ERIC VON ESSEN, bass, joined JTE in 1983 for the London debut, and continued for several years as Musical Director introducing the Ensemble to a rich repertory of jazz standards, and original compositions. A founding member of Quartet Music with Jeff Gauthier, Alex & Nels Kline, Eric was an innovative arranger of jazz for tap. He toured southeast Asia (USIA), performed with Gregory Hines at Carnegie Hall, kept the spirit of jazz alive in national and international tours. RIP Eric 1997.