AL DI MEOLA

Al Di Meola, a guitar legend inducted into the Gallery of Greats, is one of the top guitarists of our time. His career spans four decades, during which he’s earned critical acclaim, sold millions of records, received numerous awards, and even an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Berklee College of Music. A prolific composer, he has over 30 albums as a leader and collaborations with renowned musicians. His music blends world influences with jazz, and he’s known for his soulful and lyrical guitar expression. Al’s journey began as a young guitarist, inspired by artists like Larry Coryell. He joined Chick Corea’s Return to Forever in 1974, followed by a successful solo career with landmark albums like “Land of the Midnight Sun.” His acoustic guitar trio with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin gained immense popularity, and they released iconic albums like “Friday Night in San Francisco.” Al continued to innovate and explore new musical territories.

In recent years, he revisited his love for The Beatles with an acoustic album and released “OPUS” in 2018, showcasing his evolving compositional skills. His latest work, “ACROSS THE UNIVERSE,” is a creative interpretation of Beatles songs with lush arrangements and electric guitar.Looking ahead, Al is working on an autobiography and a new solo guitar record. He’s also excited about the upcoming release of “Saturday Night in San Francisco” from the 1980 Guitar Trio tour with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia in April 2022.

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JULIE DEXTER

Julie Dexter, a British singer-songwriter and producer celebrated as one of our generation’s most influential female vocalists. With a career spanning diverse genres like jazz, reggae, soul, and beyond, Julie’s acclaimed albums and collaborations with artists like Omar and Sade showcase her unparalleled talent. Honored with the Afro Caribbean Soul of Jazz Award, Julie’s latest album “Deja Vu” seamlessly navigates through Bossa, reggae, and more, demonstrating her unique artistry and independent spirit from her base in Atlanta, Georgia.

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RACHEL THERRIEN LATIN JAZZ PROJECT

Trumpeter Rachel Therrien has established herself as one of the most innovative voices working at the crossroads of jazz and world music. This Latin Jazz Project is the fruit of her graduate studies at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, her numerous musical experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean, and her 20 years of collaboration with the Latin jazz community in Montreal, New York and Toronto. As part of this exceptional group, she offers a refined repertoire that includes original pieces and her arrangements of the great Afro-Latin jazz classics. From salsa to danzón, from rumba to chachachá, Rachel and her virtuoso accomplices will bring you to dance with their unique and original music tinged with influences from Cuba, New York and Colombia, among others. A show full of color… and heat!

The French-Canadian trumpeter, composer and producer boasts an enviable curriculum known for her very personal signature with influences from Jazz to Afro-Latin and Global Music. Rachel works between New York and Montreal.

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TAL YAHALOM TRIO

Tal Yahalom is an award-winning guitarist, composer and bandleader based in Brooklyn, New York since 2014. Drawing from a wide range of influences – spanning jazz and impressionistic classical music to Brazilian repertoire and South-American guitar traditions – Tal aims to create engaging storytelling, adventurous interplay and a deep sense of groove while expanding on the traditional roles and textural capabilities of the guitar.

As a leader, he performs regularly with diverse solo programs, a chamber-jazz quintet (set to release its debut album later this year), a collective post-rock trio KADAWA, and various trios which have featured Caroline Davis, Dan Weiss, Eivind Opsvik and Rogerio Boccato.

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JOHNATHAN BLAKE QUARTET

TJG Mentoring Series Vol. 9 presents The Johnathan Blake Quartet ftg. Dabin Ry

Johnathan Blake, one of the most accomplished drummers of his generation, has also proven himself a complete and endlessly versatile musician. Blake’s gift for composition and band leading reflects years of live and studio experience across the aesthetic spectrum. Heralded by NPR Music as “the ultimate modernist,” he has collaborated with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell, Hans Glawischnig, Avishai Cohen, Donny McCaslin, Linda May Han Oh, Jaleel Shaw, Chris Potter, Maria Schneider, Alex Sipiagin, Kris Davis and countless other distinctive voices. DownBeat once wrote, “It’s a testament to Blake’s abilities that he makes his presence felt in any context.” A frequent presence on Blue Note records over the past several years, Blake has contributed his strong, limber pulse and airy precision to multiple leader releases from Blue Note artists including Dr. Lonnie Smith’s Breathe (2021), All in My Mind (2018) and Evolution (2016) and Kenny Barron’s Concentric Circles (2018), the latter whose trio Blake has been a vital member for nearly 15 years.

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