Being recognized as “one of the most exciting pianists in contemporary jazz,” (The Guardian, UK) pianist Lynne Arriale has performed on the most prestigious international concert stages over the past 30 years. Jazz Police called her “the poet laureate of her generation.” JazzTimes said of her, “Lynne Arriale’s music lies at the synaptic intersection where brain meets heart, where body meets soul. She is one of jazzdom’s most intensely unique voices.” Jazz Journal commented, “Arriale is clearly one of the best contemporary jazz pianists. “ Lynne won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition. Her 17 critically acclaimed albums have topped the Jazzweek Radio Charts and have received “Best of” honors in major publications. Being Human, pianist-composer Lynne Arriale’s 17th release as a leader, addresses a troubled, divided world with an exquisite suite of optimistic, deeply felt compositions, which celebrate some of the ways that all of our lives are enriched by acts of passion, courage, love, persistence, heart, soul, curiosity, faith and joy. Being Human explores these life-affirming facets of humankind. Many of the songs are dedicated to people who’ve inspired Arriale, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai. Being Human received four-star reviews from DownBeat, BBC Magazine, All About Jazz, Jazzwise, and Marlbank, UK. It was also featured on “Best of 2024” lists: DownBeat, Textura, All About Jazz, and the ArtsFuse. Additionally, it ranked #5 on Jazz Week and #26 on the Jazz Week Year-End Chart for 2024. Lynne’s performances radiate optimism and passion. She has enthralled audiences for over three decades with her powerful performances. In these times of significant division, her timely message of hope and unity strikes a resonant chord with listeners. Lynne has performed at major international festivals including Montreux, Burghausen, Gilmore, Spoleto Arts, Montreal, Monterey, North Sea, Stuttgart, Pori, San Francisco, Ottawa, Zagreb, Perth, Brisbane, Rouen, Sardinia, Rochester, Wigan, Poznan, Estoril, Inverness, Cork, San Javier and has given five performances at the Kennedy Center “I wrote this suite in response to the division and turmoil in our world,” Arriale says. “The music focuses on qualities we all share, that define our humanity. I hope this album will be uplifting and convey a sense of unity and optimism. “ “This is music that is born of body and soul…an album with so many heart-on-the sleeve moments that you will find yourself catching your breath in absolute awe of Arriale’s introspective artistry…an artist of the first order…... we have an album to absolutely die for.” That Canadian Magazine “She is clearly one of the best contemporary jazz pianists.“ Jazz Journal “She remains a force of nature.” All About Jazz “Lynne Arriale has been one of the great poets on the piano for decades.” Jazzthing Being Human link to all platforms: https://orcd.co/qbpqpno The Lynne Arriale Trio: Journey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS4J8lBLOtQ
The name says it all . Groove Legacy is an exciting band with a sound forged out of love and respect for great American, jazz, R&B and soul music. A sound that fills the void left in today's contemporary instrumental, music scene. Focusing on original compositions, groove legacy it definitely pays homage to some of their favorite musical influences. Such as the Crusaders, Stuff , The Meters, and the JB horns. with a hard hitting lineup that includes a unique conglomerate of some of the Los Angeles, finest musical talent. Groove legacy has exploded onto the scene as a truly powerful, exciting and commanding live band. Groove Legacy is : Paulie Cerra - Sax and Vocals Jimmy Earl - Bass Billy Steinway - Keyboards Michael White - Drums Ido Meshulam - Trombone Sam Meek - Guitar Collectively the fantastic musicians have played with a virtual who's who of Jazz, Blues, Soul, and Pop artists. Including Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Annie Lennox, The Crusaders, Larry Carlton, Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Rickie Lee Jones, Eros Ramazzotti, Sara Bareilles, Boz Scaggs, Carrie Underwood, Rod Stewart, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Natalie Cole, Patti Austin, Sergio Mendes, Jeffrey Osborne, Lenny Kravitz, and many more.
