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Artist Profiles

Chappaqua Wrestling

Chappaqua Wrestling

This alternative rock band from Manchester, England has been playing the club circuit throughout England. The founders of the band, Charlie Woods, (vocals, guitar) and Jake Macleod, (bass, guitar) have known each other since they were 14 years old and have been writing music since then. They bonded over their love of such bands, New Order, The Maccabees, Foals and have a psychic connection that is scary. They both grew up in musical families with Charlie Woods grandfather who

Tanerelle

Tanerelle

When I first saw a picture this singer-songwriter and instrumentalist, I thought Jackie Brown or Cleopatra Jones but her voice is smooth and earthly. Tanerelle Stevens from California has been making music for quite some time. Her passion for music began at the age of 8 when she knew she wanted to be a musician and started writing songs in her city of birth, Atlanta, Georgia. At 18 she decided to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue her dreams. Obviously, this was a gr

Vinson Hekselman Sanchez

Vinson Hekselman Sanchez

This week on our jazz cafe feature I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to feature this super jazz trio and their album, Trio Grande. Each of the members of this supergroup is sought-after jazz musicians but together they are something else. All of the members are band leaders and between them have more than 50 years of playing and composing experience. Will Vinson is a British alto and soprano saxophonist who relocated to our hometown of New York City from L

Shunaji

Shunaji

Nothing gets me amped up more than hearing the music of a new up-and-coming singer-songwriter. I was completely entranced with this Neo-Soul singer, Shunaji, and her debut EP, Cosmic Blues. She was born and raised in Rome, Italy and later she moved to London, U.K. Shunaji is very knowledgeable in many subjects and this polymath can go into detail about ancient history. Before moving to England she wasn't really making music but something about London and the music that was a

Rook Monroe

Rook Monroe

You may not have heard of this singer-songwriter before but you have definitely heard his songs. Rook Monroe, aka Krystin Watkins, has been writing songs for years. This Los Angeles-based musician has written songs for such artists as Rhianna, The Chainsmokers, and more but now it's his time to shine. Rook Monroe shines with pop/rock tunes with some soulful flavor in the background. His debut EP, Californialand which was released in December of last year has been gaining atte

Kathrine Windfeld Big Band

Kathrine Windfeld Big Band

When you think of big band music you may be thinking Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and others. Nowadays big band has changed and this Danish pianist is leading the way. Kathrine Windfeld born in Svendborg on Funen in Denmark studied jazz music at the Department of Musicology in Copenhagen and jazz composition at the Swedish jazz school, Fridhems Folkhogskola. Since she was a teenager she was always creating either by painting, singing, or piano playing. Since 2

Janne Mark

Janne Mark

Many people when they talk about musicians they very rarely mention the human voice as an instrument. Singers or vocalists can do incredible sounds with their voices. This singer-songwriter and composer, Janne Mark whose instrument is her voice is one talented musician. Born and raised in Struer, Denmark she has been active in her church choir, and singing hymns is what excites her about music. She grew up in a home that didn't really play a lot of music but she listened to 8

Black Honey

Black Honey

This alternative rock band from Brighton, England has been making music in and around England and it's time to break out of the shell. The band members have known each other for years when they were playing with other bands so it felt familiar when they decided to become a band. Lead singer/guitarist, Lizzy B. Phillips, guitarist Chris Ostler, bassist Tommy Taylor, and drummer Alex Woodward have been together since 2014. The band not only makes music but also has causes they

Serpentwithfeet

Serpentwithfeet

Music and the artists that compose and produce it are constantly evolving. Nowadays many artists are mixing the genres into new and exciting sounds. This indie artist, Serpentwithfeet( real name, Josiah Wise) has been causing quite a stir not just for his music but also for the fact that he has a pentagram tattooed on his forehead. In listening to this artist I can hear that there is a gospel music influence and I was right. He was raised in the church and gospel was the fir

De Beren Gieren

De Beren Gieren

Life is always interesting when you come across a jazz artist whose music has different elements to it that you have to listen to. This electro-piano trio from Ghent, Belgium, De Beren Gieren has been making music since 2009. They have released 5 albums and 2 EPs. In the same year that the band got together, they won the Young Jazz Talent competition at the Gent Jazz Festival. The trio has been playing together for over a decade and can read each other's musical language but

