Charlie Ballantine, Jon Cowherd, Dave King and Jesse Wittman

BLUESTEM JAZZ | The Charlie Ballantine Quartet will feature Charlie on guitar, Jon Cowherd on Piano, Dave King on Drums and Jesse Wittman on Bass.

JON COWHERD | The Kentucky-raised, New Orleans-schooled, New York-based Cowherd is best known for his long- running partnership with drummer/bandleader Brian Blade, with whom he co-founded the Grammy nominated Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, whose acclaimed, influential albums showcase Cowherd's stellar keyboard work and singular compositional skills. When not recording and touring with the Fellowship, Cowherd has worked extensively with a broad array of players and singers from the jazz, pop and rock worlds including Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlile, KD Lang, Rosanne Cash, Iggy Pop, Glen Hansard, Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield and Lizz Wright.

In 2013, ArtistShare and Blue Note records released Cowherd’s first album as a leader “Mercy” which features Bill Frisell, John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Cowherd and Blade also directed the all star Joni Mitchell tribute “Joni 75” along with such artists as Brandi Carlile, Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos with Marisoul, Graham Nash, Seal, James Taylor and Rufus Wainwright.

In 2017 Cowherd released a new recording on the exclusive “vinyl only” Newvelle record label. “Gateway” consists of 7 compositions by Cowherd and one from Brian Blade and features Steve Cardenas and Tony Scherr.

As an arranger, Cowherd has scored for big band, strings and symphony orchestra for Brandi Carlile, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright, the Fellowship Band and the Shreveport Symphony and the Loyola University Symphony Orchestra.

Other current touring projects include Alicia Olatuja, Nate Smith and Kinfolk, Tom Guarna’s Wishing Stones project and a new project with John Scofield touring in the Spring & Summer 2022 called “Yankee Go Home”.

DAVE KING | Studied piano and drums as a young person. Played in some amazing grade school, jr high school and high school bands and ensembles..............seriously ground breaking in approach and chart selection including a big band version of "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A" by John Mellancamp (formally known as John Cougar and John Cougar-Mellancamp).
Moved out east for a moment in 1989 when NYC still had barrel fires burning in lots that now house the American Apparel flagship store next to a place you can get a $7.00 espresso.
Moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to warm up a bit.
Was a couple of miles from the epicenter of the 1994 L.A. earthquake.
Decided that wasn't the place for me.
Moved back to Minneapolis.
Co founded Happy Apple.
Co founded Love-Cars.
Co founded Halloween, Alaska.
Joined 12Rods.
In 2000 co founded The Bad Plus in NYC.
Co founded The Gang Font featuring Greg Norton of punk icons Husker Du.
Have Performed music in 75 countries and 6 continents.
Have appeared on over 50 recordings.
Besides my working groups I have recorded and or performed with Bill Frisell, Joshua Redman, Dewey Redman. Jeff Beck. Tim Berne, Hank Roberts, Chris Speed, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Django Bates, Dead Prez, The Coup, Joe Lovano, Bill Carrothers, Anthony Cox, Chris Morrissey, Mason Jennings, Haley Bonar, Meat Beat Manifesto, Craig Taborn, Matt Mitchell, Matt Maneri, Benoit Delbeq, Craig Green, Jason Moran, Tchad Blake, David Torn, Donna Lewis, Atmosphere, and a few more great people.
I have also worked extensively with The Mark Morris Dance Group and with acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi on his fashion week music and TV show music.
I have also recorded and composed for film including two films for animated film maker Tom Shroeder and 6 seconds of one of my drum beats is in the film "The Hot Chick" starring SNL icon Rob Schneider, believe it or not.

Charlie Ballantine | Named as one of the top 200 living guitarists by All About Jazz Magazine, Charlie Ballantine is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile  young guitarists on the scene today. JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE hails his playing as “teeming with intricate grooves and maniacal precision his guitar work is both beautiful and complex” and VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE described his style by stating “Jazz, rock, and folk music peacefully coexist in Charlie Ballantine’s world”. 

   Equipped with an impressive body of original compositions on albums like “Vonnegut” and “Cold Coffee”, Ballantine also displays a great reverence for the jazz tradition through the inclusion of standards like ‘My One and Only Love’, ‘East of the Sun’ and an entire double album dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk released September 2021.  “In the vein of fellow guitarists like John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, Ballantine reconciles his educational background in jazz with the stylistic background of his instrument. He approaches the gratifying tonal and harmonic language of rock/roots with the groove, ambition and improvisational focus of a jazz musician” - (JAZZIZ MAGAZINE)

   After graduating from the Jacobs School of Music under the direction of David Baker, Ballantine relocated to Indianapolis and quickly developed a name for himself with a string of high energy performances at clubs like the Jazz Kitchen and Chatterbox Jazz Club. After releasing two solo albums Ballantine was able to attain global recognition with his award winning third album “Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan” which ALL ABOUT JAZZ named in their top ten jazz albums of the year. “From the opening bars of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" it is clear that something special is happening” - (ALL ABOUT JAZZ) 

   Although primarily a front man for his own projects with tours and frequent appearances throughout the US and Canada at venues and festivals such as the Indianapolis Jazz Festival, The Winnipeg International Jazz Festival and The Elkhart Jazz Festival, Ballantine also has an extensive list of side man credits having performed with names like Nicole Henry, Walter Smith III, Emmett Cohen, Dave King, John Raymond, Russell Hall, Frank Glover, Steve Alee, and Rahsaan Barber helping to further solidify him as a creative force and  put him in the highest of ranks as a performer.  

"Befitting a guitarist from America's heartland, Charlie Ballantine mixes jazz, folk-rock, surf/instro, blues, pop, and country into a simmering pot of guitar sound and style." - Vintage Guitar Magazine

Quinn Sternberg | Bassist Quinn Sternberg is a new resident of Asheville, NC after spending seven years working as a full time musician in New Orleans.  Quinn is originally from Bloomington, Indiana, where he began playing professionally as a teenager and quickly became a staple of the region’s music scene before graduating from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with a degree in Jazz Studies. He plays both electric and acoustic bass in a wide variety of ensembles and styles. This versatility has made him an asset in collaborations with countless artists as a studio, touring, and free-lance bassist. Quinn’s musical approach relies upon providing functional and supportive bass lines, while still generating intense live energy and creative interaction. This individualistic style has made him a much sought after voice in the South, his native Midwest and beyond. 

As a composer Quinn draws upon his Midwest musical upbringing, influences from his time in New Orleans, and from contemporary musical techniques. The result is a genre-defying sound that is simultaneously melodic, groovy, and cutting edge. 

In addition to free lancing and leading his own band, Quinn performs regularly with original artists such as Mighty Brother, Ari Carter Trio, Think Less Hear More, Wrong House, Tansy, Dianella & The Arrows, Michael Mason Trio, and Charlie Ballantine. As a leader he has released four records on his own label, Mind Beach Records: 2016’s “Weird World” and 2019’s “Mind Beach,” and 2022’s “Cicada Songs,” and 2023’s “Walking On Eggshells.”