Billy Hulting - percussion, vibes Scheila Gonzalez - sax, keys, vox Ben Thomas - lead vox, horns Joe Travers - drums, vox Matt Rohde - keys Max Rohde - bass Jamie Kime - guitar Celebrating the musical genius and vast catalog of late composer Frank Zappa, One Shot Deal is comprised of musicians from the original, Grammy Award-winning lineup of Zappa Plays Zappa. During their time with ZPZ, one reviewer referred to bassist Pete Griffin (ZPZ 2006-2011), percussionist Billy Hulting and guitarist Jamie Kime (ZPZ 2006-2012), drummer and Zappa “Vaultmeister” Joe Travers (ZPZ 2006-2013), saxophonist/ keyboardist/vocalist Scheila Gonzalez (ZPZ 2006-2020), and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ben Thomas (ZPZ 2009-2016), as “the best band Frank never had”. Following their individual ZPZ tenures, they would all go on to acquire a comprehensive list of touring and recording credits before reuniting in 2022 to play a limited series of shows at distinguished Los Angeles jazz club The Baked Potato. Subsequent to that sold-out run, they collectively agreed that the music of Frank Zappa was much too important – and they also had far too much fun playing it together again! – for the group to merely be a “one shot deal”. Since then, they’ve been performing extensively throughout Southern California.
When it comes to the bass, 2-time Grammy-nominated Bunny Brunel is the master and a musician's musician! From defining his signature style on fretless, upright, and electric basses, to authoring numerous instructional books on bass technique and theory, there is no end to Brunel’s musical mind. But how many legendary virtuoso instrumentalists do you know who not only design their instruments, but build them, too? Having designed for Carvin for over 25 years, Brunel is now a designer for ESP Guitars. He also created and custom built the Rolls Royce of basses—the Bunny Brunel Electric Upright Bass (BBEUB). As if that weren’t enough, Bunny has composed music with lush arrangements on his releases from the start of his career on his first album Touch (1978) to his two latest, titled Invent Your Future (2015) and the historical CD Bass Ball (2017) that features bass players is a co-production with Stanley Clarke; and somewhere in the middle, his Band CAB earned a Grammy nomination for CAB 2 Best Contemporary Jazz Album. He also scores films, and collaborated and performed the theme for Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning masterpiece The Unforgiven. But most importantly, Bunny is known around the world as one of the four great bassists who started the jazz-fusion bass movement (with Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, and Jeff Berlin). Born in the South of France, Bernard Bunny Brunel’s first instrument was the piano, and because his mother was a huge jazz fan, he was exposed to jazz at a very young age. He was able to play jazz chords by ear. "While I was attending a specialized college for hotels, I found a classical guitar, where the headstock was broken. I had it remade by a cabinetmaker friend of mine and played guitar in a band. I was about 15 years old at the time. I knew about 3 or 4 chords and that’s how it started. I was asked to rent a bass for a new bass player who never showed up for rehearsal and ended up playing the bass. That was the day I became a bass player—and I loved it!” Bunny attended the Classical Conservatory in Nice, France, to learn bowing technique, but was mostly a self taught bass player who drew his influences from Sam Jones, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Eddy Gomez, Miroslav Vitous, and Stanley Clarke. In his early 20s, while playing at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Club in London with Tania Maria, Yes/ Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz introduced Bunny to fusion keyboardist Chick Corea. Once Chick heard Bunny play, a few months later he hired him to record on his Grammy-nominated album Secret Agent . Bunny played with Chick Corea for almost a decade, and has since played with Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Ziggy Marley, Gloria Estefan, Jack De Johnette, Natalie Cole, Stanley Clarke, Milt Jackson, Steve Grossman, and countless more. Having graced the covers of popular magazines, including(PN'P) Plug N Play, Bass Musician, Bassics; and numerous features inBass Player, No Treble, Bassiste, For Bass Players Only, Abstract Logix, Fretless Bass, Guitar 9, Jazztimes, Global Bass Online, Talk Bass, just to name a few, Bunny Brunel also enjoys being the Editor at Large of Virtuoso Bass, the premier lifestyle magazine for bassists.This rare musician is a melodic writer; he creates memorable music with modal changes and dexterous playing. His creations transcend most recordings from the fusion genre simply because . . .even with Brunel's mind-blowing execution and profound changes —as complex as his music is—you walk away humming his tunes. But you are cheating yourself if you haven’t seen him in concert. Experiencing Bunny Brunel LIVE is transformative. And nothing compares to the auditory, sensory fulfillment, when you're drinking in a performance by this masterful bass legend!
