Since 2001, Dave Schroeder's main musical focus has been leading the eclectic New York City-based ensemble "Combo Nuvo," where he displays his skills on multiple woodwinds and composition. He has also performed or recorded with a wide array of artists including Kenny Werner, Gil Goldstein, Lenny Pickett, Teo Macero, Larry Coryell, Airto Moreira, Oscar Cartro-Neves,Brian Lynch, Lee Konitz, Don Friedman and Dave Liebman. Since 2003, Schroeder has been the director of the Jazz Studies Program at New York University where Combo Nuvo is currently the Artist/Faculty Jazz Ensemble In Residence. As a music producer, Schroeder created the Blue Note Jazz Club Jazz Masters Series and the NYU Jazz Masterclass DVD Series, which include master classes with legendary jazz artists Hank Jones, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Jimmy and Percy Heath, Phil Woods, Barry Harris, Toots Thielemans and Cecil Taylor. He also acted as vice president of Laurel Tree Records from 1999-2002 and produced several video productions including: Kenny Werner's "Effortless Mastery Series", The New School Lectures vol. 1-4. Joe Lovano's "Jazz Standards." Mike Mainieri's "Wisdom From a Life in Jazz," and Jonah Jones's "The Unsinkable Jonah Jones."

Composer, Arranger, and pianist Rich Shemaria has penned half of the band's compositions and recently orchestrated the group's music in two different formats: the string orchestra and symphony orchestra. Born in Southern California in 1955, Rich Shemaria was educated in classical and jazz music but enjoyed a diverse number of world art forms. He moved to New York City in 1985 where he became part of the jazz scene, forming his own big band, the Rich Shemaria Jazz Orchestra. From 1990-91 he participated in one of the first BMI Composers Workshops under the direction of Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam. From 1994-96 he lived in Helsinki, Finland where he served as musical director of the UMO Jazz Orchestra, the national radio big band of Finland. While there he toured with Natalie Cole and conducted performances with artists like Michael Brecker, Paquito de Rivera, Mercer Ellington, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Hargrove, Houston Person, Marvin Stamm, Steve Turre, Randy Johnston and Nicholas Payton to name a few. A prolific composer and arranger, Rich has written for Teo Macero, Michael Brecker, Lenny Pickett, Chris Potter, UMO, The Airmen of Note, Diva, Randy Johnston, the Pugh/Taylor Project, Steve Johns/Pete Brainin and the Pratt Brothers Big Band. His contemporary chamber works are in the books of the Meridian Arts Ensemble, the Mannes College Brass and Percussion Ensemble, classical saxophonist Jim Noyes and the Wood/Moran guitar duo. Along with the other members of Combo Nuvo, Rich teaches at York University where he is a member of the composition faculty in the Jazz Studies department.

Autodidact Lenny Pickett grew up playing saxophone and clarinet in bars and on the street, toured through the 1970's with Tower Of Power and recorded with David Bowie, The Talking Heads and many others in the 1980's. Now a musical director for Saturday Night Live, he has also composed music for dance, theater and film including the opera "Welfare" with filmmaker Fredrick Wiseman and poet David Slavitt, recordings with Alan Ginsberg and William Burroughs and the critically acclaimed recording "Lenny Pickett with the Borneo Horns". He also teaches private students and several ensembles as a member of the NYU Jazz Studies faculty.

Guitarist Brad Shepik moved to New York in 1990 and began performing in groups including Paul Motian's Electric Be Bop Band (1991-96), Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell Trio (1992-2002), Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio (1992-present), Pachora (1993-2006), and BABKAS (1992-8) Yuri Yunakov's Bulgarian Wedding Band (1995-96). In addition to regular performances with The Brad Shepik Trio, Brad is a current member of Joey Baron's Killer Joey, Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio, Simon Shaheen's Quantara, Bob Brookmeyer Quartet, and Alexis Cuadrado Quintet. Mr. Shepik has been a member of jazz studies faculty since 2004.

Mike Richmond has been featured on over 250 recordings (12 solo) with artists/ensembles such as Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Ravi Shankar, Stan Getz, Charles Mingus Dynasty, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrande, and the CBS Orchestra in Los Angeles. He has won Grammy Awards with Miles Davis, Quincy Jones and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mike has also performed as a soloist with the Bratislava Philharmonic and Cologne Radio Orchestras. His performance (bassist and actor) in the Robert Wilson/Alan Ginsberg production "Cosmopolitan Greetings" with the Hamburg State Opera brought praise in both Time and Newsweek magazines. Mike has toured extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America since 1973. Appearances include documentaries produced in the United States, Germany, Poland, Isreal, Japan, and China. His compositions have been performed on television (Tonight Show, etc.), recordings, and movies ("Precious Cargo" - PBS). "International Symposium On Jazz Pedagogy" sponsored by the French Cultural Ministry.

Percussionist John Hadfield enjoys a wide-ranging career in the fields of jazz, world, and contemporary music. This diversity has allowed him to perform with a broad variety of ensembles including Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road ensemble, Bang on a Can, The Michael Gordon Band, The rock band Capital M, the Middle Eastern jazz group Anistar, Ethos Percussion Group, Perspectives Ensemble, MAYA and the NYC gamelan group Darma Swara. Notable collaborations include performances with Lenny Pickett, Bobby Watson, Gil Goldstein, Brad Shepik and Eric Friedlander. Currently, Mr. Hadfield lives in NYC and is on Jazz Studies faculty at New York University. His first CD as a leader was released in 2007.