Tickets $35 GA/$50 VIP $40/$55 at the door (subject to availability) Sherinian / Phillips Derek Sherinian (keys) Simon Phillips (drums) Ric Fierabracci (bass) Rafael Moreira (gtr) SHERINIAN / PHILLIPS is the musical alliance of keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drum legend Simon Phillips, whose combined credits are a who’s who list in both rock and instrumental genres. Sherinian has toured and recorded with Alice Cooper, KISS, Billy Idol, Dream Theater and was a founding member of Planet X and Black Country Communion. Phillips has equally rooted himself as a well-respected drummer and composer in the rock, metal, and jazz worlds, with credits ranging from Toto, Judas Priest, Jeff Beck, The Who, Whitesnake, Stanley Clarke, Gil Evans and Joe Satriani, to a 30 year solo career with Protocol. After making seven albums together starting in 2001, the duo played their first live performance at The Grape in Ventura, California on August 29th, 2022 resulting in the SHERINIAN / PHILLIPS LIVE release. SHERINIAN / PHILLIPS also performed at Brian May's Starmus Festival in Armenia that year. The band is now in it’s second incarnation with a new amazing guitarist, Rafael Moreira. Rafael, who hails from Brazil, has performed with Paul Stanley (KISS), Pink and Christina Aguliera, joins Ric Fierabracci, Derek and Simon in this explosive ensemble. The band will be performing a dynamic set made up of SHERINIAN / PHILLIPS compositions featured on Derek’s own solo albums. More on Derek Sherinian can be found at: https://dereksherinian.com More on Simon Phillips can be found at: https://www.simon-phillips.com Follow Derek Sherinian on social media via the links below: https://www.facebook.com/dereksherinianofficial/ https://twitter.com/DerekSherinian/ https://www.instagram.com/dereksherinianofficial/ Follow Simon Phillips on social media via the links below: https://www.facebook.com/SimonPhillipsMusic/ https://twitter.com/kingcannonsimon/ https://www.instagram.com/simonphillipsofficial/ 

$15 GA/$25 VIP Presale Tickets available here $20/$30 at the door (subject to availability) A Celebration of Joni Mitchell featuring Kimberly Ford is a rocking tribute to the most iconic singer-songwriter of the Woodstock generation. Mitchell touched millions with her nearly 40-year career that spanned genres from contemporary folk to jazz to full-throated pop-rock. This incredible seven-piece band, modeled on Joni’s tenure with Tom Scott & the L.A. Express, plays all your favorite tunes, like Help Me, Both Sides Now, Conversation, Blue, River, All I Want, Free Man in Paris, Carey and, of course, Woodstock. The band also throws in a few you might not have heard before ... COJM has been packing houses throughout Southern and Northern California and the Southwest since 2014. Significant performances include the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, Yoshi’s Oakland, Olivas Adobe in Ventura, Palms Playhouse in Winters and Grand Annex in San Pedro. In 2020, the band mounts its first East Coast tour with a stop at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Die-hard fans can’t get enough (and often sing along) and critics have noticed. “No singer on the West Coast is paying more scrupulous attention to Mitchell’s wondrous book than Santa Barbara’s Kimberly Ford,” writes Bay Area journalist Andy Gilbert, noting her “bright and flexible soprano that effortlessly rises into Mitchell’s upper range.” Ford and her band bring a new verve to all of Joni’s favored genres. Not content to be a paint-by-numbers tribute band, COJM infuses Mitchell’s songs with new life while paying deep respect to a revered icon and poet laureate of her generation’s songwriters. Joni’s absence from performing has only whetted appetites for COJM since the band’s birth six years ago. Founding drummer Charles Levin approached Ford with the idea after hearing her sing on gig at a private party. Two weeks later, he emailed Ford to see if she was game for a Joni-centric band. The answer was a resounding yes! In short time, Ford and Levin assembled a crew of the area’s best-known musicians to take on the project. 

