LARRY GRIFFITH "HARD AS IT GETS"

Larry was brought up in the inner city of Cincinnati, Ohio by a single parent along with nine other siblings. The dilapidated three tiered tenement literally shook with the radio and vinyl record sounds of everything from blues, gospel, and soul, to jazz. It was in this fertile, eclectic musical environment that 9 year old Larry first picked up a pen and copied the lyrics of Willie Dixon, Bob Dylan, Laura Nero, Billy Strayhorn and countless others. Larry marveled at these wonderful storytellers and it eventually led him to write his own stories. Two brothers returning from the military armed with funds from the GI Bill allowed the Griffith family to upgrade to the Walnut Hills section of Cincinnati, which housed the legendary King Records. Seeing great artists in the neighborhood like Freddie King, Bill Doggett, Hank Ballard, Ivory Joe Hunter and even the Godfather of Soul himself James Brown was an ordinary occurrence. As a matter of fact it was Wesley Hargrove of Hank Ballard’s Midnighters who first took 16 year old Larry into Federal Records recording studio to drum on several demos. This led to stints as a session drummer, weekend touring and a bird’s eyes view of the not so pretty side of the business all while still in his teens. Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys had a profound effect on Larry because of the way Jimi married sonic sounds with futuristic, introspective lyrics. It was also around this time that he fell in lifelong love with the lyrical phasing of John Coltrane. Relocating to Atlanta, Georgia in the 1990s, Larry discovered then quickly became immersed in the thriving Atlanta blues scene. It was here he had finally found a musical genre wide enough to accommodate his eclectic tastes. Still, it wasn’t until the early 2000’s that “the dream” turned everything on its ear. While staying at a backwoods motel in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Larry who previously had no designs on or inclinations toward guitar experienced the same dream three nights in a row. In “the dream”, he was onstage ripping it up on guitar like a man possessed, working the deep delta juke joint crowd into a sweet, sweaty frenzy. Fully awakened, Larry came back to Atlanta and told his friend and bandmate, Chicago Joe Jones of his strange dream. It was Joe who then gave Larry his first guitar, a no-name something or other that he had found at a garage sale for a $1. From these humble beginnings and equipped with the visual of the Mississippi delta dream, Larry strapped on, plugged in, turned up and began chipping away. LARRY GRIFFITH
 

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KAREN SOUZA "ESSENTIALS II"

While Karen Souza´s voice may sound like it was made for jazz, she is in fact a relative newcomer to this genre of music. Her career began under various psydeonymns as she provided vocal support to a number of electronic music producers and was part of several International House hits. She can be found singing under these pseudonymns on albums such as Pacha Ibiza, FTV (FashionTV), Paris Dernier and Hotel Costes, privé.She had just begun to flirt with the idea of singing to jazz when she was contacted and invited to join the production of the first volume of the series, Jazz and ´80s. No one imagined the success that the series would have almost over night. The producer of the series knew a good thing when he saw it and he quickly shared his enthusiasm in the project with Karen and made her and her voice an important part of each album. Now that Karen had gotten her toes wet in the studio, her label decided it was time to dive in and they sent her and the rest of the Quartet on tour to Brazil in late 2009. The visit was a great success and Karen came into her own onstage, gaining confidence and ever tuning and refining her singing. On the heels of the Brazilian adventure, the label again stepped in and told Karen it was time to focus on her own material. To this effect they sent her to Los Angeles for a few months to work with and learn from some of the best songwriters in the business. It was there that she studied under the guidance of Pam Oland , a multiple Grammy nominated songwriter who has worked with stars like Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind and Fire and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. This period gave new direction to Karens own composing and songwriting and has helped her develop her signature sound while continuing to please fans with her characteristic lush vocals. KAREN SOUZA

DOM AND THE IKOS "DOM AND THE IKOS"

Wowing audiences wherever they go and currently making serious

waves in the UK music scene, Dom & the Iko’s are a London based 5 piece with a heavy  pedigree.With stagecraft honed from a two year residency at Ronnie Scott’sJazz Club, the band bring the classic sound of New Orleans funkand RnB right into the 21st century, led by killer piano Dom Pipkin, a man with a blues heritage reaching from appearances with Zigaboo Modeliste, Todd Sharpville, Eric Bibb, Pee Wee Ellis, Ray Davies and Paul Jones, to name just  a few.   Dom was recently featured as a solo piano player on the Paul Jones Radio 2 blues show and was hired to play privately for the late Stanley Kubrik.   He’s also opened up for Dr John, and the late Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.The band mix their own original songs with the biggest party numbers from the genre, showcasing some truly virtuoso band playing.  Every show builds to fever pitch, and “cooks up a steaming musical brew that has the crowd dancing and clapping” - Classic Rock Blues Magazine. DOM AND THE IKOS
 

