Jake Sherman is keyboardist, Organist, composer, and singer/songwriter with a quirky edge that keeps you on your toes. His musical influences include Scott Joplin, Joey DeFrancesco, and the amazing oddity that is Weird Al Yankovic, to name a few. Jake combines his fun sense of humor with his prodigious talent as a key player to create his unique and equally skillful sound. As an instrumentalist and songwriter, Jake Sherman has garnered critical acclaim and two Grammy wins for his work with Chance the Rapper. He’s also shared the stage with other talented artists like Bilal, Nick Hakim, Lalah Hathaway and many others. With two albums out, Jake Sherman and Jake Sherman Returns, he is an artist to watch.
Casey Benjamin, is a genius producer, musician, and artist. A pioneer of his unique brand of Saxophone and Vocoder, Casey has been constantly pushing the limits of music and the very concept of genre itself to new heights. Originally a Jazz saxophonist, he evolved to develop a sound that is wholly unique to him. From sonic contributions to his stylish aesthetic, Casey is in a class of his own. He is an industry veteran, a fact that is clear from a long list of collaborators that range from Betty Carter to Robert Glasper. With three Grammy wins under his belt, Casey has broken the mold and built a new trend which has inspired so many notable artists who are coming up in his wake.
Randy Runyon, Guitarist, singer/songwriter, and frontman for The Karma Exchange is, to put it mildly, a monster musician. With seemingly disparate influences like Radiohead and Claude deBussy, Runyon brings an equally enthralling and insightful style of playing both to the stage and to the studio. The Karma Exchange, his original power trio, follows in the footsteps of those few acts in history with the ability to bring a serious wall of sound with only three members on the bandstand. Capturing some of the best facets of rock music, soul, and songwriting culture, The Karma Exchange never fails to deliver anything short of addictive melodies, low end grit, and some of the most truly powerful lyrics to match.
Theo Croker is a Jazz Trumpeter, following in the footsteps of his Grammy award-winning grandfather, Doc Cheatham. His positive spiritual approach to life shines through in his music and his haunting melodies leave you in a state of insightful contemplation. Theo has worked with notable artists such as Roy Hargrove, Dee Dee Bridgewater, J. Cole among several others. Headlining festivals around the world, it is safe to assume that there is plenty more to come from this incredible mind.
Starting his professional career at the tender age of 19, Marc Cary went on tour with the legendary vocalist, Betty Carter for a 6-week tour of one-nighters and never looked back. Since then he has worked tirelessly developing his own sound while also taking the time to work with some of the greatest musicians and artists to grace the stage. Marc has had the pleasure of working with artists such as Abbey Lincoln, Roy Hargrove, Erykah Badu, and Q-tip to name a few. Hailing from Washington D.C., Marc’s musical influences are an eclectic mix ranging from Bebop to Go-Go (a style native to D.C.) and classical Malian music to Hip-Hop resulting in a wholly unique and compelling sound that is all his own.
Featured nightly on CBS’s, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, with Jon Batiste and Stay Human, grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato has earned international acclaim recording with megastars like Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, and touring with acts like Bobby McFerrin, Snarky Puppy, and Marcus Miller to name a few.
A true musician and artist, Louis Cato brings his wealth of experience and expertise as an in-demand sideman to his own music, presenting listeners with a sound that is soulful and honest.
Deva is the daughter of blues icon Taj Mahal and Inshirah Mahal, a dancer, artist and educator who Deva refers to as “my rock.” Their support and influence combined with Deva’s inborn passion and soaring talents make her a formidable and inspirational artist. Those remarkable facets come together strikingly on Run Deep, which is composed of ten new songs and a powerful cover of a King/Goffin hit from the 1970s. Deva’s songs are as infectious as they are stirringly personal, placing her powerfully moving voice in the service of raw, vulnerable explorations of resonant emotion.
Creative and eclectic are two words that come to mind when trying to describe Gizmo. He is many things in one; bassist, singer, and a brilliant composer who is not afraid to break convention and develop something both new and exciting. Featuring grammy winning saxophonist/keyboardist/vocodorist Casey Benjamin as a guest artist in many of his live performances, Gizmo whisks you away on memorable adventures with every tune. The young bassist has worked with many iconic artists such as Meshell Ndegeocello, Derrick Hodge, and Lalah Hathaway.
Transient Beings, a New York-based group rooted in soul music, is led by drummer E.J. Strickland and features Sarah Elizabeth Charles on vocals, Nir Felder on guitar, Tom Guarna on guitar and Ben Williams (video) on bass. The sound is guided by openness and intentful improvisation that explores ideas of harmony and dissonance through music and lyrics, both of which are written by Strickland and later given life by the elite and uniquely virtuosic members of this group.
Individually, the members of Freelance have been making international names for themselves, playing for the likes of Bilal, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, and Deva Mahal (daughter of Taj Mahal). Now assembled for a unified musical purpose, they have quickly propelled themselves to “must-see” status in the New York City night life. First meeting back in college, Justin Tyson (drums), D.J. Ginyard (bass), Chad Selph (keys), Yasser Tejeda (guitar), Craig Hill (saxophone), and Smithsoneon (vocals) are seamlessly fusing together the warmth of their vast collective ancestry, equal parts John Coltrane, Rufus, and George Duke.
