Luna Star Events 2017

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG
ARE Nancy Wagner (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Robert Hand (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jamie Pflug (vocals, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, dulcimer). They play a mix of original songs and their own acoustic versions of classics from the 60s and 70s folk-rock tradition. Featuring their distinctive three-part harmonies, WHP plays music that makes you feel good and think well.

CELTIC MAYHEM PIRATE NIGHT
Combining the talents of members of three of the renaissance faire circuit’s most popular musical acts, They have been entertaining audiences with their unique, raucous brand of Celtic folk music since their debut in the Spring of 2007.

Featuring:
Ty Billings (Minstrels of Mayhem) on vocals, guitar, & flute, Martyn Wylde (Wyldefyre) on vocals, bass, guitar, and bouzouki and Jack Stamates (Generica, Avalon and more) on vocals, fiddle, recorder, and percussion.
The band plays Celtic traditional music and folk songs, along with original and contemporary music with a traditional feel.
They also include a varied assortment of classic pop and rock songs in their sets – adding their unique crowd-pleasing twist of Mayhem to every performance.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Come join Loye and Ted for an evening listening pleasure. Smooth jazz standards and ballads with a mix of blues and pops. Intermissions and last set opened for those who want to jam with us…
Free Free Free

The Mariana Trenchcoats
Eden Archer
Jim Wurster & The Atomic Cowboys

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

Bring an original song for critique on CD, or perform it live acoustically. Make sure to have 12 copies of your lyric sheet.

$5 for non-members/ FREE for members.

This workshop is affiliated with the Nashville Songwriters Association International. (nashvillesongwriters.com)

ALAN RHODY

Award-winning songwriter and touring folk-Americana artist, Alan Rhody released his ninth album

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

NIGHT BREEZE JAZZ
Mike Curtis has been performing and teaching in South Florida for over thirty years. In addition to performing throughout South Florida with Night Breeze Jazz, he performs regularly with the Jazzonian Heritage Jazz Band and is the Band Director at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City,

Earle Eidenire started playing saxophone when he was 12, and began learning jazz at the University of Miami’s Summer Music Camp in 1975. In 1977 Earle attended Florida State University and studied with Patrick Meighan, and Bill Kennedy. Earle has performed with Bruce Saunders, Mike Gerber, Eddie Daniels, Phil Sampson, Tim Mayer and many others

Ezo Hernandez former Warner Bros recording artist ,has been performing in the South Florida area for over 35 years as a drummer, percussionist and singer/songwriter Ezo is currently performing with Night Breeze Jazz and is the drummer for the Temple Beth Emet band

PAPER TREES: ERIC KING

Eric King, also known as Paper Trees, is a singer-songwriter from Miami, FL who has toured locally and nationally for the past 14 years in various bands and acts. From progressive rock, to indie pop, electronica, and folk, Eric has explored many facets of music to create an ecletic sound that can be experienced at his live performances.

“House on the Bluff”, Paper Trees 3rd EP, mixes acoustic music with layers of percussive and electronic elements to create a lush atmosphere that takes the listener on a story-driven journey. It will be released, with the accompaniment of a full band, on August 18th at Luna Star Cafe.

For more info visit papertreesmusic.com

Diane Ward Band returns to the Luna Star Cafe! 9pm / $10 cover.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

THE DUSTY ROAD RANGERS

Hailing from right here in South Florida, the Dusty Road Rangers Band plays a lively mix of fun American roots music.  Combining smooth vocal harmonies with traditional string band instruments, the Rangers offer up a variety of upbeat bluegrass, folk, classic country, old-time tunes, pub songs, blues and ballads.

The Dusty Road Rangers include Mike Desztich (guitar, mandolin), Ellen Eckblad (fiddle, accordion, penny whistle), Roy Connors (guitar, banjo) and Bob Haynes (upright bass, guitar, harmonica).  These award-winning pickers have been performing together at many folk and bluegrass festivals, acoustic music venues, honky-tonks and taverns from south Florida on up through the Carolina mountains.  Their love and appreciation of acoustic traditional music can be heard through their playing, and always provides for a toe-tapping good time.

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG
ARE Nancy Wagner (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Robert Hand (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jamie Pflug (vocals, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, dulcimer). They play a mix of original songs and their own acoustic versions of classics from the 60s and 70s folk-rock tradition. Featuring their distinctive three-part harmonies, WHP plays music that makes you feel good and think well.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

Arthur Cruz Jazz
Keyboard artist, singer and songwriter Arthur Cruz is an interpreter of jazz standards and his own original songs – melodic tunes with pensive lyrics that blend jazz, rock and pop influences from Cole Porter to the Beatles to Sting.

