Board of Directors

Jeffrey J. Nussbaum

Jeffrey Nussbaum is a trumpeter and founder of the Historic Brass Society. He performs on the cornetto, natural trumpet and other early brass instruments. He was a special education teacher in the New York school system for over 33 years and worked with students  who had a wide range of disabilities. Jeffrey Nussbaum is also the founder of Special Audiences and Musicians, Inc.

Joan Feigenbaum

Joan Feigenbaum is the Grace Murray Hopper Professor of computer science at Yale University. 

Sorange Zaccone

Sorange Zaccone is a Spanish speaking Employment and Training Counselor. She has had a long-time involvement with people who are on the autistic spectrum.

Advisory Board

Bill Kirchner

Bill Kirchner is a composer-arranger, saxophonist, bandleader, educator, record and radio producer, and jazz historian. Since 1992, Bill has been closely involved with new and reissued jazz recordings--as a producer, compiler, and liner-notes annotator--for Blue Note, BMG, Challenge, Columbia, Denon/Savoy, Fantasy, GRP, Mosaic, the Smithsonian Collection of Recordings, Verve, and Warner Bros. Bill is the editor of The Oxford Companion to Jazz (Oxford University Press, 2000) and A Miles Davis Reader (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997).He teaches advanced jazz composition, jazz history, and score analysis at The New School University in New York City. He also teaches a master's-level jazz history course in the jazz program at New Jersey City University, and a Duke Ellington Course at Manhattan School of Music.

Jimmy Owens

Jimmy Owens (born December 9, 1943 in New York City, NY) is a jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, lecturer, and educator. He has played with Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Herbie Mann, among many others. Since 1969, he has led his own group, Jimmy Owens Plus. 

Workman was a member of jazz groups led by Gigi Gryce, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter and Red Garland. In 1961, Workman joined the John Coltrane Quartet, replacing Steve Davis. He was present for the saxophonist's Live at the Village Vanguard sessions, and also recorded with a second bassist (Art Davis) on the 1961 album, Olé Coltrane. After a European tour, Workman left Coltrane's group at the end of the year. Workman also played with James Moody, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Mann and Thelonious Monk. He has recorded with Archie Shepp, Lee Morgan and David Murray. Workman, with pianist Tommy Flanagan and drummer Joe Chambers, formed The Super Jazz Trio in 1978.He is currently a professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, and is a member of the group, Trio 3, with Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille. 

A native of the South Bronx, RAY VEGA is a veteran of the bands of Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza, Luis "Perico" Ortiz, Hector LaVoe, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez and Louie Ramirez to name a few. Ray has performed and/or recorded with Joe Henderson, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Poncho Sanchez, Steve Turre, Israel Lopez "Cachao", Larry Harlow and Las Leyendas De La Fania, Pete Escovedo, The Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Paul Simon, John Santos and The Machete Ensemble, Jose Jose, Sheila E., Yomo Toro, Anna Saeki, Frank Foster's Loud Minority Big Band, Diane Schuur, The Mike Stewart Big Band, Michel Camilo, Kirk Franklin, The Bob Belden Big Band, Dave Samuels and The Caribbean Jazz Project, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Jeanie Bryson, Eddie Palmieri, James "Jabbo" Ware and The Me, We and Them Orchestra, La Orquesta Sinfonica De Simon Bolivar, Sandro De Las Americas, The Mingus Big Band, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Bebo Valdez, and Celia Cruz, among numerous others. Ray currently works with the renowned Comtemporary Classical composer Osvaldo Golijov, performing first and solo trumpet in the critically acclaimed work; "La Pasion Segun San Marcos".