THE JOE McQUEEN QUARTET "THE LEGENDARY JOE McQUEEN QUARTET"

Joe McQueen has been performing for over 80 years and at the seasoned age of 95, he's not slowing down! Joe McQueen continues to perform over 60 shows a year with his quartet featuring Ryan Conger on Hammond organ, Brad Wright on guitar, and Dr. Don Keipp on drums. The quartet currently has two albums in the works set to be released in late 2014!Arriving in Ogden, Utah on December 7th 1945, Joe McQueen originally intended to play a weeks worth of gigs at the famed Porters And Waiters Club, but wound up staying and making Utah his home.Over the years, Joe McQueen has had the distinction of being the first African American Musician to play white clubs in Ogden Utah, as well as being the first African American to attend white clubs in Salt Lake City, when Dizzy Gillespie put Joe and famed jazz DJ Al Jazzbo Collins on the guest list.During his lifetime, Joe has had the opportunity to perform with such noted legends as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and many many others.In 2002, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt declared April 18th to be Joe McQueen Day. Over the past 12 years, this date has been marked with many concerts, celebrations and events.THE JOE McQUEEN QUARTET
 

FINI BEARMAN "PORGY & BESS"

Fini Bearman’s music melds influences as diverse as Brazilian and other South American styles, Western Classical traditions, modern jazz and contemporary popular music into and arresting and unique personal sound. Sometimes dealing with settings of poetry and other pre-existing texts, other times with original lyrics or open, wordless evocations, this music is honest yet witty, mixing lush harmony and orchestration with contemporary grooves.Fini has performed across Europe in a variety of musical constellations. Venues include Ronnie Scotts, the 606 Jazz Club, the Vortex, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Barbican Center. She has also sung with her own band and as part of other ensembles at numerous music festivals including the London Jazz Festival, City of London festival and Howden Jazz Singers Festival. FINI BEARMAN
 

HURRICANE RUTH "BORN ON THE RIVER"

Hurricane Ruth is The Ultimate Blues Rock Experience!
Hurricane Ruth originates from central/southern Illinois, packing venues throughout the region. Critics and fans hail their shows as powerful, raw, emotional and dynamic. The band’s contagious energy is evident in their live shows. The center of this energy is Hurricane Ruth herself. Ruth is a captivating performer, who will grab your attention from note one and never let you go! Willie Dixon once told Ruth “You’re the only hurricane I can appreciate”. Hurricane Ruth LaMaster started performing professionally in 1979, and found instant success. She acquired the name Hurricane Ruth from the fact that no one believed that such a large sound could come out of such a small woman! Ruth has performed with Maynard Ferguson and his orchestra, Adrian Belew, and Louis Belson. Ruth has opened for John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Taj Mahal, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Sam & Dave, Fenton Robinson, and most recently; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Royal Southern Brotherhood, and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Ruth’s vocals are deeply rooted in traditional blues, but make no mistake, she can rock the house! Ruth has opened for renowned rockers: Heart, Judas Priest, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts & Steppenwolf, just to name a few. Ruth is the total vocal package! Ruth is joined by: David Lumsden (lead guitar), Gary Davis (bass guitar), and Jim Engel (drums). These three excellent musicians perfectly complement Ruth’s vocals. Born on the River, Hurricane Ruth’s 2nd album is an eclectic group of eleven original songs that was released in September 2014. The title track and a few of the other songs were inspired by Ruth’s hometown of Beardstown, Illinois. Born on the River is intense and heavy with the same energy as a live Hurricane Ruth performance. It is receiving international acclaim, and has been nominated for the IBC Best Self-Produced CD 2014. Born on the River has consistently ranked on The Roots Music Report. HURRICANE RUTH
 

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ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS "LOVE WHIP BLUES"

Okay, imagine this.... Country-blues singer/guitarist Erin Harpe moves from D.C. to Boston, where her Memphis Minnie influences get mixed up with some electro-booty-shakin' attitude. Add in the solid bass of Jim Countryman, tasty drums and eerie vocal harmonies of Bob Nisi, and the electrified sounds of longtime Boston harp dog Richard "Rosy" Rosenblatt, and what do you get? That's Charles River Delta Blues.... y'all. With her new band Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers, Erin and the gang give the music a new twist to create a genre they call “Charles River Delta Blues”, which combines delta soul and spirit with Boston's rich blues heritage, while bringing it to the 21st century. Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers have already been receiving accolades, including recently winning the 2010 Boston Blues Challenge, getting a Boston Music Award nomination for Blues Artist of the Year, as well as having the honor of opening for blues legends Honeyboy Edwards and James Cotton. The band has just returned from the International Blues Challenge in Memphis (where they made it to the semi-finals!), and are now working hard on their debut album! ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS
 

THE JIVES UK "WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES..."

