Jeannine/ Jahneen is a performer/ recording artist , music director, author, teaching artist .She is the Director of Music at the historic St Marks Church in the Bowery using that platform to produce concerts, service events, and present emerging artists and continue to explore ways to build community. Jeannine has collaborated with many pioneers of social justice and arts in spirituality such as Pete Seeger and composer/ writer Elizabeth Swados, many jazz greats including Grover Washington Jr, Vishnu Wood, and Heikki Sarmanto Composer laureate of Finland.

As a performer Anthony Tomassini critic for the NYTIMES called her a ‘showstopper’ in her role as Ella Worker in THE CRADLE WILL ROCK. She has had and continues to have a diverse performance career including projects on and off Broadway, Music Director at Theatreworks USA , touring with Kool and the Gang/ Shirley Austin and her New Shirelles, in-residence at Harvard as part of the American Repertory Theater, The Denver Center, a guest performer mainstage at the Pori Jazz Festival Finland , Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess on tour in Europe, a collaborator for special service events at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.As a recording artist she has two gold records, and can be found in compilations with a diverse group of artists such as Antonio Carlos Jobim ( RAINY NIGHT JAZZ) and Josephine Baker…( LOVING JAZZ)..and most recently ( April 2024 ) SISTER FUNK ( #70) which includes Tina Turner and others for the Numero Group recording company .

She has a BA with honors from Wellesley College and an MA from Emerson College where she was a teaching fellow.

She has taught at NYU, EMERSON, MARYMOUNT, and loves being a teaching artist in various settings .Jeannine is committed to arts that builds community and continues to be active with UTA for over three decades.

www. Jeannineotis.com

Darrell Smith DMA (jazz percussion, music director, band leader, composer, producer) is a jazz percussionist and composer endorsed by Canopus Drums. He has performed in numerous festivals both nationally and internationally including the Montclair Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the Mumbai NCPA Jazz Festival (India). As a band leader, he has led his original trio (Dal Segno Trio) in local performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, The Jazz Standard and Gotham. As a composer, Dr. Smith co-wrote an original off-Broadway show entitled “Interludes” that features New Orleans themed music. “Interludes” was featured in the San Diego International Fringe Festival and the New York Fringe Festival. Dr. Smith has also performed in off-Broadway productions of “West Side Story”, “The King and I”, “Pearl”, and “Magdalene”. Since 2018 Dr. Smith has been the music director of the Staten Island Jazz Festival (Universal Temple of the Arts). Dr. Smith is a board member of The Jazz Loft in Stony Brook, Long Island. He has just started his own non-profit organization “3 Degrees” to build an arts center on Staten Island. He is currently the Director of Education for Jazz House Kids under the artistic direction of bassist Chrisitian McBride. Dr. Smith serves on the faculties of the New School University and the College of Staten Island, CUNY.

Jazz Woman to the Rescue! A daughter of Newark, the youngest of seven in a musical household, and longtime activist of jazz-imbued New Jersey-New York-Connecticut, Antoinette Montague is a force to be reckoned with. A vocalist with a penchant for turning a tune in any genre into jazz or blues, this Jazz Hero is found where the music meets civil and human rights.

She is a founder and CEO of the non-profit Jazz Woman to the Rescue, which encourages the donation of instruments to young people. She serves on the board of directors of The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts and is advisory board chair for International Women in Jazz, as well as on the community advisory board of WBGO. She now proudly brings her heart, joy and experience to the Newark School of the Arts. Antoinette also teaches and performs for many jazz organizations, such as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Syncopated Leadership Workshop, Music on the Inside (for the incarcerated, directed by 2022 Jazz Hero Alina Bloomgarden), Jazz Power Initiative, Jazzmobile festivals and their Saturday workshops at Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music.She has worked with seniors bringing them music, health and a fresh perspective.

As Antoinette’s fellow Jazz Power Initiative teaching artist Richard Miller has written, “She brings the heritage of her music to serve the neediest of our communities. She shows students how to tap into the redemption of the blues and the liberation of jazz, in an organic way that incorporates improvisation, culture, and life lessons. She brings a keen attention to her students and has always been able to elicit the most vulnerable and authentic responses, even from incarcerated students.”

All this and Antoinette hosts a radio show on WHCR (“the Voice of Harlem”), highlighting artists in what she calls “the 3 Es” — Emerging, Established and Elder States-persons of jazz, blues and beyond category.

