"Clarinetist Peter Kuhn came up in the 1970s. In those days, one could count the number of modern jazz clarinet specialists on one hand: John Carter, Perry Robinson, Theo Jorgensmann, Alvin Batiste and-if you include the bass clarinet-Michel Pilz. So, one hand and a finger. Still associated with Benny Goodman, Dixieland and Swing, the clarinet was considered deeply uncool in the age of fusion. The uncompromising music of these brave souls did little to sway anyone who was not predisposed towards the oddball avant-garde end of the jazz spectrum. All of this changed, however, during the 1980s. Kuhn's work got documented on top-drawer European labels such as Black Saint and Hat Hut. Via a string of undeniably magical recordings for Gramavision and Black Saint, John Carter's genius as an instrumentalist and composer was finally recognized in glossy jazz periodicals. A new generation of clarinetists, led by Don Byron, started getting some attention which led to clarinet-led gigs and major label recordings with the likes of Jack DeJohnette and Bill Frisell. Tragically, as the stock of jazz clarinet rose, the avatars of that previous generation did not fare well at all. Carter died far too young, while Kuhn and Robinson slowly sank into even greater obscurity.

Several decades on, Kuhn has revitalized his music career while finding deeper meaning by practicing in the Plum Village Zen Buddhist tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. These days, his main gig is helping others find freedom from addiction via the Prison Meditation Project of San Diego, California. This has added considerable depth to Kuhn's music in unexpected ways. As Kuhn himself puts it, "The beautiful thing is that I have a life of meaning and value before I pick up the horn. I'm not living a life predicated on the success of a record or the next gig. My life already has meaning, and when I pick up the horn, I'm picking it up as a whole person, and anything from there is just abundance." "

"Kyle Motl is a bassist, composer, and improviser. Active in a variety of ensembles and settings, Kyle's work crosses the boundaries between idioms as wide as free jazz, contemporary concert music, and extreme metal. Current interests include extended harmonic techniques for solo bass improvisation, electroacoustic performance with live electronics and improvising software, modular compositional schemes, recursive and generative structuring, and exploration of complex sonic spectra.

Kyle is a member of the Peter Kuhn Trio, and has been performing in quartet and trio with Abbey Rader since 2011. He maintains regular duo projects with T.J. Borden, Adam Tinkle, and Drew Ceccato. The Kyle Motl Trio, featuring Kjell Nordeson and Tobin Chodos is a collaborative platform for new compositions weaving complex structures together with free improvisation. Kyle has performed alongside artists including Anthony Davis, Kidd Jordan, Mary Halvorson, Roscoe Mitchell, Mark Dresser, and Wadada Leo Smith, among others.

Kyle holds a BM from Florida Atlantic University and an MM from Florida International University. He is a DMA candidate at UC San Diego, where he studies bass with Mark Dresser."

"Percussionist/Composer/Instrument Builder Nathan Hubbard works in many different fields, but in general his work shows a decided interest in exploring the possibilities of sound and embracing the passing of time. This interest in sound can be seen in everything from his extended sound language as an improvisor to his homemade and found instruments. The different rates of passing time become relevant as both a rhythmic impetus and defining element in his compositions and their changing definitions of form, shape and outcome. Musically his explorations range from solo improvisations through small group collaborations to large scale compositions for his twenty-six member large ensemble, Skeleton Key Orchestra. As a composer his works range from solo pieces to medium scale works for a variety of ensembles, works for tape, electronics and acoustic instruments, large works for orchestras, creative orchestras and traditional big bands as well as pieces involving text, voice and other media. In the last several years Hubbard has been more involved with musical situations incorporating acoustics, enviroments and field recordings. His work as an artist can be seen on several of his CD covers and his work as an engineer and producer can be heard on almost all of his recordings. His current projects include solo performances, collaborations with Curtis Glatter (Glatter/Hubbard) and ARC Trio, as well as leading his own quintet (Nathan Hubbard/Passengers) and the large ensemble Nathan Hubbard Skeleton Key Orchestra. In addition to all this work, Hubbard has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Jacob Adler, Roger Aplon, David Borgo, Paul Carman, Castanets, Alex Cline, Anthony Davis, Michael Dessen, Mark Dresser, Tim DuRoche, Brad Dutz, Harris Eisenstadt, Marcos Fernandes, Justin Grinnell, Vinny Golia, Phillip Greenlief, Rick Helzer, Bill Horist, Mike Keneally, Paul Kikuchi, Ted Killian, Steuart Liebig, George Lewis, Doug Lunn, Noah Phillips, Garth Powell, Rafter, Jason Robinson, Tim Root, Scott Rosenberg, Jim Ryan, Chris Schlarb, Theodore Sistrunk, Moe! Staiano, GE Stinson, Kenseth Thibideau, Kris Tiner, Bertram Turetzky, Phillip Wachsmann and Nazo Zakkak."