A Jazz Christmas 2025 Performers

Wilson Gault Somers is an Emmy-winning composer who spent 30 years as the Director of Choral Music at the Tatnall School, Greenville, DE, and is the current Music Director of the Church of the Advent, Kennett Square, PA. He is also acclaimed as a jazz pianist. Maestro Somers completed his degree work in composition and organ at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, and graduate studies in music education and theory/composition at the Westminster Choir School in Princeton, New Jersey. Somers’ large-scale sacred works for chorus, soloists and orchestra are Mass for the Homeless, premiering in 1997 and Requiem for 9/11, which debuted in 2012. Both have received critical acclaim and raised thousands of dollars to benefit homeless organizations and the Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Maestro Somers and producing partner Joe Louden have created new versions of both works that can be performed by small chamber orchestras and choruses. The full version of the new Requiem was premiered in 2021 and selected portions of Mass for the Homeless were performed as part of our Concert for Ukraine in 2022. Mr. Somers is working on a new project, The Lincoln Legacy, to be premiered in the near future.

In addition to her many creative contributions, Joan has been a featured vocalist at Wilson's jazz concerts for over 30 years. Their signature duet, "Our Love is Here to Stay," is always a concert highlight. Sharing the stage Wilson and Tyler is truly a life highlight for Joan.

Joe Louden began his career in church music as a high school student. He has spent more than a quarter century as a multi-genre professional keyboardist, teacher and choral director. Joe is Choral Director at Ursuline Academy, Padua Academy and Salesianum School and Director of Music at St. Helena's Parish, all in Wilmington, Delaware.

Leon Spencer is a real Renaissance man with many talents, having succeeded in a diverse array of activities and leadership roles; everything from Mayor of Kennett Square, PA to Board Chairman of a financial institution and area nonprofits, and serving as a member of the Kennett Fire Company. However, it is music and education, and particularly music education, along with his wife Kathy, that are at the center of his busy world. A recent article in Chester County, Pennsylvania’s Daily Local News stated, “It really is too much to list all of the boards and committees Spencer works on. Here is just the abbreviated list I came up with. He is the handbell choir director at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Kennett Square, is the assistant director of the Brandywine Valley Chorale and is vocal instructor at Pro Musica Studio, a music school that he co-founded in 1995. He also performs with multiple jazz, pop, and R&B ensembles.” We are fortunate that Leon has frequently performed with Wilson Somers in a variety roles, including contrabass, vocal soloist and ensemble member, and choral leader.

Stan Slotter is perennial favorite contributor to the jazz of Wilson Gault Somers. Stan has been active on the Philadelphia music scene for many years. Trained as a classical player both on trumpet and on flute, Stan decided early in his career that jazz and popular music were closer to his heart. He began playing professionally at age 15 and has since developed a successful career as a versatile freelance player. His favorite styles include jazz and Latin jazz, salsa, Mariachi, world music, traditional jazz, big band, klezmer and Israeli music. He also enjoys chamber music. Among Stan’s special moments were performances with Cecil Taylor at Carnegie Hall and with Philly Joe Jones at Livingston College. Stan has played benefit concerts at local prisons with Grover Washington Jr. He has recorded with many local bands, including Klingon Klezmer, Atzilut, Minas, Reverie, Seamus Egan, and Ronnie James and the Jez Hot Swing Club and others too numerous to mention. He was a charter member of the Gallery Christmas Tree Orchestra, which had a 13-year run in Center City Philadelphia. Stan created a “History of Jazz” show for the Wayne Concert Series that was performed before an audience of 600 people. Stan has an energetic and heartfelt approach to the trumpet and flute that lends warmth and style to his music.

Considered one of the finest bassists on the East Coast, Bill Strumm has played with musicians and performers as diverse as Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey to Anna Maria Alberghetti and Bobby Rydell! Bill has accompanied Wilson Gault Somers on various projects for over 30 years!

We’re thrilled that Bryan Tuk is bringing over 30 years of percussion performance to A Jazz Christmas 24. He attended West Chester University and studied percussion with the music department there. Over the years, he has taught many high school and university marching drumlines, and he teaches private lessons and consults with percussion ensembles. He is a true virtuoso, preforming virtually every style of music from classical forms, to, R&B and funk, and everything in between. Bryan is another multi-faceted, multi-talented individual. He has an accomplished career as an attorney/outside counsel, providing a broad range of legal services to many clients, including those involved in the creation, production and management of creative works. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy, which is internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards. Bryan also hosts a podcast, Creative Confidential, that invites listeners into conversations with filmmakers, artists, musicians and non-profit CEOs. Bryan has been elected to Music With A Mission’s Board of Directors.

Tyler represents the next generation of music excellence in the Somers family. Typically, Tyler performs with his wife Jenny as Jenny & Tyler, a singer-songwriter duo who met at the University of Delaware, and now call Nashville home. Drawing influence from Simon & Garfunkel, Glen Hansard, & Alison Krauss, Jenny & Tyler have found their place in today’s landscape of singer/songwriter folk/pop. The duo has toured extensively; they have sold over 35,000 albums, seen over 20 million streams on Apple Music & Spotify, and played over 1,200 concert dates over the past 17 years of playing music together. Jenny & Tyler are artist partners with International Justice Mission, a human rights organization that works to combat human trafficking and modern slavery globally. Through music sales and fundraising at concerts, they have raised more than $50,000 for IJM. Together, they recently opened One Eyed Cat Creative, a recording studio and creative space in East Nashville, available for bookings & designed to foster community gatherings. Jenny & Tyler enjoy serving in their Nashville church as worship leaders and Bible study leaders. Their four children, Jane, Sara, Mary, and Gabe, keep them busy and fill each day with surprise & joy.

Nicole Boysen is a multidisciplinary artist with an interest in opera and new works. She successfully completed her MM in Vocal Performance at the University of Delaware where she began her operatic debut as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte. In addition, Boysen completed a Bachelor’s degree in both English and Theatre at Buena Vista University, which has greatly influenced how she interprets and performs music. She has also completed a certificate in grant writing though Temple University and is the appointed granted writer for Moon River Opera in Savannah, Georgia. In recent years her primary performance focus has been providing cantoring services at churches in the Delaware/Pennsylvania area for daily mass, funerals, and weddings as well as occasionally performing with Moon River Opera and singing chorus roles for Opera Delaware.