Artists Bios
   
Norah Jones

Norah Jones exploded onto the music scene in early 2002 as a major new talent. Signed to Blue Note Records, her debut album Come Away With Me crossed musical borders from Jazz to Soul to Folk-based pop. Even before its release, Rolling Stone Magazine and Entertainment Weekly named her one of the top new artists of 2002. By December 2002, Norah had spent 39 weeks on the Billboard Top 20 (peaking at number six), astonishing given the nature of her music. A worldwide sensation, Come Away With Me has achieved multi-platinum status in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia and received a total of 8 wins at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. 

 

In 2004, Norah released her second album Feels Like Home to even greater critical and audience response. In its first week alone, Feels Like Home sold over 1,022,000 copies and solidified her status as a unique talent whose artistry crosses stylistic, generational & cultural boundaries.

 

Melissa Etheridge

Showcasing a tough-as-nails vocal style, highly personal lyrics and sweat-soaked attitude to spare, Melissa Etheridge has earned numerous Grammy Awards, the respect of her peers and legions of adoring fans.

Neither cancer nor her efforts to install a new administration in the Oval Office during the 2004 election has slowed down this superstar powerhouse one bit. Only 6 months into 2005 and Melissa has been named one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People and her Janis Joplin tribute duet with Joss Stone was considered the highlight of this year's Grammy's.
 

Joe Perry

Founding member, principle co-songwriter and electrifying lead guitarist of Aerosmith, Joe Perry has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of Rock. His blistering licks and riffs are responsible for creating Rock Classics, such as "Walk This Way" and helped the group sell more than 100 million albums, snag four Grammy's and be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In addition to his work with Aerosmith, Perry has released two critically acclaimed solo albums, started his own label, Roman Records and created some tasty licks you can eat with his "Rock Your World" brand of hot sauces. 

    
Bill Wyman

Author, astronomer, Blues aficionado and, oh yeah, The Rolling Stones’ bassist for over 30 years, Bill and his mates helped define Rock music, Rock attitude and Rock style.  Mick and Keith may be credited as the composers of “Jumpin Jack Flash” and “Bitch,” but it was Wyman who chiseled their unforgettable bass riffs into Rock history.

In addition to recording over 30 Stones albums and relentlessly touring the world as a member of what is still unarguably "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band," Bill has released several solo albums and formed the critically acclaimed Jazz/Blues band, The Rhythm Kings.
George Clinton

The “Father of Funk” and "Godfather of Urban Music" is without a doubt, the funkiest individual on the planet.  By experimenting with rhythm, melody and harmony in the 70's, George and his band Parliament, led popular music into a decidedly different direction of his own design.  Clinton’s groundbreaking Rock outfit, Funkadelic, fused psychedelic guitar distortion, bizarre sound effects, and rants to dance beats and booming bass lines that became the defined the term “funk.” And his live shows, well they're legendary.  

George continues to shake things up. He claimed his latest victory in court as he was awarded control of four of his groundbreaking albums.  An early and active supporter of Rap and sampling, Clinton’s insistent beats can be heard in hits by Dr. Dre, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Tone Loc, Geto Boys, Xclan and Yo-Yo, among countless others.
Jonatha Brooke

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, chanteuse, Jonatha Brooke’s signature blend of Folk and Pop music has made her a hit with fans, AAA and alternative programmers.  As a solo artist since, 1995, after the break up of her first band, The Story, Jonatha writes, produces and performs songs that are as accessible as they are sophisticated.

Though she began her professional life as a major label artist, she assumed control of her career in 1999 with the formation of her own label, Bad Dog.  Throughout her career, Brooke has earned the respect of a diverse group of musicians and producers who’ve worked with her in recent years, including Neil Finn, Michael Frante, Mitchell Froom, Marcus Miller and others.  
Chris Thile

Nickel Creek's virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and songwriter began his career as a child prodigy. His prodigious mandolin picking skills delighted audiences around the world and enabled him to release two successful solo albums while he was still in his teens. Nominated 4 times, his band Nickel Creek, finally won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album this year.  

