Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley

QB3 is Christopher “Root” Heinz (drums), Fred Gerantab (guitar) and Emek Rave (bass), 3 friends and like minds from Queens, New York. The trio’s collective ability to mix solid grooves and melodies with masterful improvisation has gained quite a bit of attention just about everywhere they’ve set foot. Combining groove, funk, jazzy lines and and electronically influenced beats, the group nods to many different elements of their musical DNA from John Scofield to The Pixies, but it’s indisputable that QB3 has honed their own niche in this heavily saturated musical capital of the world.

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Since 1999, Sister Funk, a 5-piece all female band has been performing on national level playing their fresh funky originals and some of the best pop/rock/dance covers of yesterday and today. This Connecticut band has been friends with Joe Kelley Radio for over 20 years. They have been booked as the opening act for well-known national artists like Kellie Pickler, ZZ Top, Salt-N-Pepa, Maceo Parker & more.

During this appearance on Joe Kelley Radio, the members of Sister Funk (Peepa, Denise Troy, Jen Gallo and Amy Blaze) talk about their album "Gossip.

www.sisterfunk.com

Marlon Saunders is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Marlon teaches at Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU, The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, The Seamless Voice and was a former professor of voice at Berklee College of Music. Marlon has two solo recordings on his independent label, Black Honey Records: the improvisational A Groove So Deep: The Live Sessions and 2003's Enter My Mind. Marlon was co-founder of The Jazzhole, a New York based band, widely regarded as one of the key members of the acid-jazz movement. 

Marlon toured with Stevie Wonder on The Songs In The Key of Life Tour. He also served as the vocal contractor for Sam Smith, Bastille and most recently new pop/rock band Mondo Cozmo. Marlon has toured with Bobby McFerrin as a member of his vocal group, Voicestra. As a session and touring singer, he has worked with a variety of artists such as Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Sting, Darius Ruckert, Donald Brown, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Shawn, Nine Inch Nails, Jane Siberry, Shania Twain, Vanessa Williams, Julee Cruise, Sting, Martha Wash, Freddie Jackson, Jeffrey Osbourne, Tramaine Hawkins, Peabo Bryson, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Ronald K. Brown.

www.marlonsaunders.com

www.musiciansreveal.com

Born in the Bahamas, 25% French American citizen has been mixing and scratching since 1997. Known for proper electro, he produces tracks, and runs the critically acclaimed Kraftjerkz label played by DJs such as I-F, Helena Hauff, Danny Daze, Nina Kraviz, Solvent etc. He has had releases on Lost Soul Enterprises, Basement Floor, Hip Hop Slam, and La La Land. He is also touring turntablist for legendary funk group, Tom Tom Club touring in such places as North America, Japan, UK, and Western Europe.. His name has shared the credits with DJ Qbert, Shortkut, and DJ Quest on multiple compilations released by Bay Area label, Hip Hop Slam. He has also collaborated multiple times with Detroit's technobass pioneer, DJ Di'jital. In 1999 he produced an electrofunk megamix cassette distributed by Turntablelab and the famous Fat Beats nyc.

https://kraftjerkz.bandcamp.com/track/super-famikom-dijital-remix

http://soundcloud.com/kraftjerkz

Join Joe Kelley as he welcomes the renowned bassist and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Jay, known for his work with "Weird Al" Yankovic and his impressive solo career. Stephen discusses his recent double album releases, "El Natural Seven" and "Spontaneous Symmetry," highlighting the unique blend of world influences and innovative polyrhythmic grooves that define his music. With a career that includes collaborations with jazz legend Wayne Shorter and numerous Grammy-winning projects, Stephen shares insights into his creative process and the challenges of balancing touring with personal projects. He also reflects on the joy of performing in front of appreciative audiences and the magic of musical collaboration with his sons, who are also composers. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with musical anecdotes and a deep dive into the life of a versatile artist.

www.stephenjay.com

www.joekelleyradio.com

Takeaways:

• Stephen Jay discusses the creative process behind his dual album release this year.
• Despite busy touring schedules, musicians like Stephen find time for personal projects.
• The contrasting styles of Stephen's two albums showcase his versatility as a musician.
• Stephen shares insights about collaborating with notable artists like Wayne Shorter.
• His experiences working on PBS projects have expanded his creativity in composition.
• The upcoming tour with Weird Al Yankovic will feature more original music and less theatrics.

Joe Kelly welcomes the incredibly talented Stephen Jay, a bassist and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Weird Al Yankovic and his own innovative solo projects. In a lively conversation, they explore the creative process behind Stephen's two recent album releases, 'El Natural Seven' and 'Spontaneous Symmetry'. Stephen reveals that despite his extensive touring schedule with Weird Al, he has been able to carve out time to work on his music, showcasing his ability to balance performance and composition. Both albums represent distinct facets of his musical identity, with 'Spontaneous Symmetry' leaning towards experimental funk and instrumental pieces, while 'El Natural Seven' features vocals and a richer, more layered sound. Stephen also discusses the inspiration behind his tracks, including a unique collaboration with his son, Miles, highlighting the familial connection to his music.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• WVOF
• Weird Al Yankovic
• PBS
• RIAA

Courtney C. Patty and Jennifer Yax were on an East Coast tour and were kind enough to visit the "Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley" podcast studios. Listen as Joe Kelley finds out all about these two amazing singer-songwriters.

Jay-Double-You!, a.k.a., James Wright, was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.  He worked for several years in recording studios with the likes of producer Don Davis and artists’ Bernie Worrell; Johnnie Taylor; and George Clinton and his Parliament Funkadelic road show favorites, Parlet and Brides of Funkenstein. Most notably, Jay-Double-You! was the original band leader and drummer of Parlet, and in fact, was responsible for bringing the musicians together to form the group.

After his experience with Parlet, Jay-Double-You! decided to pursue a solo career, concentrating both on writing and performing. He established his own record label/publishing company, “Talking Music” (BMI) - under which all of his recordings to date have been produced, released, published and distributed.

www.joekelleyradio.com

NYC guitarist John Richard visited Joe Kelley Radio to talk about his CD "Coming Of Age". He delved heavily into his upbringing of his guitar playing in jazz, funk and rock.

Recorded in August 2002

Zapp band member Bigg Robb stopped by Joe Kelley Radio for an engaging interview. Bigg Robb talked about his solo career, touring as a member of Zapp, the legendary food backstage food fight between Prince and The Time, and Jerome Benton's influence on him.

Brooke R. Calder and Jason Hollis of The Red Hour just visited the Joe Kelley Radio studios. The Minneapolis femme-forward darkwave duo recently released a seven track maxi-single of "Cracks". You can go to https://theredhour.bandcamp.com/releases to hear it.