Jazz Foundation America Executive Director Joe Petrucelli says, “As the name of her alter ego suggests, Antoinette is truly a superhero of the scene. In countless performances with the JFA, she has delighted audiences of all ages, from elementary schoolchildren to seniors, with an approach that edifies and electrifies. She embodies the spirit of jazz and has become not just a messenger for the music but an invaluable mentor, counselor and caregiver for fellow musicians.” The JJA, which enjoyed a rousing set by Jazz Hero Antoinette Montague (with Danny Mixon) at the 2015 JJA Jazz Awards, wholeheartedly agrees.

Leopoldo Fleming Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble

Leopoldo Fleming is still maintaining this wonderful band, which he founded almost 31 years ago, of a special musical concept, and which includes New York and Caribbean Jazz and Latin greats. Since July 2016 he has another set-up of this in Copenhagen, including Danish and Danish-Cuban Jazz and Latin greats.

As a musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, band leader Leopoldo F. Fleming is a great personality with a rich and multicolored palette, inspiration from his Latin-Afro-Indian roots, his childhood in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, decades as highly active in the jazz and beyond music scene of New York, and his international experience collaborating and touring all over Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, with US, Caribbean, and African stars.

Though a jazz musician, Leopoldo is well versed in several genres - jazz, funk, R&B, Caribbean, Cuban, Brazilian, African, gospel and spirituals. He is a brilliant accompanist, a fascinating soloist, has a special melodic gift in his playing, and his performances sparkle with surprises, sophistication, grace, and exquisite timing.

Besides his own music and theater projects, Leopoldo has played, recorded and toured with a cornucopia of great artists such as Miriam Makeba for a number of years since 1965, Nina Simone off and on for 31 years, in 2008, -09 & -10 followed by "Sing The Truth" tours (w. Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Angélique Kidjo, Simone Kelly, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stacey Kent and more), The Symphony of the New World, Harry Belafonte, Monica Zetterlund, The String Reunion, Eartha Kitt, The World Bass Violin Ensemble, Beaver Harris, Novella Nelson, Lonnie Liston Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Sonny Stitt, Richard Grove Holmes, Queen Esther Marrow, Leon Thomas, Randy Weston (in big band format and in a trio including Ron Carter and Abdul Malik), Archie Shepp, Bob Cunningham, Kenny Barron, Horace Parlan, David Murray, The Boys' Choir of Harlem, a number of local world class musicians in Vienna and Copenhagen respectively, the all–stars Lou Caputo Not So Big Band, and has been a mainstay with The New York Harlem Singers from its inception by music director Linda Twine, touring in Asia once a year.

Since 1951 Leopoldo's home is New York, however, from 1987 to 98 he had residence in Vienna, Austria, and since 2006 he has a base in Copenhagen, Denmark, too. Musicians.allaboutjazz.com/leopoldofleming

Brocton Pierce is a native of Baltimore Maryland. Upon relocatng to New York Brocton has worked extensively doing theater Off Broadway and Broadway. Theatre Works USA, and countless other theatrical produtions in New York and abroad. Additionally, Brocton just worked as a supporting actor and Executive Producer in a flim entitled "Perfect Attention" which is a romance thriller. This film has had two private screenings and is now entering the various festivals and thus far is creating quite a buzz.

Brocton is extremely excited to be a part of Love In Bloom where a wide variety of talent is displayed in a very unique and special way. Peace, light and love!

Professor Charles Thomas; the first male lead actor in the original LOVE IN BLOOM, costarring with Sheila Rohan; is actor, musician, dancer, teacher and costume designer. He won the coveted Audelco Award for costumes inJULIUS CAESAR SET IN AFRICA, accolades for Ishmael Reeds' GETHSEMANE PARK in the New York Times with co-designer Barbara Register, and much reviewed play LIFE DURING WARTIME at the historical Nuyorican Poets Café, Rome Neal, director. He starred as Lazarus in GETHSEMANE PARK; Job in musical SAY YES; and Yarba in Gertrude Jeanette's LIGHT IN THE CELLAR, produced by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. He debuted at Town Hall and City Center with The Afro-American Folkloric Troupe during the beginning of the Black Arts Movement. He loves community and meaningful Art.

Born and raised in New York, Gregory Taylor is an accomplished actor and director. Starting his career with the Unity Cultural Workshop in Staten Island, Gregory played leading roles in such productions as "The River Niger", "A Raisin In The Sun", "Every Night When The Sun Goes Down", "A Soldier's Play" and "Godspell". He has also played leading roles in national tours of "Spell # 7", "A Soldier's Play" and "Purlie".

Gregory has also directed a number of plays and readings for N.Y. audiences and local cable T.V. including "Topdog/Underdog", "Defiance", "Radio Golf", “Intimate Apparel” and most recently "The Call".

Gregory has most recently starred in “Sweat” and “Lysistratas” for Ghostlight Productions.

