Billy Jones, blues guitar:
This blues bandleader, who sings and plays guitar and calls his music "bluez," began releasing his own compact discs in 2001. When Billy Jones substituted a "z" for an "s," he was not trying to make the name of his beloved genre closer to the way a drunken bar patron might pronounce it at the end of the night. Rather, "bluez" is all about being independent from the big-time music business, a stance more often taken by indie rockers. While in reality even the biggest blues labels are nothing but small independents, these firms still represent too big a clique for Jones, who prefers issuing material on his own Cyborg-Blue imprint.

Though apparently not documented on many available recordings, Jones' involvement with blues goes back to his childhood. He was supposedly considered something of a prodigy, studying with artists such as Little Johnny Taylor, Rufus Thomas, and Larry Davis, among others. When he became a teenager he hit the road, musically hitting a variety of styles in the bands of the beautiful Chaka Khan, the tasty Chocolate Milk, and the rhythmically astute Bar-Kays. This background certainly ought to supply him with the goods to create a contemporary vision of roots music. He sees himself as part of a new movement in this genre, described colorfully as follows in his own promotional material: "...it ain't your grampa's music, or that same ol' predictable stuff that you may find at big corporate labels...But then...what do these 'fat cat' record company guys know about what's happening on the streets right now?" ...

Jay Azzolina: Jay grew up in Meriden Connecticut in a family whose musical diet primarily consisted of Frank Sinatra , Jack Jones, The Beatles and every other British rock group. At age seven, Jay began taking trumpet lessons from his dad (along with a few years of piano). At around eleven, he got his hands on a harmony guitar from his dad's music store and gradually made the switch from brass to strings. After high school, Jay spent a year at the Hartt School Of Music studying classical guitar with Alan Spriestersbach and Dick Provost before moving to Boston and attending the Berklee College Of Music. While in Boston, Jay had the good fortune of studying with Mick Goodrick, Charlie Banacos and Pat Metheny.

After leaving Boston in 1981, Jay moved to New York and entered a multitude of musical settings. His first gig in New York was with violinist Michael Urbaniak, ushering in the next several years of playing fusion music. During this time Jay worked and recorded with Harvie Swartz, and later Spyro Gyra, which earned him a Grammy nomination. In 1989, Jay recorded his first C.D. as a leader entitled Never Too Late, produced by Teo Macero on Antilles New Directions. During this time, the versatile guitarist was also working and recording with artists such as Dave Samuels, Kenny Werner, Fred Hersch, Jeff Beal, David Mann, Ron McClure, Herbie Mann, Chuck Mangione, Jerry Bergonzi, Marc Copeland and singers Michael Franks, Donna Summer, The Manhattan Transfer, Carly Simon and Rickie Lee Jones.

In 1995 Jay received a Masters of fine arts degree from the Conservatory Of Music At Purchase NY. During this time he studied composition with Edgar Grana and began teaching at the Conservatory as well as at Manhattanville College.

In 1997, Jay became a member of the John Patitucci band. This group afforded Jay the opportunity to play more expansive music in the acoustic jazz setting. The groups that John put together for tours were always great, especially the one in Mexico City which included Chris Potter and Adam Nussbaum. In January of 2000, Jay recorded his second C.D.entitled Past Tense on Doubletime Records, which included performances by Patitucci, Potter, and Nussbaum, along with pianist Charles Blenzig and singers Jill Azzolina and Julie Eigenberg. This recording of seven original songs was produced by both Azzolina and Patitucci, marking a new period of playing and writing for Jay ...

Smooth Jazz with Patrick Yandall, in San Diego, California. Premiere musician with a sound and flavor all of his own. Unique, vibrant, fresh and versatile.
Over the years, Patrick Yandall has built a enviable reputation as the consummate working musician. But, to quote Patrick, "recording (my own) albums is truly what I live for". The San Diego based guitarist recently released From the Ashes, his fifth solo cd. The project is dedicated to all the families that lost their homes in the fires in and around San Diego just last year. Yandall himself was forced to evacuate although his home was spared. Hence the title of the album. With the support of several top-shelf players, including Scott Wilkie, Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), Kimo Cornwell (Hiroshima), Randy Brecker, and Jason Weber; Yandall delivers what is arguably his most consistent and finest effort to date ...

