Josh Berman is a cornetist, composer and presenter living in Chicago. He is co-leader of Chicago Luzern Exchange, whose debut on Delmark Records, "Several Lights", was chosen as one of the top ten local releases of 2005 in the Chicago Reader, and received three and a half stars in Downbeat. A reviewer wrote, "the melancholic sprightliness of Berman's note placement is so precise , like a cat in a hurry who has a brain in each paw." Berman has collaborated with many of the great improvisers from Chicago and abroad, including: Fred Lonberg-Holm, Ab Baars, and Guillermo Gregorio. He has also performed as a member of Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra, Ken Vandermark's Crisis Ensemble and Jeb Bishop's Lucky 7s. Berman co-founded the Emerging Improvisers' Organization that produces the Sunday Transmissions Series at the Hungry Brain in Chicago. He is also a founding member of Umbrella Music, a c ollective of musicians and presenters in Chicago that work together to provide concert opportunities for creative and improvising musicians. Berman performs with Aaron Bennett (saxophone), Damon Smith (amplified bass), and Weasel Walter (drums). The music of saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijkstra draws from the jazz tradition in spirit and sound, but has crossed stylistic and cultural borders in order to express a strong, evolving personal vision. Besides saxophone, Dijkstra also performs on the lyricon, an analog wind synthesizer made in the 70s. Dijkstra's group includes Kjell Nordeson (percussion), Tim Perkis (electronics), and Damon Smith (bass).