Artists

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  Patti Austin

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  Patti Austin’s keen interest in being a total entertainer likely started when she stepped onto the stage of the world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem at the age of 4 at the urging of music legend Dinah Washington. The daughter of jazz trombonist Gordon Austin, Patti Austin was a recording star in her teens, achieving her first chart success in 1969 with “The Family Tree” (a Top 50 R&B single) after a string of 45s that would become treasured collector’s items among Britain’s Northern soul community.

  During the 1970s, Austin was the undisputed queen of the New York session scene. Her voice was heard behind everyone from Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, James Brown and Joe Cocker to Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross and Diana Ross and on countless memorable commercial jingles. After a series of much-acclaimed albums for CTI Records, Austin signed with her godfather Quincy Jones’ Qwest label. She began achieving international success thanks to the Grammy-nominated hit "Baby Come to Me," her classic duet with James Ingram, and a follow-up duet, the Oscar-nominated "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" She also appeared on Jones’ albums, including the best-selling Stuff Like That, Grammy-winning classic The Dude and From Q With Love Vols. 1 & 2.

  Austin’s Grammy-nominated For Ella album opened up new doors for her as a performer. The jazz world’s embrace of her was further cemented with her Grammy-winning album Avant Gershwin. After more than two decades of touring, her take on the Great American Songbook has expanded Austin’s appeal and garnered her standing ovations all over the United States and Europe. In April 2023, Austin released the Grammy-nominated For Ella 2, on which she celebrates the great Ella Fitzgerald in her original storytelling style.

  Austin’s critically acclaimed pop/R&B release Sound Advice will soon yield a sequel, Sound Advice 2, and will further demonstrate her artistic versatility.

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  Lisa Fischer

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  When the iconic Ms. Lisa Fischer sings, she brings a joyous sense of discovery to every se6ng. The Grammy and Oscar winning powerhouse vocalist is at the peak of her powers, blazing her own path, reveling in the chance to dive into every vocal possibility. While she carries traces of the legendary stars with whom she’s collaborated over four decades, Ms. Lisa Fischer is a constellation in her own right, singing songs with “amazing power, energy, and projec2on” enthuses Keith Richards, a:er 26 years of musicmaking with Ms. Lisa Fischer in the Rolling Stones.

  Whether she’s stretching out in an intimate duo with jazz piano maestro Taylor Eigsti, raising the roof with the spiritually charged Gullah funk combo Ranky Tanky, creating luminous soundscapes onstage with the dancers of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, or following her uninhibited muse with her trio Grand Baton and their organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock, Fischer has taken her rightful place among America’s greatest vocalists. “A talent that comes once in a lifetime,” declares Roberta Flack. “Like Haley’s Comet, her brilliance is dazzling and brings light into the world.”

  At first glance Fischer might seem like a paradox. She spent much of her career exulting in the role of the ultimate team player as an elite backup singer for artists such as Luther Vandross, the Rolling Stones, Sting, Tina Turner or Nine Inch Nails. Even after the Brooklyn native scored a chart-topping R&B hit, “How Can I Ease the Pain,” and a 1992 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, she decided to focus on her already thriving career supporting the world’s biggest acts. But when her story was featured in the Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, Fischer experienced a course-changing epiphany. “I was always looking at the next tour, the next gig,” she said. “The film gave me a chance to take stock and realize I could start defining my own path.”

  Seizing the moment to rediscover herself, Fischer embarked on her ongoing musical journey with string wizard and arranger JC Maillard’s Grand Baton, a group capable of following (and leading) her in just about any musical direction. Together they’ve gathered a far-ranging repertoire of songs, including many tunes she’d made her own during his backup years. “Grand Baton gave me my wings,” Fischer says. “They give me permission to do whatever I want.”

  While Ms. Lisa Fischer retains creative molecules from every artist she’s ever encountered, she transmutes via the alchemy of an artist blessed with a voice that is unbound by genre and stylistic convention. With her infinite textures, shades and hues, combined with the bountiful soul, affectionate humor and exquisite taste that defines her music, Lisa Fischer leads listeners to whole new universes of her own design.

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  Randy Brecker

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  A seasoned jazz veteran, virtuosic trumpeter and prolific composer, Randy Brecker’s horn has graced the bandstands and recordings of Horace Silver, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Charles Mingus, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Duke Pearson, Frank Foster and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. As a first call studio player, Brecker’s trumpet has also energized innumerable studio sessions by artists ranging from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament-Funkadelic to David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, and Frank Zappa.

  In the realms of cutting-edge jazz-rock fusion, Brecker has been a major contributor to Blood Sweat and Tears, Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House and Dreams, a group he co-founded with his brother Michael and drummer Billy Cobham.

