Eric Jones was born in Moultrie, Georgia, and started playing piano by ear at the age of five. At 11 he began studying trumpet, and at 16 he started formal piano lessons. Within two years, he was awarded a piano scholarship to Andrew College. He went on to earn a B.A. in Piano from Armstrong Atlantic State University, studying under Dr. Kevin Hampton, and completed a Master’s in Composition from Georgia Southern University under Dr. Martin Gendelman.
A 2020 inductee into the Savannah Jazz Hall of Fame, Jones has worked with Grammy Award–winning bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Keith Miller of the Metropolitan Opera, and Wycliffe Gordon. He serves as pianist for the Savannah Jazz Orchestra and is a featured member of the Savannah Philharmonic, with whom he premiered his commissioned piece “The Seafarer” in 2024. He currently teaches at Savannah State University.
Martin Lesch spent most of his young life growing up in New York City, raised in a musical family with a deep affection for jazz. He studied with Richard Sorce at NYU through his teens, then graduated high school early to attend Berklee College of Music before returning to New York. Lured by a vibrant music scene for working players, he transplanted to the Southeast and now resides on Hilton Head Island, SC. After touring and releasing albums with his own band, he took to producing, musical directing, and accompanying regional and national acts, including a long tenure with singer-songwriter Angie Aparo.
After an encounter with iconic jazz figure Bob Masteller, Lesch was hired as a regular at The Jazz Corner, which has become one of the most regarded jazz venues in the world. He also completed a residency in China with guitarist Jackson Evans, playing jazz to sold-out audiences for 90 straight days. At the Jazz Corner he hosts a popular weekly “Journey Through Jazz” series, performing a history of jazz spanning stride through modern piano technique. He is also an active member of the Junior Jazz Foundation.
Eden Mastriani-Levi is a pianist, composer, and educator living in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in Israel, South Carolina’s Lowcountry, and Atlanta, Georgia, he gained an immense appreciation for the diversity of life, which he aims to present as a bandleader and collaborator. His musical talent was first recognized by the Junior Jazz Foundation’s Rising Stars program, where he gained valuable experience opening for acts such as Jane Monheit, Arturo Sandoval, The Count Basie Orchestra, and Deana Martin.
He then studied at Georgia State University and began working with its educational outreach programs, making mentorship and education central pillars of growth to be shared in his work. On this journey, Eden has amassed many different influences, such as Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Benjamin Clementine. This, along with his unique upbringing, has made Eden an exciting, young performer to look out for.
Before moving to New York City to pursue his M.M. at Queens College, Eden established a professional presence in Atlanta’s musical community. He has performed for venues and occasions such as the Rialto Center for the Arts, Spivey Hall, Eddie’s Attic, The Jazz Corner, The Velvet Note, the Atlanta Neighborhood Jazz Series, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Annual Meeting, Candler Park Festival, Inman Park Festival, MARTA’s music program “Artbound LIVE,” and the Jazz for All Ages Festival. His compositions and arrangements have been recorded with the Rialto Honors Combo, and presented at the International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers’ Symposium.
Eden currently teaches privately and publicly through programs for a variety of ages, skill levels, and topics. He has worked with the Hilton Head Jazz Camp, Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Arts, Georgia State Summer Jazz Workshop, and Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra—paying forward the incredible educational opportunities and experiences he received as a young musician.