Tickets $15 GA/$25 VIP $20/$30 at the door Danny Janklow continues to be an exciting musical voice, and one of the most in-demand saxophonists and composers, of his generation. He not only has a deep connection to the music and its legacy, he has something profound to contribute to its future. Danny performs with uncompromising courage, experimental innovation, and provocative imagination while lending the language of Jazz to the grooves of R&B, Funk, and Indie Soul. Danny’s music is searingly personal, and grounded in calls for equal rights, justice, and love. Recognized at age 20, he was the youngest 1st place winner of the North American Saxophone Alliance Competition. Janklow began regularly subbing at the Village Vanguard for his mentor Dick Oatts in Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. In 2012, Janklow was awarded 1st place at the Detroit Jazz Festival Saxophone Competition and headlined the festival. As an accomplished composer, he was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program in 2013. Later that year, Danny was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2013 International Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition. In early 2021, Danny celebrated a Grammy win for his integral performance on “Monk’estra plays John Beasley.” He has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Aloe Blacc, Wayne Shorter, Johnny Mandel, Burt Bacharach, & Herbie Hancock. Janklow has contributed iconic saxophone solos to Hip Hop recordings such as JID’s “Hereditary” and Earthgang’s “Cocktails” (Dreamville). Danny’s current projects include producing new original music + multi-media, hosting The Creative Hero podcast, performing international festivals & tours, film scoring, and staying committed to his mission of propelling youth education. His available musical catalogue includes his albums “Elevation”, “Worlds Collide”, “Love Day Live”, and the single “Rising Tide”. Danny has been honored to perform as a bandleader and collaborator at prestigious venues such as Hollywood Bowl, Northsea Jazz Festival, Village Vanguard, The Apollo Theater, Ronnie Scotts London, Blue Note Tokyo, Blue Note NYC, Monterey Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Baked Potato, & Disney Concert Hall. He regularly collaborates with A-list producers Terrace Martin, Larry Goldings, & Adrian Younge. Janklow has toured with sensational artists such as Gregory Porter, Eric Reed, Wallace Roney, Sheléa, and Harvey Mason Sr. Roy McCurdy is a living legend, having worked with some of the greatest artists in jazz including Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Nancy Wilson, Art Farmer, and Benny Golson. He is a devoted teacher on the faculty of the Thornton School of Music at USC and the Pasadena School of Music. Roy first got his start in jazz working with the Mangione Brothers, Chuck and Gap, in the early ’60s. He joined the Art Farmer Jazztet and subsequently worked with Sonny Rollins. He became a full time member of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet from the mid-’60s until Cannonball’s death in 1975. He’s toured and recorded with veritable Who’s Who of jazz greats and groups, including Blood Sweat & Tears, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Burrell, McCoy Tyner, Joe Williams, Sonny Clark, Jackie McLean, Carmen McRae, Lee Morgan, Betty Carter, Kenny Dorham, Bobby Timmons, Ron Carter, Harold Land, Bobby Hutchinson, The Count Basie Orchestra, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Coleman Hawkins, Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Jimmy Smith, Horace Silver, Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry, Kenny Drew, Eddie Harris, Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, Charles Lloyd, Patrice Rushen, Blue Mitchell, Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald. 

Brunch and show $60 General admission Tickets (brunch not included/ show only) $30 Please note ticket prices are per person. When choosing a table/seat, make sure that you choose the correct price point for brunch ($60) or GA ($30) $65/$35 at the door (subject to availability) Spend the afternoon making Mom feel special at The Mother's Day Gospel Brunch with vocalist Tony Maddox. THE BAND: Tony plus 5 singers including special guest,  Pam Trotter. Herman Matthews -Drums David Gorospe - Piano Kesha Carson - Organ Scooter Williams - Bass Soul food by Martin at El Encanto 

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. 

