CHELSEA REED AND THE FAIR WEATHER FIVE "CHELSEA REED AND THE FAIR WEATHER FIVE"

In October 2012, vocalist Chelsea Reed brought five of her friends together to play some tunes in a South Philly dining room. Secretly, her plan was to form a band that played for swing dancers, so she could finally have the chance to sing her favorite songs for an audience that loved early jazz as much as she did. Since that fateful afternoon, those unsuspecting handsome men have comprised the Fair Weather Five: Noah Hocker on trumpet, Chris Oatts on saxophone, Jake Kelberman on guitar, Joe Plowman on bass, and Austin Wagner behind the drums.Now, over a year later, Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five are at home at swing dances, jazz clubs and concert halls alike. They have played renowned Philadelphia venues like the Kimmel Center and World Cafe Live in addition to touring around the country in a trusty blue van. They love exploring the roots of jazz and finding creative ways to interpret forgotten songs. Drawing upon the influence of artists such as Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five bring the intensity and passion of early jazz to every stage they play to put on one heck of a show. CHELSEA REED AND THE FAIR WEATHER FIVE
 

FO' REEL BAND "HEAVY WATER"

Heavy Water, performed by Fo’Reel includes an all-star performance by C.P. Love, legendary New Orleans soul singer; Johnny Neel, Grammy Award winning keyboardist; Jon Smith, renowned tenor saxophonist; Rick Lawson, singer songwriter; Daryl Burgess, drums; Allyn Robinson, drums; David Hyde, Bass; Ward Smith, baritone sax; Barney Floyd, trumpet; Mark Domizio, guitarist and creator of the project.Heavy Water is a high energy blend of Contemporary Blues that includes a lot of funky grooves that will make you want to move. Every song on the CD is a joy to hear, the vocals are passionate, the guitar playing is deep and full of emotion and the keyboard and horns are a driving force to the overall distinctive style and sound. Anyone who enjoys strong driven, energy filled music will love this CD. It not only embraces traditional Blues, but it hits the listener with a variety of interesting styles like Swing, Funk, R&B and a Latin tinged Rumba. FO' REEL BAND

THE GRAVEL PROJECT "THE GRAVEL PROJECT"

The Gravel Project is a Boston based band with a sound that spans multiple genres, including modern blues, funk, and rock. Having played to packed rooms at various clubs throughout Greater Boston, including The Middle East, Church, Tommy Doyles (former House of Blues), in addition to a residency at The Savant Project, The Gravel Project electrifies crowds with both inventive original songs and creative interpretations of well known classics. With the release of More Ways Than One, the band’s first full-length album, The Gravel Project has taken great strides to further define and solidify their musical style. The breadth of material on the album is both impressive and expansive, spanning everything from the smoldering Muscle Shoals soul groove of Dollar Bill, to the eccentric back-beat driven Lost, and the infectious funk-based arrangement of The Beatles I’ll Cry Instead.The Gravel Project is the brainchild of guitarist/singer/songwriter, Andrew Gravel. Though a Boston native, Gravel lived in both England and Australia for three years. While abroad, Gravel was a first-call guitarist for a number of well known acts on the London blues circuit, which led to tours throughout Europe and Australia. After relocating back to the US, Gravel was the guitarist for the legendary Martha’s Vineyard based Entrain before forming The Gravel Project. Marking a milestone event for the band, and demonstrating an inspired growth in their songwriting and stylistic definition, the release of More Ways Than One speaks to music lovers of many stripes and colors, garnering new, enthusiastic fans with each listen. Drawing on influences from the danceable grooves of bands like The Meters, the raw soul of B.B. King, the psychedelic ambition of The Allman Brothers, and the jazz complexities of John Scofield, The Gravel Project pushes funk and blues into fresh new territory, while maintaining a strong connection with the roots. THE GRAVEL PROJECT
 

HOWELLDEVINE "MODERN SOUNDS OF ANCIENT JUJU"

Joshua Howell started playing harmonica when he was 14, and by 17, he was sitting with many of the San Francisco Bay Area's blues bands. He quickly became the desired house harmonica player in clubs such as Eli's Mile High and Your Place Too, though his under-age status limited his exposure to only those clubs that could circumvent the age restrictions. During this period, he took up guitar, intently focused on learning the techniques of the Mississippi greats such as Fred McDowell, Bukka White, Robert Johnson and RL Burnside. While living in Santa Cruz, Joshua pursued a successful career in guitar making, developing the Howell & Forsyth Guitar Company. Though he continued to focus on playing music and gigging locally, music as a profession took a back seat to lutherie. It wasn't until he moved to Thailand that he dedicated himself entirely to musicianship, taking on over 15 gigs a week as a solo artist. After three years playing professionally in Thailand's mountainous north, Joshua returned to the U.S. and continued to perform in the San Francisco Bay Area. When he crossed paths with drummer and percussionist Pete Devine, they recognized their similar influences and musical sensibilities. Their common approach effortlessly generated a powerhouse combo of inspired and unaffected blues. HOWELLDEVINE

MELLY FRANCES AND THE DISTILLED SPIRIT "THE ALBUM"

Melly Frances & The Distilled Spirit is a USA based American blues, rock and soul band formed in 2012 by vocalist and songwriter Melly Frances. They are set to unveil their first studio album cleverly titled "The Album" on May 1st 2014 as unsigned artists independent from a record label. The band--Melly Frances (lead vocals, songwriter), Bryan Whelan (guitar), Matthew Labarber (bass, vocals), Peter Williams (drums), Devon Shae (fiddle) and Lance Dieckmann (harmonica). Frances brings forth hard-hitting soul vocals that deliver a blast from the past. Singers like Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi, Janis Joplin, Nina Simone, Otis Redding, and Etta James are key influences and can be heard in her raspy, sultry, vocal style. The band themselves are a classic fusion of these roots rock favorites: The Black Crowes, Alabama Shakes, Led Zeppelin, Marshall Tucker Band, The Band, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Van Morrison, & The Rolling Stones. MELLY FRANCES AND THE DISTILLED SPIRIT
 

