Originally from Asheville, NC, Chris Bullock's musical obsession began as a child with early interests in the Beach Boys, hip-hop cassettes, and learning the clarinet and electric guitar—a foundation that would eventually transform him into a modern-day musical wanderer who chases creativity across continents. As a longtime member and composer of Snarky Puppy since 2005, this tenor saxophonist has collected five Grammy Awards while performing at major concert halls and music festivals around the globe, proving that the most interesting music happens when you refuse to acknowledge genre boundaries. Over the years, Bullock has evolved from being identified primarily as a saxophonist specializing in flutes, clarinets, and keyboards into a composer and producer exploring recording and production to find an ever-evolving, unique, and personal sound. His 2018 debut solo album "Boomtown" represents this hybrid approach—combining improvisation, jazz, woodwind chamber music, electronic music, and hip-hop production elements into something entirely his own. His interest in hip-hop and electronic music has pushed him into exploring DJ'ing, beat making, and production, while his performance resume reads like a who's who of diverse musical minds: David Crosby, Michael McDonald, Lalah Hathaway, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Charlie Hunter, Chris Thile, Eric Harland, Phish, and Soulive. With degrees from East Carolina University and Michigan State University, plus studies at the University of North Texas, Bullock balances his globe-trotting performance schedule with his passion for education as a clinician and former adjunct professor. From Asheville church music to Brooklyn beat-making to concert halls in over 50 countries, Bullock embodies what happens when childhood curiosity about four-track cassette recorders evolves into a lifelong commitment to making every musical conversation feel like a discovery.

chrismbullock.com

From the small town of Elizabethton, Tennessee to Grammy stages around the world, Justin Stanton has built a career on refusing to choose between trumpet and keyboards—instead, he mastered both and became the multi-faceted musician who can serve an essential role to whichever artist he's contributing, both onstage and in the studio. As a four-time Grammy Award-winner with Snarky Puppy since 2006, this University of North Texas alumnus (where he performed for two years in the legendary One O'Clock Lab Band) has performed and recorded on the majority of the band's numerous studio and live recordings. When Snarky Puppy's Michael League first asked Stanton to play keys instead of trumpet, he tried to politely decline, saying he didn't think he was anywhere near the level needed—but League replied, "You'll be fine!" For several years, Stanton was the only keyboard player on most shows, learning lessons both musically and personally that reshaped his entire musical identity. He never travels without his laptop and miniature keyboard, constantly composing, recording, practicing, and seeking to expand his musical horizons. His 2019 solo debut "Secret Place" reveals what's been going on in Stanton's head all these years—wide, warm, weird, analog, funky, soulful, and deep—while recent projects like "Claro e Escuro" with Chris Bullock (recorded in Rio de Janeiro) and "Mirrors" (an all-star collaboration recorded in Portugal during the pandemic) showcase his evolution as composer and producer. Beyond Snarky Puppy, he maintains an active schedule with artists as diverse as David Crosby, Donald Fagen, Robert Glasper, Trombone Shorty, Kirk Franklin, and Terence Blanchard. From Elizabethton band rooms to Brooklyn's creative epicenter, Stanton proves that sometimes the most interesting musical conversations happen when you bring both hands to the table—one on the trumpet valve, the other on the synthesizer.

justinmstanton.com

Quinn Sternberg doesn't just play bass—he becomes the gravitational center around which musical solar systems orbit, his four strings serving as the invisible force that holds melody and rhythm in perfect harmonic balance. In Asheville's intimate jazz venues, Sternberg has mastered the art of musical architecture, building rhythmic foundations so sturdy that horn players can stretch toward the stratosphere while drummers explore the outer reaches of syncopation. His upright bass doesn't merely walk—it tells stories with every step, each note choice revealing decades of deep listening to masters like Ray Brown and Ron Carter while forging his own path through the modern jazz landscape. This is bass playing as conversation rather than accompaniment, where Sternberg's melodic sensibilities transform traditional rhythm section roles into something more akin to chamber music, proving that the most profound musical statements often come from the spaces between the obvious beats, where subtlety meets groove and creates something that makes everyone else in the room sound better.

quinnsternbergmusic.com

Ryan Ptasnik honed his drumming skills in Pinedale High School band classes in Wyoming, a foundation that would eventually carry him from garage bands to performing at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. This jazz-trained drummer has become a versatile force in multiple musical worlds, from his work with the experimental group Moyindau—where he performed Kazakh poetry settings at the base of Pik Lenin in southern Kyrgyzstan on a stage constructed from two pickup trucks—to anchoring the Asheville-based Grateful Dead tribute band Clouds of Delusion. Ptasnik's musical journey includes traveling to Central Asia with pianist Alex Kreger, where they presented music in Tajikistan with Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette, and recording with Moyindau—a group that blended jazz with arrangements of popular and folk tunes from Macedonia and Tajikistan. Now based in Asheville, he maintains an active presence supporting local artists like Whitney Monge and Rick Cooper at venues like Highland Brewing, while also serving as the rhythmic backbone for Batdorf & The Brother Wolf. From Wyoming band rooms to makeshift mountain stages in Kyrgyzstan to Asheville's vibrant music scene, Ptasnik proves that the best drummers don't just keep time—they become the adaptable foundation that allows wildly diverse musical visions to flourish, whether channeling Jerry Garcia's spirit or bringing Kazakh poetry to life through rhythm.