The Sam Stauning Quartet is a new small jazz ensemble created and led by tenor saxophonist

Sam Stauning. The group consists of some of the best young musicians in the Twin Cities. The

group will perform various tunes from jazz standards to newer modern tunes.

Info for each band member:

Sam Stauning is a 17 year old up and coming tenor saxophonist currently a part of the Dakota

Ensemble at MacPhail. He has received mentorship from local legends such as Peter Whitman,

Kavyesh Kaviraj, Jack Breen, Kevin Washington, Zacc Harris, Abebi Stafford, Ian Duerr, and

Jesse Simon to name a few. Sam has played at Berlin, the Dakota, Twin Cities Jazz Festival,

and Minneapolis Institute of Art. He has received the award of Outstanding Soloist at the Eau

Claire Jazz Festival.

Callum Schultz is a 17 year old bassist who has performed alongside saxophone greats Joe

Lovano, Kenni Holmen, and JD Allen, and has played at numerous Twin Cities venues such as

The Dakota, the Landmark Center, the Governor’s Residence, The Green Room, and Berlin

Jazz Club. He is a 2025/26 MN All State musician, and a 2025/26 YoungArts jazz bass award

winner.

Ataa, who started playing drums as a toddler under the influence of his father, the renowned

Ghanaian percussionist Sowah Mensah, honed his craft under mentorship from local jazz greats

like Kevin Washington, Felix James, and Kavyesh Kaviraj. He has since become a fixture in the

local music scene, performing both as a leader and sideman.

Xavier Johnson Ryan is an up-and-coming jazz pianist in the Twin Cities area. He has

performed at venues including Icehouse, the Green Room, Jazz Central Studios, the Dakota,

Berlin, and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Johnson Ryan is a longstanding member of Twin Cities

band Half Past Midnight and has played with jazz greats Kyle Poole and Joe Lovano among

others. He has studied under acclaimed jazz artists Kavyesh Kaviraj, Kevin Washington, Jack

Breen, and Solomon Parham.