Dan Boissy was born and raised in Orlando, FL where he began playing the saxophone at the age of 11.  His love for jazz was nurtured early because of his parents role as founding members of The Central Florida Jazz Society.  Dan is an alumni of Florida State University and TheUniversity of Central Florida where he studied jazz performance.  He has performed and recorded with many artists including Merv Griffin, Susan Somers, Barry Manilow, Michael Andrew and The Coconut Club Orchestra, Swingerhead, Sam Rivers, Slash, Robert Walter, Bob Florence The Greasy Beats, The Nikihil Korula Band, and many more.  He has appeared on The Tonight Show, and on many soundtracks including the 2001 MGM release “Heartbreakers”.  Dan’s influences include John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond, Maceo Parker, Stan Getz, James Brown, Eddie Harris, Michael Brecker, Charlie Parker, and many others.

Anthony King has been playing guitar for 24 years.  He picked up the guitar at that age of 14 and his early influences are rooted in rock. As a senior at Miami Beach High School, Anthony was fortunate enough to be part of the Rock Ensemble.  It was in this arena that director Doug Burris opened Anthony's musical eyes and mind. After being forced to play everything from Madonna to The Miami Sound Machine, Anthony's growing appreciation for varied musical genres was now in place. During college, first at Miami Dade Community and subsequently the University of Miami Jazz Program, Anthony was introduced to Jazz and Jazz/Fusion.  Enchanted by the sound of Jazz he studied the vocabulary of this music intensely.  His influences grew to include Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny to name a few. Anthony has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock and Slash.  In addition to composing and performing with the Jazz Poets, Anthony writes music and has been a sideman for countless artists.

Joel Alpers was born in Tanzania and divided his childhood between East Africa and Southern California. A graduate of UCLA, he has performed and recorded with hundreds of artists, including Steve Tyrell, the Royal Crown Revue, Larry Klein, Herbie Hancock, the Jazz Jury, Russ Kunkel, Kelly Clarkson, Justo Almario, Anthony Wilson, Greg Kurstin, Luis Conte, Mike Fahn, Jamie Findlay, Jude Swift, Lee Thornburg, and many, many others. He has been featured on numerous TV and film soundtracks, including the platinum album "Swingers" and the forthcoming James Cameron film "Avatar" (with composer James Horner), and is currently writing the music for the independent feature "Old Dogs". Joel has also played in many theatrical orchestras, including the Broadway musical "Wicked" and the international multimedia ensemble Vox Lumiere. His credits as a composer and producer include Melissa Fahn, Kate Higgins, Mosaic, Upper Structure, and Common Tongue. Favorite musical quote - Miles Davis: "There are only two kinds of music - good and bad."

Ethan Phillips picked up the bass at the age of 15.  As a high school student in Hawaii Ethan was exposed to Island Music (i.e.Hawaiian/Reggae) as well as Rock.  Reggae, in particular, had a profound influence on Ethan's concept of groove and overall feel. During his senior  year he performed in high school musicals and was immediately enticed by the sounds of Jazz. Ethan also sought extra curricular private instruction at this time. Because he started on electric bass Ethan now has a strong advantage due to the fact that he can perform on both acoustic and electric bass. Once back in LA, his birthplace, Ethan enrolled in the USC School of Music, Jazz Studies Department.  He has studied privately with Jazz great John Clayton.  At USC Ethan was afforded the opportunity to rehearse and perform in a number of small Jazz combos and large ensembles such as the twelve piece Latin Jazz Ensemble Alaje.  In addition the Jazz Poets Ethan performs numerous gigs as a sideman and is a member of several original projects.

Click on the thumbnail below to download hi-res promotional photo of The Jazz Poets.
Click on the icon below to download PDF file.
The Jazz Poets Biography   (23MB)