At the age of 8, Robin began playing the trombone and studied theory, harmony and arranging through high school and college. After graduating cum laude from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he moved to New York. Since then, Robin has had a wide range of musical experiences including being the Music Director for Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, arranging, composing and performing for McCoy Tyner's Big Band, and Slide Hampton's Jazz Masters. Recently, he was a featured soloist, composer and arranger on J.J. Johnson's Brass Orchestra.Robin has toured and recorded with such diverse musicians as the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and Barbra Streisand on her historic 1994 tour.

He's performed on several television shows and specials including The Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, the Grammy Awards and Motown at the Apollo and has worked on several projects for Broadway and film. He has recorded 6 CDs as a leader which have received worldwide critical praise, and he leads his own groups which have toured Europe and Japan. Robin was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Jazz Trombone at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. He is on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and adjunct faculty at the University of Arts in Philadelphia. He teaches privately in New York and has taught and delivered seminars at universities and colleges throughout the world.


STEVE NELSON - Vibes

This outstanding vibraphonist and composer was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Rutgers University with both Masters and Bachelors degrees in music and his teaching activities have included a position at Princeton University. As a resident of the New York area he has performed and recorded with many great musicians including Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, David Fathead Newman, Johnny Griffin and Jackie McLean.

He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made three recordings as the leader of his own group. His recordings as a leader include Live At Acireale (Red Records), Full Nelson (Sunnyside) and Communications (Criss Cross). Recordings with others include Mulgrew Miller, David "Fathead" Newman, Kenny Barron, Jackie McLean and Johnny Griffin.


CHRIS POTTER - Alto/Soprano Saxophone

Chris Potter was born in Chicago on January 1st 1971. He grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and began playing saxophone at the age of 10 as a result of music the he had heard from his parents record collection.
In 1989 he moved to New York City and while attending both The New School and Manhatten School of Music, he joined trumpeter Red Rodney's quintet. He played with him until 1993, and this was followed by a brief period with the group "Steely Dan". Since then he has been involved in a wide range of projects including the Mingus Big Band and Paul Motian's "Electric Be-Bop Band".

In addition to recording 6 CD's as a leader, he has played in "Trio 2000" with Paul Motian and Steve Swallow, and in groups led by musiciians such as Jim Hall, Billy Hart, Dave Douglas, Al Foster, John Patitucci, Mike Manieri and others.


NATE SMITH - Drums

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Nate's musical journey began at age eleven when, after watching his older brother play for years, he decided to seriously take up the drums. His earliest influences were rock and funk music, a diverse pool of artists like the Police, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Quincy Jones. The true breakthrough however, came when he heard the legendary Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Album of The Year at the age of sixteen.

After graduating high school in 1992, Nate decided to pursue his musical studies at James Madison University. In his third year, Nate's small group was chosen to play at the International Associiation of Jazz Educators conference in Atlanta, Georgia. It was there that he met the legendary jazz singer Betty Carter and was invited to be a part of her esteemed Jazz Ahead program which has produced a seminal who's who of jazz alumni that includes among others: Cyrus Chestnut, Jason Moran, Gregory Hutchinson, Andre Hayward and Jacky Terrason. Later that year, at the age of 20, Nate was on stage with Betty at the Blue Note club in New YorkCity. He was also featured with Carter on BET"s "Jazz Central" and CBS "Sunday Morning".

After college, Nate was offered a scholarship to pursue graduate studies as a part of Virginia Commonwealth University's "Carpenter Fellowship" program. It was there that he met legendary jazz bassist and composer Dave Holland. Over the next few years he occasionally performed with Dave, finally joining his quintet in September of 2003.

In addition to being a fine drummer, Nate is an accomplished composer, songwriter and producer. He has composed scores for several broadcast documentaries for both "The Discovery Channel" and "The Learning Channel".and has worked with such R&B and smooth jazz artists as Marcus Johnson, Moifah, Jareed Arosmana and Alyson Williams among many others. Nate's work can also be heard on the song "Heaven Can Wait" on the Michael Jackson CD "Invincible". He has recently formed a production company, Water Baby Music, Inc.


Dave Holland's Equipment:

• Small flat back 3/4 French bass
• Thomastik Spirocore strings (orchestral tuning).
• AKG 406c condenser microphone mounted on the inside of the tailpiece so that the capsule is positioned between the feet about 1 inch from the front of the bass, and this goes directly to the house and monitor system.
• Underwood pickup goes through a "Retrospec" tube D.I. that sends one line to the monitors and the house, and one line to my Gallien Krueger MB150E. This has its own 12" speaker and drives a Hartke 410 cabinet.