Featuring: Stefon Harris, Nicholas Payton, David Sanchez

In May 2010 history was made in a small recording studio in Havana when three of the most brilliant young jazz artists on the planet joined forces to record what will soon become one of the most defining new works of music to hit the streets in 2011. The result of those sessions, a stellar album titled "Ninety Miles,” was released in June 2011 on Concord Records and was named to year end lists of 2011 Best CDs by NPR among others. For the 2013-14 season, Grammy award winner Nicholas Payton will join the band.

Stefon Harris
Four time GRAMMY nominated vibist Stefon Harris has been heralded as "one of the most important young artists in jazz " by the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times said, "He swings; and when he plays, he makes you feel good." His most recent album and Concord debut, Urbanus, was nominated for a GRAMMY and received praise from fans and critics alike. The Wall Street Journal called it "brilliant," while People Magazine gave it 3 out of 4 stars. A recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award, Harris earned a B.M. in Classical Music and a M.M. in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music. Harris teaches at New York University and has been Artist in Residence at Fontana Chamber Arts (Kalamazoo) The Lied Center (Lincoln, NE), and San Francisco Performances. Mr. Harris has served on the Executive Board of Directors for Chamber Music America and was the first musician elected to the WBGO-FM Board of Directors. He tours worldwide with his band Blackout and the San Francisco Jazz Collective.

David Sánchez
The Puerto Rico-born Sánchez has being hailed as "the most profound young tenor saxophonist working today." World-renown jazz critic Howard Reich saluted the young bandleader saying, "Technically, tonally and creatively, he seems to have it all. His sound is never less than plush, his pitch is unerring, and his rapid-fire playing is ravishing in its combination of speed, accuracy and utter evenness of tone." Such is the acclaim and respect that Grammy Award-winning Sánchez has engendered from critics, music lovers and fellow artists throughout the world as he continues to push the frontiers of mainstream jazz to incorporate a compelling and rich array of Latin and Afro-Caribbean influences, while remaining true to the tenets of the jazz genre.

Nicholas Payton
Hailed as a virtuoso before he was even out of high school, Nicholas Payton’s prodigious talent has earned him praise as one of the most important artists of our time. In 1994, Nicholas Payton made his recording debut as a leader with From This Moment (Verve), where he was immediately recognized as a "young lion". Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, into a musical family, Nicholas received his first trumpet at age four and by the age of 12 he was a member of the All Star Brass Band that performed and toured extensively. He has toured with scores of musicians including Clark Terry, Marcus Roberts, Ray Brown, Elvin Jones, and Roy Haynes and is credited on well over 120 recordings as a composer, arranger, special guest or sideman. As a leader, Nicholas has recorded 8 albums under his own name including Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton-a 1997 GRAMMY award-winning collaboration with the legendary trumpeter. He also released Dear Louis, Nick @ Night, Gumbo Nouveau, Sonic Trance, Payton's Place, and Into The Blue.