Will Kjeer – piano
Dynamic, tenacious, and highly inventive, pianist-composer Will Kjeer has defined himself as an artist to watch, both literally and figuratively. Having cut his teeth in Los Angeles as well as his hometown of Minneapolis, MN, Will has been widely regarded in each city as a firebrand, a first-call, and a must-hear. A refined pianistic profile has garnered Will performances for audiences across America at venues including the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall in Chicago. In 2022 he was selected as the singular entering pianist into the Juilliard Jazz graduate program. Empathy and humanity are, in Will’s opinion, the most powerful reasons to be creating and sharing music in modern society, and he strives to reflect that in his writing and bandleading.

While he can often be heard performing selections from his expansive repertoire of jazz and popular classics, Will considers his own compositions to be as integral to his musical personality as his most spontaneous improvisation, each feeding the other as part of a larger sonic picture. Will’s writing reflects his own experience as an audience member, and is influenced by many genres including rock, folk, RnB, film, and classical music.

Will is an alumni of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead and of the Steans Music Institute; the 2018 winner of the Angel City Jazz Festival Young Artist Competition, a 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artist, a Jazz Fest Bonn International JazzBeet Competition finalist, a 2022 Bridges Composition Competition Winner, and is proud to have performed for Herbie Hancock as one of five piano finalists for admission to the Thelonious Monk Institute, the most prestigious higher education program in the world for jazz musicians. He holds a B.F.A. in Jazz Studies from the California Institute of the Arts.

Charlie Lincoln – bass
Charlie is a bassist located in Brooklyn, NY. He has performed with leading improvisors including Kris Davis, Dave King, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jerry Bergonzi, Eric Kamau Gravatt, and Ned Rothenberg as well as indie rock acts including Dosh and Dylan Hicks. Charlie has toured in China, Thailand, and Taiwan and has appeared at festivals and clubs across North America including The Stone, the Walker Art Center, Dizzy’s Club, and Summerfest. He studied at Berklee College of Music’s Global Jazz Institute and graduated in 2019.

Anthony Ty Johnson – drums
Anthony is a drummer based in Los Angeles, CA. He became the first touring drummer for the Tony award-winning musical Hadestown in 2021 and is now working to orchestrate and premier the drum book for Goddess the Musical, set to release in New York City this summer. When he is not on the road with Broadway, Anthony maintains an active performance career in Los Angeles when he is noted for his versatility and creativity. He holds a B.F.A. in Jazz Studies from the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied with Joe Labarbara.