GK - Hammond Organ Thom Rotella-guitar Kevin Winard-drums Kevin Ricard-percussion Grammy winning keyboardist Gregg Karukas adds another ultra-cool Live Performance project to his melodic, piano centered career as he tames the vintage "beast", the Hammond B3, playing Soul/Jazz classics with a rotating cast of all-stars. Fans of all things groovy will love The GK Soul Jazz Party as Gregg invites listeners to recall classic songs - tributes to the masters, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Charles Earland, Lou Donaldson and some of our recently departed favorite contemporary artists. Soul/Jazz and Brazilian for the 21st century with a rotating cast of all-stars. "...trying new things is what it's all about. Most all of my recordings have featured grand piano or Fender Rhodes; but recently, I have had so much fun jamming on my vintage Hammond organ, and have made it a personal challenge to work towards developing my own sound on this beast." Organic, funky, and melodic: the essential qualities that have defined Grammy winning keyboardist/composer/producer Gregg Karukas' 13 solo CD's over a three decade career, with many #1 radio hits, both sophisticated and accessible. A prolific, genre-crossing veteran of the Contemporary Jazz scene, Gregg was a founding member of The Rippingtons in 1986 and has toured with Boney James, Dave Koz, Larry Carlton, Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi, Ricardo Silveira, Peter White, Rick Braun, Shelby Flint, Melissa Manchester, Alphonse Mouzon, Brenda Russell and Jeffrey Osborne.
Join guitarist Grant Geissman as he and his stellar band return to The Grape for a night of jazzy, funky, and bluesy tunes! Grant Geissman is an Emmy-nominated guitarist and composer with sixteen albums released under his own name, the latest being BLOOZ (Mesa/Bluemoon—Futurism) and the jazz trilogy of Say That!, Cool Man Cool, and BOP! BANG! BOOM! (Futurism Records). Geissman also co-wrote the music for all twelve seasons of the hit CBS-TV series Two and a Half Men, for all six seasons of hit CBS-TV series Mike & Molly, and for the first season of the short-lived CBS-TV series B Positive. He has also contributed specialty music for a number of other TV shows, including The Big Bang Theory and Mom. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2004 for co-writing the Two and a Half Men theme (“Men, men, men, men, manly men”). His other TV credits include playing the Django Reinhart-style acoustic guitar solo on the theme of the hit sitcom Monk, and playing on the underscore for Mad Men. Geissman recorded the now-iconic electric guitar solo on Chuck Mangione’s 1978 mega-hit “Feels So Good.” Over the years, the versatile guitarist has recorded with such artists as Burt Bacharach, Steve Tyrell, Inara George, Lorraine Feather, Julio Iglesias, Quincy Jones, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, David Benoit, Van Dyke Parks, and Ringo Starr. Geissman is also the author and designer of five books related to the 1950s E.C. Comics and MAD Magazine. The most recent is the massive, Eisner-nominated Taschen tome The History of E.C. Comics (2020). His other books include FELDSTEIN: The Mad Life and Fantastic Art of Al Feldstein!, Foul Play! The Art and Artists of the Notorious 1950s E.C. Comics, Tales of Terror! The E.C. Companion (with Fred von Bernewtiz), and Collectibly MAD. The band: Grant Geissman, guitars Katisse Buckingham, woodwinds Gary Matsumoto, keyboards Lyman Medeiros, bass Kevin Winard, drums
