"Aurora Nealand: An established bandleader, composer, performer and improviser, Aurora Nealand has become a prominent force in the New Orleans music scene since she first arrived in 2004. Combining the "formal education" - a music composition degree from Oberlin Conservatory and training at the Jacques Lecoq School of Physical Theatre in Paris - with the "informal" experience of playing music in the streets and clubs of New Orleans and throughout the northern Hemisphere, Nealand has emerged as an innovative, sensitive and daring music creator and performer.

She is most recognized for her performance on saxophones, clarinet and vocals and has been at the forefront of the revival of New Orleans Traditional Jazz amongst the younger generation of the city's musicians. After playing and learning as a sideman in established New Orleans Bands for several years, (Panorama Jazz Band, VaVaVoom, The New Orleans Moonshiners), in 2010 she formed her own Traditional Jazz band "The Royal Roses". The Royal Roses released it's first album, "A Tribute to Sydney Bechet: Live at Preservation Hall" to national acclaim and Nealand was voted as one of Downbeat Magazines top ten rising stars for soprano saxophone in 2010.

Nealand grew up in a musical family in California listening to Preservation Hall Jazz Band recordings side by side with Stravinsky, Joan Baez and the Pixies. Later, during her time at Oberlin College/Conservatory she was exposed and fell in love with the recordings of Mingus, the soundscapes of Mort Subotnik and the performances of Laurie Anderson. With a strong interest in interdisciplinary work and sound for theatre and installation, she moved to Paris to study at the Ecole du Theatre Physical Jacques Lecoq. Upon returning to the states, she bicycled cross-country collecting audio interviews and stories in rural America to be used in a series of compositions about true "American Dreams". This bicycle trip landed her in New Orleans, which has acted as her home base since 2005. In New Orleans she began playing traditional jazz, jazz manouche of Django Reinhardt, as well as Balkan/Klezmer music. She quickly became involved in the local improvisation scene as well, making frequent appearances at the Open Ears series playing her own compositions with various ensembles and artists.

In addition to leading the Royal Roses, Nealand is also the leader/frontman ofNew Orleans premier rockabilly band "Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers", and as performs frequently with her solo project, "The Monocle". She also is a member of Panorama Jazz Band and Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship. In 2010 and 2011 she appeared frequently as herself in the HBO TV series, "Treme".

Nealand has performed extensively in New Orleans at clubs, in the Jazz and Heritage Fest, FrenchQuarter Fest and Satchmo Fest. She has also performed frequently in New York City at Lincoln Center Summer Festival in NYC, the BlueNote, Knitting Factory, Barbes and has premiered original works at Symphony Space and Alice Tully Hall. Internationally she has appeared at the Istanbul Jazz Festival, London Swing Festival, Barcelona Swing Out, and has toured several times around Irealand, Sweden, Germany , France and the Balkans."

"Guitarist and composer Steve Marquette (b.1987) moved to Chicago in 2006 where he pursued his passion for music at Depaul University (BM '10). There, he studied under Bob Palmieri and augmented his formal education by studying composition and improvisation with Ken Vandermark, Jeff Parker and Mars Williams. Since completing school Steve has been an active member of Chicago's thriving free jazz and improvised music community where he regularly leads his own quintet and performs in groups including luminaries Jeb Bishop, Keefe Jackson, Steve Hunt, Guillermo Gregorio, Daniel Thatcher, Brian Sandstrom, Anton Hatwich, Jaimie Branch, Nick Mazzarella and Lucas Gillan. In addition to his Chicago collaborators, Steve has found creative ground with New Orleans musicians Brad Walker, Marcello Benetti, Jeff Albert and Jesse Morrow, comprising his latest quintet. A long time advocate of music education, Steve operates his own guitar studio."

"Bassist, composer, and improviser Anton Hatwich has lived in Chicago since 2003. He was born and raised in Rockford, IL, growing up in a musical family. Anton moved to Iowa City, IA in 1995 and lived there until 2002, earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Iowa. After graduation Hatwich taught for two years as Visiting Artist in Music at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA. At the UI he studied bass with Dr. Diana Gannett, jazz and improvisation with John Rapson, and also gained valuable experience playing with the school's renown Center for New Music, under the direction of David Gompper. Outside of class, Anton was active in the local music scene. Of particular lasting importance was his work with clarinettist, saxophonist, and composer Robert Paredes, with whom Anton took first steps in the world of free improvisation.

In late 2002 Hatwich started spending large amounts of time amongst Chicago's improvised music community, hanging out all night with his new friends at concerts and bars, and crashing on his brother's couch. One thing led to another, and by spring of 2003 he was playing so much in Chicago that it made sense to move there. Since that time he has played in endlessly varied groups of (mostly) improvising musicians, with some combinations sticking around longer than others. A partial list of his collaborators includes Frank Rosaly, Keefe Jackson, Aram Shelton, Nick Mazzarella, Russ Johnson, Tim Daisy, Jason Stein, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Josh Berman, and Paul Giallorenzo. With the bands that lasted, Anton has recorded a number of critically acclaimed albums and toured nationally and internationally. He has appeared at a handful of the major jazz festivals, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Ring Ring Festival in Belgrade, the Umbrella Festival, and the Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon Festival in Austria."

"Paul Thibodeaux (drums) was born in Southeast Louisiana. Raised on Cajun music, Paul received his Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies at the University of New Orleans. He was a student at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). He has studied under drummers Johnny Vidacovich, Ed Petersen and the legendary Alvin Batiste.

Thibodeaux is the driving percussive force behind the Renaissance of the sound of the Dukes of Dixieland®. Prior to joining the DOD, Paul has worked with and continues to work with many New Orleans musicians including Cliff Hines, Rick Trolsen, James Singleton, Steve Masakowski, George French, Don Vappie, and vocalists Sasha Masakowski and Aurora Nealand.

He teaches percussion at the Thibodeaux School of Music, several other New Orleans schools and the Contemporary Arts Center.

He has toured in Germany, Honduras and Japan. While on tour with Satoru Ohashi, one of Paul's teaching highlights was teaching drum students in Sendai, Japan, after the tsunami of 2011."