Steve Wiest is a multiple Grammy-nominated trombonist, composer, author, and cartoonist. The former soloist and writer for Maynard Ferguson, Steve went on to perform on the road with Doc Severinsen and the Old Tonight Show Orchestra as well as many other artists. Steve has numerous recordings out as a leader, the most recent of which is the second album (BLUE) from the critically-acclaimed all-star horn band Vinyl Hampdin. Along with being the trombonist with the group, Wiest composed and arranged all the tracks for their debut RED, as well as their new release, BLUE.

In the world of jazz education, Steve was formerly the Director of the One O’Clock Lab Band at The University of North Texas where the band under his direction was nominated for two Grammy awards. Following UNT, Wiest was Co-Chair of Jazz Studies at The University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. Before his tenure at UNT, Steve was Director of Jazz and Trombone at UW-Whitewater. In high demand as a clinician, composer and conductor, Steve has directed many all-state ensembles and continues to appear as a guest artist and clinician all over the world.

Steve now teaches jazz trombone at Elmhurst University and is an artist for Edwards Instruments playing the custom “Excalibur” version of the T302 and the Griego-Steve Wiest Mouthpiece exclusively. His compositions and arrangements can be found via Excelcia Publishing as well as Ben Patterson’s Pro Jazz Charts (PJC). Steve’s new book on lead trombone playing titled “Leadology” is available at leadtrombone.com To learn more about Steve, please visit steve-wiest.com

Joey Tartell is Professor of Trumpet and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.  Before joining the faculty, he enjoyed a career as an in-demand lead and freelance trumpet player.  Joey was the lead player for Maynard Ferguson, touring the United States, Australia, Asia, and Europe, and can be heard on the recording “These Cats Can Swing.”  He also played lead for the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, including a State Department tour of Egypt; the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, including a State Department tour of India and appearances at the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals; and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.  

Although teaching full time, Mr. Tartell remains an active performer.  He is a regular guest lead trumpet/soloist with several orchestras for Pops concerts, including serving as the Guest Principal for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s entire 2014-15 Pops season.  Joey has also played with the St. Louis, Houston, Cincinnati, Detroit, National Arts Centre (Ottawa), and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras.  Also active in the recording studios, he has recorded for the Bob and Tom Show, Hal Leonard Publications, Shawnee Press, Cedar Point Amusement Park, Williams Gaming, and many others.  Joey has also toured with Boston Brass and Canadian Brass.  

Mr. Tartell is also active as a soloist and clinician.  Recently, he has been a featured soloist and clinician at both the International Trumpet Guild conference and the National Trumpet Competition.  He maintains an active calendar as a clinician nationally, presenting clinics from Boise, Idaho to Tallahassee, Florida last year.  

Joey has a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he was also awarded a Performer’s Certificate.  He had the great fortune to study with Barbara Butler, Mel Broiles, Gil Johnson, and Vince DiMartino.

In addition to his position with the University of Illinois School of Music, Professor Chip McNeill is Musical Director and Jazz Tenor Saxophonist for Grammy award-winning recording artist, Arturo Sandoval. He has toured with and recorded the compact discs (CDs) Americana and Hot House with Arturo Sandoval. In 1998, Hot House won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz recording. To his credit, Professor McNeill won a Grammy for his performance on Hot House, and two of his charts were nominated for Grammys from the recording. Professor McNeill also has performed and toured with the legendary jazz trumpeter, Maynard Ferguson, with whom he has produced, written, and performed on several CDs, including Live in London, These Cats Can Swing, and Maynard Ferguson’s final CD, The One and Only. He has recorded performances with Nat Adderley, David Liebman, Duffy Jackson, Ira Sullivan, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Ted Shumate, and Larry Willis. Professor McNeill’s most recent CD is “The Whirl” on Armored Records.

He has performed with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, and Wynton Marsalis. Professor McNeill has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Monterey Jazz Festival in California, and Noto Jazz Festival in Japan. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall in Sydney, Australia, and the London Palladium. He also has performed for jazz radio and television productions in Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, and Indonesia. Before joining the University of Illinois School of Music, he was Chair of Jazz Studies at Florida International University in Miami and Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg.

Professor McNeill believes in adapting to the learning styles and needs of each of his students. Being an active performer allows him to provide his students with leading-edge jazz training. He notes, “My role as teacher and mentor includes sharing my experience as a performer and helping my students remain open to technique, technologic, and cultural changes that affect music and how they play.”

Emeritus Professor of Music, Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Saxophone at Missouri State University, joined the faculty at MSU in 1989.  Mr Hamm is also Executive Director/ CEO of the Missouri Jazz Orchestra. While studying at the University of North Texas, Mr. Hamm was a member of the internationally acclaimed One O’clock Lab Band. He maintains an active performance schedule and his work as a composer, arranger, and featured soloist can be heard on the Arabesque, Seabreeze, and Origin/OA2 record labels. Hamm has released two solo CD’s on the Encore Music Presents (EMP) record label, “Yellow Cadenza” and “Abstract Thought.” 

Allen is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia where he performed in virtually all ensembles using trumpets and graduated in 1980. In 1984 he met and became one of many students of Bobby Shew.

