Roxanne Layton is the newest member of the mega-instrumental group "Mannheim Steamroller" led by Chip Davis. She plays various percussion instruments, recorders, crumhorns, and electronic drumkit. Chip Davis' "Mannheim Steamroller" has been around since the 70's and is very well known for their Christmas Albums. Roxanne is also a member of "Zoe Lewis and her Rubber Band", an eclectic world-beat,Latin Jazz,original tune band led by the wonderful songwriter, Zoe Lewis. Roxanne is known as an "ambassador" of the recorder because of her ability to play the instrument in so many styles of music. She started playing the recorder at age 6 because her father wanted her to have a portable instrument to take along on the boat he was building to go around the world in. She has played on many albums including "Mannheim Steamroller"'s "Christmas Extraordinaire", "Barbie as Rapunzel"'DVD, "Fishbone, Wishbone,Funnybone" by Zoe Lewis,"Chasing Grace" by Steve Anderson, "Dinner","Party","Renaissance Holiday","Holiday Music" and many others. Roxanne graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston with "distinction in performance". She has played with the New Orleans Philharmonic, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Utah Opera, New World Symphony, Boston Opera Company, Handel and Haydn Society under Christopher Hogwood, emmanuel Music's famous Bach Cantata Series, Ottawa Folk Festival, and many more. Besides playing, Roxanne also worked at "The von Huene Workshop" who specialize in making beautiful recorders and are one of the top makers in the world. She was the test-player and assisted in turning, carving, drilling, voiceing, and finishing recorders there from 1990 to 1996. With "Mannheim Steamroller", Roxanne has appeared on "The Tonight Show", "The Today Show", "Good Morning America","The View","The Larry King Show",Dick Clark's "The Other Side", and played at The White House for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and Peace Pageant in 1996 and 2002. On "The Sound of Christmas Winds" you will hear an array of recorders played. This includes the soprano,alto,tenor, and bass recorders. The different recorders were made by von Huene Workshop, Moeck, and Yamaha. Some are wood and some are plastic. Roxanne got some of her jazz and latin roots from her experience of living in New Orleans for her junior high and High School years. She also attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, a high school for the arts. She attended that school with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Terence Blanchard, and many other talented musicians. Her sightsinging teacher was Ellis Marsalis. Her latin roots came from being born in Miami, Florida and being partially brought up by a wonderful cuban family. These influences can be heard on Zoe Lewis' "Fishbone,Wishbone,Funnybone", which features Roxanne playing the recorder in her unique style of fusing LatinJazz with CelticClassical.