The Hammond tonewheel organ, produced from 1935 to 1975, was one of the first mass-produced musical instruments which combined the electrical, mechanical and acoustic worlds. It is a keyboard instrument that could produce totally new sounds, and at the same time imitate other acoustic instruments. Considered by some to be the “grandfather of electronic music,” from gospel to blues, from rock concerts to jazz clubs, the Hammond organ was truly revolutionary.
Ian Sheridan is a professional bassist, producer, and mixing engineer. He has performed and recorded with many artists including Grammy Award-winner Jason Mraz. Ian has produced and engineered multiple songs and albums that have received national radio airplay, charting, and commercial and media placement. He has been playing the bass professionally for more than 20 years and has been producing and engineering for over 15 years.
DeShannon Higa is a multi-talented performer, composer, and arranger. His professional experience spans over 30 years and has performed locally and globally with many renown artists including Al Jarreau, Jeff Lorber, Michael Feinstein, Burt Bacharach, the original Elvis Presley band, Diana Krall, David Tao, and Wynton Marsalis.
Like many blues and soul vocalists of note, “Long Tall Deb” Landolt cultivated her soul/gospel honey-dipped voice in church as a child. Her debut “Raise Your Hands” gained heavy rotation on Sirius XM’s “Bluesville” and garnered attention for both her vocal dynamics and songwriting. Transpacific bluesman Colin John received his early touring miles with Teeny Hodges, Little Mike and The Tornadoes, Henry Grey, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Phil Guy, Big Jack Johnson, and Gary Brooker of Procol Harum. The one-of-a-kind sound of Long Tall Deb and Colin John incorporates a solid blues and soul sensibility cross-pollinated by their respective deep roots in Texas and Hawaii topped with world roots influence gleaned from their travels throughout the world.
Dr. Joie Taylor is a passionate musician and a talented instrumentalist. Based on Maui, she has a storied history of live performances, musical arrangements, and recording sessions. With a professional career in Atlanta, GA, Ithaca, NY, India, and Maui she has toured the US and Europe. As a member of the Clark Atlanta University Jazz Orchestra, she toured Europe and played the following jazz festivals in the year 2000: The Hague, Montreux, Jazz Vienne, Paris, Brussels, Rome and Florence. In addition, as an orchestra member, she was in concert with Nancy Wilson, Gladys Night, Lou Rawls, Lilo Shifffron, and James Moody. Since then as an independent musician she has been in concert with Grammy winning and nominated artists including Mauisiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective (album Passages: The Water Brought Us), Kebbi Williams, John Cruz, Samite, Phillip Harper, Roy Ayers, B.B. King and in ensembles supporting Donald Byrd and Joshua Redman at Cornell University, her graduate school alma mater. She is a musician with Maui Jazz and Blues Festival 2016 (to present) along with award-winning musicians Benny Uyetake (Na Hoku), Rock Hendricks, Larry Coryell, Delfayo Marsalis, and Javon Jackson. Additionally, she has headlined at the Blue Note Hawaii where she has also been regularly featured with the Mike Lewis Big Band. She is a frequently featured artist with Jazz Maui Festival 2018 (to present) where she has played in concert with Quincy Jones and Clark Terry protege Justin Kauffman and Katie Thiroux.
Jimmy Vivino (aka Jimmy V) has always considered himself “a blues man with a job”. Although best known for serving 26 years as Conan O’Brien’s musical director, guitarist and bandleader, his experience in the music business predates that by 20 plus years.