Baz and Al met in hard driving rhythm and blues quintet “The AM5”, and have played together as a duo since November 2013 Big Baz: (Vocals, Slide Guitar, Guitar, Footstomp), was a stalwart of the rock scene in Essex in a band called Lizard ( who also released a C.D. “The Power Of One” ) before joining the AM5. He counts his main influence as Paul Rodgers in the vocal context. But for guitar styles Rory Gallagher etc. Al E.Bye: (Harmonicas, Percussion), was in several blues bands, punk blues bands ( The Jukes) and blues swing band The Chicago Bearcats,( who had a 12″ E.P. released on Carve Up records which was distributed by Red Lightning Records ) before forming the AM5. He counts his main influences as Lester Butler from The Red Devils, Papa Lightfoot, and Guy Forsyth, etc. Now they have joined together again in a Blues, R & B, and Rock and Roll duo: The Jives UK April 2014 debut album recorded and released “When One Door Closes” with a variety of covers from the likes of Tony Joe White, The Beatles, Howling Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Seasick Steve, Free, etc. was followed up by a mini tour of Belgium and various gigs around the south east of England. The next album is already being put together with half originals and half covers. Synopsis Expect to hear the sounds of Fat Possum Records, raw and unpolished blues. The sounds of Rory Gallagher, Seasick Steve, Houndog Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson, Red Devils, etc.“It’s hard to say exactly what we are and what we do, Blues is definitely at the core, but we’re huge fans of all sorts of American and English music and all of that comes through as well. Obviously, there are elements of traditional blues in what we do, elements of vintage rock and roll, rock, Essex R & B and all that sort of stuff. We always try to stay grounded in that traditional blues groove, and at the same time branch out and do as many different things as we can while still keeping it consistent with the sound we’ve developed.” THE JIVES UK
 

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DARYL McKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA "RETURN JOURNEY"

The Daryl McKenzie Band started in the early 80’s as both a versatile function band and a band that could back world class artists. Over the years both the 8-piece and big band have been critically acclaimed for their superb musicianship and polished professionalism.During the 90’s Daryl McKenzie took over the role of Musical Director of the Nine Network’s “Hey Hey It’s Saturday” which saw the Hey Hey Band perform with international artists such as Tom Jones, Joe Cocker, Barry Manilow, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Roger Daltry and Randy Crawford; as well as Australian artists such as Tina Arena, Human Nature, Tommy Emmanuel, James Morrison, Rhonda Burchmore, Debra Byrne and Marcia Hines (to name a few!). A reunion series saw the Hey Hey band back in 2009. Other TV shows Daryl and the band were involved with included Australia’s Got Talent (series 1, 2007) and Dancing with the Stars (4 eps. 2005/6) and the AFI awards (2004). The band toured internationally to the USA and Malaysia and also performed to large concert audiences in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Sydney, Gold Coast and Ayers Rock.The Daryl McKenzie Band has been in demand for corporate functions and major events including the Adelaide and Melbourne Grand Prix (Billy Thorpe, Tommy Emmanuel, Jack Jones), the VAC Federation Australia Day concert, the Sounds of Christmas for the Salvation Army (Thelma Houston), the reopening of the Adelaide Casino, the Myer Melbourne relaunch (Guy Sebastian), VAC New Years Eve and Morning Melodies, Lindsay Fox’s 75th birthday (50 piece orchestra), Carlton FC's 15th night (Vicka & Linda, Daryl Braithwaite, Anthony Callea), Anthony Warlow & Faith Prince (Hamer Hall 34 piece orchestra) and was featured at the North Queensland Jazz Festival in Mackay, Jazz in the Vineyards at the Morning Star Estate and the Castlemaine State Festival. The big band has also featured on the soundtracks of several movies such as “Bran Nue Dae”, “Death Defying Acts”, “The Wogboy”, “Two Hands”, “Love and Other Catastrophes”and “Bootmen”. As the 18 piece Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra, the DMJO have recorded three critically acclaimed CD’s and appears monthly at the Apartment Bar and Restaurant performing with singers including Darren Percival, Wilbur Wilde, Rhonda Burchmore, Nina Ferro, Nichaud Fitzgibbon and Matt Hetherington.For occassions where a smaller band is more suitable, the Daryl McKenzie Band is available as a 14 piece band (still a big band sound), an 8 or 10 piece (a great function band with a horn section), and a 5 piece band (great for smaller weddings). All the bands feature top class singers.Both the big and small bands perform a wide range of material to suit all tastes. Our extensive repertoire ranges from the classic songs of the big band era through the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s disco hits and right up to the latest in great current dance music. We can tailor our repertoire to suit a themed function and can provide anything from an instrumental jazz trio to a symphony orchestra.Pricing for events are quoted individually depending on the customer’s needs. Example song lists are available for perusal. DARYL McKENZIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA