Born into a musical family, Chicago native, Isaiah Sharkey, has always known that he would have a career in music. By the age of 14, Sharkey was performing in clubs and a few years later he had piqued the interest of music industry giants like The Isley Brothers, D’Angelo, for whom he won his first Grammy Award, John Mayer, Patti LaBelle and many others. Blending his background in rock, gospel, jazz, R&B, blues, and funk, Sharkey has created his own sound with an unmistakable dose of soul.
A two-time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and musician from Australia, she is a composer, instrumentalist, producer, vocalist and poet who approaches all of these self-taught disciplines with an intuitive, infectious grace which sent her on a journey to sculpt songs that have been received and treasured across the world. It is a world she has travelled many times over with her band Hiatus Kaiyote, who along with Nai Palm, have become household names since they first began playing together.
GRAMMY ® nominated singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham first picked up a guitar at age seven, and by the age of fifteen, decided to pursue her passion for songwriting, citing Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan as key inspirations. Fast forward to 2021, the California native has a GRAMMY nominated debut album Who Are You Now (Verve Forecast) under her belt, a follow-up EP Wednesday, a late-night TV debut performance, and is gearing up to headline her own tour this Fall.
Silvana Estrada sings from down deep, telling her soulful coming-of-age stories in a voice that embraces the legacy of Latin American song and carries it into the 21st Century. Called “one of Mexico’s greatest young talents and vocalists” by KCRW’s José Galvan, Silvana, who is 23 years old, is the new voice of a movement of independent female artists who have characterized Latin Alternative music over the past decade.
As the founding member and leader of the Grammy Award winning American rock band Wilco, and before that the cofounder of the alt‐country band Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy is one of contemporary music’s most accomplished songwriters, musicians, and performers.
Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. She lies beneath the script of human history transcending social divides with an offer of love and deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and a collective experience of belonging.
Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa. He is a virtuoso, innovator, stronghold of tradition all at the same time. He has collaborated with many musicians in and outside of Mali: He has shared the stages with the likes of Youssou N‘Dour, Ali Farka Toure, Bela Fleck, The Kronos Quartet, Taj Mahal, Eliades Ochoa, Damon Albarn, Michael League…
Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Caipi band is a diverse amalgamation of international music visionaries and prominently features Brazilian multi-instrumental prodigy Pedro Martins on guitar and voice. Alongside Martins, bassist Frederico Heliodoro and percussionist/drummer Antonio Loureiro form the “Brazilian Trio” within the Caipi band, pianist/singer Olivia Trummer, and Breastfist drummer Bill Campbell complete the ensemble.
Hailed as “the future of the trumpet” by Wynton Marsalis, the GRAMMY-winning musician performed onstage and in the studio with stars like Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Eminem, Maxwell, and Anthony Hamilton. He toured with the Count Basie and Roy Hargrove Big Bands, hit the road with Cirque du Soleil’s acclaimed ‘Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour,’ and won a GRAMMY for his trumpet performances in Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic ‘Miles Ahead.’
Gisela João Gomes Remelho is a Portuguese singer whose voice will simply take your breath away. A central figure in the new generation of Portuguese music, her electrifying vocals shine throughout her discography, from her 2013 self-titled debut album to 2016’s ‘Nua’. João’s latest album, ‘AuRora’, was released earlier this year, and presents the artist’s unique brand of authentic Fado repurposed with refreshing, contemporary sensibilities.
Pianist, singer, and composer Rachel Eckroth is more than a musical chameleon. Her shapeshifting is so astonishingly dramatic that there is no upper limit to her creative identity. She possesses a magical ephemeral creative style whether she’s accompanying on keys with stars such as St. Vincent or Rufus Wainwright; or producing dream pop for vocalist Sy Smith; or singing folk songs with guitarist David Garza; or ripping through a jazz standard as a talented piano improvisor.
Harmonica player Grégoire Maret, born in Geneva in Switzerland and harpist Edmar Castañeda from Bogota in Colombia are two remarkable musicians. Each of them came from his respective country as a callow teenager, and settled in New York and each has re-written the rule-book for his respective instrument, both of them unusual in jazz; Castañeda and Maret have re-defined what the harp and the harmonica are capable of….
Nearly a decade ago, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and 2021 GRAMMY® nominee Becca Stevens was approached with an intriguing concept: to reimagine a selection of her songs with string arrangements for a performance at San Diego’s illustrious Mainly Mozart Festival. The concert would also inspire a career-spanning passion project—one which blossomed alongside her relationship with Nathan Schramm member of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Attacca Quartet.
In August 2020, amid the seemingly insurmountable restrictions of a global pandemic, five unique musical spirits gathered in the stunning countryside of western Portugal to record an album together. Living and working under one roof, Justin Stanton, Gisela João, Michael League, Louis Cato, and Becca Stevens were led by one simple guideline: that each participant must co-write a song with one another. The result is Mirrors: a dynamic and introspective collection of songs.
Multiple Grammy Award winner Shaun Martin is well known for his work with Kirk Franklin and as a key member of Snarky Puppy, his creative stamp can be heard on projects with musical legends Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Fred Hammond, Tamela Mann, Kim Burrell, God’s Property, and more. In constant demand, Shaun is currently working on multiple projects with his long term goal of creating a fine arts academy to continue the circle of musical nourishment that thrives on the Dallas scene.
Jamison Ross is a GRAMMY-nominated Soul artist whose music emanates from the intersection of R&B, gospel, and blues supported by modern production – contemporary Soul. Jamison’s most recent project is his first Affective Music release and is influenced by some of history’s greatest Soul singers, including Marvin Gaye, Rance Allen, and Al Green.
Mark Lettieri is a GRAMMY-winning guitarist, composer, producer, and instructor based in Fort Worth, TX. Best known for his work with leading instrumental bands Snarky Puppy and The Fearless Flyers, he also composes and produces guitar instrumental music under his own name. Proficient in a multitude of styles, he has recorded and performed in virtually every genre of popular music with both independent and major-label artists.
