Press Release Look for the release of vibraphonist James Westfall's Independent, his debut record. The musicians featured on this recording were hand picked by Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, and Ron Carter, creating the 2004-2005 Thelonious Monk Institute. This group toured and performed with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Kenny Garrett, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, and Jimmy Heath. They studied as a group under Terence Blanchard, Jack DeJohnette, Horace Silver, and Charlie Haden, to name a few. Through the enriching experience of working, studying, living together in downtown Los Angeles, performing, and touring, they developed an eclectic group sound. Vibraphonist James Westfall gathered his fellow Thelonious Monk Institute musicians, Baltimore's own trumpeter and rapper Dontae Winslow , Israeli saxophonist Gilad Ronen , Hungarian pianist Tzumo Arpad Olah , Houston bassist Alan Hampton , and New Orleans native James Als...