Ralph Alessi (trumpet); John Hebert (bass); Andy Milne (keyboards); Mark Ferber (drums)

Trumpeter/Composer Ralph Alessi was born in San Francisco,CA, the son of classical trumpeter Joe Alessi and opera singer Maria Leone. After taking degrees in jazz trumpet and bass—he studied under the legendary Charlie Haden at CalArts—he lit out for New York, where he swiftly became an ubiquitous presence on the downtown scene. He's been a frequent collaborator with such notable musicians as Steve Coleman, Jason Moran, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Fred Hersch, Uri Caine and Marc Copland. Alessi has recorded nine albums of original compositions which draw on everything from post-bop to neo classical music. In 2023, he will release his 4th CD on ECM titled “It’s Always Now.” As an educator, he has taught at the Eastman School of Music, NYU and University of Nevada- Reno. He is also the founder/director of the School for Improvisational Music and recently joined the faculty at the Hochschule der Künste Bern in Switzerland.