2 shows 8pm and 10pm (1 hour sets) $45 GA/ $60 VIP For more than three decades, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight ahead jazz, gritty soul music, and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American and South American sources. Throughout his career Sanchez has held aloft the torch lit by such innovators as Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader, embraced by each of those icons and entrusted to carry forward the traditions of Latin Jazz. Sanchez's influences are numerous, and his catalogue is rich with his homages to several of his mentors -- Santamaria, Puente and Tjader among them. But alongside those Latin pioneers, among the more prominent figures that inform his music is the iconic saxophonist John Coltrane. On his latest album Trane's Delight, Sanchez pays tribute to the late jazz legend with Latin-tinged re-imaginings of Coltrane classics as well as new pieces composed in honor of the tenor titan. Trane's Delight continues Sanchez's remarkable 37-year relationship with Concord, a rich legacy that has now yielded 27 albums. The album features the conguero alongside his longtime band; trombonist and musical director Francisco Torres, trumpet and flugelhorn master Ron Blake, saxophonist Robert Hardt, pianist Andy Langham, bassists Rene Camacho and Ross Schodek, and percussionists Joey DeLeon and Giancarlo Anderson. The album provides a direct link from the 67-year old conguero to his 11-year old self, who spent his own money on an album for the first time when he bought the 1962 classic Coltrane. Ultimately, Trane's Delight offers a tribute not only to the stellar music and influence of the great John Coltrane, but a spotlight for the myriad ways that the tenor giant's explorations have fueled courageous artists like Poncho Sanchez. The results, as on this passionate new album, would no doubt delight Trane's searching spirit. Although born in Laredo, Texas, in 1951 to a large Mexican-American family, Sanchez grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, where he was raised on an unusual cross section of sounds that included straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz and American soul. By his teen years, his musical consciousness had been solidified by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Along the way, he taught himself to play guitar, flute, drums and timbales, but eventually settled on the congas. At 24, after working his way around the local club scene for several years, he landed a permanent spot in Cal Tjader's band in 1975. "I learned a great deal from Cal," says Sanchez, "but it wasn't as though he sat me down and taught me lessons like a schoolteacher. Mostly it was just a matter of being around such a great guy. It was the way he conducted himself, the way he talked to people, the way he presented himself onstage. He was very elegant, very dignified, and when he played, he played beautifully. The touch that he had on the vibes -- nobody has that sound. To me, he was -- and is, and always will be -- the world's greatest vibe player." Sanchez first formed his own group in 1980, leading his ensemble during Tjader's vacation periods and recording two albums for Discovery. The conguero remained with Tjader until the bandleader's death in 1982. That same year, he signed with Concord for the release of Sonando, an album that marked the beginning of a musical partnership that has spanned nearly four decades and yielded more than two dozen recordings. Trane's Delight is the latest installment in that ongoing partnership. After more than two decades in music, Sanchez's efforts paid off when his album Latin Soul received a Grammy award as Best Latin Album of 1999. Throughout the next decade, Sanchez continued to record, releasing such albums as 2000's Soul of the Conga, 2001's Latin Spirits, 2003's Out of Sight!, 2005's Do It!, 2007's Raise Your Hand, and 2009's hard bop-influenced Psychedelic Blues. In 2011, he paid tribute to the innovative Afro-Cuban recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo by teaming up with trumpeter Terence Blanchard for Chano y Dizzy! Sanchez followed that up with a vibrant concert set with his Latin Jazz Band entitled Live in Hollywood. With Trane's Delight, Poncho Sanchez continues to honor the giants whose music has helped shape his own, while building upon the rich legacy they've left behind. As this celebratory and heartfelt album exemplifies, he's long since joined the ranks of the luminaries to whom he pays such profound tribute. Sanchez's deeply personal reimagining of the jazz canon, as well as his own spirited original compositions, affirm his place at the forefront of Latin Jazz's trailblazers. 