Special Audiences and Musicians Jazz Ensemble

Sam Baum was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3 and exhibited many of the typical difficulties that autism brings. He began piano studies at the age of 10, but, when he first encountered jazz at the age of 13, a creative explosion occurred. Sam absorbed the jazz vocabulary and repertoire at an amazing rate, developing a wonderful improvisational sense and memory of a wide range of tunes. His formal jazz studies furthered this process, and he began playing professionally. Sam's musical development helped with many other areas of his emotional and intellectual development.  Sam has had the opportunity to play with such jazz luminaries as George Coleman, Jimmy Owens, Bobby Sanabria, Peter Bernstein, and Murray Wall. Sam also plays klezmer music. Special Audiences and Musicians Jazz Ensemble has recorded three albums of Sam’s original compositions; “The Compositions of Sam Baum.” “More Tunes by Sam Baum” and “From My Shiny Imagination: Tunes by Sam Baum.”

Lev Garfein (Violin) was born in 2002. He attended high school at the Cooke School and Institute in New York City, and is currently enrolled at Winston Transitions, a transitional program to help Special Education students gain workplace skills. He began music therapy at age 3 at the Nordoff-Robbins Center at NYU, and it has changed his life. He began playing violin at age 8, and now enjoys performing in many different styles: jazz, folk, rock, Irish, klezmer. His current teachers include Melissa Tong. (classical and blues); Sara Caswell (jazz); and Jacob Shulman-Ment (klezmer). Lev has performed professionally as a soloist with Grammy Award-winning folk artists Dan and Claudia Zanes, most recently at the 2022 Brooklyn Folk Festival. Other appearances include: children’s artist Mr. G, ActionPlay New York, and with the School of Rock Brooklyn scholarship rock band. Lev has sung in choruses and played in orchestras most of his life. He was a member of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus from age 7 to 18, and he still performs with the ISO Orchestra of New York. Lev loves the music of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, David Bowie, David Byrne, Beethoven and Stravinsky. He is a strong believer in the concept of neurodiversity: that everyone can make a unique contribution to the world, even if they think differently from other people.

Tony Ventura was born in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan and as a young child suffered from polio. He first studied classical guitar, but, at the age of 18, he became captivated by the idea that great music is only as good as the foundation it rests upon. The bedrock, the underpinnings, the bottom, in fact, the bass. So, he took up the bass, both upright and bass guitar. This began his long and fertile career as the heartbeat of many different bands with many different styles of music including jazz, funk, rock, blues, R&B, Latin, and World music. Tony studied at City College with legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter and earned his B.A. in music. This (and his union card) gave him the credentials to get work in many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions such as Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Tony and Tina’s Wedding, Godspell, and others. And if you are a Sopranos fan and remember the episode in which Nancy Sinatra sings, you may well recognize Tony as the bassist standing beside her. He also has many TV and film credits to his name, including such productions as Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Lipstick Jungle, and even the Disney movie Enchanted. He often gets calls to play with classic rock acts like Jay and the Americans, Bobby Rydell, Darlene Love, and The Dixie Cups. Tony has played with jazz guitarists Melvin Sparks and Shinobu Itgo and with jazz saxophonist Junior Cook.

Blind since infancy, Noé Socha is a Brooklyn-based guitar and harmonica player originally from the small town of Carpi, Italy. He is influenced by folk artists such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Delta blues musicians such as Mississippi John Hurt, Muddy Waters, and Lightnin’ Hopkins plus a hint of Hendrix-esque flavor. Noé has created his own signature sound, pairing fiery guitar technique with virtuosic harmonica playing. After winning several awards at Berklee College of Music including the ”Jimi Hendrix Award” for the college’s leading guitarist and the “Billboard Magazine Endowed Scholarship” presented to the college’s top student, Noé has had the great honor of touring, performing, and recording with artists such as Nona Hendrix (Labelle), Vernon Reid (Living Color), and GRAMMY Award-Winners, Javier Limón and Paula Cole. Noe has been a member of the Special Audiences and Musicians Jazz Ensemble since its inception.