“I’ve had the great pleasure of playing in “Love in Bloom” multiple times and each time is such a joy!! I am really looking forward to this production of such a time-honored piece!!”

Poet/emcee, Vernon "Dyverse" Wooten or Dyverse the 1st was born and raised in the Bronx New York and came to Staten Island in a group home at the age of 14. Dyverse was always a writer and poet as a student but began to take it serious as a hip hop fan and emcee at the age of 17. With a bevy of projects to his credit he's been an artist, an actor, a writer and producer. With films like the award-winning Hip Hop Hope and 2007's Blackout, Dyverse has gone from hip hop artist and MC to actor, producer and music supervisor. He's done projects domestically as well as overseas. He's worked with producers like Easy Mo Bee, Psycho Les of the Beatnuts and the legendary Pete Rock. As the lead MC of the band Aquavibe he helped create a new genre of music known as Mix-Hop. Recognized for his thought provoking insight as well as his unique cadence and lyricism Dyverse continues to be a standout artist with an entrepreneurial mindset the founder of Staten Island's original Hip Hop Shop Thatz Wassup and the CEO of Thatz Wassup Studios as well as one of the founders of The Outfit rap crew.

Dorian Lake - Vocalist, percussionist, composer and arranger - has broad experience in many styles, forms and genres of music. His compositions range from popular songs for jazz and rock bands to works for concert band, choir and solo voice. He has performed in major operatic works (such as Figaro in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Uberto in Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona), in musicals (including two productions of Hair, both playing as Hud) and on the concert stage (such as solos in both the Brahms' and Durufle Requiems), among many other performances. His wide range of interests and abilities have led to performances in divergent venues, from Carnegie Hall, the New Jersey Performance Art Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral to B.B. King's, The Bitter End and the former CBGB's, as well as in tours all over the East Coast, Germany, Austria, Spain and Costa Rica.

Joy Allison Martinez, a multi-talented artist performing for over forty years, is known for her abilities in music and lyric composition, electric bass, piano, dance and singing. A resident of Brighton Heights, Staten Island, Joy studied Ballet, Tap and Jazz under the tutelage of Staten Island’s own Christine Leonardi of Great Expectations for over 10 years. Joy attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts and the Performing Arts where she obtained a diploma in Vocal Studies. She then went on to Philadelphia to study in the University of the Arts’ Baccalaureate Program where she majored in Jazz Dance and studied music composition and film production as a minor. Joy has performed two consecutive years at Staten Island’s Smooth Sounds of Jazz by the Sea, and with the Universal Temple of the Arts for approximately five years, singing in both Love in Bloom and the Staten Island Jazz Festival. Joy has two beautiful daughters who are also artists and she comes from a lineage of musicians and performing artists on both sides of her family. When Joy is not crooning, or dancing to her own master dance beats, she’s counseling New York State attorneys as an expert in Civil Law Procedure and in her own paralegal firm, Counselors Asset LLC, where she works as a Senior Civil Litigation Paralegal and serves as a Notary Public.

Laurent is an accomplished chorister having sung with many choirs including projects with Prof. Rodger Wesby, The Bethel Community Choir of Staten Island, and Festival Choir for the Episcopal Diocese of New York City at St John the Divine.

Laurent has been a participant in LOVE IN BLOOM from the very beginning and is dedicated to being active with the Universal Temple of the Arts. All of this activity is in addition to his role as an administrator

For Social Outreach programming for the New York City.

Music has always been a part of my life. I began singing as early as 2 or 3 years old. When I was 8 years old I joined the Junior Choir of Saint Martin Episcopal Church. I began piano lessons at the age of nine. While a student at Cooper Junior High School I was in the jazz band and school orchestra. I played the clarinet. In secondary school (George School in Newtown, PA) I was in the chorus and performed in two Gilbert and Sullivan productions, HMS Pinafore and Mikado. I also sang a solo in the holiday performance of Handel’s Messiah.

When I got married and moved to Staten Island in 1974 I was introduced to Universal Temple of the Arts. I have been a member ever since. As a member of UTA I have been the coordinator and teacher for the piano program. I have coordinated and led the Jazz for Teens program. I introduced the Shakespeare program to UTA and taught Shakespeare to elementary, intermediate and high school students. I was on the planning committee of the UTA Staten Island Jazz Festival for many years.

As a member of UTA I was afforded the opportunity to do what I enjoy most. I sang whenever given the chance. I have participated in the production of Love in Bloom. The first time was in the 80’s performance at Curtis High School, and every year since it has become an annual event. I have also been a part of the chorus for the UTA Staten Island Jazz Festival almost every year.