Jack DeJohnette (b. 1942) is an American jazz drummer and pianist. DeJohnette was born in Chicago, Illinois. Besides the drums, he studied the piano, which he plays on several recordings. He first became known as a member of Charles Lloyd's band, a band that Keith Jarrett also was a part of at that time. From 1969 to 1972 he played with Miles Davis and recorded many albums for ECM as both leader and sideman.
Arto Lindsay (born May 28, 1953, Richmond, Virginia) is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He's probably best known as a founding member of the influential no wave band DNA, though his work after DNA has been quite prolific. He has a distinctive soft voice and an often noisy, self-taught guitar style comprised almost entirely of extended techniques, described by Brian Olewnick "studiedly naïve ... sounding like the bastard child of Derek Bailey"; his guitar work is contrasted frequently with gentler, sensuous Brazilian music themes.
Amiri Baraka is an influential American poet, dramatist and music critic. Known for his outspoken political activism, he may be best remembered for his controversial tenure as Poet Laureate of New Jersey. Important writings include Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note (1961) and Blues People: Negro Music in White America (1963), which remains one of the most influential volumes of jazz criticism. Baraka's website is http://www.amiribaraka.com/.
William Anthony Colon is a Puerto Rican salsa music icon. First and foremost a trombonist, also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City. Colon was born in the Bronx, New York in April 28 1950, to Puerto Rican parents. He picked up the trumpet from a young age, and later switched to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and -at least during a specific period in the 1960s- that of Eddie Palmieri. He was bullied in his neighborhood because of this, and had to defend himself quite often from gang members.
Nicole Willis began her professional career in London in 1984, singing and writing with the Washington Week In Review alongside members of The Brand New Heavies. She then returned to New York the following year to work with Blue Period and the Hello Strangers, meeting up with Supa DJ Dmitry Brill. Soon after, she sang alongside Lady Miss Kier Kirby and Dmitry in the earliest line-up of Deee-Lite.