Ron Wilson has been playing jazz guitar since he heard Ed Bickert play (1974). He was accepted into Herb Pomeroy's arranging classes at Berklee (Boston, MA) in 1984 where he studied Line Writing, Arranging in the style of Duke Ellington, and Jazz Composition. While in Boston, he attended additional classes for Harmony and Theory as well as lessons with Whit Browne, Al Defino, Tim Hagens, and Ed Tomassi. In 1987, he moved to Pittsburgh.

Ron has been gigging with the local jazz musicians since his arrival, both as a sideman and recently as leader in small ensembles.

Thomas Wendt has been playing the drums professionally since the age of 14. He has studied with master drummers Roger Humphries, Joe Harris, and Kenny Washington. Thomas maintains a busy freelancing schedule with Pittsburgh’s top jazz artists such as Gene Ludwig, Dwayne Dolphin, Jimmy Ponder, Joe Negri, Sean Jones, Sandy Staley, Maureen Budway, Kenia, and the Latin jazz group, Salsamba. He has also played with many visiting international artists like David “Fathead” Newman, Donald Byrd, James Moody, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Monty Alexander, and Javon Jackson. Thomas recently played on the Emmy Award winning soundtrack for the PBS documentary, “Fly Boys”. Since 1998 he has been on the faculty at the Afro-American Music Institute in Homewood.

One of Pittsburgh's finest tenor sax players, Lou is "just old enough" to have played the Hurricane during it's most popular years with John Bartell's group.

Lou was born in Pittsburgh. He started playing at 10 years old. Many of his musical adventures have taken him from coast to coast. Having achieved over 50 years in the music business, Lou has played with and recorded with many different groups.

Donna Bailey has recently released a CD with Lou, as well as Salsamba, Dwayne Dolphin, the Roger Humphries Band and his long time friend - Gene Ludwig.

He can be seen every Thursday at CJ's in the strip with Roger Humphries.

Gordon Grottenthaler has been a professional drummer since 1985. After receiving his Bachelor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music in 1986, he spent the rest of the 1980's and 90's playing stints in Boston with jazz greats Tal Farlow, James Williams, Geoff Keezer, Steve Nelson, Billy Pierce, and Herb Pomeroy as well as a four-year stint with pianist Art Matthews. He spent four years touring the United States with Jay Geils and Magic Dick (formerly with the J. Geils Band) in their band Bluestime. In 2005, Grottenthaler did an extensive tour of Europe with blues icon Duke Robillard. Other blues credits include the legendary Robert Lockwood Jr., David Maxwell, TJ Wheeler, Detroit Jr., Paul Richelle & Annie Raines, and Brian Lee. Gordon currently resides in Pittsburgh and works with Jessica Lee, Don Aliquo, Sunny Sunseri, Jerry Lucerelli, and others. While in Vancouver, Canada in 2006; he recorded a CD with rock/blues superstar Randy Bachman (formerly of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who) entitled Jazz Thing II, which is currently available on Ranbach Music.

Check out his website: http://www.ggdrummer.com

Dwayne Dolphin is a veteran player of multiple basses: the acoustic, electric, and piccolo bass, and has performed all over the world with the legendary masters of Jazz and Funk music. Dwayne's career began over twenty five years ago with the Wynton Marsalis Quintet.

Hank Crawford became the training ground for this young bassist that baptize him in the world of the Blues. It was at this point Dwayne began his rites of passage that created a demand for his skill with the likes of Hank Jones, Abbey Lincoln, Stanley Turrentine, John Hicks, Geri Allen, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker. 2004 appeared on Nancy Wilsons Grammy Award winning R.S.V.P Cd. Dwayne's onerous journey naturally led him to the juncture of venturing out on his own and creating his own sound.

Dwayne's evolutionary experience led to the selection of the piccolo bass as the primary instrument and choice to become the voice to communicate his thoughts and tell his musical story. The distinct and unique sound of the piccolo bass creates the perfect atmosphere for it’s listener to grasp a language that is most understood by musicians thus making it accessible to anyone that may encounter its "voice."

Dwayne can be heard playing the piccolo bass on "4 Robin" (Released 2004) and "Ming" (Released 2006).

For More Info: http://dwaynedolphinmusic.com

While still in grade school, Don Aliquo began playing professionally in dance bands and jazz groups, frequently alongside RCBB Music Director Bob Bernat. After a stint in the Walter Reed Army Hospital Band, Don graduated from IUP. A highly respected and imaginative teacher, Don recently retired from his music faculty position in the Highlands School District. Don describes himself as an ininerant, free-lance musician who has played all the major theatres and clubs in Pittsburgh. He also performed in all the city’s jazz festivals of rencent years and with the big bands of Woody Herman, John Wilson, Hal Case, Johnny Long and Dean Hudson. Highly versatile, Don plays all the saxophones, as well as flute, clarinet, and vocals.

Gene Ludwig was born in Twin Rocks, PA on September 4, 1937. His family moved to Swissvale, PA in 1941, where Gene spent most of his youth and graduated from Swissvale High School in 1955. His mother provided young Gene with piano lessons as early as the first grade at age 6 and witnessed his musical growth from then on. She would have preferred that he become a concert pianist but soon realized that his musical preference lay in Rhythm and Blues. Gene met Jimmy Smith in 1957 and that meeting spurred a major change in Gene's career - he wanted to play the Hammond organ. Two years later he bought his first Hammond organ (1959) and has never regretted his decision.

Gene Ludwig has played with the best and has been in the game for over 48 years and still going strong. A tasty player, clearly of the Jack McDuff/Jimmy Smith school of the Hammond B-3, he is probably one of the cleanest and most refined of the mainstream players on the scene today... and well respected by his collegues. With over 20 recordings under his own name, 5 CD's in the last 8 years, he knows where he came from and how he got where he is....no frills, nothing pretentious....just SOLID ORGAN GROOVE.

For more information about Gene Ludwig visit www.geneludwig.com.

Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one. With a vacancy in the high school jazz orchestra, he took up the double bass.