Baritone saxophonist Sarah Turkiew is a savant with perfect pitch, a photographic memory and a true passion for talent for jazz improvisation. She can sight read Charlie Parker and John Coltrane solos. Sarah is autistic. Her main instrument is the baritone saxophone with which she is gaining attention for her captivating jazz improvisations. She graduated from Nassau Community College with honors, majoring in music performance and is the recipient of the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Ms. Turkiew is a member of International Women in Jazz and is an advocate and role model for young people with autism. Sarah is the most recent member of the Special Audiences and Musicians Jazz Ensemble and is featured on their latest album, “From My Shiny Imagination: Tunes by Sam Baum.”

A native of Panama City, Panama, percussionist Braulio Thorne has been a member of the Special Audiences and Musicians Jazz for the past several years. His musical career began at the age of 4 at a folkloric presentation on TV. Both grandmothers played music and inspired Braulio to follow in that path. He began to lose his sight at around the age of 13. He came to the USA in 1976 and continued his studies in music until now. He has taught at the Light House Music School for the Blind and the Daniels Music Foundation. He’s performed with Tito Puente, Hector Lavoe and many others.

Guest Artists

SAM is thrilled to have had 3 special guest artist contribute to their 3rd album “From My Shiny Imagination: Tunes by Sam Baum”, Dan Block, Bobby Sanabria and David Amram.

95 year old David Amram started his professional life in music as a French Hornist in the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.) in 1951. After serving in the US Army from 1952-54, he moved to New York City in 1955 and played French horn in the legendary jazz bands of Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Thelonius Monk, and Oscar Pettiford. In 1957, he created and performed in the first ever Jazz/Poetry readings in New York City with novelist Jack Kerouac, a close friend with whom Amram collaborated artistically for over 12 years. Since the early 1950s, he has traveled the world extensively, working as a musician and a conductor in over thirty-five countries including Cuba, Kenya, Egypt, Pakistan, Israel, Latvia and China. He also regularly crisscrosses the United States and Canada. He composed the scores for many films including Pull My Daisy (1959), Splendor In The Grass (1960) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He composed the scores for Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare In The Park from 1956-1967 and premiered his comic opera 12th Night with Papp’s libretto in 1968. He also wrote a second opera, The Final Ingredient, An Opera of the Holocaust, for ABC Television in 1965. From 1964-66, Amram was the Composer and Music Director for the Lincoln Center Theatre and wrote the scores for Arthur Miller´s plays After The Fall(1964) and Incident at Vichy (1966). Appointed by Leonard Bernstein as the first Composer In Residence for the New York Philharmonic in 1966, he is now one of the most performed and influential composers of our time.

A native of St. Louis, Dan Block took up the saxophone just short of his 14th birthday and clarinet the following year. An indelible memory was hearing Eubie Black at the St. Louis Ragtime Festival and being exposed to John Coltrane in the same week. Classical music and the great American Songbook standards were constantly being played in his home and he was influenced by both. While at Juilliard, pursuing a degree in clarinet, Block divided his time between jam sessions in the NY loft scene and orchestral and chamber music at school. He participated in Charles Mingus’ final recording project, Something Like a Bird and Me, Myself and Eye. Playing along side Charles McPherson, Pepper Adams and the Brecker Brothers was transformative, playing in the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and George Solti provide a contrasting perspective. Dan Block became a member of Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks and it was there he found the common denominator Hatian music and traditional jazz. He was a member of Marty Groz’s band, recording five CDs with that ensemble. He has played in many big bands including Maria Schneider, Toshiiko David Berger, Ken Peplowski and the Lincoln Center Big Band. Among the many musicians he has played and recoded with include; Tom Harrell, Frank Wess, Jack McDuff, Richard Wyands, Jerry Dodgian, and Scott Robinson. Dan Block teaches in the jazz division of the Juilliard School.

Bobby Sanabria is a 7-time Grammy nominee as a leader. He is a noted drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, conductor,prodiucer, educator,documentary film maker and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent born and raised in New York’s South Bronx. He has performed `with Marios Bauza, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Barreto, Roswell Rudd, David Amram and many others. Bobby Sanabria is on the faculty of the New School and Manhattan School of Music. He has a radio show on WBGO.