Rich Cohen
Saxophonist and co-leader Rich Cohen, originally from the East Coast, relocated to the Midwest for postdoctoral work in Physics at Notre Dame. Bitten by the jazz bug at an early age, Rich’s avocation has always been music, while his day job morphed from teaching Physics to developing help systems for software applications. Since relocating to the Indy area, Rich has continued to hone his musical craft, working with a number of established jazz artists such as Rob Dixon, Everett Greene and Clifford Ratliff. In addition to regular performances with different configurations of the Cohen-Rutkowski Project, Rich performs regularly with the Latin jazz group Pavel & Direct Contact and is an in-demand sax player on the Indy scene.

Chris Rutkowski
Pianist, composer, and co-leader Chris Rutkowski’s life in jazz has its unlikely beginnings in London, England, where he had completed a degree in Philosophy, but it flowered in the artistic hothouse of Detroit. Quickly connecting with the legendary trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, he wrote for and performed with his big and small bands. A lengthy turn toward the world of classical composition involved graduate study at Indiana University, which in turn led back to jazz with study and performance with the great David Baker. Chris has performed with luminaries such as Motown’s Temptations, Darmon Meader (New York Voices), Eric Alexander, and Alan Vizzuti, and maintains a busy performance schedule on the Indy scene.

Sandy Lomax
Vocalist and recording artist Sandy Lomax has graced stages in the United States and Europe, and currently resides and performs in her hometown of Indianapolis. Known for her vocal improvisations in the style of Ella Fitzgerald, Sandy has earned the title “Indy’s Queen of Scat.” Sandy has been featured on several recordings that have included such world-renowned jazz artists as Cyrus Chestnut and Vincent Herring, and she has received a Living Legend Honor award from the Indy Arts Council. As one of Indy’s premier vocalists, Sandy maintains a busy performance schedule and has been a featured performer with the Cohen-Rutkowski Project since 2022, adding her improvisational voice to the group’s original compositions.