The JUNGLE FIRE sound digs deep into Afro/Latin Funk with an approach that is authentic and highly explosive! The Los Angeles based 10-piece TropiFunk juggernaut pulls its influences from the music of legends such as Irakere, Ray Barretto, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango (just to name a few) while creating a melting pot of Afro-Caribbean and West African rhythms with a heavy break beat funk. Originally conceived as a one-off project in 2011, JUNGLE FIRE quickly gained attention by lighting up local clubs and underground warehouse parties in Los Angeles’ thriving funk/soul scene. A healthy buzz about the band spread by word of mouth, eventually connecting them to Colemine Records, the Ohio-based indie soul label which cut their first 7” single, “Comencemos” (a cover of Fela Kuti’s “Let’s Start”). Lauded by DJs, radio stations, tastemakers and rabid funk fans across the globe, “Comencemos” (with its B side, the original tune “Tokuta”) sold out internationally and paved the way for the band’s second 7” Colemine release titled “Firewalker”. In September 2014, the group’s debut LP titled “Tropicoso” was released to great critical acclaim via Los Angeles’ own Nacional Records. Their follow-up album “Jambú” (also on Nacional Records) debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Latin charts in February 2017 leading to many features in a wide variety of films, commercials and TV shows including spots for VICE, Lipton, Starbucks, NIKE, the 2019 Emmy Awards and the sound track to Lionsgate’s “How to Be a Latin Lover” with Eugenio Derbez and Salma Hayek among many others. JUNGLE FIRE’s members’ diverse musical and cultural backgrounds are a direct reflection of the musical and cultural landscape of Los Angeles, with the city’s unique international and multicultural mix of sounds and flavors being critical components of the group’s sound. Individually and collectively, JUNGLE FIRE’s musicians have recorded, toured and/or played with Stevie Wonder, Breakestra, Ozomatli, Rhye, Quantic, Alice Russell, De La Soul, La Santa Cecilia, Celia Cruz, Natalia Lafourcade, LCD Soundsystem, U2, The Greyboy Allstars and Kelis among many others. JUNGLE FIRE’s live performances serve up a healthy dose of originals and deep Afro/Latin Funk covers all cooked up together in a live mix-tape style, ensuring an energy that is nothing short of burning. Juno Records (UK) accurately sum up the JUNGLE FIRE live show experience: “Few bands live up to their name in the way JUNGLE FIRE do… each JUNGLE FIRE jam blazes the floor with real power”. Since their inception, JUNGLE FIRE has played an impressive amount of club dates and festivals both domestic and abroad having shared the stage with the likes of Shuggie Otis, The Blackbyrds, Lee Fields, Charles Wright, Brownout and The Budos Band. During the winter of 2013 JUNGLE FIRE embarked on a massively successful 8-city tour of the UK, playing to packed venues at every stop, including headlining Craig Charles’ Funk Club (Band On The Wall) and BBC 6 Radio. The band’s performance in the 2014 Mompox Jazz Festival (Colombia) was hailed as one of the high points of the event by the local press. In 2015, they played to a full dancing house at New York City’s Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, gave two sold out back-to-back performances in São Paulo’s famed SESC Pompéia and headlined Los Angeles’ 2016 NYELA celebration for a crowd of over 50,000 attendees. After their well received performances in Madrid and Barcelona in October 2017, JUNGLE FIRE returned to Spain for a 6-city tour in July 2018, earning standing ovations in festivals including Tenerife’s famed Canarias Jazz & Más. The band spent most of 2019 composing and recording new music for varied projects (including their first foray into film scoring) and are currently setting tour dates in Europe and the Americas in support of their upcoming February 2020 self-titled release via Nacional Records. The JUNGLE FIRE Family consists of: Steve Haney (Percussion) Alberto Lopez (Percussion) Sam Halterman (Drums) Joey Reina (Bass) Sam Robles (Baritone Sax, Flute) Judson McDaniel (Guitar) Patrick Bailey (Guitar) Sean Billings (Trumpet) + Very Special Guests! www.junglefiremusic.com info@junglefiremusic.com
$15 advanced/ $20 at the door A local favorite, Phoenyx Big Band plays Swinging standards and unique Pop arrangements. Big band era jazz and swing with a modern twist as the Phoenyx performs standards by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and spices things up with pop classics by Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, Carole King, and more! Featuring Eliya Frantz on vocals. Led by Burt Gutierrez on guitar.
