Being recognized as “one of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz,” (The Guardian, UK) pianist Lynne Arriale has performed on the most prestigious international concert stages over the past 30 years. Jazz Police called her “the poet laureate of her generation.” JazzTimes said of her, “Lynne Arriale’s music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She is one of jazzdom’s most intensely unique voices.” Jazz Journal commented, “Arriale is clearly one of the best contemporary jazz pianists.“

Lynne won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition and toured Japan with “100 Golden Fingers” with Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Monty Alexander, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron, Harold Mabern, Roger Kellaway, Junior Mance and Ray Bryant. She has performed and/or recorded with jazz masters, Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Larry Coyell and Marian McPartland, to name a few. Her international festival performances include Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Inverness, Cork, and San Javier. Lynne’s tours have taken her to Brazil, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Australia, Japan, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, China, South Africa and the U.S. She has given five performances at the Kennedy Center.

Lynne’s 17 albums as a leader have topped the JazzWeek radio charts including: Inspiration #1, Arise #1, Come Together #3, The Lights Are Always On #3, Nuance #4, Convergence #4, Being Human #5, Chimes of Freedom #8 and were recognized on numerous "Best Of" lists, including The New Yorker and United Press International. LIVE (CD/DVD) was named one of UPI’s Best Jazz CDs and among The New Yorker magazine’s Best CDs of the year. Solo was named one of the top CDs of 2012 by JAZZIZ magazine, and Convergence was named one of the top 50 CDs of 2011 by JazzTimes. Her release, Give Us These Days, was included in the top Jazz CDs of 2018 by Jazz History Online and the Best New Jazz Releases of 2018 by The Arts Fuse. Chimes of Freedom was named one of the Best CDs of 2020 by DownBeat and Best Jazz Instrumental Releases of 2020 by Jazz History Online. Lynne’s release, The Lights Are Always On ranked #19 on the JazzWeek Radio year-end charts for all 2022 airplay, #2 on Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes “Favorite Jazz Records of 2022,” “Sounds Like America” on Ken Franckling’s Favorite New Compositions from CDs released in 2022, and #6 on Textura’s year end “Top 30 Jazz Releases.”Being Human received five four star reviews, and 2024 “Best of” lists: DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2024, Textura’s 30 Best Jazz Albums of 2024, All About Jazz’s Best Jazz Albums Of 2024, and ArtsFuse’s Best Jazz Albums of 2024. It was also #26 in the Jazz Week Year End Chart for all radioplay in 2024.

Live TV and radio appearances and concert performances include Profile of a Recording Artist, NPR’s Weekend Edition, Jazz Set, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz. Print media features include Billboard, Downbeat, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, BBC Magazine, and The London Times.

Lynne was the first woman to have the cover story for JazzEd Magazine, and additional cover stories include One Way and M magazines. Live media appearances include CNN/FN’ Biz, NPR’s Jazz Piano Christmas – Live from The Kennedy Center, and radio/TV interviews throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe, including the BBC, Radio France and German National Television. In 2020, Lynne was named in “The 50 Wisconsin Musicians With the Biggest Impact Over the Past 100 Years” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

She is an active educator and adjudicator and has conducted master classes and clinics internationally throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Lynne adjudicated the Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Montreux Jazz Competition, American Pianists Association Fellowship Awards, The Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Competition, The American Jazz Pianist Competition and the Jacksonville Piano Competition. She was a featured mentor at The Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop at the Kennedy Center. Lynne is a Yamaha artist and is currently Professor of Jazz Studies and Director of Small Ensembles at The University of North Florida in Jacksonville. In 2018, she was awarded the UNF Presidential Leader Award and was runner-up for the 2019-2020, 2021- 2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 UNF Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award.

Being Human, Lynne’s 17th album as a leader, is her fourth for Challenge Records International. Her suite of 10 original compositions celebrates the ways that our lives are enriched by acts of passion, courage, love, persistence, heart, soul, curiosity, faith and joy. Featuring bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta, the album explores these life-affirming facets of humankind. Many of the songs are dedicated to people who’ve inspired Arriale, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
In recent years, Lynne’s compositions and albums have reflected current social issues. Chimes of Freedom (2020) highlights the worldwide immigration crisis and the experiences of refugees who risk everything to find a better life for themselves and their families. The Lights Are Always On (2022) examines the life-changing events wrought by COVID-19. Some compositions are named in honor of heroes, including those who served as caregivers on the front lines of the pandemic and those who defended American democracy. In Being Human, Arriale affirms the need for love, hope and unity in a world torn by the negative effects of political and cultural polarization. It is a musical inspiration to fully appreciate the incredible potential in each of us, and to best express what it means to be human.
“I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world,” Arriale says. “The music focuses on qualities we all share, that define our humanity. I hope this album will be uplifting and convey a sense of unity and optimism.”

Dutch double bassist, composer and producer Jasper Somsen (1973) graduated in both Jazz and Classical double bass. He is an open minded versatile musician. Best known as a Jazz musician his field of interest and expertise also includes cross overs to classical, pop, world and film music and theater productions.

Jasper has collaborated with some of the very best musicians on the international jazz scene including Peter Erskine, Enrico Pieranunzi, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff Ballard, John Beasley, Jean-Michel Pilc, Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Seamus Blake, Jorge Rossy, Kendrick Scott, Justin Faulkner, André Ceccarelli, Gary Husband, Gabriele Mirabassi and Paolo Fresu.

Besides a performer and composer, Jasper Somsen is a Challenge Records artist and a renowned studio producer. Jasper performs world wide and can be heard on more than 45 albums, video and film music scores. Outside a busy playing and studio producing schedule he is an educator at the ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem (NL) and the general director of the foundation Cultural City of Wageningen, in his hometown.