"William Parker is a bassist, improviser, composer, writer, and educator from New York City, heralded by The Village Voice as, "the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time."

In addition to recording over 150 albums, he has published six books and taught and mentored hundreds of young musicians and artists.

Parker's current bands include the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, In Order to Survive, Raining on the Moon, Stan's Hat Flapping in the Wind, and the Cosmic Mountain Quartet with Hamid Drake, Kidd Jordan, and Cooper-Moore. Throughout his career he has performed with Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Milford Graves, and David S. Ware, among others."

"Denis Alphonso Charles (December 4, 1933 - March 26, 1998) was a jazz drummer.

Charles was born in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and first played bongos at age seven with local ensembles in the Virgin Islands. In 1945, he moved to New York, and gigged frequently around town. In 1954, he began working with Cecil Taylor, and the pair collaborated until 1958. Following this he played with Steve Lacy, Gil Evans, and Jimmy Giuffre. He befriended Ed Blackwell, and the two influenced each other.

He recorded with Sonny Rollins on a calypso-tinged set, and then returned to time with Lacy, with whom he played until 1964. He worked with Archie Shepp and Don Cherry in 1967, but heroin addiction saw him leave the record industry until 1971. In the 1970s and 1980s, he played regularly on the New York jazz scene with Frank Lowe, David Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Bang, and others, and also played funk, rock, and traditional Caribbean music. He released three discs as a leader between 1989 and 1992, and died of pneumonia in his sleep in New York in 1998.

Charles died four days after a five-week European tour with the Borgmann/Morris/Charles (BMC) Trio, with Wilber Morris and Thomas Borgmann. His last concert with this trio took place at the Berlin's Willy-Brandt-Haus. With the BMC Trio he recorded some albums in his last two years. A fifth CD was released after he died: The Last Concert - Dankeschön, Silkheart Records, 1999.

In 2002, Veronique Doumbe released a film documentary, Denis A. Charles: An Interrupted Conversation, about the life of Charles."

"Michael Marcus (August 25, 1952) is an American jazz clarinetist and multi-woodwind player - A clarinet, bass clarinet, octavin, tarogato, soprano saxophone; also tenor, baritone, bass, C melody, and straight alto (stritch), and saxello saxophones, composer and arranger. Since releasing his debut recording as a leader, "Under the Wire" for Enja Records in 1991, he has appeared on over thirty-five records for Soul Note, Justin' Time, Not Two, Boxholder, Ayler, Drimala, CIMP and Qwest/Warner.

He has composed over 125 original/recorded compositions. Marcus was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Grant. Marcus' first professional gigs were with Albert King and Bobby "Blue" Bland. Michael has recorded and toured with the Saxemble (Frank Lowe & James Carter) and with the great Mr. Jaki Byard. With Sonny Simmons, he is the co-leader of The Cosmosamatics with 9 recordings and multiple domestic and international tours. Michael performed in a duo context with master drum legend Edgar Bateman. Marcus and Ted Daniel comprise Duology, which has collaborated with Andrew Cyrille. Michael continues to record and tour with his own group.