Having mined Bluegrass, Pop, Rock and Jazz with the band, Thile recently expanded these stylistic horizons on his recent solo record, “Deceiver.”  Given his youth and apparent desire to discard convention, Thile, like his sometime collaborators Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, is among the few contemporary musicians who seem poised to reinvent and re-imagine the possibilities of music and song for the next generation.
Terence Blanchard

Jazz trumpeter and composer extraordinaire, Terence Blanchard is one of today's most celebrated and influential Jazz artists. Tutored by Ellis Marsalis, whose son Wynton later recommended Terence to be his replacement in Art Blakely's esteemed Jazz Messengers, he has earned Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe award nominations and a reputation for shaping the future of Jazz.


Blanchard nimbly mixes elements of Hard Bop, mainstream Jazz, World Fusion, Acoustic and sound effects, helping to make Jazz relevant and exciting for both new and old fans. Acclaimed for his work touring with Lionel Hampton and then the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard is even more successful as a solo artist. He has written over 30 film scores including Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues, Barbershop, Gia, Clockers and Jungle Fever. His 2003 release, Bounce and his 2005 Flow, have been hailed as master works by a master artist.

Paquito D'Rivera

Paquito, the son of world famous musician Tito D'Rivera, began as a child prodigy in Cuba, playing both the clarinet and the saxophone with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. Versatile and musically restless, Paquito founded several experimental groups as a young man including the innovative Irakere, whose explosive mixture of Jazz, Rock, Classical and traditional Cuban music astounded audiences throughout America and Europe, earning Paquito and the group their first Grammy nominations and Grammy.


Since defecting from Cuba, many more awards, honors and Grammy's have followed for his work with various symphonies and for more than 30 solo recordings of Jazz, Bebop and Latin music. In addition to his extraordinary career as an instrumentalist, Paquito is also recognized as an accomplished composer and cross-cultural ambassador.  Using intricate changes and a multitude of "voices" his compositions expertly meld Classical, Traditional Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean and Latin influences into unforgettable modern music.

Sara Lee

Bassist and Singer/Songwriter Sara Lee was first discovered playing electric bass in London by Progressive Rock hero Robert Fripp. A potent and innovative player, Lee began playing with Fripp and his all male band the League of Gentlemen, which led to recording and touring gigs with Robyn Hitchcock, Gang of Four, Ryuichi Sakamoto and the Thompson Twins.


After she moved to the US, her reputation for delivering "good grooves and staying in the pocket" earned her a solid career as a "bass slut" making music with the B-52s, the Indigo Girls, Joan Osbourne, Fiona Apple and Ani DiFranco. Deciding to step into the spotlight, Righteous Babe Records released Lee's first solo album, Make It Beautiful, in 2000 showcasing her funky pop style and songwriting skills.

Hubert Sumlin

Literally learning at the feet of the late, great Howlin Wolf, Blues guitarist, Hubert Sumlin is a living legend. Lord knows, he has played with them all and inspired many (Keith Richards and Eric Clapton are just two of his many disciples). Hubert's playing is original, personal and recognizable, capable of breaking your heart or making it soar. His work on Howlin' Wolf's mid-1960's recordings such as “Built For Comfort,” “Shake For Me,” “300 Pounds of Joy,” “Louise,” “Goin’ Down Slow,” “Killing Floor,” and “Wang Dang Doodle are seminal recordings that are built to last.  

At the ripe, young age of 73, he continues to tour - domestically and internationally - as a bandleader and in all-star tributes to Howlin' Wolf.  His much- anticipated Muddy Waters tribute album, “About Them Shoes” was conceived and produced by Keith Richards and features Richards and other greats including Levon Helm and Eric Clapton.  It was released to great critical acclaim earlier this year.
Andrew W.K.

The classically trained, "Party Til You Puke" rocker, Andrew W.K.'s loud blend of Metal, Pop and Dance is pulsating, pumping and party-perfect. Extolling the virtues of extreme hedonism, Andrew W.K.'s theatrical anthems artfully capture what it feels like to be young, full of life and mayhem.

Leaving a trail of assorted Detroit Punk and Metal bands in his wake,
including the beloved Pterodactyls, W.K. released his first solo EPs, in early 2000, and his first major label release, "Party Hard" in 2001 earning him devotees on both sides of the Atlantic. Fans in the UK particularly delight in W.K.'s campy sound and style, inspiring critical raves from NME and Kerrang! as well as hysteria at his live shows and prime slots on major tours.

   

 
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