2 shows 8pm and 10pm (1 hour sets) $45 GA/ $60 VIP For more than three decades, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight ahead jazz, gritty soul music, and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American and South American sources. Throughout his career Sanchez has held aloft the torch lit by such innovators as Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader, embraced by each of those icons and entrusted to carry forward the traditions of Latin Jazz. Sanchez's influences are numerous, and his catalogue is rich with his homages to several of his mentors -- Santamaria, Puente and Tjader among them. But alongside those Latin pioneers, among the more prominent figures that inform his music is the iconic saxophonist John Coltrane. On his latest album Trane's Delight, Sanchez pays tribute to the late jazz legend with Latin-tinged re-imaginings of Coltrane classics as well as new pieces composed in honor of the tenor titan. Trane's Delight continues Sanchez's remarkable 37-year relationship with Concord, a rich legacy that has now yielded 27 albums. The album features the conguero alongside his longtime band; trombonist and musical director Francisco Torres, trumpet and flugelhorn master Ron Blake, saxophonist Robert Hardt, pianist Andy Langham, bassists Rene Camacho and Ross Schodek, and percussionists Joey DeLeon and Giancarlo Anderson. The album provides a direct link from the 67-year old conguero to his 11-year old self, who spent his own money on an album for the first time when he bought the 1962 classic Coltrane. Ultimately, Trane's Delight offers a tribute not only to the stellar music and influence of the great John Coltrane, but a spotlight for the myriad ways that the tenor giant's explorations have fueled courageous artists like Poncho Sanchez. The results, as on this passionate new album, would no doubt delight Trane's searching spirit. Although born in Laredo, Texas, in 1951 to a large Mexican-American family, Sanchez grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, where he was raised on an unusual cross section of sounds that included straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz and American soul. By his teen years, his musical consciousness had been solidified by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Along the way, he taught himself to play guitar, flute, drums and timbales, but eventually settled on the congas. At 24, after working his way around the local club scene for several years, he landed a permanent spot in Cal Tjader's band in 1975. "I learned a great deal from Cal," says Sanchez, "but it wasn't as though he sat me down and taught me lessons like a schoolteacher. Mostly it was just a matter of being around such a great guy. It was the way he conducted himself, the way he talked to people, the way he presented himself onstage. He was very elegant, very dignified, and when he played, he played beautifully. The touch that he had on the vibes -- nobody has that sound. To me, he was -- and is, and always will be -- the world's greatest vibe player." Sanchez first formed his own group in 1980, leading his ensemble during Tjader's vacation periods and recording two albums for Discovery. The conguero remained with Tjader until the bandleader's death in 1982. That same year, he signed with Concord for the release of Sonando, an album that marked the beginning of a musical partnership that has spanned nearly four decades and yielded more than two dozen recordings. Trane's Delight is the latest installment in that ongoing partnership. After more than two decades in music, Sanchez's efforts paid off when his album Latin Soul received a Grammy award as Best Latin Album of 1999. Throughout the next decade, Sanchez continued to record, releasing such albums as 2000's Soul of the Conga, 2001's Latin Spirits, 2003's Out of Sight!, 2005's Do It!, 2007's Raise Your Hand, and 2009's hard bop-influenced Psychedelic Blues. In 2011, he paid tribute to the innovative Afro-Cuban recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo by teaming up with trumpeter Terence Blanchard for Chano y Dizzy! Sanchez followed that up with a vibrant concert set with his Latin Jazz Band entitled Live in Hollywood. With Trane's Delight, Poncho Sanchez continues to honor the giants whose music has helped shape his own, while building upon the rich legacy they've left behind. As this celebratory and heartfelt album exemplifies, he's long since joined the ranks of the luminaries to whom he pays such profound tribute. Sanchez's deeply personal reimagining of the jazz canon, as well as his own spirited original compositions, affirm his place at the forefront of Latin Jazz's trailblazers. 

$20 Presale Tickets available here $25 at the door (subject to availability) The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra, which has performed L.A. Jazz venues including Catalina's and LACMA, bring their eclectic mix of new and relevant music to Ventura for the first time. The 18 piece Hollywood Jazz Orchestra is led by conductor, composer, arranger Charley Harrison, the ensemble's conductor who has also been the Director of the UCLA Jazz Orchestra since 2004. Over the years, Harrison has had compositions and arrangements performed by jazz greats like Kurt Elling, Marcus Miller, Cedar Walton, Joe Williams and The Count Basie Orchestra. “I'm excited for the upcoming HJO performance at The Grape, as it provides an opportunity to showcase the virtuosity and versatility of the HJO musicians” says Harrison. “We will be premiering new music from our composers, arrangers, (Tom Garling, Conrad Herwig and Harrison himself), that will highlight the breadth of the HJO repertoire” The nucleus of The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra were members of the second iteration of the Buddy Collette Big Band, which formed in the mid-2000's during the saxophone legend's later years. After rejoining forces with many new performers in 2022, the new Orchestra (featuring many younger members) made it's debut at Catalina's in Hollywood and later headlined at LACMA and the Rochester International Jazz Festival in New York. It's arrangers include Harrison, Tom Garling, Nick DePinna, Conrad Herwig and Bob Mintzer. Until recently a resident of Ventura, David Payne, Executive Director of HJO, says “We've played Sold Out concerts at traditional venues like Rochester Jazz Festival and LACMA, but we're looking to bring the Orchestra to venues where no Big Bands have played before” Continuing that theme, The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra will be playing a concert at The ROXY on Sunset, with Grammy-winning Singer-Songwriter BRENDA RUSSELL later this year. The first time a Big Band/Jazz Orchestra has played at that historic venue. “We're trying to change the preconceptions and expectations the public has about big band concerts” says Payne “We're not a group of old white guys playing tired arrangements of Ellington, Basie, and Dorsey. We rock! We're going to blow the roof off The Grape!” The Hollywood Jazz Orchestra includes some of L.A.'s most storied and in demand musicians, including Justo Almario, Gerry Pinter, Clayton Cameron, Les Benedict, Ian Vo, Randall Willis, Anne King, Ann Patterson, and Brian O'Rourke. Led by Conductor Charley Harrison THE HOLLYWOOD JAZZ ORCHESTRA Is comprised of some of the most heralded musicians in the Los Angeles Jazz Community, while also reflecting the great diversity of LA’s population. The members of HJO have played with the the likes of Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Woody Herman, Frank Sinatra, Clark Terry, Elvis Presley and many more. HJO musicians can be heard on high profile recordings, Film scores, and commercials, along with innumerable live concerts, domestically and abroad. “SMOKING HOT BIG BAND MAGIC!” ~ Agenda Magazine 

