Peled, Sprague, Robaire, & Schnelle

ABOUT NADAV PELED:

Picked up the guitar at age 11 and has been devoted ever since to honing his craft and creating music.



After showing his early talents on classical guitar, Nadav was fascinated with rock music and switched to the electric guitar at the age of 14. By the age of 17 he had already recorded a progressive rock album that was hailed by the genres' connoisseurs, played at the "Barby" Club, Israel's biggest rock music venue, participated in MATAN workshop- a jazz camp for select young musicians and has received numerous scholarships including two from Berklee College of Music (Boston).



Deciding on Jazz as a main musical interest at age 19, Nadav received a scholarship to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (NYC) and moved to New York where he had the chance to study with such notable musicians as- Junior Mance, Peter Bernstein, Charli Persip, and Jack Wilkins among others and performed at famous clubs such as- Sweet Rhythm and Fat Cat.



During a brief hiatus in his native country of Israel he has received the America-Israel Culture Fund's "Excellence in Jazz Guitar" award, played with top Israeli musicians such as Yuval Cohen (3 Cohens) and Erez Barnoy as well as versing himself with other musical styles including Reggae, Funk and Ethiopian music. Nadav collaborated with Reggae super group- Zvuloon Dub System with which he has performed in nearly every venue/festival in Israel and also toured Cyprus. He was also the musical arranger for Beit Avi-Chai "Siged" celebration of Ethiopian music and culture commissioned by the Jerusalem Municipality.



Nowadays, Nadav is back in NYC playing with some of the best musicians on the scene today and working on his debut album.

ABOUT MIRO SPRAGUE:

Miro Sprague is a pianist, composer, and bandleader known for his dynamic and passionate performance style, inspiring creativity, and artistic versatility. Working primarily in the field of jazz and improvised music, he has toured the United States, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East, performing at many of the world's top venues and festivals. He has worked with Karrin Allyson, Matt Wilson, Greg Osby, Jerry Bergonzi, Houston Person, Steve Cardenas, Adam Cruz, Jerome Jennings, Ingrid Jensen and Linda Oh, among others. Miro leads his own trio and quintet and frequently performs solo piano concerts in a wide range of venues. He is also a member of the cooperative septet “Holophonor”, who recently released their second album "Light Magnet" which was produced by jazz legend Wayne Shorter and released on World Galaxy Records.

Miro is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA. While at the institute he had the opportunity to study with many of the world’s greatest musicians, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Billy Childs, James Newton, and Hal Crook, among others. Miro is a skilled vocal accompanist and has performed and recorded with a wide range of vocalists including Sara Gazarek, Jane Monheit, Kristin Berardi, Samirah Evans, Claudia Schmidt, Evelyn Harris and Moonlight Davis. For the past three years he has been the pianist of choice for renowned vocalist Karrin Allyson and has toured extensively with her throughout the U.S. and overseas. Miro is a native of Western Massachusetts and currently divides his time between New York City and Los Angeles.

ABOUT DAVE ROBAIRE:

Although Dave Robaire is a native of Los Angeles, his career really began to blossom when he moved to New York City in 2004. During this time, Dave studied at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music while taking private lessons with one of today's true masters of the bass, John Patitucci. From the beginning of his career, Dave's innate versatility led him to work with band leaders from all across the jazz genre including Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Andy Milne's Dapp Theory, Gilad Heksleman, Jonathan Batiste, and guitar legend Pat Martino.

After five years in New York, Dave and his wife Vanessa decided moved back to LA for a change of pace. Before leaving the east coast however, Robaire documented his experiences on Away and Back, his first recording as a leader which features Edward Simon, Marcus Gilmore, Kyle Wilson, and Vanessa Robaire. Shortly after the cross-country move, Dave was accepted into the masters program at California Institute of the Arts where he had the opportunity to study with the great Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz. Immediately following his two years at CalArts, Robaire auditioned for the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance in front of a panel of judges including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Burrell, and James Newton. Dave, along with six of his peers, was accepted into this amazing program which led to study, travel, and performances with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Childs, Benny Golson, Dave Liebman, Ron Carter, Dick Oatts, and Jerry Bergonzi among many others. As he has settled deeper into Los Angeles' growing jazz scene, Robaire has become known as the first choice bassist for many artists as they tour the west coast (Helen Sung, Gilad Hekselman, John Ellis, Edward Simon, Jonathan Kreisberg, Jacky Terrasson, Ben Wendel, Dayna Stephens). Dave is also now a regular member of Jane Monheit's west coast quartet.

Most recently, Robaire has been co-leading the collectively formed group Holophonor, made up of the seven alum of the 2012-2014 Thelonious Monk Institute program. Holophonor will be releasing their second album Light Magnet on October 6, 2017 on World Galaxy Records. This project was produced by the group's mentors, 10-time GRAMMY winning saxophonist, composer, Wayne Shorter.

In the Fall of 2015, Robaire was invited to join the jazz faculty at California State University, Northridge (CSUN)'s prestigious music school.

ABOUT DAN SCHNELLE:

Dan Schnelle is one of the most talented, in-demand drummers in the Los Angeles area. Known for an intuitive ability to provide precisely what is necessary for each performance, Schnelle understands how to make other musicians comfortable, while bringing enough of the unexpected to his playing to keep it consistently exciting. Unsatisfied with the idea that the drum set is merely a time-keeping device, Schnelle is thoughtful about how this unique instrument, with its nearly limitless variety of sounds, can be tastefully and effectively deployed in a wide variety of musical situations. Years spent collaborating with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles (and beyond) have earned him a reputation as a hard-working, professional, and creative team player; one who is, above all, committed to musical excellence. A list of collaborators include: Josh Nelson, Daniel Rosenboom, Anthony Wilson, Laurence Hobgood, Walter Smith III, Joshua White, Sara Gazarek, Larry Goldings, Philip Dizack, Dayna Stephens, Larry Koonse, Ben Wendel, Nick Mancini, and more.