Nobody swings harder than Willie Akins. For years, St. Louis audiences have been fortunate enough to have the tenor titan in their own backyard. When touring jazz musicians come into town…they want to hear Willie Akins. Recent years have seen Akins lend his artistry to the bandstands of Greg Osby and Kurt Elling.

Montez Coleman, an East St. Louis native himself, has toured the world with some of the biggest names in jazz. A long time member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet, Coleman has also worked with nationally recognized musicians like Rufus Reid, Russell Malone, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as local favorites Russell Gunn and Erin Bode.