Kurt Rosenwinkel

Kurt Rosenwinkel (USA, 1970) began studying jazz guitar at the age of twelve, when he enrolled at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, where he met other students who would go on to become renowned professional musicians, including jazz double bassist Christian McBride and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the future drummer of the hip-hop group The Roots, with whom Rosenwinkel would collaborate many years later. His professional career began after he completed his studies at Berklee College of Music, when vibraphonist Gary Burton invited him to join his touring band. His move to New York in the mid-1990s enabled him to broaden the scope of his collaborations. The years that followed were marked by intense activity as a sideman for artists such as Paul Motian, Brian Blade, Joe Henderson and Geri Allen, among others.

Nicola Andrioli

Nicola Andrioli is an Italian pianist and composer whose musical language develops at the intersection of the European classical tradition and contemporary jazz. His artistic journey was initially shaped by post-Romantic and twentieth-century music, particularly the French and Russian Impressionist composers, later enriched by the harmonic language of John Coltrane and the influences of free jazz. Throughout his musical training, he studied with musicians such as Kenny Barron, Barry Harris, Kevin Hays, Aaron Goldberg, Enrico Pieranunzi and Dave Liebman. He has collaborated with leading figures in international jazz, including Toots Thielemans, Joshua Redman, Archie Shepp, Richard Galliano, Dino Saluzzi and Kurt Rosenwinkel. A regular pianist with guitarist Philip Catherine, he is also part of the artistic community surrounding Heartcore Records, the label founded by Rosenwinkel. Alongside his work as a performer and composer, he teaches piano at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium.

Dario Deidda

Born in Salerno, Italy, in 1968, Dario Deidda is a bassist, double bassist, composer and arranger, recognised for his distinctive approach to the electric bass in contemporary jazz. Coming from a family of musicians, he began studying music in childhood, initially playing piano and drums before specialising in the double bass, in which he graduated from the Conservatory of Salerno. With a profound knowledge of jazz tradition and the classic repertoire of the American songbook, he has developed a distinctive musical language that combines melodic expressiveness and improvisational freedom with the versatility of the electric bass. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with musicians such as Michel Petrucciani, Marcus Miller, Benny Golson, Randy Brecker, Enrico Rava and Kurt Rosenwinkel, regularly contributing to the latter’s projects. In 2003, he released 3 From the Ghetto, his debut album as a bandleader, followed by several other works, including My Favourite Strings Vol. 1 (2017). Having been voted Italy’s Best Bassist eight consecutive times at the Jazzit Awards, he also maintains an active teaching career, having taught jazz electric bass at the Conservatory of Salerno since 2004.

Joe Peri

Originally from New Jersey, USA, Joe Peri is a drummer, percussionist and educator whose career has developed across the North American and European jazz scenes. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with John Riley, he established himself in New York, performing at renowned venues such as Birdland, Smalls and Dizzy’s Club. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with musicians including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brad Mehldau, Peter Bernstein, Seamus Blake and Dave Kikoski. He also contributed to the recording of Love for Sale (2021), the album by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga that received a Grammy Award. In 2023, he released Perillä, his debut album as a bandleader, on the Finnish label Flame Jazz Records. Now based in Finland, he maintains an active international career, regularly collaborating with the Kaisa’s Machine project while also teaching at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

Ben Wendel

Born in Vancouver, Canada, Ben Wendel is a leading saxophonist and composer in contemporary jazz, recognised for the originality of his musical language and his ability to build bridges between jazz, chamber music and sonic experimentation. Based in Brooklyn, New York, he has developed a career characterised by artistic versatility, both as a performer and as a composer and producer. He is a founding member of Kneebody, a group renowned for its innovative approach to jazz and nominated for a Grammy Award.