He has performed/recorded with: Albert King (w/Harold Attyberry, Oliver Johnson), Bobby Blue Bland (w/Mel Brown, Wayne Bennett, Morris Atchison, Joe Hardin), Sonny Simmons, Jaki Byard Trio, Rahn Burton, Billy Higgins, Carlos "Patato" Valdes, Santi De Briano, Ted Daniel, Henry Grimes, Nasheet Waits, Tarus Mateen, Jymie Merritt, Alvin Fielder, Chris Parker, Oliver Truchot, Neil Kirkwood, Warren Smith. Vince Wallace, Fred Hopkins, Philip Wilson, "Bishop" Norman Williams, B.J. PAPA, John Handy, Clifford Barbaro, Essiet Essiet, Masa Kamaguchi, Bob Cunningham, Roy Campbell, Butch Morris, Steve Neil, Eddie Henderson, Larry Hancock, Joe LaBarbra, Jay Rosen, Mel Graves, Charles & Cody Moffett, Chris Sullivan, Reggie Nicholson, Carlos Ward, Aaron James, Radu Williams, Matt Brewer, Big Joe Turner, Hill Greene, Butch Morris, Christian Ravaglioli, Jerry McKinney, Charlie Kohlhase, Drori Mondlak, Itaru Oki, Makoto Sato, Erich Hunt, Tim Price, Muziki Roberson, Carlton Holmes, Aruan Ortiz, Keith Saunders, Sam Dockery, Greg Murphy, Dwayne Burno, Mark Helias, Juni Booth, Eric Zinman, Eric Revis, Richard Clements, Hideji Taninaka, Herbie Lewis, Joe Bonner, Sid Simmons, Taru Alexander, Andrew Cyrille, Roswell Rudd, Rashaan Carter, Antoine Roney, Grachan Moncur, Francois Grillot, Eric McPherson, John Bacon Jr., Greg Piontek, Vincent Chancey, Henry Threadgill, Rudy Lawless, Leon Joyce, Daniel Levin, Bob Arkin, Tom Bruno, Art Lewis, Peter Herbert, Emil Ram, Perry Robinson, John Patton, Scott Colley, Curtis Lundy, Bob Feldman, Dave Burrell, Xavier Davis, Gene Jackson, Darrel Green, Emanuel Harrold, Reggie Workman, Tyler Mitchell, Sonny Rhodes, Donald Smith, Eddie Gladden, Dominic Duval, Cecil Wells, Newman T. Baker, Georg Wolf, Bruce Edwards, Sadiq Abdushahid, Chris Amberger, Joe McPhee, Mort Weiss, Don Friedman Trio, Heshima Mark Williams, Ron McClure, Theo Jorgensmann, Jonathan Robinson, Mike Boone, Luther Thomas, Sandor Moss, Zarak Simmons, Grant Levin, Brian Ho, Don Alberts, Kiane Zawadi, Azar Lawrence, Larry Smith, Gary Strauss, Sylvia Cuenca, Matt Vinders, Pheeron Aklaff and Wade Barnes.

Also, with Makanda Ken McIntyre Ensemble, Grachan Moncur's Big Band, Zane Massey's "Liberation Suite", Jemeel Moondoc's JUS GREW Orchestra (w/Steve Swell, Bern Nix, Chad Taylor, Gerald Cleaver, N. Breedlove & Tyronne Hill), The Saxemble (w/ Frank Lowe, James Carter & Cindy Blackman) - (2005), Joe Bowie's Defunkt, and performing in a duet with drum great, Edgar Bateman and many more great artists.

Michael in 1997-8 had the pleasure to record & tour with the late great Mr. Jaki Byard! He is extremely active in the 2000's. Co-leading the "Cosmosamatics" w/Sonny Simmons (touring & recording) - the Cosmosamatics have released eight CDs. Mr. Marcus has seen the release of "Ithem" for Ayler Records - a 1993 date with William Parker and Denis Charles, his first unaccompanied recording "Speakin' Out"(Drimala, 2002). He also cut two trio recordings for SoulNote Records "Blue Reality" and "Soulifications"(w/Tarus Mateen & Jay Rosen or w/Nasheet Waits). Current projects are: "Duology", an innovative duo of brass and Bb clarinet where he joins forces with Ted Daniel on their new release "Duology/Andrew Cyrille" 2012 on Jazzwerkstatt! Duology "Golden Atoms" on SoulNote (2008), also "Michael Marcus & Magic Door", a new and flexible group representing Michael's release for Not Two, "The Magic Door". Michael is currently focusing on his recordings and performances with the Bb clarinet, exclusively. While Michael continues to grow into new visions in the new millenium, he is now also presenting his music in the format of the traditional quartet/quintet of- "Clarinet-piano-bass-drums & percussion", keeping a flame alive! This group in includes: Jessie Crawford, John Austria, Charlie Taylor, amongst the members. Michael's newest release is now also out on Not Two Records "Lotus Symphony"(www.nottwo.com-Nov.2008) w/Taru Alexander, John Austria, Rashaan Carter, Radu Ben Judah, Jay Rosen & special guest: Antoine Roney! (2009)

Jazz clarinetist, Michael Marcus' latest NYC performances have included - Alan Jay Palmer, Rashaan Carter, Russell Carter, Dezron Douglas, Francois Grillot, David Bryant, Denton Darien, Benito Gonzalez & trumpeter Lenwood "Woody" Turner, performing his latest compositions in his quartet! 2010: The Cosmosamatics tour! 2011: Michael releases "For Yes!" on NotTwo. Invited to be part of Craig Harris' historic concert, "Breathe" (10/16/16)."