CURRENT MEMBERS
DAN JANTSON
DRUMS
Dan Jantson is a drummer, audio engineer, and actor from Albany, NY. In addition to being a member of The Cribtet, he works with many other musicians in New York and New England as a sideman. Dan’s influences as a drummer and composer not only include iconic jazz musicians, but funk and hip-hop artists as well. Dan earned a degree in Music Production & Technology from the Hartt School of Music in 2026, and currently works as an accompanist for the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz. He also works as a staff recording engineer for the Yale School of Music.
Gavin Tarling
SAXOPHONE
Gavin Tarling is a saxophonist/woodwind specialist based in Hartford Connecticut. Originally from South Portland Maine, Gavin graduated from the Jackie McLean Institute with a B.M in Jazz Studies in 2025. During his time at UHart, he honed his craft under saxophonists Michael Thomas and Javon Jackson, and studied composition under Sam Blakeslee. With a saxophone sound inspired by players like Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods and Dexter Gordon, Gavin performs across New England in small groups, big bands, and pit orchestras. Some notable performances include playing with the Uptown Jazz Orchestra led by Delfeayo Marsalis, and opening for the 2025 Litchfield Jazz Festival and world-renowned pianist Emmet Cohen.
Patrick Gordon
BASS
Patrick Gordon is a bassist and acoustical engineering consultant based in Connecticut and Florida. He works with many professional acts in the greater Hartford area and the southeast coast of Florida. His musical stylings are deeply rooted in blues, country, and soul music which have been greatly influenced by his studies of jazz music at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz within the Hartt School of Music.
Mae Czuba
SAXOPHONE & VOCALS
Mae Czuba is a vocalist and saxophonist with roots in the jazz tradition, and influences in soul and R&B. A graduate of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, she has taken her Hartford roots and gone on to claw her way into the New York City music scene as a saxophonist, vocalist, and bandleader. She performs throughout New England and New York as both a bandleader and sidewoman, while developing her own voice as a songwriter and composer. With such eclectic influences as Carmen McRae, James Brown, and Steely Dan, her music is driven by melody, storytelling, and drama.
Aidan Slate
PIANO
Aidan Slate is a pianist and audio engineer based in Hartford, CT. Originally from Berlin, MA, Aidan grew up playing piano and eventually decided to study music at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz. There he studied piano under Zaccai Curtis and earned a degree in Music Production & Technology in 2024. Now, Aidan is a gigging musician and audio engineer in New England. He currently holds positions at the Hartt School of Music as the accompanist for the jazz voice studio, and a recording engineer at the Yale School of Music.
