This Latin jazz project has developed with the musical influence of musicians from different regions coming together to form Los Gatos. The members of Los Gatos have played with Latin Jazz Project, Latin Heat, and Solazo. Their performances take the listener on a trip to distant lands. They draw on a repertoire including traditional African rhythms, Carribbean influences and traditional song forms. This group seamlessly melds this with traditional jazz, being one of the original American-born music idioms. The group also presents music education programs, enlightening audiences about Latin music and the fusion of styles and influences, from Spain, Africa, and New Orleans.

www.losgatos.cc

Born in 1984 Esperanza Spalding, bassist, singer and composer, began playing in small jazz and blues venues around her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Soon she joined “Noise For Pretend,” an eclectic jazz and pop fusion band for which she sang and played bass. The group signed with Hush Records, which released two albums of their original compositions. Spalding continued to branch out, playing with the jazz groups as well as leading her own septet, trio. In 2002 she joined the hip-hop group Black Science Tribe, which gained a sizable following touring along the West Coast.

Since moving to the East Coast, she regularly works as a freelance bassist, and singer locally and internationally. Spalding has worked with such notable jazz artists as Michel Camilo, Dave Samuels, Mark Walker, Byron Stripling, Regina Carter, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Pat Matheny, Bill Stewart, Teri-Lynn Carrington, Adam Rogers, Seamus Blake, Patti Austin, and performed solo singing and playing as the opening act for Bill Cosby. Spalding has toured with Joe Lovano, performing music from his Grammy award winning album “All for You”, and Patti Austin playing music from Austin's Grammy nominated album “For Ella”. The “for Ella” tour, which again launched in 2004 included performances in New York's Prestigious Lincoln Center, and the Lugano Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

This Louisiana-native brings a Creole sound to the stage with his infectious singer songwriter artistry. Since starting his music career as a young teenager, Simien has contributed to music, film, and non-profit charities. His first release, “Zydeco on the Bayou ” hit stores in 1990. The compilation garnered critical acclaim and Simien's success continued to soar throughout the next decade with several other releases, including “There’s Room For Us All ”, “Positively Bedheads”, and “The Tribute Sessions.”

As Simien evolves to create a fusion of sound like no other, both critics and fans agree that he is taking his beloved zydeco music to a new level and into a larger music world, the celebrating circles of American roots music. He continues to raise the standards for his genre by establishing himself as a formidable songwriter and an absolutely astonishing singer, who evokes comparisons to Sam Cooke and Aaron Neville.

www.terrancesimien.com

The new age of funk is born with this group's flavorful combination of instrumentation and vocals. Fronted by Ivan Neville of the famous Neville musical family, the band's music incorporates drops of Sly and the Family Stone and Meter-esque jams as well as other diverse influences into a spicy musical gumbo. Dumpstaphun’'s brand of New Orleans deep fried funk has them heralded as the most hypnotic and riveting band to come out of New Orleans in many decades. The group performed on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2005 and have headlined New Orleans venues such as Tipitinas, and The Howlin’ Wolf. The band won the 2005 Big Easy Award as New Orleans’ “Best Funk Group.”

Members include Ivan and Ian Neville, Raymond Weber, Nick Daniels, and Tony Hall. Each has a broad musical background, performing with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Harry Connick, Jr., and John Mayer, to name a few.

www.dumpstaphunk.com

This local Gospel great has been enchanting audiences with her soulful voice and magnetic stage presence for years. She has performed and recorded music throughout the triangle and the country, moving listeners with her melodies. In addition to having her voice featured in a number of commercials, TV programs, and films, Ms. Sorrell has performed and recorded with several world-renowned recording artists including Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Norman Connors, Cece Winans, and Daryl Coley. She has appeared in Cary’s Pops in the Park for the last three years and was featured with the NC Symphony as their guest soloist. In addition to her musical resume, Ms. Sorrell has made an impact in the local education system by counseling children in the area of mental help through her work with Easter Seals.

www.rozlynsorrell.com

At age 11, Cyril Lance’s mom brought home a $17 guitar and a book of Bob Dylan lyrics that has sent him on a journey that he is still on today. His childhood growing up in Hawaii, the great Muddy Waters and Kenny Burrell have proved to be pivotal influences in his music for the past 25 years. Lance has performed and recorded with such greats as Johnny Neel, CJ Chenier, Katherine Whalen, and others. Currently at work on his third album which is said to be “roots-blues music infused with Lance’s electric slide and lap-steel playing—this is a must have album for any blues lover.”

www.dogtalkmusic.com

MISSION: ON MARS’ World Electronic soundtrack mixes live Breakbeat rhythms, Indian sitar melodies, space-jazz guitar, and Middle-Eastern drones into a funk-chilled crater of moon walking beats. Sci-fi fans revel and dream what could be possible one day. The mission crew consists of Neel Murgai, Vin Scialla, Dave Ullmann, and Joe Ashlar.

MISSION: ON MARS, has been featured in many outdoor festivals such as PS 1 “Warm Up” Series (NY), CMJ Music Marathon (NYC), the JVC Jazz Festival (NYC), Sono Arts Festival (CT), and the The Art Wallah: Festival (Los Angeles, CA). MISSION: ON MARS has created the multi-media monthly Liftoff! series at Knitting Factory in NYC. The group has provided tracks for a diverse array of producers & artists including Bellyqueen, Inverse Cinematics, Trixie, and Alexi Delano. Members have worked with Yo Yo Aa’s Silk Road Project and Bill T. Jones.

This New York City group leaps into 2007, fresh off their Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album.” For more than a decade, this legendary group of musicians has improvised and refined the stylistic crosspollination of funk, jazz, house, Latin, hip hop, rock and every party-inducing sound in between. Their recent Grammy nomination is an acknowledgement of the band’s pioneering sound. Members include Jonathan Maron, Barney Mcall, Fabio Morgera, Jay Rodriquez, Chris Theberge, and Genji Siraisi.

The band has toured Japan with BB King, Europe with Fred Wesley, Canada with the Dave Matthews Band, and recorded with Grammy winning Cuban pianist Chucho Valdez. The have backed the likes of Tupac Shakur (voted #2 all time live Hip Hop performance on MTV), Morcheeba, Don Cherry, Pharcyde and Natalie Merchant, and shared stages with some of the biggest names in music, including James Brown, Maceo Parker, Erykah Badu, Tito Puente, Issac Hayes, The Roots, Dave Matthews, Guru, Widespread Panic, Ben Harper, Bela Fleck, Roy Hargrove, Michael Franti, Hiram Bullock, and the list goes on. They have spread their New York City vibe across the globe, making stops at Switzerland’s Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Netherland’s North Sea Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Japan, and New Orleans’ Jazz Fest. This all-star cast of players hits hard, and hits funky.

www.groovecollective.com