Mike Manny, piano

Mike Manny has been immersed in the world of music since the tender age of 4. Originally from Toronto, he studied at Humber College and was then a scholarship graduate of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Mike joined the Canadian Forces as a musician in 2002 and has since performed extensively with the Forces worldwide while posted in Ottawa and Winnipeg. Now residing (back) in Ottawa, Mike is a very in-demand musician performing with many ensembles including the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra, and with his own trio playing hard-hitting arrangements of classic jazz repertoire in the hard-bop style.

Nathan Hiltz, guitar

Nathan Hiltz is a jazz guitarist and professor of music at Humber College. He has performed with Alex Pangman, Bernie Senensky, Del Dako,The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and The Boss Brass. His trio album, ‘Songs Poetic’ (GB RECORDS) features a swinging set of jazz standards from the great American songbook.

Michael Herring, double bass

Michael Herring is a double-bassist and composer based in Toronto who writes, performs and records across genre lines, equally comfortable in jazz as in roots settings, including folk, world, and pop/rock. Herring leads and co-leads a number of groups which focus on original music of which he is a major contributor. Herring’s compositions and bass playing can also be heard in the collectives Way North (New York/Toronto collaboration with Petr Cancura, Rebecca Hennessy and Richie Barshay). Herring has toured and recorded with such great musicians as Kevin Breit, Michael Ward-Bergeman (New Orleans), Ab Baars (ICP/Amsterdam), Ken Vandermark, Dave Clark, David Braid, Mansa Sissoko (Mali, Africa), Bucky Pizzarelli, Percy Sledge, and Ernest Ranglin.  He received a Chalmers Arts Fellowship (through the Ontario Arts Council) and used it for an extended stay in New York City.