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Ari Hest - opted out of his label deal so that he could have more control over his art. In 2008 he embarked on his ambitious 52 project, during which he spent all of that year immersed in an unprecedented effort to write, record, produce and release one newsong per week, for 52 weeks in a row. He self-released his new studio CD, Twelve Mondays.
"Ari Hest achieved the extraordinary in 2008 by writing a song every week that listeners could download from his website. The best part: His songs are high-caliber and deeply heartfelt." - PERFORMING SONGWRITER Magazine
USA TODAY has praised tracks from Twelve Mondays with TWO Listen Up Music Picks, highlighting both The Weight and One, Two
A prolific songwriter and a captivating live performer. - The Boston Globe
LADELL MCLIN - has been described as an artist who possesses the ability to transcend the bounds of conventional music through his muse, the blues. Born on the South Side of Chicago, a notable center for the blues, Ladell discovered the music that would be profoundly influential in his life. He then worked to hone his seemingly natural talents on the guitar.
Nurtured by his musical familys close ties to Chicagos most notable and historic creators of the blues, Ladell began playing at Buddy Guys famed nightclub, Legends, with musicians such as John Primer, and Eddie Burks. Ladell then became a touring member of the James Blood Ulmer and Fernando Jones bands.
Gabriella Caspi - was born with music in her heart. Her childhood memories are flooded with the sounds of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt and Etta James. Her desire to write was so compelling that she would doodle lines in journals before she could even spell. Extensive travel with her family brought her to Italy where Elton Johns music producer heard her singing on the street in Naples. He brought her to the first studio she ever recorded in at the age of 9 where she knocked his socks off with her rendition of James Taylors Dont Let Me Be Lonely Tonight. She is currently living in Nashville writing with Shane Stevens (whose song went #1 for Lady Antebellum American Honey), Cary Barlowe (Grammy nominated songwriter who co-wrote American Honey), James Moore and many others in order to grow and hone her skills as a songwriter.
Pharaoh's Daughter travels effortlessly through continents, key signatures, and languages with a genre-bending sound, which is far far away from the autotune-drenched pop puring over the Billboard charts. Basya Schechters earthy, soulful beautiful voice rings out over the oud, saz,, keys, neys and strings that all blend together to form a vibrant artistic vision of a new Middle East. The familiar echoes of the Mediterranean are mixed in with flashes of Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic chants. Neo-chasidic stories from Basya Schechter's childhood meld with six intuitive passionate musicians who create an orchestrated, yet spontaneous modern psychedelic world experience, Jam band, but composed, with a sound cultivated after a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece, after which she began retuning her guitar to sound like a cross between an Arabic oud and a Turkish saz.
In recent years, Pharaohs' Daughter played Central Park's Summerstage, and in the past has toured extensively through America, Israel, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Greece, South America, and the UK. They have also performed on such prestigious stages as Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, Mass Moca, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, National Geographic, Symphony Space, and in festivals like Sephardic Music Festival, Yiddishfest, Jewsapalooza, Ashkenaz, Festival of Colors, the Krakow Jewish Music Festival, Lincoln Center's Out of Doors concerts.. and Berkelee Jewish Music Festivals.
FRANCIS JOCKY - Multitalented singer, songwriter & producer Francis Jocky is something of an enigma, an artist with an universal appeal and blessed with a unique voice. Raised in Paris, France and now living in New York City, Francis Jocky has developed a sound that transcends borders. He is rapidly becoming an international personality, sharing the microphone with the likes of Bono of U2.....
Cabiria - has a unique sound that combines sensual trip-hop grooves driven by classical voice and harmony. The phrasing of their hauntingly melodic music borrows from classical works of composers such as Rachmaninov and Chopin, with a down-tempo groove inspired by Portishead and many others who have shaped the trip-hop genre.
Originally from Boston, Cabiria came to life in 2004 and developed a following in New England by performing most venues in the city. In 2006 they released their debut LP No Time for Dreaming which has been described as a Hauntingly Beautiful Operatic Trip-Hop Masterpiece. Now in New York City, Cabiria has been performing with a new lineup and has just released their six song EP, A Product of Humankind. This album reflects the new qualities in Cabirias sound, as the band tries to market their music to a bigger audience. Cabiria is currently seeking interests from Labels, Film and other avenues for their music.
RBC's - Inspired by tight reggae rhythm sections and thrashing punk bands, three Hofstra University graduates birthed The Roast Beef Curtains. Taking a DIY approach, Andrew, John, & Mike evolved The RBC into the best live reggae, dub, and punk experience on Long Island.
Since 2005, the trio played well over 200 shows, creating a buzz from Manhattan to Montauk. On stage, each band member works double and sometimes triple duty playing their instruments while controlling live dub effects, transforming every concert into an ear-gasmic experience.
