has played with acts local, national, and international. He has played with artists as varied as Chuck Berry, North Star (a band consisting of members of Smokey Robinson's backup band), The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Tommy Bolin, Norma Bell, Spyder Turner, The Garfield Blues Band, Koko Taylor, Mighty Joe Young, Dennis Coffey, jazz great Cameron Brown, free jazz artist Faruk Z Bey, jazz master Billy Heart. He occasionally performs with his daughter Sari Brown and can be heard on one of the tracks from her new release “The Holy Broken Heart”. Sometimes, he gigs with his son, Andrew Brown of Djangophonique and Appleseed Collective fame. He currently plays in the Detroit and Ann Arbor area as a solo artist, in small groups and with the powerhouse 12 piece soul-funk band “Skyline and the Backstreet Horns”.

Paul VornHagen is an accomplished jazz saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist who has won Detroit Music Awards on six separate occasions and categories: Jazz Reeds, Talent Deserving Wider Recognition, Instrumentalist, World Music Recording (2) and Jazz Recording. Presently living in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Paul got his start on the flute in 1972 performing with the University of Michigan dance department as an accompanist. Mostly self-taught initially, he studied music at City College Of San Francisco in 1978-79 followed by classes at the Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. He has since traveled far and wide from the shores of Hawaii and Mexico to the jazz clubs of San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Havana (Cuba), Paris (France), England and the US Virgin Islands.

With a career spanning over two decades, Denise Edwards has evolved into a true maestro of the stage. Her journey has been paved with the rhythmic cadence of countless collaborations with diverse musical groups. Through these experiences, she has honed her harmonic prowess, emerging as a uniquely gifted lead vocalist.

James O'Donnell has been entertaining Detroit audiences with his special brand of music for more than three decades.

While known primarily as a trumpeter, he also plays flugelhorn and coronet. And while his favorite music genres are Jazz, Big Band, Standards, and Blues, his repertoire also includes R&B, Funk, Soul, Motown.

Over the course of his career, James has performed in more than 15 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. James O’Donnell’s remarkable music career began Here in Detroit, James has graced stages at renowned venues like Ford Field, Meadowbrook Theater, Cobo Center, Hart Plaza, The Masonic Temple Theater, The Dearborn Performing Arts Center, and The Detroit Institute of Arts.

James' music career began at age 9 when a member of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra introduced him to the trumpet. He loved the instrument immediately and began practicing it fervently. Then when he was 14, he joined the Jazz Band, Concert Band and Marching Band at his high school. He studied music theory and harmony and earned a spot in the All City All Star Jazz Orchestra.

At age 16, James became part of a group called "Kuumba," which means "creativity" in Swahili. It was his first exposure to the music of Jazz legends, John Coltrane, Sun Ra and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. Eventually, the band morphed into the famed "Sun Messengers." During that time James learned the Costello embouchure technique and the Max Schlossberg teaching method.

After graduating high school, James formed his first band. The Jazz sextet was called "Chronology - Music of All Times" and they played at local Jazz joints around Detroit. In his early 20s, James played primarily with The Sun Messengers. They opened for The Neville Brothers, Buckwheat Zydeco and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

In 1986, James moved to New York City and played in the Destiny Merengue Orchestra. That same year he began working an eight-year stint working for the cruise ship industry. There he played in show bands backing up stars like Julie Andrews, John Davidson and Charo. He also played for bands like The Regular Boys, The Blues Disciples and Art of Fact.

Experience the vibrant pulse of live jazz with a trio of exceptional musicians who bring a unique blend of cultural influences and virtuosic talent to the stage. Ray Ureña, a multi-instrumentalist and composer, infuses his performances with the rich rhythms of his Caribbean heritage, showcasing intricate improvisations and original compositions that span Latin, World, and Jazz genres. Alongside him, soprano Pia Broden Williams captivates with her

Cabaret Boreale unites musical artistry with a transporting vintage aesthetic. Timeless classics and contemporary hits are reimagined with old world flair, theatricality, and unexpected instrumentation! Featuring Katie Smith on vocals, Don Reinholm on accordion, Phil LaDouceur on upright bass and tuba, and Andrew Brown on guitar and banjo