E.J. Antonio received fellowships in Poetry from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Hurston/Wright Foundation, and the Cave Canem Foundation. She’s appeared as a featured reader and performer at venues in the NY tri-state area, including Arts Westchester; the Stone; the Hobart Festival of Women Writers, The Vision Festival, Langston Hughes House, the Blue Door Art Gallery, the Untermyer Park Arts Center, and the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center at the Pocantico Center. Her work has been published in various journals, magazines, and anthologies, including: the Encyclopedia Project, African Voices Literary Magazine, Black Renaissance Noire, The Mom Egg, Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Taint Taint Taint Magazine, About Place Journal, and arriving at a shoreline an anthology . E.J. is the author of two chapbooks, Every Child Knows (Premier Poets Chapbook Series 2007) and Solstice (Red Glass Books, 2013), and a solo jazzoetry cd Rituals in the marrow: Recipe for a jam session. E.J. is a founding Board Member of the non-profit Arts organization One Breath Rising, and a founding member of the improvisation group, The Jazz & Poetry Choir Collective, which released its debut cd We Were Here in April 2020.

Featuring:

JD Parran - wood winds

JD Parran is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, who has mastered a wide variety of woodwind instruments (from the familiar tenor saxophone to the rarely heard alto clarinet, E-flat contrabass clarinet, bass saxophone and bamboo flute). He has appeared on more than 50 recordings over the last three decades, including collaborations with The Band, Anthony Braxton, Don Byron, Anthony Davis, Julius Hemphill, New Winds, Yoko Ono, Bill Dixon, Andrew Hill and Stevie Wonder among many others. His previous releases are, Kokopilau (duo CD with poet Michael Castro on Freedonia Music), and also JD Parran & Spirit Stage featuring the poetry of Shirley LeFlore and Omegathorp: Living City (co-led with Mark Deutsch) both available on the Y'All label. He is also a veteran educator who lectures at City University of New York (CUNY) and teaches clarinet and saxophone at Harlem School for the Arts. In addition to his teaching and performing careers, he has been commissioned as a composer by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation and the Helen W. Buckner Foundation.

Christopher Dean Sullivan - Bass

The critically acclaimed Chicago Ill born, Pittsburgh Pa raised bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan is well traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad. Christopher started his career in Pittsburgh, PA. While in Pittsburgh he honed his craft as a bassist during his time with the Jazz Workshop Inc., under the direction of Harold Young Sr, and the Archives, located in the Hill district, developed by Errol “Mobutu” Reynolds.

Chris went on to become the bass and music theory instructor, for the Jazz Workshop Inc., and the Archives. During his time span in Pittsburgh, Christopher Dean Sullivan produced and hosted, along with Visions business partner, songwriter/vocalist, Aubrey Bruce, the first Warner Communication Award winning television show The Tree of Arts Alive. The award was presented for the best in culture and arts programming. The Tree of Arts would later become a component of The Jazz Workshop Inc. Mr. Sullivan continues to work and collaborate with the 46+ years old Jazz Workshop Inc.

Chris quickly became known for his own unique approach to playing the bass. He formed local commercial groups that would go on to open-up concerts for such bands of notoriety as the Ohio Players, The Bar-Kays, New Birth, The Tavares, and others. Chris currently lives and performs extensively in the New York City area.

Michael T.A. Thompson - Percussion

Drummer, producer, composer, educator Michael TA Thompson is an anomaly. TA’s palate encompasses an abundance of sound colors. He hears everything and plays with it in a way that’s very inventive and perceptively responsive. Thompson plays as he breathes. That’s why he has toured/recorded with a wide variety of musical giants including Charles Gayle, Oliver Lake, Henry Grimes, Kidd Jordan, Joe McPhee, Dennis Gonzales, William Parker, Mathew Shipp, Vinny Golia, Nels Cline, reggae artist Owen Brown,Calypso artist The Mighty Sparrow as well as artists from classical to rap and beyond.

Michael attended Berklee College of Music, where he did intense studying of Jazz Composition and Arranging.

TA Thompson continues to brand himself within the direction of “Improvisation /Free Music.”

Mr. Thompson also has an extensive background in teaching music to students of all ages. He teaches music theory and composition while encouraging his students to express themselves fully from where they are.

Michael Wimberly - Percussion

Cleveland-born Michael Wimberly studied the rhythms of West Africa and 20th century contemporary music at Baldwin Wallace University and then, during his graduate years at Manhattan School of Music, Wimberly broadened his musical palette studying electronic and improvised music. These explorations connected him with master musicians from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. He has performed with artists as varied as George Clinton, Dionne Warwick, Charles Gayle, Berlin’s Rundfunk Symphony, Vienna’s Tonkuntsler Symphony, and Steve Coleman. His compositions have been performed by dance companies all over the world. His film scores include As an Act of Protest by Dennis Leroy Moore, and Atlantic City Lights by Brent Owens for HBO and he has produced sound design for several major theatre companies. In 2002, he joined the faculty of Bennington College as the hand-picked successor of improvised music percussion pioneer Milford Graves.