By age 33, Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the postbop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. This duel-threat ability was recognized by the 2025 Downbeat Readers Poll where he won the category of Rising Star Male Vocalist, and placed #8 as a Rising Star Trumpeter as well. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he’s a highly capable pianist as well.

Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved his own viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award winning “8-Bit Big Band”. In early 2020 he released A Lot of Livin’ to Do, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut One of a Kind. This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose Grammy-award winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes. His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world. His latest album “Third Time’s the Charm” features many stars including Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen & Bria Skonberg and was released in June 2023 to critical acclaim and chart-topping success, reaching #2 on the JazzWeek National Radio Charts.

Vocal: Mar Vilaseca
Singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Mar Vilaseca was born in 1998 in Barcelona, Spain. After graduating from the Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Barcelona, Mar pursued a Master's degree in Jazz at the Conservatorio de Juilliard under the tutelage of professors such as Wynton Marsalis, Carla Cook, Elio Villafranca, and Donald Vega, graduating in 2022 with the JCAF award. Mar has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Hermeto Pascoal, Elio Villafranca, Joe Saylor, Jose Madera, Emmet Cohen, Benny Benack, Steven Feifke and many others. He has performed at several international festivals, such as the Barcelona Jazz Festival and the Guangzhou Jazz Festival. She has also performed at famous jazz clubs in the US such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, etc. In August 2020, Mar released her debut album ‘Find The Way’.

Piano: Jon Thomas

Currently residing in New York City, she graduated with a Master's Degree in Jazz from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where she studied with renowned pianists such as Benny Green, Dan Nimmer, Aaron Parks, and Taylor Eigsti. Having worked with leading jazz musicians such as Samara Joy, Marquis Hill, Dominick Farrinacci, Walter Blanding, Robin Mckelle and Jazzmeia Horn, Thomas has been hailed as one of the most talented and passionate newcomers to the jazz scene today. Thomas is a frequent performer at The Blue Note, Dizzy's Club, Smalls Jazz Club and Minton's Playhouse, and regularly performs at major international jazz festivals.

Drums: Joe Peri

Drummer, percussionist and educator known for his jazz drumming. Since moving to New York City in 2009, Joe has played with numerous bands and musicians around the world, and has been active in New York's top jazz clubs such as Smalls, Mezzrow, The Jazz Gallery, Cellar Dog, Dizzy's, and Birdland, among others. Joe is also a jazz drumming instructor at the Manhattan School of Music, where he graduated from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of renowned drummer John Riley, and has performed with jazz greats such as Ed Cherry, Peter Bernstein, Seamus Blake, Dave Kikoski, Aaron Goldberg, and Eric Atexander. Eric Atexander, and participated in the recording of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's Grammy-winning album ‘Love For Sale’.

Bass: Caleb Tobocman
Caleb Tobocman is an active bassist on the New York City jazz scene, having performed at venues such as Smalls Jazz Club, Mezzrow and The Jazz Gallery. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Caleb has played with a variety of musicians including Grammy-winning jazz drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts.