Sven Larson-Bass

Sven Larson is a Boston based acoustic bass and electric bass player who has been playing professionally since 1991. Born in Ohio, Sven came to Boston in 1995 and began studying with bass virtuoso Steve Neil. Sven continued to learn, perform, and record in many genres, while becoming an in demand bassist on the local jazz and blues scene. He has also studied different styles of music, including Hindustani Classical music and West African Drumming. Sven has played on many bandstands across the US, Canada and Europe including Symphony Hall, Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and King Biscuit Festival to name just a few. He has performed with Tom Hambridge,Toni Lynn Washington, Charles Neville, Michelle Willson, Roses Pawn Shop, Nicole Nelson, and others.

He was a founding member and composer for the modern jazz group The Infinite Ensemble and world music groups Bangalore and Little Bang. Currently he keeps a part-time schedule as a sideman to many local artists and he is in the process of composing and recording for  both his new Latin project the Sven Larson Extravaganza, as well as his 8 piece Mad Viking Mini Big Band.

Joe Mulholland- Piano

Joe Mulholland has an active career as jazz pianist, composer, arranger and vocal accompanist. He has released six CD’s of original music for jazz sextet and trio/quartet. His last CD, “Runaway Train” contains eight new compositions for jazz trio. A large new collection for Sextet, Quartet, Piano/Voice Duo and Solo Piano is available on Bandcamp.

Joe is a Professor of Harmony and Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music, teaching advanced core courses and upper-level electives. He chaired the department from 2005-2015.  He has authored three books on popular music theory, and developed and teaches online classes in Jazz Composition and Contemporary Popular Music Theory for BerkleeOnline.

Milt Reder- Guitar

With 50 years professional experience as Guitarist (Four Piece Suit ), Songwriter ( ASCAP), Film&Television composer (HBO’s Sex And The City), Grammy-nominated Producer,  owner of Boston’s RearWindow Studio (Santana, Tedeschi-Trucks, Yo Yo Ma, Los Lobos),  MILT REDER continues to tour and perform music beyond category, his unique amalgam of Roots Rocking R&B Jazz, jump Blues, Swing, Latin, Exotica. He toured extensively with Barrence Whitfield and the Savages for 15 years before creating Four Piece Suit with Seth Pappas. 

As Milt says:

“My mom used to rave about seeing Slim (Gaillard) & Slam (Stewart) live in the 1950’s, and  a  Slim Gaillard recording project with Barrence (Groove Juice Symphony) was a hidden gem,  so Jive Session Five was a natural, playing music from when Jazz was morphing into R&B, early Rock&Roll, with a sense of humor… right up my alley!”

Rikki Razdan- Tenor Sax, Clarinet

Playing clarinet, as well as tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, Rikki Razdan has been a key player in a number of popular Boston area bands for nearly 40 years. An eclectic, self taught musician, Rikki is accomplished in blues, jazz and dixieland musical styles. As a member of the award winning Megawatt Blues Crushers for over 20 years, he has toured throughout New England and New York and continues to look forward to having the chance to entertain new audiences with the Jive Session 5.

Seth Pappas-Drums

Seth’s drumming career has spanned 50 years, including tours with banjo virtuoso, Earl Scruggs, fiddler extraordinaire, Vassar Clements and The Dillards w John Hartford. 

After several years on the Nashville circuit, Seth attended Berklee College of Music. During that time he was invited to join Barrence Whitfield and the Savages, leading to years of US, Canadian and European tours. Seth recorded with Barrence Whitfield the Savages, including sessions at the BBC in London and with Barrence and Tom Russell. His discography also includes a live recording with Bo Diddley from a performance in France and tracks with Milt Reder on Four Piece Suit’s debut record, “Ready to Where”. Private study: lessons with Alan Dawson and Tommy Campbell.

More recently Seth has had the pleasure of performing with blues legend, James Cotton (RIP) and several appearances with Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, Billy Squier and others while drumming for the James Montgomery Band.