Glenda Smith - grew up in a small suburb of Atlanta, Georgia where she began playing at age 7. Now holding a Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Georgia and a Master’s and Doctorate in Performance at the University of Texas at Austin, Glenda has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe as a member of Los Angeles based Maiden Voyage and New York City based DIVA all female big bands. Currentlyh she maintains a busy schedule co-leading Dekajaz, performing with the brass quartet Satin Brass as well as various big bands in the Los Angeles area. She also keeps busy with studio work and has recorded with the Hawk-Richard Jazz Orchestra, George Graham Big Band, California Pops, and most recently with the New York City big band DIVA. Glenda is an instructor at East Los Angeles College where she teaches theory and music appreciation.