DRUMS

MASON LAMPA, drums

Mason was born in New Orleans and raised in Elmhurst, Illinois—a suburb located just fifteen miles west of Chicago. From an early age, music played a central role in his life. His father, a former DCI performer and music educator, gave him his first drum set at age six. By fourteen, Mason was already performing professionally throughout the Chicago suburbs.

In 2024, Mason earned his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies/Music Performance from DePaul University, where he studied under master drummer Dana Hall. As a performer, he has had the privilege of sharing the stage with numerous outstanding musicians, including Scott Hesse, Dennis Carroll, Alyssa Allgood, Paul Marinaro, Lee Rothenberg, John Tate, Mike Allemana, Clark Sommers, Drew Gasparini, Tim Fitzgerald, Joey Skoch, Chris Madsen, Joey Ranieri, and others.

Mason is the drummer for the Sofia Koulouvaris Quartet, a vibrant young ensemble that performs regularly at Chicago venues such as the Jazz Showcase. His performance credits also include appearances at Winters Jazz Club, the Green Mill, and occasional substitute performances for Greg Rockingham with the acclaimed Chicago group, Soul Message.

As an educator, Mason is passionate about helping students discover how a deep understanding of musical tradition and theory can become a powerful means of personal expression. He currently serves as Percussion Coordinator for District 205 in Elmhurst, where he leads the high school drumline and various percussion ensembles, teaches private lessons, and assists with the jazz ensemble and combo at York Community High School.

JUAN PASTOR, drums

Juan Pastor is a Peruvian-born drummer, percussionist, composer, and educator based in Chicago. He is the founder and leader of Juan Pastor’s Chinchano, an ensemble recognized for its distinctive fusion of Afro-Peruvian and Andean traditions with contemporary jazz. His work reflects a deep commitment to cultural storytelling, rhythmic innovation, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Raised in Lima, Peru, Pastor began his musical journey immersed in traditional Peruvian percussion. He studied Afro-Peruvian music under master percussionist Eusebio Sirio “Pititi,” whose teachings shaped his understanding of rhythm as both musical language and cultural expression. Pastor later pursued formal studies at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Lima, followed by a Bachelor of Music from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Music from DePaul University, where he studied with drummer Dana Hall and served as a teaching assistant under trumpet virtuoso Bob Lark.

In 2013, Pastor founded Chinchano, a project that has become a central voice in Chicago’s jazz and global music scenes. The ensemble performs exclusively original music and has released five albums: Chinchano (2014), Un Cambio (2016), El Regreso (2019), Cachito (2023), and Memorias (2025). His latest recording, Memorias, was partially supported by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and represents a mature exploration of memory, identity, and heritage through sound.

Pastor has performed extensively in the United States and internationally, including appearances at the Chicago Jazz Festival (Pritzker Pavilion), Chicago World Music Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Made in Chicago Jazz Festival (Poland), and the Lima Jazz Festival. He is a frequent performer at leading Chicago venues such as the Green Mill, Constellation, and the Jazz Showcase, and has been showcased multiple times by the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

Throughout his career, Pastor has collaborated with a wide range of influential artists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Miguel Zenón, Fareed Haque, Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, Howard Levy, Greg Ward, and Victor Garcia. These collaborations reflect his belief in jazz as an evolving, borderless art form shaped by dialogue across cultures.

In addition to his work as a performer and composer, Pastor serves as the Coordinator of the Jazz Program at North Central College, where he mentors students and leads ensembles while promoting contemporary and global approaches to jazz education. He is also an active clinician, presenting workshops on Afro-Peruvian music, composition, and rhythm at institutions such as the University of Portland, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, and Knox College.

Juan Pastor is an endorsed artist for Canopus Drums performing on the Canopus NV60-M1, which he uses in both live and studio settings.

Pastor’s music stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation, offering a powerful and personal voice within today’s global jazz landscape—one that connects the rhythmic heritage of Peru with the creative spirit of Chicago.

RICH TRELEASE, drums

Rich Trelease has a Bachelor of Music degree from Northern Illinois University in applied percussion, specializing in jazz and general percussion studies. Rich was a member NIU’s renowned 2:00 O’clock jazz band touring with LA jazz sax legend Don Menza. During and after college he had the opportunity to play with many of the great swing big bands including the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (with Lee Castle) and Glen Miller Orchestra (with Ray McKinley) along with Helen Forest and Paula Kelly & the “Modernaires’ singing group, Bob Crosby’s ‘Bobcats’, and Les Elgart. Since college he has played a wide variety of gigs, performances, and recording sessions with a wide ranging group of musicians and name artists. As a jazz musician he has performed with many Chicago ‘heavies’ including Willie Pickens, Mark Colby, Frank Caruso, Howard Levy, Orbert Davis, and Steve Rodby among others. As a jazz fusion musician he was a founding member of ‘Juggular’ recording their debut album ‘Balls’ just after graduating college. When performing with Juggular at festivals such as Chicagofest, Taste of Chicago, and Milwaukee’s Summerest Rich had the privilege of opening for Dizzy Gillespie, The Dixie Dregs, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, Spyro Gyra and others.

He has also been a specialist in musical theater, having been the house percussionist at the Drury Lane Theater for over 30 years. He has also played for many large scale Broadway shows locally in downtown Chicago and nationally on tour including Les Miserables, Showboat, The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin, An American in Paris, Anastasia, the Lyric Opera’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and most recently Hamilton. He is also a church musician playing many services, special events, and recordings (including both of WCCC’s ‘Preludes’ albums) in various genres of music and worship in both traditional and contemporary settings. Also, he is an endorser as a ‘Drumset Artist’ for the Innovative Percussion company, maker of various sticks and mallets. Lastly, he has taught hundreds of students of all ages and backgrounds on snare drum, drum set, and the mallet and other percussion instruments, many of whom have gone on to pursue professional musical careers.