Lazzy Lung

Lazzy Lung

You never know where you are going to find a good rock band and this one comes from Beirut, Lebanon. Lazzy Lung first started with just Canadian singer-songwriter, Allan Chaaraoui in 2006 as a solo artist but then it became a revolving door of musicians but then in 2012, they released their debut album, Strange Places. The album received critical acclaim and they got to do a regional tour. Since then musician and producer Allan Chaaraoui who is the leader of this outfit has b

Gaidaa

Gaidaa

Singer-songwriter, Gaidaa says that she's a weirdo doing her thing. There is nothing weird about this talented singer. Gaidaa which is an Arab name was born in the town of Eindhoven in the Netherlands to Sudanese parents. She remembers singing birthday songs since she was 2. This beginning started her on the journey into the music industry. Her father is a musician and therefore music was always playing in her house. She was studying International Media and Entertainment Man

Noah Young

Noah Young

This talented bass player is a founding member of the jazz/funk group, Naughty Professor. A band that has released 3 albums and formed in 2010. He originates from Vermont and at the age of 12 started playing bass guitar. At 19 he decided to move to New Orleans and there he truly established himself in playing with the best. He studied jazz formally at both the University of New Orleans and Loyola University. He has studied with many legends of jazz and for the past several

Buck Meek

Buck Meek

This talented singer-songwriter, guitarist from Wimberly, Texas made his debut in 2019 at the SXSW festival and has been busy ever since. Buck Meek had been playing guitar for the band, Big Theif and decided it was time to go solo. He has been living in our hometown of Brooklyn, NY for the past 7 years and although he's been playing rock he decided to get down to his Texas roots. He studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and while there many of his f

The Daybreakers

The Daybreakers

My good friend, Earl Douglas from the Black Rock Coalition happened to post about this band and I was intrigued. I'm always searching for new music to discover and have people check out. In listening to this rock band out of East London, England, I was elated when I heard their music. They call themselves The Daybreakers and the band formed in 2019. In such a short time they have been making quite a name for themselves. Singer-songwriter, Aidan Connell who is a Blues-rock gui

James Brandon Lewis

James Brandon Lewis

Free jazz emerged during the late 1950s and became popular by the '60s as a new way for jazz artists to express themselves with more improvisation. Today many new jazz artists have been playing this style because of the freedom it gives them to express themselves musically without structures. Jazz saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis is one such artist. Born in Buffalo, New York he was raised in the church and thus began his musical journey. He has been a sideman for

Ichon

Ichon

France is putting itself on the map once again with the explosion of artists that are mixing hip-hop with electronica, bossa nova, and more. French singer-songwriter, rapper, Ichon has been making moves for quite some time. He has collaborated with several French rappers from Hamsa and Myth Syzer to fashion designers and visual artists. He decided it was time to fully concentrate on his journey to feel passion again. Ichon, real name Yann Wilfred-Bella Ola released his mixtap

As Everything Unfolds

As Everything Unfolds

Who said Rock is dead? Many have been saying this very thing for the past several years including Gene Simmons of Kiss. Fast forward to 2021 and there is a lot of great music coming out of the U.K. In my search for rock bands, this one stood out, As Everything Unfolds. The six-piece band from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England has been blowing people's minds at their live gigs. I will admit when I heard their song Wallow I was blown away. It was a full-frontal wall of

Aquiles Navarro

Aquiles Navarro

Jazz trumpeter, Aquiles Navarro is an exciting jazz artist to keep your eyes on. He is not only a musician but also a DJ and mixes jazz with music from his Panamanian heritage of salsa, reggae, and folkloric music. The groove created will make you want to get up and dance. He studied jazz trumpet in his native Panama and when he arrived in the U.S. he studied and graduated with a degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Master's degree from the Unive

Puma Blue

Puma Blue

Jazz is an ever-evolving music genre and today more and more artists are mixing certain music genres that were unheard of before. All in all, there are now over 50 jazz styles, and more keep being added. This jazz multi-instrumentalist has added another style, lo-fi R&B jazz. He goes by the name Puma Blue real name Jacob Allen and he's been making his rounds in the London jazz scene. "Music was always played around the house and in the car," says Puma Blue which first had him