The Roast Beef Curtains (RBC's):
Andrew Gedacht: Vocals, Guitar
John Carey: Bass, Backing Vocals
Mike Celano: Drums
Jimmy McGerald: Melodica
MICHAEL POWERS - lives in New York USA and he was taught the barre chording technique on guitar by the legendary Jimmy Reed. Michael Powers toured and recorded THE BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY with The AdLibs. During his high school summers he toured as part of James Cotton's Band and has opened for or performed with Johnny Winter, Pinetop Perkins, Popa Chubby, Hubert Sumlin, The Holmes Brothers, Buckwheat Zydeco and many more! Michael Powers performed at the 2005 and 2007 Memphis Blues Music Awards and was the Artist chosen to perform live on TV from the Peabody Hotel. His two CD's garnered five nominations (Baryon Records) CD's: "ONYX ROOT" and "PRODIGAL SON" (Red Eye Distr./ASCAP). POWERS' annual Nov.-Thanksgiving night "Muddy Waters - Jimi Hendrix" Tribute is a must see! His write-ups span the globe.
Painting by Cheryl Grampp
Track Produced by Eric R. Durham, Sr
Antoine Bleck - was born in the Northeast of France, in the Vosges mountains where his life revolved around skiing. He moved to the US in 1981. He learned to play the piano at a very young age, but didn't start writing music until the purchase of his frist keyboard at the age of 30.
After 15 years of writing songs in his basement, he decided to try his tunes in public with some Brazilin musicians at Opia lounge in NYC. He soon gained a love for performing live music. His first full concert in 2003 launched his debut CD "Principe Favorable"
Antoine's music is inspired by such artists as Steely Dan, Michael Franks or closer to his origins Michel Jonaz, Gainsbourg or Jacques Dutrone. His style has been described as a "Bluesy funky a "je ne sais quoi" French style. His Lyrics fgo fro hilarious to sentimental describing moods, situations and fantasies from his adolesence.
Cee-Rock "The Fury", or Fury, as he is known to his friends and colleagues, is no new-comer to the Hip Hop scene. Born and raised in Queens (a.k.a. Q*Sector), New York. Fury has his roots in "Hip Hop Central". Fury was featured on Swedens George remix of The Things You Do (Written by Denniz Pop & Max Martin) which hit the Top 40 in Sweden. That same track became an import hit in the U.S. and was ranked by Billboard at No. 37. The Fury has been seen on MTV with Ananda Lewis, freestyled with the Rap Coalition (sponsored by Wendy Day); performed at the Apollo Theater; Video Music Box with Ralph McDaniels and Crazy Sam; Underground Ruff House with Uncle Jesse Barnes and can be seen in Nas’ video ‘Hate Me Now’ (featuring Puff Daddy a.k.a. Diddy).
Martin Clements was born in England in 1961 and grew up in North London. His natural affinity for the Visual Arts led him to begin a career as a graphic designer at a prominent London Studio. Having simultaneosly pursued his passion for soccer throughout his youth, Clements was recruited and given apprenticeship opportunities with such English Premiership teams as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs. He was awarded an athletic soccer scholarship with the NY Institute of Technology and continued his study of the arts within the Midge Karr Fine Arts Center where he received a Masters degree with outstanding acheivement. Craving the inspiration he experienced while traveling throughout Europe during his young adult life, Clements has spent the past ten years jouneying to some of the world's most remote destinations.
Major influences apparent in Martin's work are expressionist, abstract expressionist and cubist movements. While his favored mediums have been painting and drawing throught his career, the past decade of travel has led Clements to further his exploration of photography as a vehicle to capture images of the people, places and cultures he has explored. Whether through conventional means or computer manipulation, his photographs exhibit a painterly quality along with strong graphic elements.
Martin Clements currently resides on Manhattan's Upper West Side where he continues to create paintings and other works for exhibit, private and corporate collections.
Andy Golub is a renowned fine artist and award winning bodypainter. Prior to his career as a bodypainter, he has exhibited his art at many galleries including New York's Art Expo, CBGB's, and the Fusion Arts Museum.
Since branching out into bodypainting in 2006, he has been named bodypainter of the month by the World Bodypainting Association, and his painted models have been featured at Lucky Cheng's as well as in NYC's Halloween, Mermaid and Gay Pride Parades. He has painted at dozens of clubs and private parties including promotional events for Neuro, the New York Film Festival, The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, and DDB Tribal.
Best known for his unique "faces" paintings, Golub can paint in any style. Recent body art includes Avatar paintings, turning models into "ice" sculptures and transforming them into Lions. Golub is also available to do a live bodypainting performance on stage.
Golub's bodypainting has received widespread press, including New York Times, New York Post, Patrick McMullen.com, AM New York and Artnet.com.
BJ Mueller - recently relocated to the Bay Area to develop and launch East Bay Culinary Projects. Born and raised in sunny South Florida, BJ earned his B.S. in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduation, BJ travelled throughout Europe and the United States, studying and mastering the principles of sustainable farming and haute cuisine.
A sought-after chef and caterer, BJ has worked with several James Beard-awarded chefs, including Norman Van Aken, Hiro Sone, and Alan Wong. Most recently, BJ was a chef at 11 Maple Street, long regarded as one of the top restaurants along Floridas southeastern coast.
Chris Pipilis - Co-founder of Bay Area Culinary Projects Chris is a private chef catering to families and enterprises throughout the Bay Area. He first tested the culinary waters at age 15, when he worked after school at a mom-and-pop pizza restaurant in Chicago. His passion for food later inspired him to create and submit a recipe for a nationwide scholarship competition. For his efforts, Christopher was awarded a full scholarship to Johnson & Wales University and graduated in 2005. From there, Chris worked in kitchens across the countryfrom privately-owned restaurants to five-star hotels.
