Composer/musicians Mark Saltman and William Knowles call Washington D.C., home. Together, they form a collaborative unit that expresses some of the best new concepts in Jazz. These ideas include singable melodies, colorful harmonic jaunts and a swinging, driving groove. One may argue that these concepts are not new; but in light of today’s gymnastic, angular, chop-blistering approach, these ideas seem refreshing. Mark and William met while studying composition at the University of Massachusetts. During their time at school they began to play their compositions together, and with saxophonist Charles Langford, the seeds of the group were formed. Together they have produced three recordings for various labels under the name Soulservice. Stop Look and Listen followed by Dreamcatcher and Sandcastles. They were also Artists in Residence at the Kennedy Center and earned two grants from the D.C. commission for the Arts. The press has described their music as; ‘rhythmically infectious‘, ‘melodically alluring‘, ‘colorful’, ‘a seamless blending of sounds’. Some live press descriptions include; “had the whole house swinging”, “the crowd was…drawn to the hard breaks, stops and starts.”; “great interplay” and “a sincere and emotional collection of tunes”. Throughout history, music has helped folks make sense of their world, deal with troubles, celebrate and convey emotions. The music of William Knowles and Mark Saltman strives to be a part of this fine tradition. "Mark Saltman and William Knowles are excellent composers" says Paul Collins, music impresario, "These two artists combine to create some of the finest music out on the market today. I do not say this because I manage them, I say this because I mean it. With Sandcastles being their junior effort, any listener exposed to a great deal of music out there or even if you are just starting to appreciate jazz, will quickly recognize the potential this unit offers. It all comes with such relative ease and their music is certatinly easy to listen to over and over again. As an artist manager, I tend to see the good in all music. However, Saltman and Knowles are headed toward greatness. Now is the time to get on board and enjoy the melodic joyride."