A hopeful romantic, with a distinctive voice and style of song, Arthur Cruz sings of longing to be your valentine, believing in fairy tales of love and holding on to each other through the dark night of the soul.

Along with Englishman Mike Wood on bass, and the energetic Elvis Taylor on drums, these three musicians produce a dynamic, syncopated sound.

The trio is often joined by accomplished jazz instrumentalists (Ted McDermott, Jack Siegel, Nestor Zurieta) and vocalists (Loye Hawkins, Von Henry) for an exciting evening of live, improvised music.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

Diane Ward Band returns to the Luna Star Cafe! 9pm / $10 cover.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Come join Loye and Ted for an evening listening pleasure. Smooth jazz standards and ballads with a mix of blues and pops. Intermissions and last set opened for those who want to jam with us…
Free Free Free

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

Bring an original song for critique on CD, or perform it live acoustically. Make sure to have 12 copies of your lyric sheet.

$5 for non-members/ FREE for members.

This workshop is affiliated with the Nashville Songwriters Association International. (nashvillesongwriters.com)

Ruti Celli– is a classically trained Cellist- singer-songwriter and a record producer. Originally from Israel, living and working in Miami. She has released 2 solo albums, performed and recorded with various artists in many different genres.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

NIGHT BREEZE JAZZ
Mike Curtis has been performing and teaching in South Florida for over thirty years. In addition to performing throughout South Florida with Night Breeze Jazz, he performs regularly with the Jazzonian Heritage Jazz Band and is the Band Director at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City,

Earle Eidenire started playing saxophone when he was 12, and began learning jazz at the University of Miami’s Summer Music Camp in 1975. In 1977 Earle attended Florida State University and studied with Patrick Meighan, and Bill Kennedy. Earle has performed with Bruce Saunders, Mike Gerber, Eddie Daniels, Phil Sampson, Tim Mayer and many others

Ezo Hernandez former Warner Bros recording artist ,has been performing in the South Florida area for over 35 years as a drummer, percussionist and singer/songwriter Ezo is currently performing with Night Breeze Jazz and is the drummer for the Temple Beth Emet band

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

Arthur Cruz Jazz
Keyboard artist, singer and songwriter Arthur Cruz is an interpreter of jazz standards and his own original songs – melodic tunes with pensive lyrics that blend jazz, rock and pop influences from Cole Porter to the Beatles to Sting.

A hopeful romantic, with a distinctive voice and style of song, Arthur Cruz sings of longing to be your valentine, believing in fairy tales of love and holding on to each other through the dark night of the soul.

Along with Englishman Mike Wood on bass, and the energetic Elvis Taylor on drums, these three musicians produce a dynamic, syncopated sound.

The trio is often joined by accomplished jazz instrumentalists (Ted McDermott, Jack Siegel, Nestor Zurieta) and vocalists (Loye Hawkins, Von Henry) for an exciting evening of live, improvised music.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG
ARE Nancy Wagner (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Robert Hand (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jamie Pflug (vocals, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, dulcimer). They play a mix of original songs and their own acoustic versions of classics from the 60s and 70s folk-rock tradition. Featuring their distinctive three-part harmonies, WHP plays music that makes you feel good and think well.

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Come join Loye and Ted for an evening listening pleasure. Smooth jazz standards and ballads with a mix of blues and pops. Intermissions and last set opened for those who want to jam with us…
Free Free Free

PANAMA RED

PANAMA RED, American musician, Songwriter, and Chronicler of the Human
Condition

“There are those, guitar in hand, who still prowl the seamy outskirts of
greatness. PANAMA RED is one of them… songs that remind you
of Townes, Billy Joe Shaver and Blaze Foley in turn.”
Dave Pilot, Outlaw Magazine

So, you ask yourself, who is this Panama Red? The answer is simple: an
original Texas Jewboy and a co-writer with Kinky Friedman, Billy Joe
Shaver and Ronny Elliott, Panama Red was a fixture in the 1970s Music Row
Outlaw movement in Nashville. His sphere of influence has grown lately to
include an annual stint on and in European stages and bars. His often
irreverent stage comments are interspersed with original, intelligent
songs which have been described as “honest’, “elegant’, and “soulful”, by
such luminaries as Kris Kristofferson, Billy Joe Shaver, and David Olney.
He currently lives “just far enough” outside of Nashville.

