Artists

Kris Johnson is an award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator. He has appeared on five Grammy-nominated albums and composed the original score for the four-time Emmy-nominated webseries “King Ester.” Kris toured the world as a trumpeter and arranger with the Count Basie Orchestra from 2008-2019 and served as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah from 2015-2019. Currently, Kris is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Kris received his master’s (2007) and bachelor’s (2005) degrees in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University. He was a full-time faculty member at The Ohio State University from 2012 –

As an educator and artist-in-residence, Blackmon has taught masterclasses at The Florida State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama (Birmingham), University of Vermont, and The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Canada.

As a performer, Blackmon is a member of The Modern Jazz Generation led by Marcus Roberts, a member of The Rodney Whitaker Sextet, a member of The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra, and as a Geri Allen fellow and member of the Gathering Orchestra of Detroit. He has also appeared alongside a diverse list of great artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic,  Joan Rivers, and Savion Glover.

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Chris Glassman is a rising star jazz performer on bass trombone and Michigan-based musician. He has performed and/or recorded with legendary musicians The Temptations, Sarah McLachlan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Rene Marie, Wayne Bergeron, Rodney Whitaker, Ulysses Owens Jr., and Etienne Charles among others, and is on Faculty at both Michigan State University Community Music School in Detroit, and Saginaw Valley State University,.

Glassman is head of Low Brass at Michigan State University’s Community Music School in Detroit and Adjunct Professor of Jazz at Saginaw Valley State University. He also continues to create digital performances and educational videos on his personal YouTube Channel weekly and interviews jazz legends like Rufus Reid

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Jiana Hunter is an engaging vocalist, songwriter and Commercial Music artist who features the following subgenres: Soul, Jazz, Gospel/Praise and Worship, Classical and Music Theatre. Jiana is also a formerly trained Music Educator of Choral music and Vocal Jazz. She holds degrees in Jazz Studies performance (MM – Western Michigan University) and Music Education (BME – Kentucky State University).

      As a music educator and presenter of various genres of music, Jiana is currently the Vocal Jazz Director for Music Hall’s Jazz Education program and Music educator with Detroit Public Schools Community School District. Also a college professor to her credits, she has taught as a full time or adjunct professor in the states of