Jon Gordon has been playing since he was ten and is a mainstay on the
saxophone scene in New York and abroad. He has many awards, most spectacular
among them the 1996 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. To my
ear, he is as good an alto player as we have around today. He gets rave
notices from older generation reed players such as Joe Lovano and Phil Woods,
who surely ought to know what they're talking about. I hear a bit of Art
Pepper in him, and maybe a trace of Phil Woods as well, but he is very much
his own person. He plays beautifully, with a gorgeous tone and no end of
ideas. Listen to the opening tune on the CD "Contrasts," the done-by-everyone,
Hoagy Carmichael standard, Stardust. In this duet with Bill Charlap, Gordon's
sound is resonant, glowing as he states the melody the first time (they
never get too far from it) - notice also the contrasting rumbles from Charlap
as Gordon goes into the upper register. Despite its venerable status, and
the glacial pace, the tune holds together wonderfully, and you emerge thinking
you've never heard Stardust before. Every phrase from each of them is perfect.
It's a remarkable performance right up to Gordon's final high note and Charlap's
following bass notes.
"[Jon Gordon] is a masterful young altoist with an amazingly brilliant future ahead of him"
Joe Lovano
"One of the great alto players, ever."
Phil Woods
The more I hear it, the better I like it. For something a bit more like what you will hear at JazzNights 11, get his CD "Possibilities," which includes Bill Mays on piano, or listen to the sample tune from this CD posted on the Jazz Nights website. Jon's Website is at:
http://www.jongordonmusic.com/
Ben Monder is probably the top young guitarist in New York. I can't possibly outdo the biography - really "biographies" appearing on his website, which is an absolute hoot, so I won't try, but merely refer you to it - don't miss it.
http://benmonder.tripod.com/index.html
He currently plays in two of the outstanding jazz groups of our times,
Paul Motion's Electric Bebop Band and Maria
Schneider's Orchestra
(which just won this year's Downbeat criticís poll for Album of the
Year). His influences range from Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, and 70's rock
and roll to Jimmy Hall, our preeminent jazz guitarist, so anything can happen.
He is virtuosic in both single note and chordal work, and you are going
to be amazed by what you hear.
"Ben Monder has played nearly unsurpassable jazz guitar with any number of actual jazz groups. But what he plays with his own group comes from another planet." - Ben Ratliff, NY Times
Billy Drummond is an absolutely delightful drummer. It is a time of many
wonderful drummers - veterans like Roy Haynes and Paul Motian are still
vital, and there is no end of established, tasteful, and creative drummers
- I'll forget many, but Victor Lewis, Lewis Nash, Carl Allen are examples
of some of my favorites. At the same time, there is an astonishing group
of newcomers, masters of what I call the 
"permanent
solo" style, who are developing what their seniors taught them in new
ways. Billy Kilson, Eric Harland, Nasheet Waits, and the brilliant young
Cuban, Dafnis Prieto come to mind. Billy Drummond incorporates elements
of all three of these groups - heís been around, but is very modern.
In a capsule, he combines the tastefulness of a Jo Jones with the fire of
Philly Joe Jones. http://www.billydrummonddrums.com/
"[On Drummond's work on the CD"Dubai"]...drum greats come to mind - Elvin Jones' hypnotic line-weaving, Roach's taut freedom, Jack DeJohnette's chord-free openess - but Drummond carves things with his own flourish."
Fred Bouchard, DownBeat
These three artists have so many CDs that it is hard to select just a few. But here is a try at three for each:
Gordon:
1. Possibilities, Doubletime DTRCD-171, Jon Gordon Quintet: [John Schofield (g), Kevin Hays (p), ,Peter Washington (b), Bill Stewart (d)]
2. Ask Me Now, Criss Cross 1099, Jon Gordon Quintet: [Tim Hagens (tp), Bill Charlap (p), Larry Grenadier (b), Billy Drummond (d)]
3. Contrasts, Doubletime DTRCD-185, Jon Gordon - Bill Charlap Duo, [Gordon, Bill Charlap (p)]
Monder:
1. Dust, Arabesque AJ0131, Ben Monder Trio [ Ben Street (b), Jim Black (d), Monder]
2. Excavation, Arabesque AJ 4108, [Theo Bleckmann (voice), Skuli Sverrisson (b), Jim Black (d), Monder]
3. Concert in the Garden, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Artistshare.
Drummond: I'll choose three on which he is the leader - there are very many others:
1. Native Colors, Criss Cross 1057, [Steve Nelson (vib), Steve Wilson (as), Renee Rosnes (p, JazzNights 8), Ray Drummond (b, also Jazz Nights 8)
2. Dubai, Criss cross 1120, [Drummond, Chris Potter (ts), Walt Weiskopf (ts), Peter Washington, (b)]
3. The Gift, Criss Cross 1083, [Drummond, Rosnes, Washington, Seamus Blake (ts)]