Donny Hathaway

Chuggy Carter has performed drums and percussion for a number of top performers over his long and fascinating career.  Equally noted to his musicianship by those who worked with Chuggy is his smile and approachable personality.  “Part of my job is to create a relaxing situation for the performers and that is hard to do if the band members are upset.  So, I smile and have fun.”  Among those Chuggy has performed with: Rufis Reid, Jon Hammond, Bernie Worrell and Donny Hathaway.

Marshall Hawkins founded the Idyllwild Arts Jazz Program with the intention of giving young musicians the same kind of individual mentoring that he received while growing up in Washington, D.C., and later from jazz immortals like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock when he played the standup bass with them.

Ralph MacDonald grew up in Harlem, where he was exposed to many musical traditions. As a drummer, he focused on his African roots and as a songwriter he relied on his soulful understanding of the blues. Ralph wrote "Where Is the Love", the Grammy winning song made popular by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Ralph also wrote "Just the Two of Us" for Bill Withers and "Jam on the Groove". Ralph was just 67 when he passed away in 2011 of lung cancer.

Raul Midón, a luminary shaped by the vibrant rhythms of Latin music, discovered his calling amidst a world of sound despite the challenge of blindness. From his earliest days, Raul found solace and inspiration in the melodies that surrounded him, channeling his unwavering passion into singing and playing guitar. Influenced by legends like José Feliciano, Raul embarked on a musical journey that led him to become a sought-after studio musician, lending his soulful vocals to luminaries such as Stevie Wonder and Jason Mraz.

Phil Upchurch was a teenager when he joined the solid studio musicians at Chess Records in Chicago. The seasoned veterans took Phil under their wings, showed him the ropes, and embraced the unique style he brought to the studio’s distinctive sound. He later played on hundreds of recordings for artists including Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway, and Curtis Mayfield. Phil also landed his own instrumental hit with his band, “You Can’t Sit Down.” In addition to his extensive studio work, Phil helped design a signature D’Angelico-style guitar, which he often played during recordings and li

Benjamin Wright is the renowned musical arranger and composer whose talents can be heard on landmark recordings by the likes of Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and OutKast to name a few. His skills as an arranger set the bar high for fellow arrangers during the late 1970s and 80s and have since influenced many pop and R&B artists to follow, such as Daft Punk, Soul Purpose, and Slick Rick, all of whom have sampled Benjamin’s work. When you hear the string arrangement on Michael Jackson’s million-selling debut album Off The Wall with such classics as “Don’t Stop