Mellow In May

Harvey Mason : You will have only begun to scratch the surface by identifying the masterful Harvey Mason as just a drummer. Yes, his precision time keeping and versatility have placed him among THE most in-demand and most recorded session drummers of all-time. Yes, his tumbling tom-tom fills and the lickity slick synchronization between his hi-hat cymbals, snare and bass drums are instantly recognizable signatures. Yes, he’s been hired by everyone from Barbra Streisand to James Brown to Mary J to Herbie Hancock to Jennifer Hudson to Frank Sinatra to John Legend to the London Symphony Orchestra. Yes, he has won four 1st place plaques from Modern Drummer magazine’s annual studio poll and has been the first call drummer for the Academy Awards ceremonies on 25 occasions.

Wayne Armond : Best known as the lead singer of the seminal reggae band Chalice, Wayne Armond began his music career in the 1970s during his high school years as a member of the Hell’s Angels. During this time he supported a number of leading Jamaican artists in performance, among them: the Wailers, Ken Boothe and Delroy Wilson. In 1978, he joined Byron Lee and the Dragonaires as guitarist, forming Chalice two years later in 1980. With Chalice, he wrote and recorded a number of hits including “I Still Love You,” “Good To Be There,” and “Revival Time.” After Chalice, Mr. Armond toured the world for six years as a guitarist with reggae icon Jimmy Cliff.

Jane Monheit : An extraordinarily gifted jazz vocalist whose sincere and romantic interpretations of exceptional songs has made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds, Monheit has garnered numerous accolades in the past decade. Her first album, Never Never Land, was voted top debut recording by the Jazz Journalist’s Association and stayed on the Billboard Jazz chart for over a year. Subsequent albums either charted high, or in several cases, debuted at number one, and yielded two Grammy nominations in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals category, recognizing the work of Vince Mendoza on 2002’s In The Sun and 2004’s Taking A Chance On Love.

Simón Díaz : Celebrated singer and composer of Venezuelan music, whose work is regarded as one of the most important legacies for both Venezuelan and Latin American popular music. Simón Díaz is known foremost for his recovery of the songs of the Venezuelan plains. He was convinced that these were a unique music and he devoted himself to studying, composing and disseminating them. He succeeded in turning the songs of the Venezuelan plains into an authentic musical genre performed by such great artists as Argentina’s Mercedes Sosa, Brazil’s Caetano Veloso, Spain’s Joan Manuel Serrat, Puerto Rico’s Danny Rivera, and Venezuelans Franco De Vita, Soledad Bravo and José Luis Rodríguez, among others. Also, renowned conductors and composers of academic music have incorporated Simón Díaz’ songs in their orchestral and choral arrangements, thus signaling the universal nature of this musical genre.

Loreena Mckennitt : “Some of these interests are knit deeply into my daily life and our work at Quinlan Road, as I think it’s important to give to and be part of our greater communities. In 1998, I started the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, when three people very dear to me – Ronald Rees, Richard Rees and Gregory Cook – perished in a boating incident not far from where I live. Thanks to the generosity of friends and families in Stratford and around Canada and the world, we’ve been able to support a range of initiatives involving water safety education as well as search, rescue and recovery exercises. I cannot tell you how inspiring it has been for me to get to know the wonderful, dedicated people working in this area, many of whom go out to risk their lives on our behalf every day.””Some of these interests are knit deeply into my daily life and our work at Quinlan Road, as I think it’s important to give to and be part of our greater communities. In 1998, I started the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, when three people very dear to me – Ronald Rees, Richard Rees and Gregory Cook – perished in a boating incident not far from where I live. Thanks to the generosity of friends and families in Stratford and around Canada and the world, we’ve been able to support a range of initiatives involving water safety education as well as search, rescue and recovery exercises. I cannot tell you how inspiring it has been for me to get to know the wonderful, dedicated people working in this area, many of whom go out to risk their lives on our behalf every day.

Rossella Caporale : Ha pubblicato due lavori discografici per Baraonna, distribuiti dalla Sony Music : Baraonna (1994) e Scacco Matto (1997). Due da solista per la Velut Luna : E’ Teretuppete (2002) con Giovanni Mellone (chitarra) e Roberto Dani (percussioni). Making Whopee (2006) con L’Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto e il M° Oscar Del Barba. Vive a Padova dove insegna musica e canto. Dirige il coro polifonico “A boghe Isparta” del Circolo Culturale Sardo “Eleonora D’Arborea”. Mamma per tre volte, moglie per una, sorella per cinque, figlia per due, zia per due, cugina per diciassette.

Fabiola José : Cantante venezolana formada entre la academia y la tradición popular. Es licenciada en música, mención canto lírico, del Instituto Universitario de Estudios Musicales de Caracas. Posteriormente realiza sus estudios de especialización con el maestro Tom Krause en la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía en España. Se ha desarrollado en el ámbito lírico actuando junto a los maestros Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Manuel Hernández-Silva, Alfredo Rugeles, Antonio Delgado, Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Colin Davis, Jesús López-Cobos, entre otros.

Alex Bugnon : Contemporary jazz keyboard player Alex Bugnon, nephew of trumpeter Donald Byrd, grew up going to the Montreux Jazz Festival in his hometown in Switzerland. He attended the Paris Conservatory of Music for two years, then moved to the U.S. and went to the Berklee School of Music, meanwhile performing as an accompanist to gospel groups. He spent four years working as a session musician in New York, backing urban and jazz performers such as Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson, James Ingram, and Keith Sweat. Signed to Orpheus Records, he released his debut album, Love Season, in 1989. It reached the pop charts and the Top 40 of the R&B charts, as did its follow-up, 1990’s Head Over Heels. Subsequent releases — 107 Degrees in the Shade (1991), This Time Around (1993), and Tales From the Bright Side (1995), the last on RCA Records — all placed in the R&B charts. After five years away from recording under his own name, Bugnon signed to the jazz division of Narada Records, which marketed him as a jazz artist, and his sixth album, Alex Bugnon…

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