His songs have been recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Billy Joe Shaver, Kinky
Friedman, Gamble Rogers, Felix Pappalardi, Bobby Bare, Mike Auldridge, the
French band Mary-Lou and a host of others.

He has appeared as a player and singer on more than 100 albums and CDs
recorded in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, Miami , Seattle and Europe.
The Original Panama Red began life as Danny Finley, born in West Virginia
and the descendant, literal and musical, of Scots-Irish immigrants of the
early 1700s. He began his writing career in the US Army as a stringer for
Pacific Stars and Stripes. On his discharge he went to San
Francisco/Oakland where he acquired the “Panama Red” sobriquet. He
managed a coffeehouse, the Cafe I, on 10th Street in New York City. Later,
after a memorable life chapter involving the Beaux Arts Coffee House in
St. Petersburg, Florida, he was a founding member of the jazz fusion band
Bethlehem Asylum out of Coconut Grove, making two records for Ampex
Records. He relocated to Nashville in 1972 and became Billy Joe Shaver’s
guitar player and co-writer, later also filling the same functions for
Kinky and The Texas Jewboys.

He parted from the Jewboys in 1975 and began performing as The Legendary
Panama Red with his band Montezumas Revenge. From 1976 to 1979 he toured
in his 1947 Silversides GM road bus with his band and was one of the
first acts to appear at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City. He
performed at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, the Horseshoe
Tavern in Toronto and at the Old Mill in Mill Valley, California as well
as numerous other venues all around the U.S. and Canada.

His work and song writing brought him to the attention of the
producer/bassist Felix Pappalardi (Cream, Mountain), who subsequently
became his friend, mentor and employer. After Felix’s untimely death in
1982, Panama entered into a period of solitude and he became a carpenter.
He studied computer science at Miami Dade College. While a radiography
student at Northern New Mexico College, he edited portions of a radiologic
physics textbook (Radiologic Science for Technologists, Bushong, 4th
Edition). He graduated with a GPA of 3.89 and is a member of Phi Theta
Kappa. He also studied at the University of New Mexico, majoring in
journalism. In the 1990s, after living in San Francisco and working as
an xray tech, he again started playing music and lived and played in
Nevada City, CA and Seattle, ending up in Amsterdam, Netherlands for a
couple of years. On the road again and always a little off….

Since his return to music he has made two albums (HomeGrown and Choice
Buds), and has appeared in numerous small venues in North America,
interspersed with performances as a solo artist and guitarist in Norway,
Sweden, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. He continues to write
and perform and currently lives in Rockvale, Tennessee. He continues to
tour listening rooms and is working on multiple publishing projects,
including a music memoir and a whimsical book about cats…

He is credited by etymologist Barry Popik with the first use of the
rhyming phrase “Lost in Austin” the title of one of his country swing
songs. (1976).

-30-

Bring your axe. Very laid back – a great way to meet some of the Café’s performers & regulars in a very low-pressure environment. Novices & pros are welcome to come on down & join the jam. Try out new material or just participate in some sing-alongs.

Bring an original song for critique on CD, or perform it live acoustically. Make sure to have 12 copies of your lyric sheet.

$5 for non-members/ FREE for members.

This workshop is affiliated with the Nashville Songwriters Association International. (nashvillesongwriters.com)

NIGHT BREEZE JAZZ
Mike Curtis has been performing and teaching in South Florida for over thirty years. In addition to performing throughout South Florida with Night Breeze Jazz, he performs regularly with the Jazzonian Heritage Jazz Band and is the Band Director at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City,

Earle Eidenire started playing saxophone when he was 12, and began learning jazz at the University of Miami’s Summer Music Camp in 1975. In 1977 Earle attended Florida State University and studied with Patrick Meighan, and Bill Kennedy. Earle has performed with Bruce Saunders, Mike Gerber, Eddie Daniels, Phil Sampson, Tim Mayer and many others

Ezo Hernandez former Warner Bros recording artist ,has been performing in the South Florida area for over 35 years as a drummer, percussionist and singer/songwriter Ezo is currently performing with Night Breeze Jazz and is the drummer for the Temple Beth Emet band

Arthur Cruz Jazz
Keyboard artist, singer and songwriter Arthur Cruz is an interpreter of jazz standards and his own original songs – melodic tunes with pensive lyrics that blend jazz, rock and pop influences from Cole Porter to the Beatles to Sting.