The official website of Meredith Brooks.
The contagious, bright eyed smile on the cover of Meredith Brooks' long anticipated Kissing Booth Music/SLG Records debut Shine beautifully reflects the triumphant spirit of the singer/songwriter's life, both personally and professionally, in 2004.

The artist who electrified the world-and established herself as an undeniable creative force in a new generation of female rockers--with her multi-platinum disc Blurring the Edges and its worldwide hit single "Bitch" became a mother to baby Troy in July. She continues to thrive as a producer (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hilary Duff), and recently signed up and coming teen rock singer Bec Hollcraft to her production company/label Kissing Booth Music.

Best of all to her eager fans, Brooks' solo career gets back in full swing in late September, with the release of Shine and its inspirational title track, chosen by none other than popular TV therapist Dr. Phil for a series of on air TV spots and the anthem for the new season of his show.

Chosen by Dr. McGraw from among hundreds of submissions because it fit the forward thinking, triumph over adversity philosophy of the show, the song's message also reflects Brooks' attitude towards her own survival in the music industry. Earlier label trouble prevented the twelve track collection from reaching its rightful audience for the last couple of years, but Brooks never gave up on her belief that a good song will always get its due. This is truly her chance to "Shine."

"In the song, I say, 'When there's nothing but no, and there's nowhere to go, you find a way'...and I did," she says. "Thanks to this extraordinary opportunity with Dr. Phil, both 'Shine' and the other songs are being given a chance in a new format which perfectly fits where my life is at these days," she says. "My hope is that they will touch people of all ages and life experiences across the board. My life is in a good place now, and the songs have an even deeper meaning to me than when I first wrote them. I was in a slightly different emotional space then, but I had the knowledge that whatever struggles I was going through, I would ultimately come through them and thrive. Life is always about change, good and bad, and my songs are very self-reflective. I knew I'd be rising up to those challenges, and now I have. Now I want to keep having fun and moving forward."

Shine opens with the sizzling, anthemic title track before moving into the crisp rock edges of "Crazy," a colorful statement about asserting one's independence. The blistering, hard grooving "Lucky Day" has a catchy singalong feeling and will no doubt inspire listeners to stand up to a controlling lover. The wistful and optimistic "Where Lovers Meet" offers rich rays of romantic hope, while "Bad Bad One" is a dark, moody exercise in deep self-analysis. "You DonÕt Know Me," which ruminates over the fallout from a hard breakup, begins with a mystical intro featuring filtered vocal and sonic effects. Touches of bluesy twang and funky hip-hop cool fuel the playful upbeat rapture of "Pleasure," which is balanced perfectly by (what else?) "Pain," about the harsh consequences of holding on to a love that still hurts. "Walk Away's" sharp hip-hop scratches echo Brooks' declaration that she's leaving a relationship gone sour, while "Your Name" is a good old fashioned brooding rocker that lets the listener's imagination take control of the plot. Concluding the set are folk meets alt rock tinged "High" and "Stand," a spiritual, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"-type expression of steadfast loyalty that could follow in Shine's footsteps as an inspirational anthem. Shine also includes a Dr. Phil remix of the title track.

The delay between the recording and release of 'Shine'-follow up to her 1999 release Deconstruction--gave the Corvallis, Oregon native a chance to step out as a first call record producer and develop her own production company, Kissing Booth Music, and a growing indie label with that name. In an era where hit albums are made by committee and multiple production teams are the norm, Brooks harkened back to the old days by producing every track of singer/actress Jennifer Love Hewitt's breakthrough project Barenaked, whose Top 30 title song was one 2002's most memorable hits.

She also co-wrote and produced "Party Up," from teen sensation Hillary Duff's 2003 album Metamorphosis, and did tracks with the up and coming Texas based Barefoot, which Brooks describes as "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young by way of Matchbox 20." The first artist signed exclusively to Kissing Booth is 15 year old Bec Hollcraft, and the two are currently in the midst of recording her debut album ...

Evan Hirschelman: Contemporary guitarist and composer, who who fuses classical guitar with other styles. This site includes audio, sheet music, profile, etc ...