bioS
Mary ann McSweeney has accompanied Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen, Lee Konitz, Gil Goldstein, Bucky Pizzarelli and has played for conductors Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin and John Williams.
She has performed at the White House with the Eli Yamin Quintet and at the Kennedy Center with the Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra. She was musical director/arranger for three shows at Birdland and has played more than 45 Broadway shows.
Big Band credits include "Maiden Voyage", "Diva", her own quintet at the Seixal Jazz Festival in Portugal and the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center.
Her orchestrations can be heard on Chita Rivera’s CD “Now I Swing” and her version of “Avenue Q Swings” is available on iTunes.
Other Notable credits: Renee Rosnes, Vic Juris, Ken Peplowski, Dennis Mackrel, Lewis Nash, Larry Goldings And a european tour with David Krakauer’s "Klezmer Madness" and five-time Tony award winning vocalist Audra McDonald.
Mary Ann's original music can be heard on the documentary Film “From Allegiance to Broadway. "
Jenny Hill has performed at the Blue Note in NYC, the CIVEBRA music conference in Brazil, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn’s Ethical Cultural Society, the Metrotech concert series, Urban League of Cincinnati Gala, Club Infinu, Clube do Choro, Gates Pub in Brasilia, and many New York jazz venues.
A Berklee graduate, Jenny has been the recipient of multiple honors, including a 2023 "Performance Plus" grant from Chamber Music America, a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Studies grant with Joe Lovano, and the 2023 Arts Alive grant from Westchester Arts Council.
Jenny was winner of the JAZZIZ Woodwinds On Fire competition and the Lennie Johnson Outstanding Musician scholarship from Berklee College.
Her band, Liquid horn, has released 5 Cds: "Floating," "Groove Garden," "The Chill Factor," "Planet Sax" and "Liquid Horn. "
Rachel Therrien, A GRAMMY nominee for Virtual Birdland (2021) with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and has earned three ADISQ nominations (Mi Hogar (2023), production work on Noé Lira’s Latiendo la Tierra (2022) and VENA (2021)). Her extensive credits include three JUNO nominations (for VENA (2021) and The Ostara Project (2022)).
Winner of the TD Grand Prize Jazz Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Stingray Rising Star Award, she has captivated audiences worldwide with her emotionally charged performances and high-caliber improvisations. Therrien recently released her eighth album, Mi Hogar II (2025), an internationally acclaimed project recorded in Montreal, Toronto, and New York City with 25 world-class musicians.
Kate Anderson has performed throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. She has shared the stage with jazz legends Phil Woods, Randy Brecker, Arturo Sandoval, Slide Hampton, Joe Lovano, Marquis Hill, Delfeayo Marsalis, Bob Dorough, Orrin Evans and Motown icons The Temptations and The Four Tops.
Other notable credits: country singer-songwriter Morgan Myles, R&B/gospel vocalist Barbara Walker, polka king Jimmy Sturr, actress/vocalist Linda Purl and the producer of The Band, John Simon.
Kate Graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Music Performance and has a Masters in Music Jazz Studies from Northern Illinois University.
She offers masterclasses and workshops to aspiring musicians wherever she goes and pursues an active performance schedule.
Roberta Piket has performed at the Kennedy Center, Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Small’s, Mezzrow, Seattle Earshot and Rochester Jazz Festival. International engagements include Japan, Czechoslovakia, Austria, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Ukraine and Spain. She has accompanied Jazz luminaries Lionel Hampton, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, David Liebman, Mickey Roker, Eliot Zigmund, Ted Curson, Valery Ponomarev, Juini Booth, Jeannie Bryson, Urszula Dudziak, Frank London, Leo Johnson, Virginia Mayhew, Victor Jones and Broadway/television legend Ben Vereen.
Roberta was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Composers Competition and three time featured guest on NPR’s Piano Jazz. She has composed several big band works and has taught master classes at Eastman School of Music, Rutgers University, Cal Arts, Duke University, Northwestern University Composers’ Colloquium, Litchfield Jazz Camp and Vermont Jazz Center. She was winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll in the “Rising Star – Organ” category. .
Kelly Green has appeared at The Kennedy Center. the Blue Note, the DC Jazz Festival the Bahrain International Jazz Festival, And has sold out Dizzy’s Club, Birdland Theater and Timucua Arts Center.
international tours include performances in Slovenia, Czechia, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Greece She has also given many appearances throughout the U.S.
In 2025 Kelly and her band were awarded the South Arts/Jazz Roads Touring Grant, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable FoundatioN.
She has performed and recorded with Rich Perry, Steve Wilson, Scott Robinson, Christian McBride, George Coleman and Billy Hart, with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Janice Friedman has been performing, accompanying and teaching since her early teens. Her Credits include the Buddy Rich Big Band, slide Hampton, Billy Higgins, Ray Drummond and countless others.
She graduated with honors in jazz studies from Indiana University and upon returning to the east coast toured with the Woody Herman Orchestra.
Janice is an established New York city jazz pianist who has performed in many famed jazz clubs and establishments. She keeps a non-stop busy schedule throughout the year.
Maria Lazarro/tenor saxophone
Maria Lazarro has shared the stage with Pianist/composer Bruce Barth, guitarist James Chirillo, trumpeter/arranger Bill Mobley and singer/songwriter Jon Davis. She has also performed with many of the artists in the WomenJazz collective.
Maria graduated from the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, where she studied with sax greats Joe Allard, Joe Viola, Jerry Bergonzi, Bill Pierce and George Garzone.
After graduating she was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and moved to New York to study under saxophonist George Coleman.
Maria performs in a wide variety of musical genres and maintains an active schedule as both bandleader and accompanist.
Heather Bennett is a seasoned jazz pianist/vocalist/composer with many years experience as educator and music director. She has recorded a full vocal album,“Lazy Afternoon” on Summit Records, various original Gospel tracks on Spotify, two instrumental CD’s of original material and three recordings for Apria Records.
Heather studied in NYC under Richie Beirach and Sal Mosca. in addition to giving many performances she has worked as a teaching artist in NYC schools for over 20 years. music director at various churches of different faiths since 1999, she is currently the music director/organist at Presbyterian Church in Teaneck, New Jersey.
