Gatecrash - Dutch trumpet player, Eric Vloeimans, is regarded as one of Europe's best performers with an extraordinary talent for playing original music with outstanding quality. Vloeimans prefers recording original compositions on his award winning CDs, however he can often be heard performing a wide variety of tunes.

As a composer, he does not feel restricted to one particular style, and he has managed to create an evocative, harmonic language of his own. His writing is fresh and creative, yet not without feeling and respect for tradition. Eric Vloeimans is unique among many of Holland's top international jazz artists in that he does not shy away from playing beautifully. He is a rare musician that has mastered the complete range of the trumpet, from the energy laden high notes to the soft, velvety, almost wooden sounds.

The talent and the expressive power of Eric Vloeimans' music have been honoured by his winning the Dutch Edison Award four times; the Elly Ameling Prize of the City of Rotterdam; the Boy Edgar Award; and the Bird Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Eric Vloeimans' Gatecrash, founded in 2007, features soundscape master, Jeroen van Vliet on Fender Rhodes and keyboards; the inventive Gulli Gudmundsson on bass, electric basses and effects; and the up and coming Jasper van Hulten on drums. Vloeimans expands his trumpet mastery with electronics and special effects.

Gatecrash has earned a reputation as one of Europe's top cross-over bands between jazz and pop. The music ranges from lazy lounge music to hard core up tempo beats and spaced out moods, with Zappa-influenced odd meters. It's a band that sweeps the audience away. Gatecrash has released three albums: Gatecrashin' (2007 Challenge Records); Dutch Edison-award winning live-album, Hyper (2008 Challenge Records); and live-album, Heavens Above (2009 Challenge Records) studio-album.

Bheki Khoza is famous for being a self-taught, left-handed guitarist playing in two main genres. Firstly, the Zulu traditional style known as Maskanda, and also as a jazz artist. Bheki was born in KwaZulu-Natal. In 1991 he won a Talent Award to study music in America. Thus he made the transition of teaching himself theory from books to a scholarship at the University of Hartford, Connecticut.

By doing extra study and Summer School he completed the four year course in two and a half years to receive his Bachelor of Music degree. Bheki has worked with such diverse artists as Kenny Barron; Hilton Ruiz; Jackie and Rene McLean; Winston Mankunku Ngozi; Sibongile Khumalo; and the African Jazz Pioneers.

Besides his guitar talents, he is also an educator and an arranger, having acted as both arranger and director for the two films, Drum and Sophiatown.

Dave Ndoro is the venerable Zimbabwean guitarist and bandleader of veteran jazz & blues group, Luck St Blues, formed in the 80s. Still going strong and performing for jazz audiences, defending jazz space, and delivering a great repertoire of old and new jazz classics, African specials, and of course, The Blues.

When asked about his influences, bandleader Dave Ndoro first gives credit to his original mentor, the late Dr Martin Gunda, but says his musical influences are too many to remember. In his time he has played with such diverse musicians as Robert Moore; Thomas Mapfumo; the late James Chimombe and late Marshall Munhumumwe; Mike Lannas; Hilton Mambo; and many others, and influenced by each of their styles, in some way.