A hopeful romantic, with a distinctive voice and style of song, Arthur Cruz sings of longing to be your valentine, believing in fairy tales of love and holding on to each other through the dark night of the soul.

Along with Englishman Mike Wood on bass, and the energetic Elvis Taylor on drums, these three musicians produce a dynamic, syncopated sound.

The trio is often joined by accomplished jazz instrumentalists (Ted McDermott, Jack Siegel, Nestor Zurieta) and vocalists (Loye Hawkins, Von Henry) for an exciting evening of live, improvised music.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG
ARE Nancy Wagner (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Robert Hand (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jamie Pflug (vocals, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, dulcimer). They play a mix of original songs and their own acoustic versions of classics from the 60s and 70s folk-rock tradition. Featuring their distinctive three-part harmonies, WHP plays music that makes you feel good and think well.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Come join Loye and Ted for an evening listening pleasure. Smooth jazz standards and ballads with a mix of blues and pops. Intermissions and last set opened for those who want to jam with us…
Free Free Free

Bring an original song for critique on CD, or perform it live acoustically. Make sure to have 12 copies of your lyric sheet.

$5 for non-members/ FREE for members.

This workshop is affiliated with the Nashville Songwriters Association International. (nashvillesongwriters.com)

NIGHT BREEZE JAZZ
Mike Curtis has been performing and teaching in South Florida for over thirty years. In addition to performing throughout South Florida with Night Breeze Jazz, he performs regularly with the Jazzonian Heritage Jazz Band and is the Band Director at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City,

Earle Eidenire started playing saxophone when he was 12, and began learning jazz at the University of Miami’s Summer Music Camp in 1975. In 1977 Earle attended Florida State University and studied with Patrick Meighan, and Bill Kennedy. Earle has performed with Bruce Saunders, Mike Gerber, Eddie Daniels, Phil Sampson, Tim Mayer and many others

Ezo Hernandez former Warner Bros recording artist ,has been performing in the South Florida area for over 35 years as a drummer, percussionist and singer/songwriter Ezo is currently performing with Night Breeze Jazz and is the drummer for the Temple Beth Emet band

UFO MESSIAH

https://soundcloud.com/ufomessiah

Ufo Messiah was once the name on a hand-lettered sign dotting the roadside in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The coastal town where songwriters Christopher Phipps, Marcus Leahy and drummer Mike Morobitto grew up. They eventually relocated to the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area, but the band name stuck from 1986-present.

Ufo Messiah recorded their first as of yet un-released five song EP under the working title “Young Lockharts”, named after the Ft. Lauderdale band house Marcus Leahy Christopher Phipps and Arthur Hall were living in at the time. After completion of these recordings Phipps flew out to Los Angeles to shop the material with Mike Morobitto who was living there and attending MIT (Musicians Institute of Technology) in Hollywood.

Getting interest from William Morris Agency for a developmental deal, they decided to decline and relocated to Miami, Fla in the late 80’s.

Mike Morobitto, already introduced to live sound and production having worked as a drum tech for many A-List drummers in Los Angeles, started working with Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine as well as playing drums in the rock band Accelerator and producing / hosting local MTV style television show “The South Florida Rock & Roll Showcase” which London Exchange was commonly featured.

Christopher Phipps got involved in the electronic dance music scene that was taking off at the time in Miami and started the synthpop/freestyle band London Exchange.

Marcus Leahy played in various projects including seminal Miami punk/hardcore band Johnny Blade Band.

As fate would have it all three reconvened in the 90’s to record Ufo Messiah debut album which was released in 1997 to rave reviews and was called one of the best original rock music releases of that year by Miami Herald Pop Music critic Howard Cohen.

Ufo Messiah was once the name on a hand-lettered sign dotting the roadside in Gulf Breeze, Florida. The coastal town where songwriters Christopher Phipps, Marcus Leahy and drummer Mike Morobitto grew up. They eventually relocated to the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area, but the band name stuck from 1986-present.

Ufo Messiah recorded their first as of yet un-released five song EP under the working title “Young Lockharts”, named after the Ft. Lauderdale band house Marcus Leahy Christopher Phipps and Arthur Hall were living in at the time. After completion of these recordings Phipps flew out to Los Angeles to shop the material with Mike Morobitto who was living there and attending MIT (Musicians Institute of Technology) in Hollywood.

Getting interest from William Morris Agency for a developmental deal, they decided to decline and relocated to Miami, Fla in the late 80’s.

