Once she was playing with top bands in Japan, she decided to move to the United States for more opportunities. She first went to New York City, where she has friends. After listening to a lot of live jazz, she decided to visit New Orleans in 1998.

“It was totally different!” she exclaimed. “I liked the groove, and realized this is the place where I wanted to be.”

Although she didn’t know anyone in New Orleans, she had rented a room from a woman who introduced her to piano player Mari Watanabe.

Leroy Hill and The Ella Project were initially connected by a mutual friend in the music industry. Leroy wanted to publish an album featuring his brother’s recordings from 2015, which was originally intended as the debut of Leroy’s label, Black Trumpet Productions. As the flagship artist of the label, Leroy’s brother - gifted young musician Travis Hill, aka “Trumpet Black”, had already achieved success with international tours and prestige when he died suddenly…

Sullivan Dabney is a professional drummer and vocalist born, trained, and based in New Orleans. For five decades-plus, he has performed in bandleader and support roles, debuting his first band during high school, The Orientals, and starting his long-term project, Sullivan Dabney Muzik Jazz Band, in 1972.