The Matt Wilson Quartet. Wilson has a unique honor at Litchfield.  He has appeared in more Litchfield festivals (all but one) and more times in a single festival than any other performer (three). A madly busy first call drummer and leader of several bands of his own including his long-standing Quartet, Wilson is an active educator who teaches at Litchfield most summers as does bandmate saxophonist/clarinetist Jeff Lederer. Lederer’s other education credits include work with Jazz at Lincoln Center. With his longstanding ensemble “Shaker n’ Bakers,” he performs modern jazz interpretations of the Vision songs of the Shaker religious sect.

Kirk Knuffke, who performs with Wilson regularly and also in Boom Tic Boom with drummer Allison Miller and Sifter with Mary Halvorsen, is on cornet. The bassist is Chris Lightcap. Lightcap, who won two Chamber Music America “New Jazz Works” grants has composed for and played with violinists Regina Carter and Joshua Bell, Tom Harrell and Dianne Reeves to name just a few.