"Nicole Mitchell (b. 1967) is a creative flutist, composer, bandleader and educator. As the founder of Black Earth Ensemble, Black Earth Strings, Ice Crystal and Sonic Projections, Mitchell has been repeatedly awarded by DownBeat Critics Poll and the Jazz Journalists Association as "Top Flutist of the Year" for the last four years (2010-2014). Mitchell's music celebrates African American culture while reaching across genres and integrating new ideas with moments in the legacy of jazz, gospel, experimentalism, pop and African percussion through albums such as Black Unstoppable (Delmark, 2007), Awakening (Delmark, 2011), and Xenogenesis Suite: A Tribute to Octavia Butler (Firehouse 12, 2008), which received commissioning support from Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works.

Mitchell formerly served as the first woman president of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), and has been a member since 1995. In recognition of her impact within the Chicago music and arts education communities, she was named "Chicagoan of the Year" in 2006 by the Chicago Tribune. With her ensembles, as a featured flutist and composer, Mitchell has been a highlight at festivals and art venues throughout Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

Ms. Mitchell is a recipient of the prestigious Alpert Award in the Arts (2011) and has been commissioned by Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, the Ravinia Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), the Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra and Maggio Fiorentino Chamber Orchestra (Florence, Italy). In 2009, she created Honoring Grace: Michelle Obama for the Jazz Institute of Chicago. She has been a faculty member at the Vancouver Creative Music Institute, the Sherwood Flute Institute, Banff International Jazz Workshop and the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her work has been featured on National Public Radio, and in magazines including Ebony, Downbeat, JazzIz, Jazz Times, Jazz Wise, and American Legacy.

Nicole MItchell is currently a Professor of Music, teaching in "Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology," (ICIT) a new and expansively-minded graduate program at the University of California, Irvine. In November 2014, ICIT was approved for the unleashing of a new MA/PhD program, which will be offered starting fall 2015. Mitchell's recent composition, Flight for Freedom for Creative Flute and Orchestra, a Tribute to Harriet Tubman, premiered with the Chicago Composers' Orchestra in December 2011 and was presented again with CCO in May 2014. She was also commisisoned by Chicago Sinfonietta for Harambee: Road to Victory, for Solo Flute, Choir and Orchestra in January 2012. Her latest commission was from the French Ministry of Culture and the Royaumont Foundation in October 2014, which supported the development and French tour of Beyond Black - a collaboration with kora master Ballake Sissoko, Black Earth Ensemble and friends. Currently Mitchell is preparing her next commission supported by the French American Jazz Exchange, entitled Moments of Fatherhood, featuring Black Earth Ensemble and the Parisian chamber group L'Ensemble Laborintus, to premiere at the Sons d'hiver Jazz Festival in late January 2015.

Among the first class of Doris Duke Artists (2012), Mitchell works to raise respect and integrity for the improvised flute, to contribute her innovative voice to the jazz legacy, and to continue the bold and exciting directions that the AACM has charted for decades. With contemporary ensembles of varying instrumentation and size (from solo to orchestra), Mitchell's mission is to celebrate the power of endless possibility by "creating visionary worlds through music that bridge the familiar and the unknown." She is endorsed by Powell flutes."

"Hamid Drake (born August 3, 1955) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. He lives in Chicago, IL but spends a great deal of time touring worldwide. By the close of the 1990s, Hamid Drake was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz and avant improvised music. Incorporating Afro-Cuban, Indian, and African percussion instruments and influence, in addition to using the standard trap set, Drake has collaborated extensively with top free-jazz improvisers. Drake also has performed world music; by the late 70s, he was a member of Foday Musa Suso's Mandingo Griot Society and has played reggae throughout his career.

Drake has worked with trumpeter Don Cherry, pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, Fred Anderson, Archie Shepp and David Murray and bassists Reggie Workman and William Parker (in a large number of lineups)

He studied drums extensively, including eastern and Caribbean styles. He frequently plays without sticks; using his hands to develop subtle commanding undertones. His tabla playing is notable for his subtlety and flair. Drake's questing nature and his interest in Caribbean percussion led to a deep involvement with reggae."

"Michel Edelin is a French jazz flautist born in Paris 25 February 1941. Self-taught, he became known for his participation in the unique recording of progressive rock band Triode 1.

In the 1980s, he created his own groups: a sextet "Flutes Encounter" with François Couturier, François Méchali, Christian Lété, Denis Barbier and Jean Querlier. Then a quartet with Nico Nissim, Andy Emler, François Méchali, Peter Gritz, François Verly and Fredy Studer. A nonet in collaboration with François Méchali in which we find members of his quartet as well as Yochk'o Seffer, Michel Godard, Philippe Legris, Maurice Magnoni, Philippe Maté, Jacques Di Donato, Tony Lakatos, Jean-François Canape, Jean Querlier, Jeff Sicard, Jean-Marc Larché.

In the 1990s, he was invited to the quintet of the flautist Dave Valentin on the occasion of his European tour (festivals of Sète, Vienna, Montreux). He participated in Jérôme Bourdellon's "Flute Europe Express" with Barry Altschul, François Méchali and Jiri Stivin. He created a new quartet with Jacques Di Donato, Jean-Jacques Avenel and Simon Goubert.

In 2000, a duet with François Méchali, Recording of a duet with the Portuguese flautist Carlos Bechegas, Creation of a trio with John Betsch and Jean-Jacques Avenel Quintet with Jacques Di Donato, François Couturier, François Méchali and Daniel Humair who recorded two discs.

He joined the group "Waraba" by Jean-Jacques Avenel with Yakhouba Sissokho, Lansiné Kouyaté and Moriba Koïta. He plays frequently in Steve Potts orchestras where he finds Sophia Domancich, Stéphane Kérecki, Bruno Rousselet, Thomas Savy, Michael Felberbaum, Richard Portier and musicians playing in his own bands.

Other events include Bénédicte Alexandre-Gil, Thierry Balasse, Jeff Boudreaux, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Manu Codja, Philippe Deschepper, Eric Groleau, Chris Hayward, Kristof Hiriart, Alain Jean-Marie and David Jisse, Francois Laizeau, Serge de Laubier, Malik Mezzadri, Phil Minton, André Minvielle, Adam Nessbaum, Ronnie Lynn Patterson, Barre Philips, Larry Schneider, Hervé Sellin, Olivier Sens, Wilfried Wedling, Louis Winsberg and Camel Zekri...

He invited the flautist Nicole Mitchell and the violist Steve Lehman to join his trio for the Sons d'hiver festival. Steve Lehman also participates in the "Dolphy Spirit" in which the three instruments of the reference musician are represented: sax alto, flute and bass clarinet (Thomas Savy). Steve Lehman is also the special guest of "Kuntu", the record of Michel Edelin Trio. Nicole Mitchell (flute) and his "Indigo Trio" (Harisson Bankhead and Hamid Drake) invite Michel Edelin for two concerts (the South Pole in Strasbourg and the festival of Junas) and a recording for Rogueart.

In 2013 he created "Flute Fever", bringing together the flute players Sylvaine Hélary, Ludivine Issambourg, bassist Peter Giron and drummer John Betsch 2.

In 2014, at the Sons d'Hiver festival, the trombonist Steve Swell (en) is the guest of the quartet which then integrates the bassist Stéphane Kérecki. Steve Swell and Michel Edelin also play a duet at the loft Rogueart.

He is scheduled at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival as part of "Spotlight on french jazz" where he plays with cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Dylan van der Schyff.

He is the author of "Ze Blue Note", opera-theater for quintet and choir of children also declined in oratorio under the title of "Voices for a Blue note". "