DAYDREAM Album Release Tour Straight ahead & Soulful Jazz featuring: Gina Saputo- Voice Matt Otto -Tenor Ron Stout -Trumpet Matt Politano- Keys Lyman Medeiros- Bass Charles Ruggiero -Drums Step into a DAYDREAM—sultry vocals, hypnotic harmonies & fiery jazz. Featuring Kansas City's Matt Otto and LA's finest. Gina Saputo is a globally recognized jazz vocalist, educator, composer, and clinician. Her highly anticipated album DAYDREAM drops April 18, 2025. Her digital EP Women Talk followed Duetto (2019), which hit #4 on the iTunes jazz charts—an impressive feat for an independent release. She was featured on Jeff Goldblum's Decca Records release alongside Gregory Porter, Miley Cyrus, and Fiona Apple. Performing with Goldblum's band for 12 years, she has played Disney Hall, Blue Note Honolulu, Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality, and toured Europe and the Northwest. She has also appeared in The Last Tycoon and Good Day LA. Gina has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Benny Green, headlining festivals from Dubai to Savannah and touring the U.S. and Asia. A former professor at Musicians Institute and Santa Monica College, she now resides in Portland, Oregon, and is a sought-after performer, educator, and author of four vocal technique books.
Tickets $15 GA/$25 VIP $20/$30 at the door (subject to availability) The Pickle Mafia is a dynamic trio from New York, garnering nationwide attention through their groundbreaking, unique brand of Arena Jazz Fusion. The visual appeal the band brings to audiences across the globe is an important element that adds to their musical artistry. This act has racked up 10,000+ viewing hours on YouTube and has developed an extremely loyal fan base that continues to grow with each performance. The Pickle Mafia has a fresh approach, seamlessly blending elements of jazz with hip hop, latin and pop sensibilities, bringing their sound of Arena Jazz Fusion to life. Charlie Lindner started The Pickle Mafia with Marco Cirigliano and Ben Chilbert in May of 2019. The band performs original cutting edge jazz tunes and arrangements of popular artists from Nirvana to Chick Corea and electronic danceable originals! Performances can vary from intimate grand piano sit down shows to straight up dance parties! Just in a short time the group has played 80+ shows across NYC, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Southern tier, ADK, Vermont, and more. Marco Cirigliano was born in Rochester, NY and started playing drums when he was nine. His passion lead him to graduate from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN, where he studied some subjects with the staff of the drum department. Ben Chilbert grew up in Geneva, NY listening to his fathers’ extensive record collection which included over 300 different jazz albums. For twenty years since then he has studied and enjoyed music on his own while playing in multiple bands of many styles.
Ron Francis Blake- trumpet/flugelhorn Jake Chapman- vibraphone Dan West- piano Ross Schodek- bass Jose Perez- drums Fausto Cuevas- percussion Ron Francis Blake has recorded with many artists from The Rolling Stones to Poncho Sanchez. His eclectic mix of high energy Latin jazz and cool jazz features an amazing ensemble of musicians playing original arrangements and compositions influenced by Cal Tjader, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock. You won't want to miss it! Ron Francis Blake is a Los Angeles based trumpet player and studio musician. Both his parents being musicians themselves, immersed him in the world of music by playing jazz records and his father quickly recognized Ron's passion for music. At the age of 9, his father bought him an old cornet that Ron found at a yard sale. That was the beginning of Ron's lifelong affinity for the trumpet. His father guided his path into his music career through lessons, discipline, and participation in the many music programs available around the city. When Ron turned 16, he auditioned and attended the newly formed Hamilton High School Academy of Music magnet. During this time he studied with vibraphonist, Charlie Shoemaker to further his jazz theory. This prepared him for his college years at Cal State Northridge, a school with a prestigious music program and alma mater to many current famous artists. Here he would develop his craft further in the renowned "A" jazz band under the direction of Joel Leach. It was during this time he would also start entering and winning many jazz competitions such as 1st place in the local Dolo Coker Jazz competition and 1st place in the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation competition in the Netherlands. He started studying with the legendary trumpet guru, Bobby Shew. His career grew professionally, recording and performing with rap producer Dr. Dre and salsa singer, Celia Cruz. On a full scholarship, Ron then attended