Swing Dancing!! The Barrelhouse Wailers are an 8-piece powerhouse collective from Ventura, California that seamlessly blend traditional style hot jazz and vintage blues with original compositions to create a sound that's as timeless as it is electrifying. With their roots deeply embedded in the rich soil of American musical traditions, this dynamic ensemble has been captivating audiences since 2013 with their high-energy performances and masterful musicianship. Driven by their passion for authenticity and innovation, The Barrelhouse Wailers deliver a sonic experience that pays homage to the classics while pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. Their infectious energy and tight-knit chemistry on stage promise an evening of entertainment that will have you on your feet and moving to the rhythm. They have released 2 albums featuring original music and standards, “Day In, Day Out” 2019 and “Never Look Back” 2023 Both albums are available for digital download on Bandcamp and on all major streaming platforms. The Barrelhouse Wailers are: Karen Parkhouse - Vocals/Percussion Todd Temanson - Banjo Diamono Andreo - Drums/Washboard David Leoncavallo - Bass Jim Wade – Tuba Andrew Chermak - Trumpet “Skabone” Stan Middleton – Trombone/Vocals John C. Webb - Clarinet/Saxophones/Flute/Vocals For more information, music, videos, and upcoming shows, please visit http://www.thebarrelhousewailers.com/. Follow us on : Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBarrelHouseWailers Instagram: @barrelhousewailers YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BarrelhouseWailers 

Derek Frank - Bass Anthony King - Guitar Carey Frank - Keys Matt Hankle - Drums Demian Arriaga - Percussion George Shelby - Saxophone Dan Fornero - Trumpet Derek Frank has shared the stage with such icons as Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, and Shakira (among many others) as a sideman bassist. In the downtime on these gigs, he discovered a private music world inspired by the cultural debris of his 1970s childhood. Years ago, the bassist-composer began to write the kind of music he used to hear on 1970s TV and movies. Today, Derek is leaning into the solo artist side of his career with his third solo album, Origin Story, released March 25, 2024 on all streaming platforms with a 2-disc vinyl version plus bonus live tracks available in May. Origin Story boasts Derek's strongest instrumental jazz-funk compositions to date. "I used to love the music in Dirty Harry movies, and in the Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk television series," the LA-based artist says. "When I finally found my voice as a solo artist, I decided to make that kind of music along with jazz and funk as the main influences." Derek and his handpicked five (sometimes seven)-piece band blend funk, blues, soul, jazz, southern rock, and seventies soundtrack music into a genre all their own. Derek's compositions feature tight arrangements, slinky grooves, telepathic band interplay, and restrained virtuosity where chops are implied but not flaunted. His solo work has garnered critical acclaim from such taste-making outlets as Bass Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, Bass Player Magazine, Music Connection Magazine, "Everyone Loves Guitar Podcast," and "The Bass Shed Podcast". He's earned favorable comparisons to Lettuce, Vulfpeck, Cory Wong, Snarky Puppy, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Karl Denson (who guests on Origin Story), and John Scofield. Previously, Derek has released Let The Games Begin (2009), and the aptly-titled Eleven Years Later (2020). Derek has fond memories of growing up in Pittsburgh, watching 1970s TV and movies, and 1980s MTV. He discovered his love for the bass when he first picked one up off the wall of a music store while he was waiting for a guitar lesson. Derek later formally studied bass, and eventually moved to Los Angeles to be a professional musician. Since then, Derek has emerged one of the most in demand touring and studio bassists in Los Angeles. He has worked with a "who's-who" of A-list artists, including the aforementioned Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, Air Supply, Aly & AJ, Victoria Justice, Dancing With the Stars, Daniel Powter, Palaye Royale, Mindi Abair, The Boneshakers, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, and countless others. As the title implies, Origin Story is an instrumental homage to his roots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "I often reminisce about my childhood, thinking of the David Byrne lyric: 'How did I get here?,'" Derek says. "The songs on this album loosely sketch experiences of my early years, before I discovered my calling and current profession as a bass player." In what's become a tradition with Derek's solo records, he opens the 8-song album up with the funky, 1970s cop chase song, "Demon On Wheels," replete with wah wah bass. The name is pinched from the late 1960s cartoon Speed Racer, and the monster jam features Las Vegas's Fat City Horns. The percolating 16th notes on "The Yinzer" tastefully touch on Jaco Pastorius, but the overall compositional structure nods to the work of Karl Denson (The Greyboy Allstars, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, the Rolling Stones) who makes a cameo on the track. The slippery fusion funk of "Paperboy Blues" recalls Head Hunters-era Herbie Hancock, and features abstract Jimmy Herring-like jazz guitar melodies. Derek's handpicked quintet features guitarist Joshua Ray Gooch (Derek's longtime bandmate with Shania Twain), keyboardist Carey Frank (Social Distortion, Tedeschi Trucks Band), drummer Randy Cooke (Smashmouth, Brit Floyd), and percussionist Demian Arriaga (Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers). Also joining the party is keyboardist Matt Rohde (Jane's Addiction, The Chicks), guitarist Anthony King (Buffy Sainte-Marie), The Fat City Horns, and guitarist Brent Mason, widely-regarded as one to the top 10 session guitarists of all time. Origin Story, and Derek's previous album, were both produced by multiple Grammy award-winning producer Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tom Petty, Wilco, Sting) at his vibey, all-analog PLYRZ Recording Studio. Up next, catch Derek and his band performing in sweaty nightclubs, at jam band festivals, and wherever live groove music is showcased. You can also see Derek rolling through town with major artists at a theater or arena near you—he'll continue pulling double duty. "I feel grateful to have my day job," he says. "But now I am also focusing on using my bass playing in service of my own music." 

