The Mighty Third Rail is an award winning New York based trio that mixes the elements of Hip Hop poetry, beat-boxing, violin and upright bass. From poetry cafes, to colleges, to concert halls, whether it's jamming at the legendary Blue Note, the world renown Apollo Theater, opening for Reggie Watts, or performing at the prestigious Lincoln Center, The Mighty Third Rail undoubtedly delivers. Featuring the dashing Darian Dauchan on vocals, the indelible Ian Baggette on bass, and the courteous Curtis Stewart on violin. Daring vocals, booming basslines and a vivacious violin create a show charged with high energy, crowd interaction and wise cracking wordplay. This bold, urban collective pushes the boundaries of Jazz and Hip Hop to define the next generation's voice. They are the winners of the Musical Theatre Matters award for BEST New Music at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland and are American Music Abroad Finalists for the U.S. State Department. 

THE POET: Darian Dauchan is an award winning actor, writer, poet, and musician who has appeared on both Broadway(Twentieth Century starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche) and Off Broadway theater(Jean Cocteau Rep., Classical Theatre of Harlem). TV and Film credits include Law and Order, Nickelodeon's Bet the House as Darian the "SoundFX" Guy, and the Lionsgate feature film Things Never Said. Darian is most known for The Brobot Johnson Project, an Afrofuturism, Sci Fi Hip Hop transmedia piece which won for Outstanding Comedy Series at the LA Web Festival. The show The Brobot Johnson Experience is a critically acclaimed Ben Brantley New York Times Critics' Pick. Most recently Darian was nominated for a Drama League award for Darian's piece Brobot PSA in the AFO Solo Short series and is a New Music USA grantee. 

THE VIOLINIST: Multi-GRAMMY nominated violinist/composer Curtis Stewart aims to translate stories of self determination to the concert stage - tearing down the facade of  “Classical Violinist,” Curtis is in constant pursuit of his musical authenticity - treating art as a battery for realizing citizenship. Curtis has made appearances with Tamar Kali + LA Opera, as special guest soloist/curator with Anthony Roth Costanzo and the New York Philharmonic “Bandwagon,”  bouncing from performance installations at the Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, and Museum of Modern Art in NYC to MTV specials with Wyclef Jean and sold out shows at Madison Square Garden with Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Seal.

THE BASSIST: Grammy nominated and bass player for the Tony award winning hit show Strange Loop on Broadway, Ian Jesse is equally at home at Small's Jazz Club, on tour in South America, or major stages like at the FIFA World Cup, Ian has played with or opened for such artists as: Abdullah Ibrahim, Mulgrew Miller, Darius Brubeck, Steve Wilson, Patience Higgins, Frank Kuumba Lacy, Bill Saxton, Dan Faehnle, Phil DeGreg, Melvin Peters, Sundar Viswanathan, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul, George Benson and has studied with legendary bassist Ron Carter.