the California Institute of the Arts for his Master's degree. He would then go on to pursue his career as a full time professional touring and recording musician. Ron has toured and recorded with many bands and artists some of which include Green Day, Spoon, Ben Harper, Ziggy Marley, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and legendary percussionist, Poncho Sanchez. He has appeared as a side musician on many TV shows including Saturday Night Live with Spoon and Dancing with the Stars with Santana. Now, Ron Francis Blake is stepping away from the sidelines and releasing his debut solo album, Assimilation. Assimilation started with an original track in 2008 and slowly came to fruition. Featuring some of LA's finest musicians and some special guests, the album is a conglomeration of the styles of music that inspired Ron Francis Blake. From the straight ahead jazz of Miles Davis to the Latin rhythms of Cal Tjader, it offers a fresh new sound in the jazz idiom. Recorded at his studio, Twenty One Nine Knox, he was able to bring together the album's core musicians such as Jimmy Branly on drums, Rene Camacho on the bass, vibraphonist Nick Mancini, and eclectic keyboardist Andy Langham. Some of the special guests featured are Poncho Sanchez who delivered his signature conga sound to the album as well as the fiery tenor sax solos of Seamus Blake. Walt Weiskopf also adds his profound tenor sax on Ron Francis Blake's arrangement of harpist, Joanna Newsom's haunting waltz, "You and Me Bess." Los Angeles studio musicians, Wayne Bergeron and Andy Martin, contribute their super talents to the six-piece brass ensemble that was arranged for three of the tracks to add to the many colors and textures of this impressive album. Aside from being a recording artist, Ron owns and operates his business Hi Speed Horns. In that capacity, he collaborates with artists around the world by composing and recording horn arrangements. In addition, he is a music consultant for television and film and is involved in all aspects of the musical production including contracting musicians. Ron also participates in music education and has been featured as a keynote educator in music clinics at high schools and universities.
Trevor Ware & Positive People featuring Sidney Jacobs is a band of dynamic musicians led by Grammy winning composer and bassist Trevor Ware. The band's mission is to simply make audiences feel good by sharing spirit on stage. This is jazz (jazz standards & original compositions), but it's more than musicians playing notes. We believe music has many purposes, one of which is lifting the countenance of the collective audience. We are 5 people onstage, but consider the audience our 6th performing members, and do our best to use their significant influence to improvise the show. Band Lineup Trevor Ware - Double Bass Sidney Jacobs - Vocals Peter Smith - Piano Scott Gilman - Sax Marcello Carelli - Drums
Nick Mancini- vibes Danny Janklow- saxophone Edwin Livingston- bass Steve Hass- drums Sam Barsh- piano Vibraphonist/Marimbist and Composer NICK MANCINI began his professional career as a drummer, at the age of 15. His undergrad studies earned him an A.S. from Schenectady County Community College and a B.M. (with honors) from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. By the age of 23, he was a heavily called upon drummer in upstate NY but was feeling the tug of pursuing jazz more avidly. That was when he moved to NYC to attend Manhattan School of Music. His audition won him the prestigious President's Award scholarship and he graduated with a masters degree in jazz performance. For the following 8 or so years, Mancini continued honing his craft while cutting his teeth at live gigs all around NYC, earning him a much deserved reputation as a trusted sideman and kick-ass band leader until a gig took him out west and he found his true home in LA. In 2006 he relocated and was immediately inducted into the, then burgeoning but now codified, LA creative music scene. Since his arrival, Mancini has truly made an indelible mark. He was celebrated as the Honoree at the 18th annual Los Angeles Jazz Vibes Summit and earlier that same year his face graced the cover of Ventana Monthly, the popular Ventura county arts magazine, which also featured him in a story about the beach community’s thriving arts scene. DRUM Magazine’s Reader’s Poll named him “Best Jazz Percussionist” (on vibes). Nick has performed and recorded with such diverse luminaries as Arturo Sandoval, Peter Erskine, Poncho Sanchez, Solange, Kenny Werner, Amos Lee, and Jennifer Holliday; and with the greatest young and emerging stars such as Kamasi Washington, Miguel Atwood-Fergusson, and Ben Wendel. As both a band leader and side man, Nick has appeared at some of New York’s most notable venues such as The World Famous Apollo Theater; Showtime at the Apollo, Birdland, and Joe’s Pub. In