Doug Webb- saxophones Gary Novak- drums Eric Rivas- bass Mitch Forman- keys Doug Webb was born in Chicago and moved to California at the age of 3. He is a graduate of Edison high school in Huntington Beach, CA and received a Bachelor of Music from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He began playing the clarinet at the age of 8 and added saxophone and flute at 15. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife Alex and his son, Ryan. Over his career Webb has played and recorded with such notable talents as Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Sal Marquez, Stanley Clarke, Quincy Jones, Mat Marucci, Kyle Eastwood, Billy Childs, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Art Davis, Kenny Rogers, Bonnie Raitt, Pancho Sanchez and Vikki Carr. He played with the house band for the Dennis Miller TV show, the Jimmy Cleveland orchestra and continues to tour with the Doc Severinsen big band. He has recorded music for hundreds of movies and television programs. He solos on the sound track for Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Jersey Boys. Webb has been featured on hundreds of recordings. 

The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble is a 9 piece heavy, instrumental funk band from San Diego, CA. Their influences are vast and include Hip Hop groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as funk and soul masters like Isaac Hayes, The Meters, and James Brown. Their last two LPs debuted in the top 15 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart. SFSE is equally at home in the studio as they are on the stage, where their original songs transform and take on new life through live performance. They have shared the stage with Kamasi Washington, Quantic, Lee Fields, Monophonics, Jungle Fire, and most recently served as backing band for Hip Hop legend, Big Daddy Kane. The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble are definitely still on a roll coming off of their fourth LP, Step Down, which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. It seems that the “Live” record is mostly an art form of the past. In the diaspora of funk, soul, and jazz music, we have so many legendary live albums we can reference, from Cannonball Adderley, Jimmy Smith, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway… the list is endless really. We present SFSE’s first outing in this noble arena. “Live at Panama 66” showcases songs from SFSE’s first 4 LPs as well as some choice cover tunes. The record was performed and recorded live in a beautiful outdoor setting in San Diego, CA. It was indeed a picture perfect Mother’s Day in Balboa Park, with SFSE throwing down their uniquely funky, cinematic vibes. We hope you enjoy it. Tim Felten - Organ, Electric Piano Jesse Audelo - Bari Sax, Tenor Sax, and Flute Jake Najor - Drum Kit Kiko Cornejo Jr - Percussion 1 Omar Lopez - Bass Aquiles Magana Jr - Guitar Travis Klein - Tenor Sax, Flute Wili Fleming - Trombone, Vocals Sheryll Felten - Percussion 2