OLIVER LAKE ORGAN QUARTET "WHAT I HEARD"

Composer, saxophonist, poet and Guggenheim Fellow, Oliver Lake, is one of jazz's most prolific and eclectic artists of the last 40 years. Oliver Lake is known for everything from his solo saxophone performances and recordings; to his solo music-theater work; to his reggae-jazz group Jump Up; to his work as a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet; to his Oliver Lake Big Band; to the Oliver Lake Steel Quartet which performed at The Space in 2004; and The Organ Quartet, one of his most recent projects. Lake was a founding member of the Black Artists Group (BAG) in St Louis in the 1970's where he grew up with trumpeter Lester Bowie and pianist John Hicks. He has received multiple commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and his works have been performed by the Arditti String Quartet, the World Saxophone Quartet, the Amherst Sax Quartet, violinist Regina Carter, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the San Francisco Contemporary Players, New York New Music Ensemble, and Pulse Percussion Ensemble of New York. He has worked with a wide range of artists including the pop singer Björk, rocker Lou Reed, jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln and rap group, A Tribe Called Quest. Other projects include a collaboration with writer and law professor Patricia Williams, and the Quagmire Trio with komungo player Jin Hi Kim and bassist William Parker. Also an exhibiting visual artist, Lake continues to perform worldwide with his own ensembles as well as in Trio Three, the long-standing cooperative trio with percussionist Andrew Cyrille and bassist Reggie Workman (sometimes augmented by pianist Geri Allen). OLIVER LAKE
 

BRIAN LYNCH AND EMMET COHEN "QUESTIONED ANSWER"

This intergenerational collaboration between Grammy© Award winning trumpeter Brian Lynch and new piano star on the modern jazz horizon Emmet Cohen combines new school excitement and exuberant swing. In the quartet setting, joined by legendary drummer Billy Hart and master bassist Boris Kozlov, Lynch and Cohen present a program of their own searching and often epic original music, bridging traditional and contemporary sounds with virtuosity, passion and swinging aplomb. And as a duo, they essay and recast jazz classics and standards (both classic and contemporary) with warmth, intelligence and lack of cliche, often journeying into uncharted territory only bound by their searching imagination and desire to swing. The musical lock between Lynch and Cohen has roots that go beyond the work they've put in towards crafting a distinctive sound in both quartet and duo formats. Their common ground in committing to grounded, yet contemporary and uncliched playing and composing, coupled with the mixture of Lynch's magisterial command and Cohen's poised beyond his years musicality, has resulted in a original and compelling new group sound tailored for today's listener. BRIAN LYNCH AND EMMET COHEN
 

SAM-ONE "BAD BOY OF THE BLUES"

Sam-One is a Blues Guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Memphis, Tenn. July 10th, 1951. He began playing the guitar at the age of eight years old. He also is a vocalist, songwriter, composer and producer. Sam-One broke into the Southern Soul Market in 2009. With the release of his CD titled ( You Ain't Right ). "Let's Make Love Tonight " made it in the top twenty. Southern Soul RnB Songs of 2010. Puts Sam-One up there among the best. " You Ain't Right " the title track. Is a favorite among Southern Soul DJ's. His unique style is what made Sam-One stand out as a respected artist of today. Listen to the way he hit those Blues Licks that make you sit up and take notice. Sam-One is destined to be one of the premier Blues Artist around. Although he only has one CD on the market Sam-One is a seasoned musician who has played with the best and held his own. There is more to come from Sam-One who is currently becoming a household name in the music industry. His skills as an arranger is evident on his CD. The way he put together his CD the man knows his business. Sam-One is an artist you need to follow. To purchase his CD go to CD Baby.com. you will not be disappointed. SAM-ONE
 

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LYNNE HANSON "RIVER OF SAND"

