Yellowjackets The Yellowjackets are rare birds indeed -- a venerable name-brand collective in a music that defies such longevity, and such creativity. The modern jazz sound the Yellowjackets has forged, innovated, and perfected in over 25 years of existence has thrilled audiences and inspired musicians the world over. The current line-up for this multi-Grammy-winning quartet has produced some of its finest recordings and performances ever. www.yellowjackets.com
Ari Hest A productive musician and prolific singer-songwriter, Brooklyn-based Ari Hest writes songs every week and tours consistently throughout the year, honing the tunes in front of ever-appreciative audiences. His current release, The Break-In, showcases Ari's rich vocal range, which glides effortlessly from the baritone to falsetto registers. Coupled with the depth and strength of his lyrics and the natural ease of his melodies, Ari's extraordinary vocal abilities give his music its power.
Ari has launched an ambitious project in January 2008 called "52", in which he is independently releasing 52 new, original songs in 52 weeks in a DIY subscription model that is the first of its kind. Ari is introducing a new track each Monday with streaming audio and video, and fans will be able to vote on their favorite twelve tracks of the year which will appear on Ari's next studio album, due out in early 2009. www.AriHest.com
Christian McBride Christian McBride is the premier bassist on the today's jazz and pop scene. First and foremost an outstanding bandleader and composer, as well as the first choice as collaborator for everyone from Sting and Don Henley to Sonny Rollins and Pat Metheny.
In 2008 he premieres his major original work "The Movement Revisited," a musical meditation with chorus and orchestra on the personalities and philosophies of the Civil Rights Movement, in honor of the 40th anniversary of its peak. He continues to excel in a variety of other bandleading contexts and is quite simply without peer on the instrument.
www.christianmcbride.com
Nicholas Payton
A professional musician since the age of 12, Payton's upcoming release Into the Blue on Nonesuch Records is a culmination of many aspects of his storied career. "I feel like this work is an amalgam of every recording I've done up until now. In my early recordings, I was developing my voice by addressing the lineage and continuum of jazz music while my last release Sonic Trance was an effort to break free from it. With Into the Blue, the approach and the ideas have become more singular and cohesive. I had no agenda in terms of a specific genre or style, only to be true to who I am now."
Into The Blue is an homage to the lineage and roots of Nicholas Payton, and those of the music itself, which adds an impressive new chapter to the amazing story of this icon-in-the-making.
www.NicholasPayton.com
Karrin Allyson Karrin Allyson is one of the most versatile and exciting performers on the scene today. Her body of work, documented on her ten critically-acclaimed Concord CD’s (2 of which were Grammy nominated), ranges from ballads, blues, and bebop to Brazilian songs, French chansons and the Great American Songbook. www.karrinallyson.com
Marco Benevento Marco Benevento is riding a creative surge. Proof in point is the 30-year old keyboardist’s debut studio album Invisible Baby, released February 12 on HYENA Records. The collection proves Benevento a sonic innovator in peak form, defying boundaries and blasting through genres to carve out his own universe. Invisible Baby was recorded in a trio configuration with Benevento joined by bassist
Reed Mathis (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) and drummers Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos) and Andrew Barr (The Slip). www.MarcoBenevento.com
Frank Catalano
Frank Catalano is a mercurial tenor saxophonist steeped in the school of Coltrane but devoted to the art of booty-shaking. His explosive technique and musical charisma landed him official Sony remixes of Jennifer Lopez, John Legend and Destiny's Child songs.
His live shows have earned him legions of fans far beyond his Chicago home, fans who kept Mighty Burner on the Billboard Jazz Charts for 20 weeks straight. A self-styled virtuoso, Frank's music has an infectious drive and personality. More and more, people are discovering this amazing player — the youngest saxophonist ever to be named in the highly-competitive Down Beat Critics' Poll.
www.catalanomusic.com
Christian Scott
Grammy nominated trumpeter Christian Scott has wasted no time in establishing himself as an innovative and entertaining new musical voice. Having played professionally since his early teens, the New Orleans native continues to break down musical barriers by combining elements from the worlds of hip hop, jazz and even indie rock.
