The current Basie ensemble is uniquely equipped to render this distillation. One reason is the remarkable continuity of personnel that continues to connect the past to the present in the band. There are five permanent members in the current Basie Band who played under Count Basie's personal leadership.This is no exercise in nostalgia, however. Over its history, the Basie Orchestra... read full bio
Alonzo Bodden is an American comedian and actor who is best known for winning the third season of the television series “Last Comic Standing” and being runner-up in season two. He also later came back to Last Comic Standing to be a talent judge in the fifth season. Bodden is a regular on NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” and... read full bio
Big Daddy Kane is a Brooklyn, New York MC who undisputedly defined the term lyricist in the world of hip-hop. Along with the lyrical ingenuity he brought to the genre, he also introduced innovative live performances, which consisted of theatrics, choreography, and tailored costumes, proving that Big Daddy Kane was not only an MC, but also a full on entertainer.... read full bio
"A native Californian, Gerald Albright grew up in South Central Los Angeles. After high school, he attended the University of Redlands where he received a B.S. degree in Business Management, minoring in Music. Immediately after college, Albright began to master his talent by working extensively in the studio with such artists as Patrice Rushen, Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Jr., Lola Folana,... read full bio
Traveling the country performing in clubs, churches, prisons, colleges, The Apollo Theater and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Gilbert Esquivels dream of becoming a stand up comedian has come true. Growing up working in the fields with his parents, moving continuously from city to city and getting involved in gang violence, he eventually decided to redirect his life in a... read full bio
One of the most successful and sought-after corporate acts in the entertainment sector is The Passing Zone. Owen Morse and Jon Wee's incredible journey as a team started in 1986 when they met at a juggling convention and immediately realized how well they worked together. Although they initially intended to finish their undergraduate degrees in Economics and Psychology, their actual... read full bio
Awarded two Grammys as the best jazz vocalist, twice played the White House and her recordings top the charts. She was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie who brought her on stage at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival. Stan Getz became her mentor. Vocalist/pianist Diane Schuur is as eclectic as she is brilliant. A longtime disciple of Dinah Washington and... read full bio
Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20, 1968), known by stage name Kool G Rap, is an American hardcore rapper from Queens, New York City.He is from the Corona section of Queens. He began his career with the Juice Crew in the 1980s but achieved little commercial success. Wilson began working with DJ Polo in 1986, releasing several underground hit singles including... read full bio
The Artie Shaw Orchestra, under the direction of Matt Koza, hews to the Shaw legacy, and continues with the time-tested formula that has always pleased a full spectrum of audiences for over 60 years; from the Begin the Beguine" fans of yesteryear to the new jazz fans who want to imbibe in an exciting and heady evening of Swing. Shortly... read full bio
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. When you combine his solo recordings with those of his brothers, Gatlin has had a total of... read full bio
Actress and playwright Annie Korzen had the recurring role of Doris Klompus on Seinfeld, as well as numerous other television and feature film appearances. Ms. Korzen has also worked Off- Broadway and written several screenplays in the romantic comedy genre. Annie’s solo show, Yenta Unplugged, unplugs the myths and stereotypes that plague Jewish women. It played to rave reviews and... read full bio
The story of Mexicos Le Butcherettes begins with the self-made Kiss & Kill EP, which rapidly attracted the media and listeners, many of who became loyal fans. A year later, the independent/underground industry of Mexico acknowledged their work, awarding them the title of Best Punk Record and Best New Artist at the Indie-O Awards. That same year, the music of... read full bio
David Beaty is an American football coach who has most previously worked as a consultant for the University of Texas. Beaty was born in Garland, Texas, and he began his career first playing football as a wide receiver at Lindenwood University. After graduating, Beaty went on to begin his career as a coach first working as the assistant coach for... read full bio
Chris Mann is an American singer-songwriter from Wichita, Kansas. He rose to fame after finishing in fourth place on the second season of the reality television series “The Voice”. During the show Mann performed songs from artists such as Coldplay, Andrea Bocelli, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and more. Mann graduated from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music... read full bio
Together Caryl and Marilyn made women feel good about themselves by using honesty, loads of humor and sharing their children’s escapades to help other mothers feel like they weren’t alone. The Mommies live comedy show quickly turned into an NBC sitcom, followed by the popular Showtime special My Kid Beat Up Your Honor Student. The duo then hosted the... read full bio
There's a reason Rabbi Bob Alper's segments are played multiple times a day on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, frequently in between Bob Newhart and Jerry Seinfeld: With an ordained rabbi background and a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary, Bob's unique background prepared him well for a twenty-seven-year comedy career filled with wonderfully unique material presented in an intelligent, sophisticated, and 100%... read full bio
Caryn Bark is a writer, playwright, comedian, essayist, comedienne, and novelist. The critically acclaimed one-woman performance Diary of a Skokie Girl, which she created and performed, has played to sold-out crowds in Winnipeg Jewish Theater in Canada as well as in Chicago, Kansas City, Little Rock, and Phoenix. She has worked for HBO and Comedy Central, starred on Girls' Nite... read full bio
David Kopay is an American former professional football running back who played in the NFL and was known for being one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay. Kopay was born in Chicago, Illinois, and he began his career playing football in high school before going on to play college football at the University of Washington where... read full bio
For fifteen years Reckless Kelly has been doing things their way, bucking the mainstream system and playing by their own rules, straddling the fence between country and rock as if they built it themselves. Throughout the years their old school approach to recording has always adhered to one main objective: make each record better than the last. Their latest effort,... read full bio
"Spirit of the West are a Canadian folk rock band from Vancouver. The were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which made them one of Canada's most successful alternative rock acts in the 1990s. In 2009 the Western Canadian Music Association inducted them into... read full bio
