Bassist, composer, arranger and producer, John Clayton is a Grammy Award winning musician who has written and or recorded with artists such as Milt Jackson, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Queen Latifah, McCoy Tyner, and YoYo Ma, to name only a few. John was the principal bassist in the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (The Netherlands) from 1980-1984. In 1986, John co-founded the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and rekindled The Clayton Brothers Quintet. In addition to his individual clinics and workshops, he also directs the educational components of Centrum, The Port Townsend Jazz Festival, and the Vail Jazz Workshop.

Composer/arranger/pianist Bevan Manson has arranged and composed music for various jazz artists including Manhattan Transfer vocalist Cheryl Bentyne, and Village Vanguard Orchestra saxophonist Gary Smulyan. Over the years, he has performed with musicians such as Ira Sullivan, Ron Jones L.A. Big Band, Tierney Sutton, Jimmy Guiffre, and his own jazz trios. Bevan has received commissions from Sierra Chamber Music, the Pacific Philharmonic Foundation, the San Francisco Symphony, and among others. "I wrote Iwataki to depict in musical form a day in the inner life of one of Los Angeles’s most beloved yet often invisible members of its musical community. Sterling scoring mixers such as Mr. Iwataki don’t get all the attention they deserve. Iwataki is a musical voyage taking us through what I imagine might be the challenging, even menacing possibilities in sound choices in the some heroic decisions, the trials and tribulations of mix after mix submitted, some insightful compromises, sonic triumphs, and some post-mix reflection. There are two main themes. The secondary theme slowly appears first in various versions, after a timbre-oriented introduction. Solo clarinet emerges out of the orchestral texture to ‘egg on’ the orchestra, leading into the primary theme stated by the clarinet, over tympani and percussion rhythms. We are then in big band land with the primary theme transformed into jazz for a while, with a solo by tenor sax. More working out follows, with lyrical moments given to the strings and French horns." -Bevan Manson

Two-time Grammy Award winner Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players in music. It has been more than fifty-five years since he first picked up a saxophone, performing with such groups as Buddy Rich Big Band, Oliver Nelson Big Band, Thelonious Monk, The Tonight Show Band, Quartet West, and Pat Metheny’s Special Quartet. Watts has been featured on over 1,500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa, always exhibiting his unforgettable trademark sound. He gives back to the music by conducting clinics and master classes across the country, and has released an educational video “A Melodic Approach to Improvisation.”

Composer and music director Jack Elliott began his career as music director for the long-running Andy Williams television series. He would go on to serve as music director for the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, the 1984 Summer Olympics, and for 30 years served as music director for the Grammy Award Shows. His television credits include the themes to Night Court, Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and co-writer for Charlie’s Angels, Vega$, and Barney Miller. Elliott’s film credits include The Jerk, Oh God!, Sibling Rivalry and Where’s Poppa. Elliott was co-founder and music director of the American Jazz Philharmonic (formerly the New American Orchestra) and creator of the Henry Mancini Institute. He produced the American Jazz Philharmonic’s recording for GRP Records.

Bob Mintzer is a saxophonist, composer and educator and former chair of jazz studies at the Univ. of Southern California. Bob is a 30 year member as saxophonist with the Grammy Award winning band, Yellowjackets and is also the chief conductor of the WDR Big Band in Cologne Germany. Bob has written over 500 big band arrangements, several jazz study books, orchestral and chamber works. He has played on over 1,000 recordings and has performed with Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones Mel Lewis Big Band, Eddie Palmieri, Jaco Pastorius, Mike Manieri, Randy Brecker, and the New York Philharmonic.