Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes, Larry Graham, The Brothers Johnson, Berry Gordy, George Benson, Jimi Hendrix, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Errol Garner, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, George Duke, Nat "King" Cole, Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, John Coltrane, Vladimir Horowitz, Andre Watts, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and his 1965-1969 bands, The Temptations, Motown, Quincy Jones, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Chopin, Liszt, Rod Lumpkin, Matt Michaels, Gary Schunk, Tad Weed, Roland Hamilton, Eddie Howard Jr., Craig Tyson, Michael Powell, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Eldar, Miles Davis and all the people who played with him, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery.
VAN CEPHUS IS AN ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN PERFORMING WITH ALL TYPES OF KEYBOARDS AND (INCLUDING A HAMMOND B3), ELECTRIC AND ACOUSTIC GUITARS, ELECTRIC BASS, AND DRUMS. HE ALSO SINGS LEAD AND BACKGROUND VOCALS. HIS BIGGEST INFLUENCE WAS AND IS MR. JAMES OSCAR "JIMMY" SMITH. IN JUNE 1964 AT AGE NINE; HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FEW AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNGSTERS WHO WERE INVITED TO PLAY IN THE ANNUAL MICHIGAN MUSIC FESTIVAL AT COBO ARENA. THE TV NEWS CAMERAS ZEROED IN ON HIM AND HIS PARTNER JOSEPH MARSHALL THE THIRD. THIS SEGMENT WAS PART OF THE EVENING NEWSCAST. VAN HAS BEEN A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN SINCE 1968. HE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE DETROIT FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS LOCAL 5 ON AUGUST 21st, 1969 AT THE AGE OF 14. HE STARTED HIS CAREER PLAYING HIS HAMMOND B-3 FOR DANCES GIVEN BY TEEN SOCIAL CLUBS SUCH AS THE DEL SPRITES, THE PRE OMEGAS, THE CO-ETTES AND THE SIGMA PHI. HIS HOME WAS OFTEN FILLED WITH OTHER YOUNG MUSICIANS SUCH AS RAY PARKER JR. AND EARL KLUGH. HE WAS A MEMBER OF CHAPTER 8 (ANITA BAKER AND PRODUCER MICHAEL POWELL), AND APPEARED ON THEIR FIRST LP. HE ALSO PLAYED HAMMOND B3 ON RANDY CRAWFORD'S RECORDING OF "KNOCKIN' ON HEAVENS DOOR" FEATURING ERIC CLAPTON. DAVID SANBORN, THE WINANS, AND THE CLARK SISTERS. THIS RECORDING WAS PRODUCED BY GRAMMY Winner MICHAEL J. POWELL AND CAN ALSO BE HEARD ON THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE FILM "LETHAL WEAPON 2". HE RECORDED 3 TUNES ON OLETA ADAMS CD "COME WALK WITH ME" (INCLUDING THE DUET "BEAMS OF HEAVEN"). VAN PERFORMS IN A VARIETY OF MUSICAL STYLES AND GENRES, INCLUDING STRAIGHT-AHEAD JAZZ ("GIANT STEPS"), STANDARDS ("WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE"), R&B/FUNK ("MY EYES DON'T CRY"), BLUES, AND CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL GOSPEL. HE EVEN DOES AN EXCELLENT IMPRESSION OF SAMMY DAVIS JR.! (As The Samster himself would say “And I mean that”). VAN HAS PERFORMED WITH ARETHA FRANKLIN, THE DELLS, MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS, EARL KLUGH, RAY PARKER JR., Dennis Coffey, JOHNNY TRUDELL, AND MANY OF DETROIT'S TOP SINGERS AND MUSICIANS AS A LEADER AND SIDEMAN. HE IS CURRENTLY PLAYING SINGLE ENGAGEMENTS (MUSIC FOR ALL OCCASIONS) IN THE GREATER METROPOLITAN DETROIT AREA. VAN HAS PLAYED ACOUSTIC PIANO, HAMMOND B3, SYNTHESIZER, AND PIPE ORGAN AT C.O.G.I.C, PENTECOSTAL, APOSTOLIC, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, BAPTIST, INTER-DENOMINATIONAL, NON-DENOMINATIONAL, AME AND FULL GOSPEL CHURCHES. VAN WELCOMES ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM.
Van demonstrates his unique abilities performing in a variety of contexts including as a solo pianist, non-sequenced electric one man band featuring Van playing bass lines, chords, melodies and solos simultaneously with a drum machine, in a duo with a live drummer, in a trio with a guitarist or saxophonist, or depending on availability, a musician who plays guitar and saxophone, or a quartet with drums, guitar and sax. Van can add other musicians to the band and any type of instrumentalist. Van can add male and female vocalists for occasions when dancing is desired. Whether providing background/dinner/cocktail music, music for listening, or music for dancing or any occasion, Van is well versed in many styles of music including “Smooth” Jazz (instrumental Pop and Rhythm and Blues), Straight-Ahead Jazz, Blues, and Traditional and Contemporary Gospel music. Van Cephus is available for
acting,
emceeing,
modeling,
voiceovers,
athletic events,
banquets,
bar mitzvahs,
bat mitzvahs,
birthday parties,
church programs,
class reunions,
concerts,
conventions,
corporate events,
cruises,
dances,
dinners,
family reunions,
festivals,
fish fries,
fund raisers,
graduation ceremonies,
grand openings,
ground-breaking ceremonies,
house parties,
jam sessions,
luncheons,
meetings,
office parties,
open houses,
parties,
political events,
pool parties,
prayer breakfasts,
rehearsal dinners,
retirement parties,
seasonal sales events,
street parties,
wedding receptions,
weddings,
casinos,
church services,
nightclubs,
restaurants,
recording sessions,
tours
and all events. Please sign Van's guestbook so you may be informed of the latest developments in his career. This website will be updated regularly (including more videos), so please visit this website regularly. Van knows how to create moods for all occasions, whether playing for a small intimate gathering such as a house party, or a concert entertaining thousands. His music enhances any event. People say that Van's background music is loud enough to enjoy, yet soft enough to allow conversation. During an engagement at the Detroit Historical Museum the late Detroit Mayor Coleman Young told Van, Bob St. Thomas (vocalist), and Spence Beamon (saxophone), "You guys sound like 5 or 6 (expletive deleted). I'm going to have you guys play at the mansion Sunday". Van has also played at the Mayor's mansion during the Dennis Archer administration. Enjoy the artistry of Van Cephus at your next event. Special thanks to God, my mother; the late Mrs. Ruth Cephus who in 1967 bought me a new Hammond B3 organ instead of a new car, my father Mr. James T. Cephus who paid for my music lessons, taught me to say "Yes Sir, No Sir, Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am" and let me "smile and style" in his Jaguar XKE 2+2 and Mark 3 in 1972 (when I was 17), my other family members and friends, the late Mrs. Betty Williams, Mr. H. Daniel Mujahid, the late great Mr. Jimmy Smith (my biggest musical influence) Mrs. Velma Ree Smith and Mr. John Smith my former website designer.