Mike Morobitto, already introduced to live sound and production having worked as a drum tech for many A-List drummers in Los Angeles, started working with Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine as well as playing drums in the rock band Accelerator and producing / hosting local MTV style television show “The South Florida Rock & Roll Showcase” which London Exchange was commonly featured.

Christopher Phipps got involved in the electronic dance music scene that was taking off at the time in Miami and started the synthpop/freestyle band London Exchange.

Marcus Leahy played in various projects including seminal Miami punk/hardcore band Johnny Blade Band.

As fate would have it all three reconvened in the 90’s to record Ufo Messiah debut album which was released in 1997 to rave reviews and was called one of the best original rock music releases of that year by Miami Herald Pop Music critic Howard Cohen.

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG

WAGNER, HAND & PFLUG
ARE Nancy Wagner (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Robert Hand (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jamie Pflug (vocals, stand-up bass, guitar, banjo, dulcimer). They play a mix of original songs and their own acoustic versions of classics from the 60s and 70s folk-rock tradition. Featuring their distinctive three-part harmonies, WHP plays music that makes you feel good and think well.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

DOUG SPEARSWith sand in his boots and orange blossom honey in his throat Doug Spears’ fourth generation native Florida roots flow through his music revealing the history, values and perspectives that define him. The finest blend of storyteller and musician, Doug’s songs reach out like long-forgotten picture postcards discovered on a rainy afternoon, subtly and artfully telling universal stories of complex characters in often difficult circumstances that go straight to the heart of audiences of all ages and don’t let up, from start to finish. A seasoned performer and touring troubadour, Spears has invested more than 30 years developing his distinctive craft and with each song bite, the rich flavors penetrate the listening palate. Often drawing comparisons to some of the best known and well established artists of the genre Doug has carved a special niche for himself in folk and Americana music.

Doug was born in Leesburg, Florida and his best childhood memories tie back to the farm house his grandfather built in Lake County in the 1920’s. He took up the guitar at age 12, learning on an old Gibson J-45 loaned to him by a family friend, and soon began writing his own songs heavily influenced by the wealth of songwriter poets of the time. Doug’s song craft matured into a skillful weaving of lyric portraits capturing the essence of the often joyous though sometimes difficult aspects of our lives. Of his Florida homeland, he sings of the unsung and often undiscovered heart of Florida, before Disney World and Margaritaville, a simpler place covered by thousands of acres of palmetto scrub, citrus groves, family farms and cattle range. The Florida that so few know and appreciate.

In 2005 Spears released his debut CD, Truths & Lies, widely praised for its song craft and musicianship. In 2007 he followed with Break Some Stones, a “live in the studio” solo recording. Chosen by Florida Times Union columnist Ron Johnson as his 2007 CD Release of the Year, Break Some Stones showcases Doug just as you’d hear him at a live show. Released internationally in January 2010 to folk, acoustic and Americana radio, Doug’s latest recording, Welcome Home, showcases the very best of Doug’s regional Florida material produced for a national audience. Produced by long time friend Jason Thomas and promoted to folk, acoustic and Americana radio by Kari Estrin Management & Consulting in Nashville, Welcome Home, features a stellar, internationally known cast of supporting musicians including Claire Lynch, Missy Raines, Rob Ickes, Jim Hurst, Mark Schatz, Kenny Malone and Jason Thomas, as well as some of the very best of Florida’s wealth of musical talent.

Welcome Home has brought Doug a lot of attention in 2010. The album immediately broke to the top of the International Folk DJ Radio Charts at #3 in January and is maintaining position to finish in the top 100 albums of the year. It was also included on the Preliminary Grammy Ballot in three categories after passing through the committee’s submission review process. The opening track of the album, “Yellow Butter Moon,” was named runner-up in 2010 as the best new country / bluegrass song by the Interantional Acoustic Music Awards and “A Mother’s Tears” was included in a select sampler produced by Poetman Records for distribution worldwide to Americana Radio.

https://youtu.be/gTR22CV9Be4

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.

Sarah Jacob views songwriting as a catalyst to navigate through emotions and give them voice. Aided by her love for puns, double entendres and allusion, her songs transform the confusions and ambiguities of inner experience into a “language of the emotions.” Since 2012 Sarah, who composes on the piano, has teamed up with Darrell Arnold, baritone vocalist and guitarist, and Fred Napolitano, saxophonist, forming the Sarah Jacob Trio. The result–mixing hints of jazz, blues and folk into contemporary rock-ballads–is an original lyrical and musical blend. The trio combines a sense and sensibility that make for beautiful songs, offering a psychological expedition of the inner world.