Jazz Lineup

Jazz Festival Artists

Jazz Festival 2026
Live music is performed on the festival lawn 5:30pm to 9:00pm*.
*with intermissions

WILL BRAHM

Evoking the captivating melodic sense of guitarists like Jeff Beck, paired with the lush sonic landscape of bands like Pat Metheny Group, Will Brahm creates a musical experience all his own. Hailing from Portland Oregon, he received a guitar in 8th grade and immediately bonded with it. After high school he moved to Southern California and earned a Bachelors degree in Jazz Guitar performance from Cal State Long Beach, studying with jazz guitar extraordinaire Ron Eschete. In 2015 he began touring with The New West Guitar Group, skyrocketing his musical technique to new heights. In 2019 he joined world renowned Jazz Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval, touring domestically and abroad. Soon after he competed as a semifinalist in the 2019 Herbie Hancock International Jazz Guitar Competition. His recent albums “Venture Atlas” and “Distance to Empty” reflect his world musical world building capabilities. Will composes daily and tours often.

mina choi ORCHESTRA

Saxaphone: Steven Ragsdale, Dan Kaneyuki, Nathan King, Jeff Ellwood, Glen Turner
Trumpet: Ryan DeWeese, Kristofer Bergh, James Ford, Kye Palmer
Trombone: Francisco Torres, Ryan Dragon, Ivan Malespin, Cody Kleinhans
Rhythm: Bill Cunliffe & Mina Choi (Piano), Rodolfo Zuniga (Drums), Sezin Ahmet (Bass), Zack Caplinger (Guitar), Kaity B (Voice)

Mina Choi is a Korean-born, Los Angeles-based jazz pianist, composer, and conductor whose music uniquely blends jazz, classical, and the rich traditions of her Korean heritage. With years of experience as both a performer and educator in California, Mina’s work reflects her personal journey, characterized by beautiful melodies, intricate rhythms, and colorful harmonies. Each composition tells a story, inviting listeners to experience a deep emotional connection to her music.
The Mina Choi Orchestra recently released a studio big band album, Stories, which reflects her journey as an immigrant—capturing themes of struggle, longing, and self-discovery. The album features jazz greats George Cables, Alex Acuña, and Bill Cunliffe.

MIMA JAzz troupe

Please join us for an unforgettable afternoon featuring the captivating sounds of a distinguished jazz troupe: Mina Choi on piano, Ivan Malespin on trombone, Mark Ferber on drums, Sezin Ahmet on bass, and Ana Carvalho on voice.

Josh Nelson

Josh Nelson is a pianist, composer, and recording artist with an active international career. He has performed and recorded with many of jazz’s most respected artists, including Natalie Cole, Ivan Lins, Michael Bublé, Benny Golson, John Clayton, Lewis Nash, Eddie Daniels, and Gaby Moreno. He toured worldwide for six years with Natalie Cole and continues to perform and arrange for leading vocalists and instrumentalists across genres.

Josh has released a series of critically acclaimed albums, beginning with Anticipation (2004) and Let It Go (2007), followed by concept-driven projects such as The Discovery Project, Exploring Mars, Dream in the Blue (with Sara Gazarek), and The Sky Remains, which was featured on NPR’s Jazz Night in America. His recent releases include several live recordings from Japan and Los Angeles.

A recipient of numerous honors including the Louis Armstrong and John Philip Sousa Awards, Josh was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Recent highlights include touring with Rufus Wainwright in 2023 and appearing on Ivan Lins’ album My Heart Speaks.

JACOB WENDT

Drummer, composer, and bandleader JACOB WENDT has a unique sound; balanced, supportive, and interactive, with a driving energy that serves the music while leaving space for others to speak — he is an authoritative yet never intrusive player. Originally from the Bay Area, his original ensembles have headlined major venues across Northern and Southern California including Blue Whale, Dizzy’s, Yoshi’s, The Fillmore Jazz Festival, Catalina’s Bar & Grille, Campus JAX, and The Grape. To date he has released one album as a leader (Jacob Wendt Quartet, 2011), another as co-leader (Carter-White-Wendt, 2013), and a collection of original compositions (Jacob Wendt Sextet: Live at the Blue Whale, 2020). His critically acclaimed album, Silver Street (Hayden Records, 2024) is a classic hardbop quintet project in the spirit of Blue Note Records during the 1950’s & 60’s. Already dubbed "an instant jazz classic," the album features all original compositions by Wendt, influenced by jazz greats such as Horace Silver, Sonny Clark, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and Hank Mobley. Recent tours include San Diego, Florida, Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco, and Sonoma County.

RODOLFO ZUNIGA

Rodolfo Zúñiga is a drummer and composer from San José, Costa Rica, now based in Los Angeles. He has performed with a wide range of acclaimed jazz artists, including Randy Brecker, Joe Locke, Lew Tabackin, Bill Cunliffe, Camila Meza, Jonathan Kreisberg, Troy Roberts, and many others.

Rodolfo is a tenured Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Cal State Fullerton and an active international educator, having presented at the Jazz Education Network Conference and taught masterclasses across Europe, Latin America, and the United States. As a bandleader, his quartet Surfaces has released two albums and performs throughout the U.S., Central, and South America.

As a sideman, Rodolfo has toured extensively at major international jazz festivals and serves as the drummer for multi-Grammy Award–winning artist Julio Iglesias, performing at iconic venues worldwide including Royal Albert Hall, Dubai Opera House, and Rockefeller Center. He is a proud endorser of Zildjian Cymbals and Vic Firth.

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