PLAYERS

Gerry Brown's musical journeys have culminated in extended musical relationships with legendary artists. His musical journey started with fellow school mate Stanley Clarke who introduces Gerry as a "Master Drummer" and the "first musician I ever played with". Gerry helped Stanley crafted the revolutionary 'School Days' recording which continues to inspire a new generation of drummers and bassists all over the world.
Gerry's versatile and musical objective point of views leads him to "serve the music". His long list of acomplishments has landed him on stages and recording studios with George Benson, Marcus Miller, Lionel Ritchie, John Lee, Sonny Fortune, Alfonso Johnson and Phillip Bailey. He also has worked with the NDR Big Band , Brothers Johnson, Roberta Flack, Joe Sample, Slide Hampton, Tom Harrell, Larry Coryell, Dave Samuels, Chuck Loeb and Chick Corea.

Deron Johnson didn't start playing the piano until the age of 16, when an injury ended a promising football career. By his early 20's he was already playing with Paula Abdul, and in 1991 he landed a spot in the Miles Davis band until Miles' death later that year. After stints with David Sanborn and Marcus Miller, he toured with Stanley Clarke in 1992, and then toured and recorded with the "Superband" featuring Stanley, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, and Najee.
In the late 90's, he formed the group "Behan Johnson" with Monica Behan. Later he toured extensively and recorded with Alanis Morrissette. Other stints came with Boz Scaggs and Robben Ford and Seal.

Website: http://www.myspace.com/deronjohnson

In 1981, during the encore of their show at the Front Row in Cleveland, George Duke and Stanley Clarke, as was their custom, called for musicians in the audience to come onstage and play with them. A youngster on keyboards put on a display that dazzled everyone, including the two stars. Under the headline "SENSATIONAL UNKNOWN MUSICIAN FOUND", a Cleveland newspaper reported on the nineteen year old who "stole the show."
Nick Smith eventually became a cornerstone in Stanley's band.
Nick has played with Kenny Garrett, Kirk Whalum, Eddie Harris, Dianne Reeves, Ronnie Laws, Gary Bartz, Donald Byrd, Eric Benet, Billy Higgins and George Howard.
A former member of the Tonight Show band, Nick wrote and co-produced Najee's "Morning Tenderness" in 1998, has composed music for many feature films including Disney's "The Color of Friendship", and scored music for TV projects, including the series "Soulfood."

Website: http://nicksmithmusic.com

Armand Sabal-Lecco is a virtuoso artist, composer, singer and internationally acclaimed bass superstar. His massive list of worldwide credits include Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Sir George Martin, Seal, Herbie Hancock, Christina Aguilera, Jeff Beck, Carole King, Brian Wilson, Ray Charles, Ringo Starr and Celine Dion.
Sabal-Lecco's compositions for John Pattitucci's "Another World" led to Grammy nominations in 1994, and he has been honored by the National Academy of Recording Artists and Sciences for his work on the Brecker Brothers Grammy Winner "Out of the Loop", as well as the hit 2002 Latin Grammy "Alejandro Sanz Unplugged".
"ASL" has also scored numerous motion pictures and commercial projects, and is currently recording and producing his new band, "The Rest of The World."

Mads Tolling grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark. Beginning his training as a classical violin player at the age of six, Mads later graduated from the prestigious Sankt Annae School, where he started playing jazz at the age of 16. During those years, Mads received 1st prize in both the prestigious Berlingske Tidendes Classical and Jazz Competitions. While still in high school, Mads appeared on the well known Danish TV series "The Spider," performing with several distinguished Danish jazz musicians. After leaving Denmark, Mads traveled to Boston, where he went on to receive his Bachelor of Music degree at the Berklee College of Music, graduating summa cum laude. During his three years there he studied with jazz violinist Matt Glaser, saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist JoAnne Brackeen, among others. He has received Sankt Annae's Award for Musical Excellence, as well as grants from Queen Margaret, the Sonning Foundation and the Berklee Elvin Jones Award. Mads has performed with Paquito D'Rivera, Joe Lovano, Al Di Meola, Lenny White, Gerry Brown and is currently a member of the renowned and Grammy nominated group, Turtle Island String Quartet. Mads has recorded 3 CDs of his original compositions, one of which features JoAnne Brackeen, and has recorded in a piano trio with vibraphonist Dave Samuels. Mads is also featured on singer Teena Marie's CD, "La Dona."

