Music FridayLive!

Salvador Santana  is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, composer, poet and activist. The son of ten-time Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana and poet/author/activist Deborah Santana, his music roots reach back to his maternal grandfather, Saunders King, an icon of American blues and his paternal grandfather, violinist and mariachi bandleader Jose Santana. Salvador  began playing piano at the age of five and became comfortable with other instruments in high school.  In 1999, he collaborated with his father on composing the Grammy-winning track "El Farol" on the album Supernatural. He has recently teamed up with CASA in Action and DEC Artists to create a campaign to tell immigrant stories from across the country and drive voter registration and activism to reform immigration laws.  

Ally Venable, lead vocalist and guitarist of the powerhouse blues rock Ally Venable Band,started young, singing in church a child.  It was only recently, as a protégé of Lance Lopez,  that she found her passions: the guitar, blues, and rock.  She formed the band and never looked back.The Ally Venable Band  has become a powerhouse in the Lone Star State and Ally was named the 2014 and 2015 East Texas Female Guitarist of the Year. Joined by bassist, Bobby Wallace and classically trained drummer Elijah Owings, it is easy to see why some people in the Texas blues community hear the future of blues when she plays.  Now on tour in Texas, we are proud to introduce her to an international audience.

Militia Vox , aka the Dark Diva and the Black Queen of Metal is ferocious, badass, loud,  honest, existential, hardworking and beautiful.  A multimedia genius in film, music, concert production, film soundtracks and television she delivers a message of power, confidence, rebellion A classically trained pianist since the age of 7, MilitiaV grew up to become the central figure in bands including Judas Priestess , Swear On Your Life, and Disciples of Astaroth before  going  solo in 2013. Named one of  the nation’s “Ten Fiercest Black Female Rockers,” Militia Vox’s album, BAIT and single  Vow garnered high praise from critics and fans alike.  Her new EP, ISOSCELES, released September 3, promises to continue her momentum and thrill her fans.

The central California-born pop artisti Omar Alhindi,started his music career signing with Tyme Records at only fifteen years old. An emotional storyteller, he combines unforgettable pop melodies with experiences pulled from his own life. His debut record, a project that’s soaked up his creativity and determination for four years, is blissed out with hip-hop beats and synthy pop melodies that earworm their way into your memory with just one listen. With each track, he aims to come from a positive place, taking even the most heartbreaking moments and turning them into uplifting experiences of growth and hopefulness. His newest single, “Dance All Night” is a Sean Kingston inspired, summer celebration that was tailored for radio play. As the first single off his upcoming record, set to be released in the fall of 2016, it marks the beginning of a whole new era in Omar’s musical career.

Bob Malone has toured the world as a solo artist for two decades and has played keyboards with rock legend John Fogerty since 2011. His sound is a one of-a-kind hybrid of rock, blues, and New Orleans R&B, delivered with high-energy piano virtuosity and a voice all his own. Currently based in Los Angeles, he still plays with Fogerty’s band  plus an average of 100 solo shows a year.  Malone has shared stages with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Rickie Lee Jones, The Neville Brothers, Rev. Al Green, among others.

Toronto-born, LA-based ARI finds healing and her unapologetic voice in music. Her education is in psychology but her art is music that deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from entrancing alternative pop to gritty hip-hop production under a cover of electronic elegance. At the same time, the visceral lyrics transmit messages of hope as often as they ponder tragedy. Her sound comes to life in the middle. “There’s dark and light inside all of us,” she says. “Every opposite is a complement. You can’t have beauty without pain. You can’t have success without failure. You can’t have the ying without the yang. You accept yourself amidst those demons.”  Her album Tunnel Vision plays by its own rules, reflecting the meaning of her name – “eagle “ in Nordic and “lion” in Hebrew.  Together they make for one of the most interesting artists in the current music scene.

KC Porter is a Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning producer, composer and vocalist  based in Los Angeles  who has written or produced music for global stars like Ricky Martin, Celine Dion, Chaka Khan, Selena, Ozomatli, and Santana, among others.  Named  Latin Grammy  Producer of the Year in 2001 he has also penned songs and produced Grammy-nominated and awarded albums & singles for many top performers. His list of awards and credits is far too long for this short bio.  He has recently returned from playing and singing on a European tour 

Eljuri. Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, raised in New York City and recording with the independent label Manovill Records, Cecilia Villar Eljuri is a genre-fusing songwriter/singer/electric guitar player who blends the sounds and rhythms she heard from her mother’s piano, her father’s vinyl records, her siblings’ CD’s and from the clubs she frequented on Manhattan’s lower east side. She draws from both her S Latino and her Lebanese roots to produce songs and albums that have garnered awards from Billboard, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition and the 2015 Voiceless International Film Festival. Her original music has been heard in movie scores (Solitary Man, Snitch, Away from Here) and on internationally syndicated TV shows (NCIS LA, Dexter, ESPN, From Spain with Love, Privileged, One Night Stand with Annie Sibonney).

Karen Dezelle is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California who writes and sings acoustic indie folk songs that stand out from the crowd both musically and lyrically. She has played at SXSW music l and famed venues across the United States and UK, including the House of Blues, The Hotel Cafe, Hotel Utah, and The Bitter End. After the success of her 2013 and 2014 albums, Lost and Found and  Bloom, Unfold, Wither, Dezelle’s newest EP, Room For Two, pushes boundaries that are extremely personal and heartfelt even for her.  The result is superb music and we are delighted to have her back on the show (her last visit was 2014) and hear the new songs and the new successes.

American music is Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars .  Born out of the Delta dirt, they are rising high off the levee of traditionalism and into the future of Louisiana Music. Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars are a renowned, Grammy-nominated Louisiana band who have been performing worldwide at festivals and venues for over 20 years. It is the Louisiana band and it is celebrated not only for its infectious music and good times concerts, but for their authenticity in  performing or recording traditional Cajun and Creole indigenous music. The five guys who make up the band – Roddie, Eric Adcock. Chad Viator, Gary Usie and Chris French are all accomplished musicians, but they go beyond that to living and breathing the music of Louisiana. This is their first time on the show and it should be fun.  Hope you like the accordion!

Locos por Juana is a GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMYnominated bilingual band, most notably recognized for their energetic live performances and unique fusion ofLatin, Caribbean, and American rhythms, consisting of vocalist Itawe Correa, guitarist Mark Kondrat, drummerJavier Delgado, and bassist, David Pransky. Locos porJuana’s sound incorporates the beloved sounds of their heritage like Cumbia,Champeta and Afro-Colombian rhythms, musical influences from Miami and the Caribbean islands includingReggae, Raggamuffin, and Dub from Jamaica, along withRock ‘n roll, Funk and Hip-Hop. 

 Musician and cyclist Joanna Wallfisch was born in London to classical musician parents but learned early to go beyond boundaries. After completing her masters in jazz performance from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she moved to New York City where she independently released her debut solo album, Wild Swan, in 2011. Over the past five years, Joanna has toured or worked with renowned jazz artists like Wynton Marsalis and Dan Tepfer. She is promoting her new album, Gardens in My Mind on a cross-country, 10-city bike tour.  She will be arriving in LA her ukulele, her loop pedals and new songs.

Blake Morgan, co-headlining west coast tour with Janita, is doing 10 shows from Las Vegas to Seattle  and stops by while they are in LA.

Drummer Kevin Bowers comes by with songs from his new album, NOVA and we get to do some Latin dancing

Texas indie Americana and folk is what David Martinez does and he does it really well, with a little rock snuck in for good measure. A passionate, powerful and determined singer songwriter, Martinez is taking the Texas music scene by storm. He has played at the Texas Indie Fest, Texas Rockfest, and SXSW, with the among others plus toured  the state and nationally.  With a voice that can belt or croon smooth as glass, he is bringing a refreshing vibe to Texas in his new album, One More Time, produced by Leroy Miller. Now in Corpus Christie, it won’t long before we hear about him far beyond Texas.

Spark & Whisper is the musical collaboration of Anita Sandwina & Velvy Appleton, singer-songwriters/multi-instrumentalists from the SF Bay Area who met at the Strawberry Music Festival in Northern California, formed a trio, expanded to a band, changed names and produced two critically acclaimed albums, an east coast tour. Over  100 shows later, Appleton & Sandwina created Spark & Whisper and  released their debut album, “Spark & Whisper” to stellar reviews and strong radio play. The album launched the band into 3 years of solid gigging. They teamed up with producer Monica Pasqual of Blame Sally and released their second album, “Ghost Towns” which  was embraced by the acoustic/folk radio community and rose on 12 different Folk DJ’s “Top 10 Albums of 2013”.

Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat

Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat are the essence of down-home Texas blues inspired rock ‘n’ roll and roots music. They have been playing together for over twenty-two years, and become renowned for no-holds-barred approach to rock.  It is no wonder that the band has worked with noted producers Terry Manning (ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Stax Records), Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan) and Grammy Award-winning producer/songwriter Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, George Thorogood). Jim Suhler also plays as lead guitarist with George Thorogood & the Destroyers  and is a multiple nominee in the Dallas Observer Music Awards and is a  member of Buddy magazine’s “Texas Tornado Hall of Fame.”  

Jackie Venson

Texas-based Jackie Venson is a Berklee College of music classical music graduate who took up blues rock guitar and  blows the roof off every venue she plays in US or Europe.  Trained in classical piano, Venson has multi-instrumental chops plus a voice that can drip with sensual emotion or belt with blues.  Venson picked up the guitar shortly after graduating from Berklee and made the giant leap from classical music to the raw and gritty blues and never looked back.  Enthralled with music since the age of 8, this young singer/songwriter/musician  has a vibrant musical soul and  precise technical control of her instruments. She blends and bends Blues, Rock, R&B, Soul with her introspective lyrics into music that led to a Jackie Venson Day in Austin.

The nomadic and critically acclaimed Stick Against Stone is a phenomenon that defies categorization.  They produce a hybrid melodic mashup of horn-rich noir funk, ghostly dub ballads, pulsing samba flecked with Afrobeat juice and snarling post-punk rock energy. Their new album, INSTANT is their first true studio recording ever although they have been playing for over 30 years. A musical time-capsule 30 years in the making, its songs written in 1980 sound  fresh and on point today. INSTANT follows the release in 2014 of their cassette EP  “The Oregon Bootleg Tapes – Live” and is a welcome burst of innovation from one of the nation’s most creative music forces.  Will Kreth of the band joins us Friday as we play cuts that take us on a journey through the years and the minds of Stick Against Stone.

Vicky Hamilton is a Grammy Award-Winning music industry executive  who discovered, developed or managed the careers of bands like Guns 'N' Roses, Brett Michaels, and Mötley Crüe. Considered one of the most successful music executives in the industry, Vicky  served as an A&R executive at Geffen Records until 1992. She has also worked with famed manager Elliot Roberts at Lookout Management/ Vapor Records, before moving to Capitol Records as A&R consultant with Gary Gersh.  Her record label Small Hairy Dog released June Carter Cash’s  Grammy-winning album Press One.  Vicki currently owns Aesthetic V Management and Productions, developing and representing bands, artists and special projects.  She is currently producing the documentary Until the Music Ends with Slash along with other music film projects.