Adam Hawley
Guitarist and Producer Adam Hawley who has burst onto the USA scene as a celebrated and innovative artist, composer and band leader. Handpicked by Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind, & Fire) he first debuted on the legend’s label Kalimba Music. In all, Adam’s four albums and work as a producer has spawned an incredible Twelve Billboard #1 Hits. In it’s first week, the 3rd record “Escape” was the #1 Selling Album in the Nation, outselling every other contemporary jazz album as per Nielsen. Adam performs a dynamic combination of scintillating original contemporary jazz selections (12 Billboard #1 Hits) combined with some of your favourite selections from Stevie Wonder, EWF, Demi Lovato, Gap Band, Chris Brown, John Legend, and more.
Paula Atherton
Saxophonist/vocalist/songwriter Paula Atherton has shared the stage with such contemporary jazz notables as The Rippingtons, Nick Colionne, Chuck Loeb, Cindy Bradley, Brian Simpson, Althea Renee, Four80East, David Sanborn, Bob James, Marc Antoine, Hiroshima, Gerald Albright and Chieli Minucci. Paula has also worked in the traditional jazz field; one of the notable performances being a week-long engagement at the Blue Note NYC with pianist and jazz legend, Hank Jones. Paula also performed with Grammy award winning singer Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Annenberg Theater, for the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival.
Paula has had multiple #1 singles on Billboard and Mediabase. The Billboard year end 2022 chart had Paula as the #3 Airplay Artist of the year, as well as “Keep it Comin’” as the #3 Song of the Year! Her record label “Dream On Records” also ended the year on Bilboard’s Top 10 listing at # 8!
The NSU Jazz Ensemble
NSU Jazz Ensemble is the premier instrumental performing group of the NSU Jazz Studies & Commercial Music program. Highly qualified students are selected by audition for placement in the group each semester. The band performs two concerts per semester at the Jazz Lab. All university students are invited to audition. Audition information is posted the first week of classes each semester in the Fine Arts Building and at the Jazz Lab. The instrumentation consists of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, bass, piano, drums, and guitar. Photo by Patrick Witty.
Mike Cameron
Mike Cameron is a freelance saxophonist, composer and educator based in Tulsa, OK specializing in improvisation that spans many musical genres. He leads and writes original music for the Mike Cameron Collective, the nine-piece funk band Count Tutu, and the Swunky Face Big Band. He has had the opportunity to perform professionally with The Count Basie Orchestra, The Temptations, The O’Jays, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Bartlesville Symphony, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Tulsa Signature Symphony and The Tommy Dorsey Ghost Orchestra. He recently traveled to New York City in February 2022 to perform the world premier of Ethan Iverson’s “Ritornello, Sinfonias & Cadenzas”.
As leader of the “Mike Cameron Collective” he has performed original music and standards every Monday night at Hodges Bend for nine years and has held many other weekly residencies at clubs throughout Tulsa. He has been a featured performer at The Gathering Place, Low Down Jazz Club, Guthrie Green and Tulsa Signature Symphony.
Cynthia Simmons
Cynthia’s Jazz career is an example of the wonders of social media. Several years ago, while relatively new to the Tulsa area she made a chance connection on Facebook with one of the city’s finest jazz pianists. Through this connection she was introduced to the Tulsa Jazz community, and the rest as the saying goes, is history.
Cynthia has performed in many local venues including the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Northeastern State University PAC, Kansas City’s Blue Room, Low Down Jazz Club and many others.
She has also been featured in several festivals such as the TEG International Jazz Fest Presented by SpiritBank, the Chet Baker Festival, the Rose Festival of Broken Arrow, the International Jazz Day Celebration, the Feel Good Festival, and the PostOak Wine and Jazz Festival.
T.E.G. International Jazz Fest 