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THE BRANDEE YOUNGER QUARTET "LIVE AT THE BREEDING GROUND"

Harpist Brandee Younger, is known for sharing the stage with Jazz Royalty Jack Dejohnette & Ravi Coltrane, laying down tracks with Grammy-Winning Rapper Common and Artist and Producer Ryan Leslie, as well as bringing to life the Classic Impressionistic work of Maurice Ravel. Her ability to feature the Harp in genres of music where the instrument is often absent is a testament of her love for the instrument, and her cross-reaching ability as a musician.The Brandee Younger Quartet makes you rethink the traditional jazz combo. No piano...instead, a concert harp, upright bass, drumset & tenor sax/vocalist, the sound is reminiscent of vintage Dorothy Ashby and ethereal Alice Coltrane, with a whole new identity. THE BRANDEE YOUNGER QUARTET

THE HALLEY DEVESTERN BAND "FABBO! BOFFO! SMASHO!"

Halley was born in Manhattan and moved around the US before settling back in New York City, where she and the band call home. Halley’s voice is huge - somewhere between Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. She earned a BFA in acting at Boston University, and that pedigree shows in the her performances. In fact, Halley fronted Janis Joplin’s legendary band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, on a recent US tour and brought down the house every night.Well-seasoned road gods, the band members have earned their chops with the likes of Roger Waters, Shawn Mullins, Muddy Waters, Taj Mahal, Gatemouth Brown, Zen Tricksters, and Mickey Dolenz. Halley and the band have shared the stage with Gov’t Mule, Bonnie Bramlett, Jimmie Vaughan, Son Seals, Johnny Winter, Donna the Buffalo, John Hammond and Antigone Rising. THE HALLEY DEVESTERN BAND
 

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MONIQUEA "YES NO MAYBE"

Moniquea was born in Gary, Indiana and raised in Pasadena, California. She vividly recalls watching her mother rehearse as a lead singer alongside other relatives and friends in the Pasadena-branded group The Roses. As a youth, she was exposed to countless volumes of 70’s soul and the electrified sounds of 80’s R&B, which shaped her sound immeasurably. Today, she counts a wide range of artists as influences, from Deniece Williams and Etta James to Stevie Nicks. Her voice carries two distinct characteristics that play into each other perfectly – A “so-retro-it’s-actually-new” twang that harks back to Evelyn “Champagne” King; the second, a jazzy vibrato that easily evokes the tender, smoky voice of Erykah Badu or even Billie Holiday. Moniquea is vocally equipped to sing contemporary R&B/soul, go the Amy Winehouse route, or bring back the synthy, dance-friendly sound of 80’s boogie funk – her current musical direction.  MONIQUEA
 

LIZ MANDEVILLE "HEART 'O' CHICAGO"

Born and raised into a musical family in Wisconsin, guitarist and singer Liz Mandeville grew up in an arts-filled environment. Her father played guitar and sang folk songs while taking classes at the Art Institute of Chicago on the GI bill. He taught his daughter to paint and sing, and Liz often accompanied her father to art museums, gardens and art galleries, wherever his work took him. Her mother was an actress and she saw to it that her daughter had a proper education in the theater arts as well, something which came in handy many years later when Mandeville decided to pursue a career as a blues singer.Musicians and artists were frequent guests in the Mandeville's home, and the young Mandeville was encouraged to write songs, poetry and short stories. Family vacations around the south exposed young Liz to blues, bluegrass, traditional country and folk music and New Orleans jazz and funk.Her first professional gigs were in coffee houses around Wisconsin, playing songs her father had taught her. She cited as influences on her earliest attempts at music people like James Brown, Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins.Known previously as Liz Mandeville-Greeson, Mandeville played the bars in and around Chicago for most of the '90s and 2000s, and she made occasional tours to points east — New York City — and West, to California, as well as many cities and towns in between. She spent much of the late '80 touring across the U.S. and Canada by van with her then-band, theSupernaturals. During the 2000s, she worked with a band called the Blue Points.In 1994, she met Chicago bassist Aron Burton and subsequently performed with him at the 1994 Chicago Blues Festival. She recorded two tracks with him on his 1996 album, Aron Burton Live, and that led to her being signed to Michael Frank's Earwig Music Company.Between 1994 and 1999, Mandeville was a frequent sight on stage at the Blue Chicago nightclubs, where she had the chance to work with a short who's-who of Chicago-area musicians, including Willie Kent, Maurice John Vaughn and Michael Coleman. She recorded her first two albums with musicians from that scene,including Burton on bass, Allan Batts, keyboards, and drummer Dave Jefferson.Among her awards and distinctions: she was nominated for Blues songwriter of the year in 2008 by the American Roots Music Association, was named semi-finalist in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition for her composition, "Life Sentence of the Blues," and she received an award in 2005 for Best Songwriter in the USA Songwriting Competition, for her humorous tune, "He Left It in His Other Pants."Her albums, showcasing her spry, sometimes humorous original songs, all for the Chicago-based Earwig Music label, include 2008's Red Top, Back in Love Again (2002), Ready to Cheat (1999) and Look at Me (1996). She has performed on a slew of other albums by Chicago-based blues performers, including Johnny Drummer's 2000 release, Unleaded Blues, Aron Burton's Live from Buddy Guy's Legends and a compilation of Chicago-area women blues singers, Red Hot Mamas for the Blue Chicago label. LIZ MANDEVILLE
 

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