Americana, roots music, rough-around-the-edges folk. Canadian songwriter Lynne Hanson prefers “porch music with a little red dirt.” Hanson songs are like a favorite pair of jeans. They're rough around the edges, faded and worn through in spots, with a bit of honestly-acquired dirt ground into the seams. And they're expressed in a rich voice coupled with accomplished guitar playing that demands repeated listening. Hanson grew up in Ottawa Canada, and starting playing guitar when she was 14, learning on a hand-me-down from an older brother. She released her award-winning debut album – Things I Miss – in 2006, and with tales to tell, two more albums quickly followed – Eleven Months (2008) and Once the Sun Goes Down (2010). Each new release garnered critical praise, earning Hanson a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination in 2009, an invitation to the Kerrville Folk Festival as a New Folk Finalist, and a year later the prestigious Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award handed out annually by the Ontario Arts Council.Then … silence: A four-year hiatus from recording. It was time to kick dirt over the tracks on the trail. Lynne took some time to take control of her personal life and with it, a new approach to song writing. Her fourth studio album slated for release in Fall 2014 – River of Sand – is the creative output of that very personal journey. On River Of Sand she’s been fortunate to work with Juno-winning songstress Lynn Miles as producer. “The songs on this record are honest and fearless” say Miles, and the search for truth that’s always guided Hanson’s work takes a turn to the raw. LYNNE HANSON
 

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KOKO JONES "WHO'S THAT LADY?"

Koko Jones, the master percussionist and band-leader, makes her international debut in 2011. Koko brings a ton of experience to her new band. This talented percussionist has played and recorded with great artists such as Whitney Houston, The Isley Brothers, Carlos Santana, Reggie Workman, Louie Vega and Luisito Quintero. Leading a talented rhythm section and accompanied by 4 beautiful vocalists, Koko blazes a fresh trail through lush territories of soul, jazz and Latin music. Musically Koko has studied in a wide range of educational settings. From her days as a student at UMASS/Amherst where she studied with Jazz legends Max Roach and Archie Shepp to her days in New York City studying at the famed Jazzmobile and Tanawa Drum & Dance. Koko has certainly developed a strong musical upbringing. KOKO JONES
 

LAURA CHEADLE "WHERE THE BLUES HANGS OUT"

Dividing time between Philly and NYC, Laura Cheadle Family Blues band''s award winning blues is gaining national and international attention. Keeping it in the family is their forte with accomplished musician James "Papa" Cheadle on the keyboards, his son, "Jimmy Lee" Cheadle on lead guitar and the beautiful star of the show: singer-songwriter: Laura Cheadle on vocals and rhythm guitar. Not just a thoughtful singer-songwriter, and not just a soulful funk diva, BLUES musician Laura Cheadle offers audiences a lively performance filled with upbeat introspection. James "Papa Cheadle" has played and recorded with Don Cornell, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Four Aces, Grover Washington Jr. and The Soul Survivors,Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine to name a few and is certainly his offsprings main inspiration.Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band have many accomplishments under their belt opening for: The Jonas Brothers, Sister Hazel, Spin Doctors, Ryan Cabrera, Kasim Sulton, Terrence Simien, Garland Jeffreys, John Oates/Hall and Oates, Average White Band, Clarence Clemons III for Bruce Springsteens After Party and Constantine Maraoulis of American Idol. These South Jersey Natives and current Philadelphia residents have toured nationally and internationally everywhere from the East Coast/West Coast to London. The Cheadle's have appeared on 6ABC's "Tuned In" as the very first viewers choice, The "NBC 10" Show, the National reality show 'Next Great Family Band" on NBC/Cosi TV. Laura Cheadle was named a "Super Woman" in South Jersey Magazine for her active Charity Work. A very recent accomplishment: Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band just recently won "Best Indie Jazz/Blues Band of The Year" 2014 at Tri State Indie Music Awards sponsored by WXPN. LAURA CHEADLE
 

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KYLE JESTER "AFTER ALL THIS"

I formerly played with Candye Kane, Earl Thomas, Freddie Brooks, & Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins and I have been running my own band since 1999. My usual outfit is a 4-piece (guitar, bass, & drums with either piano or harmonica), but I also put together intimate acoustic duos and large 6- or 8-piece bands. It has always been by goal to provide a traditional, but high-energy electric blues show.Check out this insane show that Aki Kumar is putting on! I'm so grateful to be a part of the opening act backing up Alabama Mike with Kid Andersen! Then we get to watch & hear Kim Wilson with Chicago heavyweights Billy Flynn and Barrelhouse Chuck, backed by Larry Taylor (Canned Heat, Tom Waits, John Mayall) on bass and Richard Innes (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bacon Fat) on drums.This music was recorded, engineered, and mastered by Kid Andersen at Greaseland in San Jose, California in September & October of 2014. KYLE JESTER
 

DAVE SADLER "MATCHBOX"

Raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (home to blues legends Big Bill Broonzy and Cedell Davis), Dave Sadler began playing guitar at the age of twelve. Coming from a musical household, that includes a distant relationship to Johnny Cash, a grandfather who was an amateur minstrel singer, and a mother who was a piano teacher - it is no small surprise that Dave continued the musical journey. Growing up on the edge of the Delta, blues inspired music surrounded Sadler. Where a typical kid might have been found listening to the latest top 40 rock hit, Dave, a self-taught musician who plays by ear, would often be found locked away in his room listening to the likes of B.B. King and Elmore James, trying to emulate their playing styles. Also heavily influenced by modern players such as Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughn and others, Dave's playing style is a blend of blues, rock, jazz and funk, utilizing both electric and acoustic guitars. "I have always had a passion for blues, blues/rock and jazz. These genres seem to influence most everything I play, compose and record", Dave says. Dave Sadler is affiliated with BMI as a songwriter/composer publishing and recording for the independent label, BluezArt Records. DAVE SADLER
 

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LISA MILLS I'M CHANGING"

Going your own way means living with without the certainty of safe choices, until you get where you’ve been going. It’s been a long and crooked road, but with her transformative new release, I’m Changing, Lisa Mills has gotten there.Mills’ 2010 album, Tempered in Fire, won her an enviable degree of success: Growing fan bases on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and critical acclaim from observers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Graham Rhodes, writing for U.K. music site Blues in the Northwest, described her as “a full-throated female Otis Redding, with some Muscle Shoals soul and Nashville country touches for good measure.” A Nashville Blues Society review praised her “unique vocal ability to make one feel the good times and bad times in every song,” comparing her to Lucinda Williams.The next step was obvious: Give ‘em more of the same. Take a safe half-step forward. Put out some fresh songs, and stick to the proven recipe. But Mills decided that the way to advance was to take a step back and reconsider the past. Specifically, to melt down her 2005 album, I’m Changing, and recast it as a more pure expression of her artistic desires and capabilities.
Was this a crazy thing to do? Two facts suggest that it was not. Firstly, her fans backed an ambitious Kickstarter drive for the project, pledging more than $30,000. Secondly, Mills put the project in the hands of groundbreaking producer Trina Shoemaker. Shoemaker is the first woman to win the Grammy Award for album engineering; in fact, she’s shared in three for her work on albums by Sheryl Crow and Steven Curtis Chapman. She’s worked on albums or singles by Beth Nielsen Chapman, the Dixie Chicks, Andrew Duhon, Dylan LeBlanc, the Indigo Girls and other artists of note.The results, on the re-recorded, re-engineered, reconsidered I’m Changing, are explosive.Mills is a Mississippi native who resides in Mobile, Alabama. The Gulf Coast is a region where Southern musical influences that easily can be taken for granted come together in ways that can’t. Yes, Mills often sings the blues – but to call her a blues singer would be to miss the point entirely. Her blues influences aren’t always the ones would expect, including a healthy measure of country blues, a sadly neglected genre. She can sing straight-up gospel, as she does in daringly a cappella fashion on “Tell Me.” She has toured with Big Brother & The Holding Company, singing the songs of one of rock’s most revered female vocalists, and her understanding of Janis Joplin’s gifts is far more insightful than the superficial norm. Just listen to the fragile balance of vulnerability and indomitability she brings to “Better Than This.”The project was a major undertaking that brought back together almost all the musicians involved in the original 2005 recording sessions and added John Milham on drums. The returning players included U.K. bassist Ian Jennings; the plane ticket was worth it just for the blend of his upright bass and Corky Hughes’ resonator slide work on “Wish I Was in Heaven.”You can call Lisa Mills a blues singer, or a gospel singer, or a torch singer or an R&B singer and not be wrong. But with Mills, none of those labels are true in the way you expect. Listen to “I Don’t Want To Be Happy,” when she sings: “Act a fool/ it’s all I ever do/ take each like you make and believe it to be true/ and I kneel at the altar in the church of the painful truth/ I don’t want to be happy/ I just want to be with you.” Listen to the way the deceptively simple arrangement surrounds the raw vocal like the setting of a jewel; hear the way Shoemaker lets it breathe. Listen to the way Mills’ vocal on the title track conveys tenderness and power at the same time. Listen to the rhythm of “Shake It” the soft beats like stalking footfalls. Listen to her deep-blues take on “Little Wing.” You’ve heard the song before, but you’ve never felt it send shivers up and down your spine like this. LISA MILLS