About

Artistic Mission

As a composer, my work explores the intersection between contemporary jazz and the musical cultures of Brazil, Cuba, India and Spain. Drawing inspiration from indigenous traditions as well as newly evolving forms, my goals are to shine a light on the diverse practices that enrich our world; and to create a fully integrated and uplifting contribution to our shared cultures.

Mariah Parker

Mariah Parker  has been playing music from the time she could reach the keys on the grand piano in her family home. As a composer, pianist and bandleader her work crosses cultural boundaries with an exuberant quest for defying musical labels or categorization. Her academic tenure at UC Santa Cruz was distinguished by her involvement with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and the iconic drummer Mickey Hart on the “Planet Drum” project, marking her early foray into the fusion of musical traditions. Parker’s prowess as a composer and bandleader was further cemented through her vibrant performances in festivals in the U.S. and Europe. Her discography began with the critically acclaimed Sangria in February 2009, followed by Indo Latin Jazz Live in Concert in 2017, which enjoyed 16 weeks of prominence on the National Jazzweek Airplay chart. Her third album, Windows Through Time, was released in June, 2024 and has enjoyed prominence on Jazzweek and Roots Report Music charts. All three albums have been celebrated globally for their innovative soundscapes and compositional brilliance.

Collaborating Musicians

Matthew MontfortMatthew Montfort is the leader of the innovative world fusion group Ancient Future, and a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar. In 2012, he was added to the 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists list at DigitalDreamDoor.com, joining luminaries such as Michael Hedges, Chet Atkins, John Fahey, and John Renbourn. Montfort has recorded with legendary world music figures ranging from Bolivian panpipe master Gonzalo Vargas to tabla maestros Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain. He has performed concerts worldwide, including the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the Golden Coast of Spain near Barcelona and the Mumbai Festival at the Gateway of India in Bombay.

paul_m_110px_revPaul McCandless has brought a soaring lyricism to his playing and composing that has been integral to the ensemble sound of two seminal world jazz bands – the original Paul Winter Consort and the relentlessly innovative quartet, Oregon. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, McCandless has specialized in an unusually broad palette of both single and double reed instruments that reflect his grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines. As a collaborator and solo artist, he has performed on more than 200 albums and appeared with such renowned all-star musicians as Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Wynton Marsalis, Lyle Mays, Mark Isham, Steve Reich, Al Jarreau, Bruce Hornsby, Art Lande, and Carla Bley.

Mark WalkerMark Walker is a Grammy/Latin Grammy Award–winning drummer, a Grammy Award–nominated composer, and a renowned author and educator originally from Chicago. Currently a member of Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s group, he is one of the only American drummers equally at home with authentic South American and Caribbean rhythms, straight-ahead jazz, rock, funk and studio drumming. Since 1989, he has performed around the world, touring extensively and/or recording with the group Oregon (with Ralph Towner), Paquito D’Rivera, Lyle Mays, Michel Camilo among others.

Claudia Villela is an award-winning singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro. Her impressive five-octave range coupled with her intuitive improvisations have drawn fans from around the world and let to performances at music festivals such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, SF Jazz and Jazz at Filoli. She has released seven albums of her own work and collaborated with greats such as

Sascha Jacobsen is a Latin Grammy nominated composer, orchestrator, arranger, orchestrator, and bassist who has performed with Kronos Quartet, Rita Moreno, Hugh Jackman, Martin Short, Mandy Patinkin & Patti LuPone, Marc Shaiman, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrew Lippa, Eddie Duran, and many others..

Kendrick Freeman is a first-call Bay Area drummer, percussionist, and teacher with an extensive background in both drum set and hand drums, having studied with American artists and musicians from Ghana, Congo, and the Caribbean. His drum set and traditional drumming studies inform each other, and he has performed with a wide range of Bay area artists including woodwind virtuoso Paul McCandless, Ricardo Peixoto, Ruben Valtierra, national dobro ace Rob Ickes, string wizard Joe Craven and Americana singer/songwriters Sean Carscadden and Keith Greeninger.

Jim Hurley is well known for his performances and recordings with Ritchie Blackmore (rock legend turned Celtic and Renaissance musician), American roots music leaders such as Grammy winners Queen Ida and Al Rapone, swing legend Dan Hicks’ Acoustic Warriors, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (with Jon Anderson from Yes), Kenneth Nash (Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Dizzie Gillespie alumnus), Al Stewart, Josh Groban, Smokey Robinson, Stanley Jordan, the Waybacks, Tempest, and many other artists and ensembles. He has toured Europe and Japan and performed at numerous major music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

bios_brianrice_sm_110pxBrian Rice is a freelance percussionist with a B.M. in Percussion Performance and Ethnomusicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. A well-rounded musician, Brian is a highly acclaimed performer, educator, and recording artist adept at numerous musical styles including Latin, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and contemporary music. Brian currently performs with several groups, including Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso, and Antionio Calogero Quartet (featuring Paul McCandless and Mike Manring).

mg_110px_optMichaelle Goerlitz A talented percussionist with a focus on Brazilian, Afro Cuban, Venezuelan and Peruvian rhythms. She was a founding member of two renowned & long-term projects, the Blazing Redheads and Wild Mango. Both groups blended many different styles which showcased Michaelle’s versatile percussive skills. Michaelle has played, recorded and toured with Mark Levine, Wayne Wallace, Houston Pearson, Denise Perrier, Joan Jeanrenaud, the Pickpocket Ensemble, Samba Rio, Novo Tempo, Bossa 5-0, and many others.

bios_ian_2Ian Dogole For nearly 30 years, Ian Dogole has articulated his vision of Global Fusion Music as a multipercussionist, bandleader, educator, recording artist, composer and producer. He has released seven recordings and a DVD as a band leader, and has recorded and performed with artists such as Hamza el Din, Tito La Rosa, and Alex DeGrassi. His instrumental array includes drums and melodic instruments from Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia. He has received numerous grants, including a Jazz Performance Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and multiple grants from the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music (SFFCM).

bio_kk_yoshisKash Killion is a first-call bassist and cellist who records and performs with various ethnic music ensembles and chamber orchestras ranging from the Sun Ra Arkestra to Cuban/Salsa bands such as Roberto Borrell y Orquesta La Moderna Tradición. With over a hundred recordings to his credit, he has played extensively with musical icons such as B.B. King, Cecil Taylor, John Zorn, Julius Hemphill, Reggie Workman, Sun Ra, Butch Morris, Paul Murphy, Glen Spearman, George Lewis, Alvin Baptiste, Chocolate Armenteros, Richard Egues, Larry Willis, Steve Berrios, and Francisco Aquabella.