Kevin’s initial career move was to the University of North Florida and a budding if little-known jazz program. There he met and performed with, and went on to record and tour with, a number of monumental artists who had settled into that burgeoning North Florida jazz scene. Giants like Wynton Marsalis, Louie Bellson, Eddie Daniels, James Moody, Ben Tucker, Ira Sullivan, Sam Rivers, and Nat Adderley. He counts among his mentors bassist Ben Tucker, multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, guitar legends Nathen Page and Jack Petersen, and the fiercely individual saxophonist Bunky Green. His meeting with Bunky Green led to five years of tours. His encounter with guitarist Nathen Page blossomed into 15 years of spot tours and four albums. And his work with trumpeter extraordinaire Marcus Printup has become a lifetime association that has included recordings on Blue Note/Capital records. Ten years touring and recording with vocal iconoclast Rene Marie culminated in a Grammy Nominated album.

Few artists have the patience for teaching – as are few teachers accomplished players. But Kevin has amassed a reputation for his prowess in both professions. While still a senior at North Florida he was drafted into a full teaching load, and continued to be an integral part of the school’s jazz program for upwards of a decade. Today, Kevin manages his own jazz program, overseeing an ambitious schedule of ambitious jazz students.

Robert Boone Jr, is the drummer for The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra.The Count Basie Orchestra, directed by Scotty Barnhart, won 18 Grammy Awards, performed for Kings, Queens, and other world Royalty, appeared in several movies, television shows, at every major jazz festival and major concert hall in the world. The latest honors are the 2018 Downbeat Readers Poll Award as the #1 Jazz Orchestra in the world, and a Grammy Nomination for their 2018 acclaimed recording, All About That Basie, which features special guests Stevie Wonder, Jon Faddis, Take 6, and Kurt Elling among others.
He has collaborated with leading artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tyrone Jackson, Rodney Jordan, Eric Reed, Leon Anderson, Ron McCurdy, Scotty Barnhart, Veronica Swift, and Marcus Roberts. The Blue Note, Birdland, Churchill Grounds, Velvet Note, Cobb Energy Centre, and The Sydney Opera House are some of the venues Boone has performed in.

Boone grew up in Augusta, Georgia where he still calls home and gives back to the community that supported him throughout the years. Robert performs for the nursing homes and numerous schools in the Augusta area whenever he can.

He received an undergraduate degree in Music Performance at Kennesaw State University, studying with professors John Lawless and Justin Chesarek. It was at KSU where he was selected to participate in the 2015 Disneyland All American College Band. He also attended Florida State University where he received his Masters Degree in Jazz Studies.

Randy Hoexter is a jazz pianist, composer and educator living in Atlanta. He is currently the Director of Education at the Atlanta Institute of Music.

His recent release, “Fromage” Featuring bassist Jimmy Haslip, Drummer Dave Weckl, and the finest of Atlanta jazz musicians has been receiving rave reviews. His previous recording “Radiant” with Mike Stern, Dave Weckl and more, also received critical acclaim.

Randy’s keyboard work can be heard on many records and commercials; his talents have been sought by artists as diverse as guitarists Jimmy Herring , Bill Hart and Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers), drummers Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs), Sonny Emory (Earth, Wind and Fire, Bruce Hornsby) and Jeff Sipe, bassists Chuck Rainey (Steely Dan) and Adam Nitti, saxophonist George Howard, gospel group “NewSong,” Atlanta Symphony Pops, Georgia Symphony Jazz, and others.

As a commercial composer, Randy has written and produced music for Bank of America, Yamaha Corporation, Univision, Nippon Television (Japan) Timberland, 615 Music, Arby’s, Kohler, Novo/Nordisk, SunSports (Fox Sports Florida) and many others, and produces records for local and regional artists.

Randy has taught Theory, Jazz Improvisation, Production and Composition at the Atlanta Institute of Music since 1988, and currently serves as Director of Education. In that capacity, he has worked with many notable artists including Peter Erskine, John Scofield, Robben Ford, Victor Wooten, Joel Rosenblatt, Wayne Krantz and Scott Henderson. Randy is also on the faculty of Lagrange College, where he teaches jazz piano and jazz theory.

Atlanta based Saxophonist, Composer, and Educator Chris Otts has been active in the Atlanta music scene since moving to the area in 2010. Otts is currently Artist Affiliate in Jazz Saxophone at Georgia State University. In addition to his teaching, Otts is an award winning performer, composer, and arranger for many groups of varying styles. Most recently Otts was recognized for the compositions on his debut album Layers for which he received the BMI Future Jazz Masters Scholarship.
As a performer Otts has been able to share the stage and collaborate with incredible jazz artists including Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, Jim Snidero, Scotty Barnhart, Paquito D’Rivera, and Kenny Werner. Otts is well versed in all styles of music and has worked with several pop and rock bands including performing with Blood Sweat and Tears and recording with The Whigs 2016 release “Live in Little Five”.

The Chris Otts Group debut album “Layers” features some of the finest musicians Atlanta has to offer. The group has performed at numerous jazz venues throughout the southeast as well as jazz festivals including the Appalachian Wine and Jazz Festival, and the Candlelight Jazz Festival. Several prominent reviewers have remarked positively on the album.

Otts remains an active performer, educator, and composer throughout the Southeast. To hear music, view upcoming show dates, or any other inquires visit Otts’s website at chrisotts.com

Ben Weatherford is currently the adjunct Professor of Jazz Guitar at Columbus State University, where he teaches Jazz and contemporary music concepts to both Jazz and Classical guitar students. He is a sought after educator that teaches at multiple institutions in the region. Ben has been a featured guest artist and clinician at Jacksonville State University as well as Columbus State University and has performed with John Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi, Anat Cohen, Nnenna Freelon, and John Mayer.
In addition to Jazz Education, Ben Weatherford is a working musician that performs in multiple genres and ensembles throughout the southeast. This professional experience informs his Jazz Guitar Studio providing students important insight into the skills necessary to flourish as a professional musician. Ben holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Georgia State University and Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Berklee College of Music.

Dr. Gordon Vernick is an Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Georgia State University. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY; a Master of Music in Education from the University of Miami, and a Doctor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley.
As a professional trumpet player, he has performed in all musical mediums from symphony orchestra to jazz quartet and has free¬lanced all over the world. He is currently active in the Southeast United States as a clinician, an adjudicator, and as a freelance trumpet player.
As a jazz educator, he is the past president of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators, past chair of the International Association of Jazz Educators Curriculum Committee. He is currently the Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth High School Jazz Band and the musical director of the Rialto Jazz for Kids middle school jazz program. He co-wrote the college textbook, Jazz History Overview, published by Kendall-Hunt. The text is in its 2nd printing and has been adopted by numerous universities around the country.
He is director he GSU Faculty Jazztet which performs regularly in Atlanta and has appeared at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the High Museum Jazz Series, the International Association for Jazz Education Conference and many other venues in the southeast. He has performed with such world-renown jazz artists as Kenny Werner, Clare Fischer, John Hart, Kevin Hays, Conrad Herwig, Marc Copland, Randy Brecker, Paul McCandless, and many others.
His podcasts, Jazz Insights, are available on I-Tunes and all 225 of them will soon be available on his new website: jazzinsights.org.