Allen has performed with jazz artists Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Bellson, Conte Condoli, Bobby Shew, John Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Pete Christlieb, Buddy DeFranco, Bill Watrous, Gary Foster, Randy Brecker, Bobby Watson, Kim Richmond, Clay Jenkins, John Fedchock, Pat Coil and Conrad Herwig.

As a working commercial trumpet player some of the entertainers and singers Allen has performed for include Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Mel Torme, Jack Jones, John Davidson, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Hope, Wayne Newton, Bob Newhart, Phyllis Diller, Frank Gorshin, Glen Campbell, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The O’Jays, Little Anthony and The Imperials, Jan &Dean, The Beach Boys, and Manhattan Transfer.

Allen is a former Jazz Trumpet Instructor for The University of Missouri-St. Louis and Columbia Music Departments. He also is a faculty member of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Jazz Camp and former faculty at Drury College Jazz Camp.

When residing in Missouri, Allen performed regularly with the Jim Widner Big Band, The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, The Dave Dickey Big Band, The University of Missouri Jazz Allstars Combo, and The Norm Ruebling Band. 

Since moving to Pensacola, Fl. In August of 2019 he has become a member of the Mobile Big Band Society, The Freedom Jazz Dectet and works in several jazz combos and cover bands along the Emerald Coast.

In 2004 Allen released his first recording as leader entitled “First Time Out” on the Chase Music Group Label. Allen’s second solo album was released in October of 2019 entitled “Tell Me Again”.

Ken Kehner is an active performer, educator, and clinician.  He holds a degree in Piano Performance from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where he served as staff accompanist, and later joined the faculty as an adjunct jazz instructor.  He was a member of the jazz faculty at University of MO-St. Louis from 2002-2020.  Ken is currently a faculty member at Westminster College, where he serves as piano instructor.  He is also jazz piano instructor at Lindenwood University.  

Ken has backed such noted jazz artists as Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Buddy DeFranco, Pete Christlieb, Eric Marienthal, Louie Bellson, and Clark Terry.   

Ken has been featured on recordings with the Jim Widner Big Band, Andy Firth, Ryan Kisor, Willie Thomas, Arch Martin, Allen Beeson, Hennessy Brothers and others.  In 2012, he released his first recording as a leader, "From This Moment On" (Eye-full Tower Records). This trio CD features Marty Morrison on drums and Nick Jost on bass.

An accomplished classical pianist, Ken has been featured as soloist with several orchestras in the Midwestern United States.  He maintains an active private studio of piano and vocal students, and stays busy as an accompanist for both vocal and instrumental recitals.  

Glen Smith was born into a home where music was always playing and everyone in the family played an instrument. Glen took up the guitar when he was 12 years old and shortly thereafter was performing at parties and dances in a band with his Father. Glen went to college to study music theory and classical guitar before leaving to travel with a number of national touring acts. Glen returned to St. Louis where he spent years as an A-List bass player, working shows at venues like the Fox Theatre, Powel Hall, and Jazz at the Bistro. Glen has performed with the St. Louis Symphony, the SLSO Pops orchestras, and the SLSO InUnison Chorus. He has also played for featured performers including Frankie Laine, Leslie Uggams, Sergio Franchi, Perry Como, Carol Lawrence, Rosemary Clooney, The Four Tops, Take 6, Larnelle Harris, Jennifer Holliday, and Mel Torme, to name a few. Glen has been an active part of the STL music scene for over 40 years. He is humbled to play with some of the finest musicians in the world who live and work right here in St. Louis.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Kevin attended St. Louis Community College, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Webster University. Kevin has been teaching jazz percussion at Webster University since 1983.  He has served as a faculty member for the International Summer Jazz Academy in Poland, the Webster Summer Jazz Combo Camp, the Strike Institute, Jim Widner Summer Jazz Camps, and Mineral Area Summer Jazz Camps. He has toured internationally, and is in demand as guest artist, clinician, festival adjudicator, and performer.

In addition to being on the Webster University Jazz Faculty, he is also a member of the St. Charles Community College Jazz Faculty, Brilliant Corners, The Dave Dickey Big Band, Jazz St. Louis Big Band, and The Hard Bop Heritage Quintet.

Among the numerous artists and organizations with whom he has performed with are Michael Buble, Nancy Wilson, Diane Schuur, Idina Menzel, Christine Ebersole, Billy Stritch, Chris Potter, Billy Childs, Maynard Ferguson, Jon Faddis, Terry Gibbs, Rob McConnell, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, Bob Newhart, Jay Leno, Don Rickles, The St. Louis Municipal Opera (Muny), and The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Kevin is one of the busiest musicians in St Louis playing many styles of music.  Not only known playing many different styles and settings in music, but he is also known as a well-known private drum instructor.  Many of his students make the Missouri All-State Jazz Ensemble each year.  

Jordan Leftridge is a dynamic saxophonist hailing from St. Louis, now making waves on the scene in New York City. Growing up with a passion for music, Jordan's approach to the saxophone has earned him accolades and recognition as an award-winning artist. He has his Bachelors and Master of Music degrees from Manhattan School of Music. His performances are imbedded with soulful melodies and spontaneous rhythms, captivating audiences and fellow musicians alike. As a talented young saxophonist on the rise, Jordan surrounds himself with other great young musicians, pushing the boundaries and limits of his craft while captivating listeners with his intriguing sound and unique approach to music