A respected jazz pianist, composer and educator, Lori Mechem has been residing in the Nashville area since 1988. In addition to directing production shows and conducting musical theatre, she has performed with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Red Holloway, Jimmy Smith, Cal Collins, Roy McCurdy, Terry Gibbs, Pete Christleib, Kirk Whalum and Bobby Millitelo. A native of Anderson Indiana, Lori received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. Lori's CD "Welcome to Brazil" was nominated for" Best Jazz Album of the Year" by the Nashville Music Awards in 1997. Lori and her husband, Roger Spencer, are the founders and directors of Nashville's first jazz school, The Nashville Jazz Workshop.