LL Cool J
Curtis has been a fan of LL Cool J since the start of his multi-faceted career, so it was quite a treat when the man himself visited the Wednesday night Jam and The Lazy Lounge in White Plains this past week.
LL Cool J started out as a rapper gracing the world with such hits as "Around the way girl", "Doing It" and "Mama said knock you out". He has gone on to prove himself as actor in several movies and now stars in "NCIS Los Angeles" as Agent Hannah.
Our impression of LL Cool J was this... friendly, gracious, attentive and of course... COOL!!
Hey... you never know who's going to stop by our little jam!!
Click here to visit LL Cool J's official website
Matt King
Matt King is a piano genius!! We could stop right there, because that's really all that we need to say, but we'll still give you some background on him.
Matt King began his piano studies when he was 5, and was playing professionally by age 14. He is a Composition Fellowship recipient from the NJ State Council on the Arts, and was a Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition semi-finalist. In addition he was the winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 2000. Matt is also currently keyboardist and musical director for the distinguished jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb. In 1996 Matt and his trio released "Welcome, Christmas" - a wonderful, timeless jazzy Christmas album.
With his trusted NY Times crossword in hand, Matt always shows up to a gig with a smile on his face and delivers like no one else! His sharp wit never fails and his Ethel Merman impression will leave you in stitches.
Nicole Hart
Beautiful, talented, sweet, kind, fabulous, an amazing friend... oh, we could come up with so many more wonderful words to describe Nicole Hart!!
Nicole's career has been so vast, that there's no way we can fit it all in this little spotlight. This Southern Belle is an incredible singer with a truly strong spirit. She has made her mark on the Blues, Roots, Soul & R&B scene most famously with her critically acclaimed CD "Treasure". She lights up any venue with her infectious smile and her crisp voice. Every performance comes from the heart - what else could you possibly want?
Curtis and Nicole's voices meshed from the first time they spontaneously sang together - it was just magic. We always look forward to the rare gig where they get to recreate that magic.
Nicole surrounds herself with warm and loving friends - Curtis considers himself honored to be one of those people.
For more information about Nicole:
www.reverbnation.com/nicolehartband
Joe Piteo
Joe Piteo is by far one of Curtis' favorite drummers to share a stage with.
By the age of 15, Joe was performing in all of the hottest clubs in New York City, where he had the opportunity to explore a wide variety of mu
sical styles including Jazz, Rock, R&B and Hip-Hop, all of which became the ingredients that would later go into the making of his own unique style and sound on the drums.
Today, Joe often shares the stage with many of New York's top musicians and plays drums for some of the most talked about bands and artists in and around New York City. Joe plays regularly with guitar virtuoso and Grammy Award nominee, Gil Parris.
Joe is one of those people who just gets it and is always spot on - he makes it sound sooo easy. Always a pleasure to be in his presence.
For more information about Joe:
www.joepiteo.com
John Ragusa
John Ragusa plays the flute!! Oh... hold on... that's most certainly not the only thing he does. Not only is John a monster on the flute (which we often get to witness at the Wednesday night jam), but he is a multi-talented musician and booking agent.
John's labor of love is his band Mulebone!! Mulebone is a partnership comprised of multi-instrumentalist, John Ragusa and roots music specialist, Hugh Pool. The launching pad for their musical expression is traditional blues.
Together they have recorded a CD which spent 15 weeks in the Top 100 Albums in America.
One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, John always has a smile on his face and never fails to blow the audience away when he plays.
For more information
www.mulebonemusic.com
www.johnragusamusic.com
Kip Sophos
One of the coolest cats on a bass - Kip Sophos has a distinct sound that you just can't help but hear. A master of the bass in more ways than one, Kip doesn't just play the bass - he builds them too. His beautiful six-string basses not only look cooler than cool, they sound amazing.
Kip has been on the scene for a long time and in addition to being a sought-after studio musician, he has played alongside Gil Parris for over 20 years. Musically, these two work together like they're twins - one always knows exactly where the other one is going.
Curtis enjoys this relationship on a regular basis and is honored to call Kip a friend!
To learn more about Kip click here.
Gil Parris
Curtis has been working with Grammy Nominated Guitarist Gil Parris for six years and the chemistry is undeniable. Together they run Westchester's most popular musician's jam at The Lazy Lounge in White Plains every Wednesday.
Gil has released six solo albums and played collaboratively with over 20 other groups/artists. Gil is known for his special blend of Blues, Jazz, Rock and Smooth Jazz. He has recorded and toured both as a solo artist and sideman with major artists like Dr. John, Blood, Sweat and Tears, David Mann, Billy Vera, Bobby Caldwell, Toni Braxton just to name just a few.
To learn more about Gil click here.