More on the Artists

Brian Jon Bortz – Bassist, Guitarist
Throughout a career spanning nearly five decades, Brian Jon Bortz – Bassist, has always played music at a very high level with great musicians. Hailing from the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, Brian has played across the US, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. Locally, Brian anchors several bands – Artisan Trio/Artisan Blue Band, The Last Thursday Band, Fusion Jazz Trio, Paul Boddy & Slidewinder Blues Band, and others. He is also a first-call sub with several great regional bands, such as Craig Thatcher Band, Don Cunningham & Associates, Corinne Mammana and Eric Mintel Quartet. Brian also has extensive recording credits and recently released a full-length album of mostly original material.
Brian’s influences are wide-ranging, and his broad musical ability is a result. Growing up hearing everything from Big Band to early Rock and Roll, the Guitar-Rock of the 60’s, Fusion Jazz, R&B and Progressive Rock of the 70’s - and everything beyond (all of it) - has all continually impacted Brian’s playing and understanding of music.

Dave Mohn
A varied musical career has spanned the genres and always included the broad category of jazz as a first love. Dave is currently playing and recording with The Eric Mintel Quartet and The New Ensemble Counterparts. Dave also does freelance work and records with various other musicians & bands. Dave has a long and varied history of session work recording at The Record Plant, Electric Ladyland, Media Sound, The Power Station & Right Track Recording in NYC; Devonshire Studios in LA; Sigma Sound & Morningstar Studios in Philly; Signal Sound in Quakertown, PA, Studio 4 near Philly, Forge Recording in Oreland, PA and in NJ, Ampersand Records, House of Music and Bennett Studios.

Patrick Kerssen
As a freshman at Moravian University, Patrick studied classical piano, jazz piano, and jazz trumpet. Because the music program at Moravian University is small in size and big in quality, Kerssen has had many performance opportunities. He plays with the Big Band, a jazz combo, and solo. He’s performed several gigs at Hotel Bethlehem, Porter’s Pub and Pearly Baker’s in Easton, Louie’s in Allentown. He’s even played at the Deer Head Inn, in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania—the oldest continuously running jazz club in the country and a Mecca for jazz artists. (source)

Dan Twaddell
In addition to his outstanding musicianship, Dan has worked at Lutron Electronics as a Senior Design and Development Engineer.