Don't miss the Rob Scheps Core Tet at LooseWig on Saturday, Sept 9 at 7:30pm!

The lineup will include Rob Scheps - tenor sax, Dan Gaynor - piano, Essiet Okon Essiet - bass and Sylvia Cuenca - drums!

Tenor / soprano saxophonist Rob Scheps has performed with Gil Evans Band, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, John Scofield, George Russell, Bob Moses, Terumasa Hino, Al Grey, Clark Terry, Sam Rivers, Julius Hemphill, Duffy Jackson, Cecil Taylor, Joey Calderazzo Quartet... He leads his own bands; Magnets! with Kim Clarke; The Rob Scheps Big Band in Portland, Oregon; and the Rob Scheps Core-tet in NYC; which has a new CD entitled Live at Smalls on the way.

A native of Portland, pianist Dan Gaynor has performed with many artists including Nancy King, Esperanza Spalding, Chuck Israels, Glen Moore, Gino Vannelli, Martin Zarzar, Bob Mover, Bobby Torres, Emily Braden, Dan Faehnle, Marguerite Jeunemann, David Friesen, Kelly Joe Phelps, Alan Jones, Lawrence Williams, Rob Scheps, Robert Moore, John Stowell, Ingrid Jensen, Ron Steen, Mel Brown, "Sweet Baby" James Benton, Chris Conrade, Dick Berk, Marianne Solivan, Shirley Nanette and many others. He studied jazz and music theory at Mt. Hood Community College and Portland State University with teachers including Randy Porter, Dave Barduhn, Darrell Grant, Glen Moore and Tomas Svoboda. Dan is also a versatile vocal accompanist, with a wide repertoire and experience in many musical styles. He is recorded on on Good Morning Geek by the Portland Jazz Orchestra, En Route by Ed Bennett and on both Libre and Two Dollars to Ride the Train by Martin Zarzar.

Considered one of the top bassists in jazz today, Essiet Essiet first received critical acclaim over a decade ago in Bobby Watson's group Horizon. Born in Nebraska to Nigerian parents, he began studying violin at age10 and switched to bass viol at 14. As a child, he traveled widely with his family and that early exposure to many cultures, folk- ways, languages, and religions fostered his world view of strength through diversity.

Sylvia Cuenca is an active drummer on the New York jazz scene who is contributing outstanding performances in a variety of situations. She has had the honor of sharing the bandstand with saxophone legend Joe Henderson for 4 years and trumpet legend Clark Terry for 17 years. The Joe Henderson quartet toured frequently in European countries Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, England, Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany and venues across the U.S. In a trio setting she performed with Joe Henderson and Charlie Haden in 1989 and with George Mraz in 1994. She performed with the Clark Terry Quintet and Big Band at Village Vanguard, Birdland, Blue Note, Queen Elizabeth 2, Royal Viking, S.S. Norway jazz cruises and clubs, concerts and festivals in the U.S, Europe, the Caribbean and South America. While working with the Clark Terry quintet she had the opportunity to perform with guest artists Al Grey, Red Holloway, Jimmy Heath, Frank Wess, Marian McPartland, Dianne Reeves, Joe Williams and Lou Donaldson to name a few.