Hailed by the Chicago Tribune for his “vivid musical imagination” and “deep understanding of far-flung performance practices,” Ethan Uslan is a ragtime/jazz concert pianist. He is a 3-time winner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest (yes – that really exists!) and has performed all over the USA and Europe. Ethan was featured prominently in the 2012 documentary “The Entertainers” and his jazz rendition of Bach’s “Minuet in G” was used in the AMC series “Interview With the Vampire.”
Aside from solo work, Ethan has appeared with symphony orchestras, jazz bands, improv comedy groups, and even a clown show. At the age of 9, he began studying classical piano with Faina Litenzon in his hometown of South Orange, NJ. As a teenager, he took jazz piano lessons from Dan Crisci and in college (Indiana University) he studied classical piano under Edmund Battersby. Ethan got a master’s degree in historical musicology (also at Indiana University), and his most important mentor in that field was jazz historian Jeffrey Magee, who has written books on Fletcher Henderson and Irving Berlin.
Ethan Uslan currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where he presents his music and storytelling on his very own podcast – The Carolina Shout. His concerts are filled with passion, humor, virtuosity, and a deep love for America’s rich musical past. His vast repertoire includes original arrangements of New Orleans Jazz, blues, stomps, Harlem stride piano, swing, Cuban rumbas, jazzed-up versions of classical masterpieces, and even a polka or two.
Brian Holland is an internationally renowned pianist, composer, recording artist, and entertainer who has enjoyed a music career spanning more than four decades. From all over the U.S. to as far away as Rwanda, Africa, he has toured the world sharing his love of all forms of early American music.
Brian has performed with some of the hottest jazz bands in the US – Sierra Stompers, Holland-Coots Jazz Quintet, Big B.A.D. Rhythm, Groovus, Swingin’ West, and others – promoting his unique and creative styles of jazz, ragtime, stride, swing, boogie, and blues. His newest quartet, Brian Holland & The Ragabonds, just released their first album (CD & LP) on Rivermont Records.
Brian earned a Grammy nomination for his work with Bud Dresser on their 2006 album, “Ragtime-Goodtime-Jazz”. This album, plus other releases, sheet music, and digital recordings, are available at shanesmohawk.com
Behind the scenes, Brian has helped organize several ragtime & jazz festivals. He served as the Artistic Director for the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival from 2015-2020. And since 2018, he has been Co-Creative Consultant for the Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay (Monterey, CA).
“Brian Holland has to be one of the fastest, cleanest players anywhere today. Every note, no matter how swift, is as sparkling clear as Waterford crystal. His touch is assured and he makes even the most complex passages sound easy.“
– Jack Rummel, prominent reviewer & performer
“Brian Holland’s lightning-fast left hand bangs out a clean, steady rhythm while his right hand skitters up and down the keyboard rendering the melody in thick chords. Watching his energy and dexterity is narcotic.“
– The New York Sun
Bill Perry, Jr. is currently performing in various bands and music projects, as well as teaching jazz improvisation for private lessons in Oxford, MS. His hip hop jazz trio, Bill Perry Trio, is currently performing at many events and club dates throughout the state of Mississippi. His trio has been featured many times on Memphis television and Perry also performed in a music showcase for Cassandra Wilson’s record label, Ojah Media Group, at B.B. King’s Club in Manhattan, New York. He has been actively producing full-length albums since 2010 such as Language of the Cosmos (solo piano), Beyond the Darkness (Bill Perry Trio), and Phantom (solo piano).
Bill Perry Jr. has been performing music professionally since 1993. Starting out as a rapper AKA Bill Mysteryo), Perry created & produced his own hip-hop music, which lead him to jazz piano. He has been featured on BET Jazz twice & in syndication on BET J’s “Jazz Visions”. As a rapper, he has opened for Ghostface Killah & Snoop Dog! As a pianist, he has played in various countries such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, as well as in Africa & Canada. Perry has also worked as a disc jockey and program director at radio stations in Mississippi.
He has played in every major Blues & Jazz festival in Mississippi, and has played New York’s premier blues club Terra Blues with his father, legendary blues musician Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry. Perry, his father, & his sister Sharo Perry are featured on a Blues Trail Marker in Oxford, MS for their contributions to the music world in the south & beyond. The Perry family also performed at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan, NY in 2012 for a documentary based on blues musicians from Mississippi called “True Delta”, directed by Lee Quinby. Perry has also written a 6-part music essay called The Modern Day Musician which details Perry’s philosophy about being a professional musician in modern times, and how to maintain integrity and spiritualism with music. Mixing various styles and influences into his musical mix, Bill Perry is the epitome of the hybrid modern-day musician!
Jeff Barnhart is an internationally renowned pianist, vocalist, arranger, bandleader, recording artist, ASCAP composer, educator and entertainer. Jeff shares his mastery of the classic swing, jazz, and ragtime repertoire of the early to mid-20th century with a versatility and vibrant energy that finds him constantly appearing as a soloist, band pianist, and with smaller groups—most notably Ivory&Gold® with his talented wife, flutist/vocalist Anne Barnhart—at parties, festivals, clubs, and cruises throughout the world. His unsurpassed knowledge of the history of America’s early pop styles and its best current practitioners, combined with his superior “people skills,” has awarded him the position of Musical Director for several acclaimed annual events, including the Eagles & Ivories, the Monterey Jazz Bash by the Bay (as Co-Creative Consultant), and the Essex (CT) Winter Series Jazz Concert.
Jeff has played dual piano with such jazz luminaries as Ralph Sutton, Neville Dickie, Louis Mazetier, John Sheridan, Brian Holland, and Carl Sonny Leyland. He has recorded over 120 full-length albums on, in addition to his own label, Jazz Alive Records, several celebrated labels including Arbors, GHB, Lake Records (UK) and Music Minus One. Reviewer Jack Rummel summed up the reason for Jeff’s popularity, averring, “When it comes to talent, speed, versatility, creativity, mastery of multiple genres and just plain entertaining zaniness, Jeff Barnhart stands alone”.
In addition to his active performance and recording schedule, Jeff is a dedicated and enthusiastic educator. His double BA’s in Music and English, combined with his MA in Education, make Jeff a formidable and entertaining force in clinic, masterclass and inspirational speaking forums and as a lecturer (with his wife) for Road Scholar with programs called, “Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, Jazz and the Blues.” and “Silent Film Comedy: History, Music and Laughter” both taking place on the beautiful, historic Georgia State Park, Jekyll Island.
Paul Orsi, a ragtime pianist and composer, brings a unique high-energy style to America’s first popular music. From a young age, Paul has performed professionally in many venues, including Shakey’s Pizza Parlors, Clearman’s Northwood’s Inn, and most notably, a 10-year engagement as the Disneyland Coke Corner pianist. A three-time winner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest, Paul has appeared in several California Ragtime Festivals: West Coast Ragtime Festival, The San Diego Jazz Festival, The Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival and Ragfest in Orange County. He now resides with his wife, Sharon, in Surprise, Arizona.
Paul earned his Master’s Degree in music composition from UC Riverside. His
“street” education comes from personal interaction for over 40 years with many notable ragtime performers: Dick Zimmerman, Max Morath, “Eubie” Blake, Sally Stanford, Rod Miller, Judy Carmichael, Johnny Hodges, Jim Omohundro, Jim Hession, Frederick Hodges, Tom Brier, Stephanie Trick, Paulo Alderighi, and Adam Swanson to name a few. Paul attributes much of his stylistic flair to these exceptionable musicians and honors their legacy through his playing.