Dave Olson (piano) is a retired Head of Reference Services at the University of South Dakota Library. Mr. Olson is a self-taught jazz pianist who has played in many jazz and dance bands for over 50 years, primarily in the Sioux Falls, Sioux City, and Denver areas. A native of Sioux Falls who now lives in Vermillion, Mr. Olson was a member of the award-winning University of Denver Jazz Band that toured the Far East for three months under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. Over the years, Mr. Olson has played in "jam sessions" and backed a wide variety of musicians, including Chet Baker, Kevin Mahogany, Kenny Burrell, Kay Starr, Buddy Morrow, Tony Scott, the Dixie Cups, Jeff Jarvis, Chris Vadala, Stevie Wonder, Phil Urso, and Myron Floren. In addition to JAZZ PORTRAITS, he has also performed as a member of the Left Bank Jazz Society, SERENATA, Grace Notes, the South Dakota Jazz Quintet, the Sioux Falls Big Band and the Allen Project, as well as leading his own jazz trio.

Greg Olsen (drums) lives in Sioux Falls and is engaged in graduation supply sales work. He has played drums professionally for over 40 years, working with many popular musical groups in the Sioux Falls and Minneapolis areas. Greg was a member of the original JAZZTET, which received the first ever jazz touring grant from the South Dakota Arts Council. He has performed with the Everly Brothers, Ike Cole, Gene White and Friends, the Sioux Falls Big Band, Grace Notes Quartet and the Doc Walker Quartet. Greg has also been an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the region.

Michael Andersen (bass) is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, and has obtained a Master's Degree from the University of South Dakota. He taught 5-12 band for nine years in Clark, SD, eleven years as the elementary band director in Canton, SD, and is currently teaching middle school band in Worthington, MN.  Michael plays tuba in the South Dakota Symphony and the Sioux City Municipal Band, and electric bass with the Sioux City Symphony.  He is adjunct instructor of tuba at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD and Northwestern College, Orange City, IA, and maintains a private tuba/electric bass studio. As a freelance electric bassist, Michael has played with the Left Bank Jazz Quartet, Grace Notes, South Dakota Jazz Quintet and the Sioux Falls Big Band.

Jeff Soukup (trumpet) is currently the band director at Sioux City East High School in Sioux City, IA. Before that, he taught in Hartford, SD, Parkston, SD and Brookings, SD. Jeff holds a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from South Dakota State University. He was a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater faculty brass quintet and has performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Jeff has performed with Marvin Stamm, Frank Mantooth, Dennis DiBlasio, Rob Parton, Chris Vadala, Willie Thomas, Bob Mintzer, the Temptations, the Sioux Falls Big Band, David Napier Jazz quintet and a variety of other jazz/rock bands in the area. Jeff has also been a member of the "Governors Own" 147th Army Band from Mitchell, SD for over eighteen years.

Christopher J. Kocher (woodwinds) is assistant professor of saxophone and jazz studies at the University of South Dakota. C.J. holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master of Music degree in Saxophone Performance from Wichita State University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance and Music Education from Washburn University.  C.J. was the winner of the Rocky Mountain Concerto Competition and the Southard Competition. As a classical saxophonist, he has performed with the South Dakota Symphony, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony, the Greeley Philharmonic, and the Topeka Symphony. In jazz and commercial music he has played with the Sioux Falls Big Band, SD Jazz Quintet, Kansas City Boulevard Big Band, Denver Neophonic Orchestra, Wichita Jazz Orchestra, Frank Mantooth, Mercedes Ellington, Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, Jeffrey Osborne, Melissa Manchester, the Tempations, the Jimmy Dorsey Big Band and the Topeka Jazz Workshop. He has been active as a clinician and adjudicator in Colorada, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. C.J. can be heard on UNC Jazz Lab Band I's CDs "Alive XVI: This One's for the Buddy" and "Alive XVII: For the Last Time" on United Jazz Artists Recordings.