Four lives.
One alter ego.

Anjan Shah

Anjan Shah has spent his professional life navigating two worlds: business strategy and musical performance. A seasoned marketing executive and consultant, he has held senior leadership positions with IKEA, Music & Arts, and Celebree School. Today, as founder of Artsvue and a fractional Chief Marketing Officer, he advises organizations on brand strategy, innovation, and growth.

A former saxophonist with the U.S. Army Field Band and a Yamaha-endorsed artist, Anjan has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a composer and co-founder of the Temporal Taal Collective, he explores the intersection of Hindustani classical music, jazz, and Western orchestral traditions. His original compositions and collaborations have been featured with the Charlotte Symphony, Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and Bay Atlantic Symphony.

For Anjan, business and music share a common thread: creativity, collaboration, and challenging convention. His alter ego finds expression on the bandstand, where the instincts of a strategist, the discipline of a classical musician, and the curiosity of a composer converge in the spontaneous possibilities of jazz.

David Martin

David Martin is an Annapolis-based drummer performing with jazz and jazz-fusion groups throughout the Annapolis and Washington, DC area. A member of Alter Ego, David’s musical alter ego comes alive behind the drums. His influences include Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Weather Report, Chick Corea, and Pat Metheny. His musical studies began at age ten with drums, piano, and guitar, and included jazz ensembles and summer study at Berklee College of Music. Since 2005, he has continued his musical development through JazzWire.

Beyond music, David has built his career around recognizing talent, building relationships, and finding exceptional leaders. As founder and CEO of Sterling Martin Associates, he developed a respected executive search firm serving nonprofit organizations and professional associations. Following the firm’s sale to ZRG Partners in 2026, David continues to draw on decades of executive leadership and consulting experience.

For David, business and music share a common language: collaboration, listening, timing, and respect for everyone’s contribution. Whether building leadership teams or supporting a band from behind the drums, he values knowing when to lead, when to listen, and when to leave room for others to shine.

James “Jim” Stivers

James “Jim” Stivers grew up in the far north of Anchorage, Alaska. After attending Berklee College of Music in his late teens, he served as staff composer, arranger, and guitarist for the Air Force Band of the Pacific Northwest.

After leaving the Air Force, he embarked on a scientific career exploring the intricacies of molecular biology. As a distinguished researcher and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, his work focused on the mechanisms of cellular DNA repair, HIV pharmacology, and novel cancer therapy strategies.

Recently retired from academia, Jim now brings his curiosity and analytical thinking to another lifelong passion: jazz guitar. Where science demanded careful investigation and precision, jazz offers new directions for experimentation, interpretation, and discovery.

His alter ego finds common ground between the laboratory and the bandstand, where creativity and curiosity lead to unexpected possibilities.

Mike Montgomery

Mike Montgomery has spent much of his life navigating two seemingly different worlds: criminal investigation and jazz performance. A retired Prince George’s County police detective, Mike built his professional career in law enforcement, criminal investigations, and security, where observation, intuition, and attention to detail were essential to his work.

Beyond his professional career, Mike has established himself as an accomplished jazz bassist in the Washington, D.C. music community. His musical experience includes performances with legendary saxophonist Buck Hill and recording credits with the Kash Wright Trio, vocalist Sharon Raquel, and renowned bassist Victor Wooten. Equally comfortable supporting an ensemble or engaging in spontaneous musical dialogue, Mike brings decades of musical experience and a deep appreciation for the jazz tradition to every performance.

For Mike, the connection between investigation and improvisation is surprisingly natural. Both require careful listening, anticipating what comes next, and responding thoughtfully to unexpected developments.

His alter ego emerges behind the upright bass, where the instincts of an investigator give way to the creativity, collaboration, and rhythmic exploration of jazz.