www.ChristianScott.net
Sasha Dobson Mixing jazz and roots music in a compelling melange of styles, Sasha Dobson infuses intriguing musical landscapes with her distinctive and soulful voice. She is truly one of the brightest new stars in American vocal music. www.sashadobson.com
Jesse Harris Jesse Harris makes music that can be hauntingly beautiful or catchy and hip and is always rich in musical textures. He hit compositional gold with his 1 smash composition for Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why," and the band he leads features songs of similarly strong appeal. www.jesseharrismusic.com
Charlie Hunter A technical virtuoso and stylistic innovator, Charlie has been his own musical man since the beginning. His forthcoming release MISTICO (Fantasy/Concord) introduces his tightest ensemble yet. The trio gives a preview of its new material at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in early May. Touring plans for Europe, Asia and South America are focusing on October/November 2007 and March 2008 www.CharlieHunter.com
Richard Julian New York-based songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Richard Julian has just completed recording with legendary producer, Mitchell Froom. The record features longtime cohorts Dan Rieser (drums) and Tim Luntzel (bass) and is due for release in early 2008 on Manhattan/EMI. "his razor-sharp acoustic-spun vignettes about life in the big city and its varied inhabitants - coupled with his honey-and-sand vocals - make this a charmingly understated effort...Julian's sparkling guitar work shines throughout, as does his wit." Philadelphia Inquirer www.richardjulianmusic.com
Stanton Moore Stanton is best known as the percussive groove anchor for the exploratory funk group Galactic, but his outside projects are numerous and varied. Modern Drummer calls 'III" his third solo recording “infectious, jazz-meets-Bonham, nouveau second-line." 'III" features organist Robert Walter and guitarist Will Bernard. www.stantonmoore.com
Bob Mintzer Arranger and saxophonist Bob Mintzer has made his mark merging a traditional jazz approach with an all encompassing modernism that embraces lyricism and swing, taking the listener on an unpredictable and vibrant journey. Besides leading his own big band, Bob heads a jazz quartet and is a 15 year Yellowjackets veteran. www. bobmintzer.com
Jason Lindner A seasoned veteran of the New York jazz scene at still a very young age, pianist/sound manipulator, composer, bandleader Jason Lindner presents his distinctive musical voice in a variety of settings, from the explosive jazz/rock fusion group the Now Vs. Now Trio to his big band, which he has lead for over a decade. www.jasonlindner.com
Third World Love Third World Love is a virtuoso party band that revels in compositional forms that blend African and Middle Eastern music with jazz. www.thirdworldlove.com
Chuck Brown Chuck Brown is the undisputed founder of the non-stop funk musical phenomenon known as Go-Go. Creative and charismatic, the 71-year old guitarist presides over an electrifying 11 piece band with a full horn section to create an infectious and unstoppable dance groove. www.windmeupchuck.com
Groove Collective New York City's Groove Collective transcends musical categories with one goal in mind: to move listeners' minds and feet. For over a decade, this legendary group has refined the stylistic cross-pollination of funk, jazz, house, Latin, hip hop, rock and every party-inducing sound in-between. www.groovecollective.com
Al Kooper A professional musician since his early teens, AL KOOPER first turned heads with his organ riff on Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone." He has since amassed an incredible career as a musician, producer and songwriter. His keyboards powered all of The Blues Project's albums, the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and the original sound of the iconoclastic chart-topping sound of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Onstage, he performed with Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Tom Petty, The Tubes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and George Harrison, among countless others. And his production work on the first three Lynyrd Skynryd albums unleashed their massive hits "Sweet Home Alabama," "Saturday Night Special," and the all-time biggest rock anthem "Free Bird." www.AlKooper.com
Incredibly Strange Wrestling ISW is like nothing you've ever seen before, a compelling mixture of ingeniously-scripted Mexican-style wrestling matches (held in a real ring with real wrestlers and insightful and entertaining announcers) and powerful punk rock band performances. This is entertainment. www.incrediblystrangewrestling.com
Dominique Eade An extraordinarily nimble and versatile singer who is also an accomplished composer and respected educator, Dominique Eade is in a class by herself. Her live repertoire features both original tunes and innovative reworkings of songs from jazz and pop catalogs. www.dominiqueeade.com
Bring Back Pluto Other-worldly musicianship enhances the infectious grooves of this funked-up trio. BBP's repertoire features classic jazz tracks and standout original compositions, all delivered with freshness and force. www.bbpluto.com