Grammy-nominated performer, communication expert and business visionary With an unparalleled career that has consistently transcended the boundaries of music, culture and thought leadership, Freddie Ravel toured with Brazilian master Sergio Mendes, directed the legendary band that bridged black and white America - Earth, Wind and Fire, performed on the silver screen with the Queen of Pop - Madonna, rocked stadiums with Afro-Latin-Blues-Rock icon Carlos Santana, performed the Grammys with Prince, cut tracks with Kanye and led the teams behind J. Lo, Jimmy Kimmel and Lady GaGa to become the “Expert’s Expert” on multi-generational integration. Piano and Vocals: Freddie Ravel Drums and Percussion and Vocals: Tiki Pasillas Guitar and Vocals: Michael O'Neill Bass and Vocals: Hussain Jiffry Vocals: Kia
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. Karen Parkhouse - Vocals/Percussion Todd Temanson - Banjo David Leoncavallo - Bass Jim Wade – Tuba John C. Webb - Clarinet/Saxophones/Flute/Vocals "Skabone" Stan Middleton- trombone/vocals Max O'leary- trumpet TBA - drums 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
A celebrated soul-jazz organist, Ronnie Foster is known for his groove-based, funk- and R&B-influenced style. Foster initially grabbed ears for his work with guitarist Grant Green before releasing a string of organically funky, '70s Blue Note albums, including Two Headed Freap, On the Avenue, and Cheshire Cat, many of which became cult items influential to hip-hop and acid jazz artists. Along the way, he cultivated a successful career as a session player, working with George Benson, Roberta Flack, Stanley Turrentine, Chaka Khan, and many others. He also found success as a producer, helming Top 30 contemporary jazz albums like Roger Smith's Both Sides and Will Downing and Gerald Albright's Pleasures of the Night. Following decades behind the scenes, Foster returned to the spotlight with his sixth Blue Note album, 2022's Reboot. A native of Buffalo, New York, Foster learned to play piano as a child and was taught in the traditional classical style. However, jazz intrigued him more, and when he was a teenager, he began to pursue that direction. Eventually, he attended a jam session where there was an organ in addition to a piano. After trying the organ, he decided to concentrate on the instrument. He listened to Jimmy Smith, gradually making his way to more adventurous players like Larry Young. A local Buffalo organist, Joe Madison, gave him advice, and Foster practiced regularly at a studio where he would rent a room with an organ for 60 cents an hour. Eventually, Foster began playing local and New York clubs. He slowly built a following, playing with such musicians as Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, and George Benson. By the early '70s, he had formed a group called Energy II. Grant Green had Foster play on his Alive album, and the organist's performance impressed the label's Dr. George Butler, who offered Foster a contract. Ronnie Foster recorded The Two Headed Freap, his first album for Blue Note, in January of 1972. A funky set of soul-jazz, the album featured his own compositions, including "Mystic Brew," along with covers of tunes like Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and the Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff song "Drowning in the Sea of Love." The similarly funky Sweet Revival was recorded in December of that year and featured more covers as well as musical contributions by legendary funk drummer Bernard Purdie. He cut Live at Montreux in July of 1973, which was followed in 1974 by On the Avenue, and by Cheshire Cat in 1975 -- his final album for Blue Note. He then moved to Columbia, where he released Love Satellite in 1978 and Delight in 1979. A session for Pro Jazz entitled The Racer followed a few years later, but Foster effectively retired from leading groups in the early '80s in order to concentrate on session work. During the '70s, he had played on numerous George Benson records as well as records by Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Earl Klugh, Jimmy Ponder, Stanley Clarke, and Lalo Schifrin. Throughout the '80s, Foster continued to play on a wide variety of sessions and eventually moved into production. Among the musicians he worked with that decade were Jimmy Smith, Klugh, Flack, Harvey Mason, Stanley Turrentine, David Sanborn, Djavan, and Grover Washington, Jr. Foster continued the same path in the '90s, playing with many of the same musicians as well as Lee Ritenour, Roland Vazquez, and the Temptations, among others. Many of the albums he produced earned chart success, including Will Downing and Gerald Albright's 1998 album Pleasures Of The Night, which topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. The following year, he helmed Tower of Power organist Roger Smith's Both Sides, which reached number 24. Around the same time, his own records were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners, with several of his recordings used as source material for sample-heavy acid jazz and hip-hop records. Most notably, A Tribe Called Quest sampled his song "Mystic Brew" off 1972's Two Headed Freap, using it as the basis for their track "Electric Relaxation" from their classic 1994 album Midnight Marauders. Foster continued his production work in the 2000s, contributing to further albums by George Benson and Will Downing in addition to recordings with Najee, Chayanne and others. In 2022, he returned to Blue Note with Reboot, his first solo outing in over 30 years. It found him embracing his classic soul-jazz sound with a trio featuring his son, drummer Chris Foster, guitarist Michael O'Neill, and conga player Lenny Castro, and others.
Clayton Cameron- drums Jacob Scesney- saxophone Andy Langham- piano Edwin Livingston- bass Grant Geissman- guitar Clayton Cameron is known as a dynamic drummer who has also experimented with and perfected the art of brush technique. Cameron has toured with Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett, as well as other legends of the jazz world including George Shearing, Joe Pass, and Joe Williams. During Cameron’s time with Tony Bennett the group performed with many great artists including Frank Sinatra, Billie Joel, Sting, Mariah Carey, Brandy, the Back Street Boys, James Taylor, K.D. Lang, Elvis Costello, and Ricky Martin. In 1990, after the release of his video, The Living Art of Brushes, Clayton was given the honorary title “Brush Master.” Born in Los Angeles, California, Cameron received a degree in music from California State University at Northridge. During college, he played in clubs around L.A behind artists such as O.C Smith, Ernie Andrews, Jimmy Weatherspoon, instrumentalist Teddy Edwards, Larry Gails (of Thelonious Monk fame) and Gerald Wilson. After graduating from college, Clayton moved to Las Vegas to perform nightly with a jazz group called the Kirk Stuart trio. While in Las Vegas Cameron experimented with brush techniques. It was during this time that some of the rough ideas for his future videos and books were developed. In addition to his video, Cameron has created a ground-breaking book on the elusive art of brush playing, entitled Brushworks. You can hear his masterful work on his 2012 CD Here’s to the Messengers: A Tribute to Art Blakey.