LA he performs at The Blue Whale, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Friday Night Jazz series, ACE Theater, Catalina Jazz Club, Vibrato, Zipper Hall, Vitello’s, Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center and virtually every jazz venue in Los Angeles. His festival appearances include Santa Barbara Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Nortelje Jazz Festival (Sweden), Alandia Jazz Festival (Scandinavia), Angel City Jazz Festival (LA), and Catalina Jazz Festival, to name a few. Abroad, he’s graced the stage in Tahiti, Australia, Scandinavia, and Canada. Not only is Nick widely recognized by his peers and audiences as a dynamic, and important performer and composer, but is also known as a curator of high quality, creative music events and series. At LA’s West-side based WitZend Live, he led a monthly jazz series featuring prominent LA Jazz groups. In 2010 he conjured and co-produced ‘Feed the Blue Whale’ an all day jazz festival designed to bring awareness to the Blue Whale, LA’s finest, creative listening space. He personally curated, MC’d and sometimes performed at ‘elastic hour’ @ Curve Line Space; a weekly live concert series which, over the course of 5 seasons featured 150+ artists from around the globe. LA Weekly gave it high praise in their annual “Best of” issue. A victim of some dysfunctional learning scenarios, Mancini has become passionate about education. In 2011 he was invited to join the jazz and percussion faculty at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach, and is a Jazz faculty member at CSU Northridge (CSUN). He serves a recurring faculty post for the Thelonious Monk Institute, a highly competitive post-graduate program for up and coming Jazz musicians, all the while, maintaining a busy, home-based teaching studio for one on one study of the art of Jazz. He has arranged and overseen the production of multiple vocal and instrumental jazz records and boasts an ever growing catalog of independently released recordings under his own name. Recognized by the industry, he holds endorsement contracts with Majestic vibes and Innovative Percussion mallets.
Darrell Leonard’s LineUp was born in the early 1980s out of a wild idea and a little encouragement. With things quiet on the work front, Leonard’s wife Lynde suggested he start a big band—not the standard swing kind, but something new: a horn-driven, rock-and-roll-flavored instrumental band with deep blues roots. Six months of writing led to basement rehearsals at the Los Angeles Musicians Union, where a chance visit from Leon Russell landed the band a new home—Russell’s Burbank studio. For nearly a year, the group rehearsed every Sunday, blasting through original charts and shaping what would become the distinct LineUp sound. The original ensemble was massive—four trumpets, four trombones, four saxes, rhythm section, and a whole lot of volume. It was ambitious, maybe even crazy, to keep a seventeen-piece band afloat with no gigs and no money. But the passion was there, and so was the talent. In 1981, with help from fellow band members Rick Braun, Jim Price, and Lon Price, the LineUp took the stage for the first time at the Blue Lagoon in Venice, CA. The sprung dance floor bounced, the horns hit hard, and the crowd was hooked. Over the next five years, the band gigged steadily across L.A., from The Blue Lagoon to Trancas in Malibu, even sharing the stage with legends like Joe Cocker and Jaco Pastorius. Darrell Leonard’s resume reads like a who’s who of American music. A Grammy and WC Handy Award-winning trumpet player and arranger, Leonard has played and written for Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Frey, and The Rolling Stones, among many others. But LineUp was always his creative playground—a space to experiment, stretch, and bring together the spirit of Bobby Bland and B.B. King’s blues orchestras with the swagger of Memphis soul, New Orleans R&B, and Texas shuffle bands. After a strong six-year run in the '80s, the LineUp went into hibernation—its charts packed away in boxes, and Leonard moving on to other high-profile gigs. Fast forward 35 years: a call from trombonist Ira Nepus reignited the flame. Leonard pulled the old parts from storage, cleaned them up, and reworked the book. The result? A sleeker, slightly smaller, but just as soulful LineUp—complete with a killer rhythm section, a deep bench of LA’s finest horn players, and a refined sound full of groove, grit, and joy. Today, Darrell Leonard’s LineUp is once again lighting up stages with a mix of reimagined classics and fresh originals—still rooted in the blues, still built on adrenaline and artistry, and now topped off with the powerhouse vocals of Grammy-nominated Teresa James. With a sound that spans the 20th and 21st centuries, the LineUp brings a big band experience like no other— joyful, danceable, and straight from the heart.