  After departing BS&T in 1969, Randy appeared with Horace Silver and many other jazz acts feeling a need to stretch his desire to improvise freely. By 1973, Randy and his sax playing brother, Michael had become the most in-demand studio players in New York City. In 1975 they decided to form their own band, “The Brecker Brothers”.

  The Brecker Brothers became a band of immeasurable influence and impact. Hailed by pop and jazz critics alike, their first album, which Randy produced, was nominated for four Grammy awards. The Brecker Brothers went on to record a total of 6 albums and receive seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981. In the late 70’s, Randy also recorded on Charles Mingus’ last album, Me Myself an Eye. He has since performed on various incarnations of Mingus Dynasty and the Mingus Big Band.

  After the Brecker Brothers took a hiatus in 1982, Randy toured and recorded extensively as a key member of Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth. Several more solo projects followed with numerous tours around the world with many different artists.

  A ten year break from the Brecker Brothers ended in 1992 with the release of the GRP project “Return of the Brecker Brothers” and “Out of The Loop” in 1994 which received 2 Grammy awards and resulted in both USA and European tours.

  Randy has been heavily influenced by Brazilian music. For the 1998 Concord Jazz release “Into The Sun” Randy received the Grammy award for best “Contemporary Jazz Performance”.

  In the past few years he has made recordings and concert appearances with The Trumpet Summit band (featuring Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Terrel Stafford), The Jazz Times “Superband” (featuring organist Joey DeFrancesco, drummer Dennis Chambers and tenor saxophonist, Bob Berg), Brecker Brothers Acoustic Band , and special reunion of Larry Coryell’s 11th House.

  Randy is now signed with ESC Records. First Cd on this label was “Hangin’ in The City” which was released worldwide in April 2001 to considerable commercial and critical success. The release included all new funk/hip-hop and jazz compositions featuring the cream of the crop of NYC players.

  Randy’s latest two CDs as a bandleader won both a Grammy: In 2003 his CD “34th N Lex” for the ESC label featuring Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber and his regular working band won a Grammy as “Best Contemporary Jazz Album”.and the newly released CD “Some Skunk Funk” featuring Michael Brecker and the WDR Big Band just won this past February another Grammy as ” Best Large Ensemble CD”.

  Randy Brecker is a true musical pioneer who continues to perform extensively around the world in a variety of settings. His quest for musical excellence while constantly expanding his trumpet style and encyclopedic catalogue of compositions are unparallel.

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  Tyreek McDole

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  Tyreek McDole, a 24-year-old Haitian-American vocalist from sunny Florida, shines brilliantly as his star rises in the bustling New York Scene. With a string of prestigious awards to his name, Tyreek stands out as a rising star in the music world. It was during the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2018 Essentially Ellington National Competition that Tyreek made his vocal debut, leaving an indelible mark as he walked away with the prestigious Outstanding Vocalist Award, presented by none other than the iconic Wynton Marsalis.

  His performances have seen him share the stage with an impressive roster of musicians and acts, including Theo Croker, NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz, Miki Yamanaka, Mike King, Mike Ode, Eric Wheeler, Ted Nash, Matt Wilson, Ben Allison, Rodney Whitaker, Rockelle Fortin, Winard Harper, Marcus Printup, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Victor Goines, Chris Crenshaw, Johnathan Michel, Isaiah J. Thompson, Miki Yamanaka, Charlie Sigler, Chris Beck, Kyle Koehler, and many others. Together, they have graced renowned venues like The Blue Note, Dizzy's Club, Birdland Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Minton's Playhouse, enthralling audiences with their collective artistry and musical prowess.

  Beyond his remarkable performances, Tyreek's educational journey took him to The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, from which he was awarded a degree in Jazz performance. Under the guidance of esteemed instructors LaTanya Hall, Gary Bartz, Gerald Cannon, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, Dan Wall, Sullivan Fortner, and Weedie Braimah, Tyreek's musical horizons continue to expand, preparing him for an even more promising future in the world of music.

  He has been recently declared the 1st place winner of the Sarah International Jazz Vocal Competition. Noted as one of the most anticipated events in jazz, McDole's accolade now ranks him among the competition's previous winners including the standout artists Samara Joy (2019 winner) and Jazzmeia Horn (2013 winner). Tyreek is the 2nd male to ever win in the competition’s 12 year history.

  With his roots firmly planted in the musical soil of the Caribbean, New York, Florida, and beyond, McDole now casts his spell on the bustling streets of New York City, leaving an indelible mark on the vibrant tapestry of worldwide music.