A Rise in the Road, the YELLOWJACKETS’ second Mack Avenue Records offering, is indeed an appropriate title for a time-honored jazz ensemble that has never been fearful of facing newer musical horizons, not to mention the myriad challenges of life itself. Throughout their storied 32-year history, the Yellowjackets have undergone numerous lineup changes, never failing to rise to the inevitable challenges of adjustment.
A life well lived is often the best foundation for compelling art and there’s no denying JONATHAN BUTLER has been blessed with a fascinating life. A South African native whose expansive musical gift has earned accolades in the R&B, contemporary jazz and gospel fields, Butler’s new release Grace and Mercy is filled with the soulful sounds and insightful lyrics fans have come to expect from the veteran performer.
Like all of us, MATTHEW E. WHITE was born into a constructed world. His unfolded out of the mingled sands of Virginia Beach and Manila, the youngest son in a family that raised him barefoot between the blurred racket of that far eastern jungle city and the backyard lightning-bug-hum of a trimmed southern lawn. His first moves, from picking up a basketball to picking up a guitar, were cast in the dual glow of these latitudes. Something between them taught him to love. Something between them taught him to time travel. Here began the lessons of Big Inner.
EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS formed in 2007 after singer Alex Ebert met fellow singer Jade Castrinos outside of a cafe in downtown Los Angeles. In 2009 the 10 member troupe released their debut album Up From Below which featured the universally appealing hit “Home” as well as fan favorite’s “40 Day Dream” and “Janglin”.
AARON BLACK's collection of work runs the gamut of disciplines from lighting design for dance, theatre, and opera, to production design and art direction for television, to large-scale architectural and thematic design for leading family amusement parks.