A native of Atlanta, Phil Davis is a successful producer and songwriter as well as a keyboardist extraordinaire. He has recorded and performed with Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Prince, Joe Sample, Michael McDonald, Philip Bailey, Sheila E., Will Downing, Rachelle Ferrell, Erykah Badu, Jennifer Holiday, and Jonathan Butler .

He produced and wrote for Alex Bugnon’s last two CD’s, was the Musical Director for "That Comedy Show" on Turner South, and song producer for Star Search on CBS for 2 years. He wrote both title tracks on Boney James' "Body Language" and "Pure" and wrote and performed on the new Boney James & Rick Braun CD, Shake It Up. Phil also served as a writer and producer for the late George Howard, and produced and performed on three tracks of Al Jarreau's CD "Tomorrow Today".

Throughout the first ten years of his career as a jazz violinist, Zach Brock has shunned conventional notions of his instrument's role in the jazz idiom.

The Chicago Tribune praised Zach's "rising stature as the rare jazz fiddler with something significant to say."

While working as bandleader, composer and producer, Brock still makes time to expand his resume, collaborating with an impressive roster of celebrated artists such as vocalist/pianist Patricia Barber, and drummer Dennis Chambers, as well as Alice Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette, Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, and Chris Potter, to name a few.

A native of Chicago, IL., Franklin Vanderbilt, Jr. grew up in a very musical family that cherished and believed in music. Franklin's father, himself musician , saw the early signs of a drummer in the young Franklin. He officially started playing drums at the age of five when he received his first Ludwig drum set.

A mostly self-taught musician, at fourteen as a freshman in high school, he started taking lessons on drums and other percussion instruments.

From age of seventeen, Franklin has performed with jazz great such as Ramsey Lewis, Willie Pickens, Kimo Williams, and Fred Anderson. In addition to this, he had the opportunity to perform at several Ravinia Jazz Festivals where he met renowned musicians such as Louie Bellson, Roy Haynes, Clark Terry, John Watson, Obert Davis, Marlene Rosenberg, and Joe Williams.

Franklin has also lead his own band The Franklin Vanderbilt Experience which performed at the 1998 Chicago Jazz Festival. In addition to touring with the Grammy-nominated acid jazz/hip hop group Liquid Soul, Franklin has continued his ascent, working with Chaka Khan, Chico Freeman and other renowned artists.

Maybe the only musician who can say that both his parents have toured and recorded with Stanley Clarke, his mom was actually on a gig with Stanley the day Jimmy Paxson Jr. was born. No longer an infant, Jimmy has toured and/or recorded with Stevie Nicks, Alanis Morissette, Edgar Winter, Robben Ford, Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose, Sophie B. Hawkins, Rod Stewart, Tony Hawk's Anarchy Orchestra and many more.

Jimmy's mother Sunnie Paxson played with Stanley throughout the 80's and appeared on the "Find Out" album and Jimmy's father Jim Paxson Sr. toured and recorded with Stanley and Mike Garson, including Garson's 1991 album "Admiration."

Drummer, producer and music director Charles Haynes originally hails from East St. Louis, IL. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he quickly became the first call drummer for many performances and recording sessions. Soon after, Charles was performing around the world with jazz legends including Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Cyrus Chestnut, Kevin Mahogany, Kenny Garrett and Patti LaBelle, among others.

Stanley recently played a concert in Chile with the best musicians of that country. After performing with bass player Christian Galvez, he immediately invited him to join the band.

Christian is a virtuoso of jazz, fusion, Chilean and Latin American rhythms and experimental music. He has played with the best musicians in Latin America, as well as Billy Cobham, Mike Stern, Iván Lins, Leni Andrade, and Fareed Haque. His albums include Christian Gálvez (2000) Cero (2002) Dinámica Solista (2004) Christian Gálvez Trio & Live (DVD 2005).

He has played on more than a hundred albums of Chilean and foreign artists and has performed all over the world.