Gemini Hodge
Hailing from Bronx, NY, Gemini Hodge is a guitarist, producer and songwriter. While attending Five Towns College he was offered the position of M.D. for a New York R & B singing duo called “The Right Combination" from 1979 - 1996.
In 1988 he became a member of The Black Rock Coalition after joining a band called "The Atomics” (formally The Uptown Atomics). He has performed in different parts of the world, and currently with several acts from the NYC area.
Gemini has had the honor to have performed and recorded with numerous independent and professional artists such as Sarah Dash, Harmony, John L. & Sharon Nelson (Prince's father and sister), New York Metro Mass Choir, South Side Johnny, The Chiffons and the late Ben E. King & Wilson Pickett, just to name a few.
Jeremy Pelt
Jeremy Pelt has become one of the preeminent young trumpeters within the world of jazz. Forging a bond with the Mingus Big Band very early on in the progression of his career, Pelt built upon these relationships and many others which eventually lead to collaborations with some of the genre's greatest masters.
These projects include performances and recordings with Cliff Barbaro, Keter Betts, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ravi Coltrane, Frank Foster, Winard Harper, Jimmy Heath, Vincent Herring, John Hicks, Charli Persip, Ralph Peterson, Lonnie Plaxico, Bobby Short, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Nancy Wilson and The Skatalites, to name a few.
Pelt's recordings and performances have earned him critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal by legendary jazz writer and producer, Nat Hentoff, and was voted Rising Star on the trumpet, five years in a row by Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalist Association
Karen Lloyd
Karen Lloyd is a multifaceted singer, songwriter, musician, who has been blessed to be an integral part of the NYC music and arts scene for the last 25 years. She grew up playing classical piano with her Mother, and singing harmonies and playing autoharp with her Dad’s bluegrass band from the age of 5, and always knew she needed to follow her love of music.
Lloyd has had the wonderful opportunity to have toured with Elton John, Billy Joel, and Enrique Iglesias, as well as singing backgrounds on various TV/live performances with: Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett, Gloria Stephan, Natalie Cole, Tom Jones, and Gloria Gaynor, to name a few. You have heard her voice on many commercials and soundtracks, and she was thrilled with the recent opportunity to sing backgrounds for the hit TV show “Smash”, (music by Grammy/Tony winning composer Marc Shaiman).
For the last 8 years Lloyd has found a special kind of family and fulfillment running her own 10-12 piece band, The K-Lo Band, made up of some of the city's top musicians and vocalists. The ‘K-Lo Band’ was thrilled and humbled to have been chosen as the premier band to perform for the 4-hour celebration of the “Lion King’s 20th Anniversary on Broadway” event.
Ralph Rolle
Ralph Rolle, master percussionist and entrepreneur has always marched to the beat of a different drum. He began playing professionally at the age of 18. It was inevitable that with more than three decades of professional experience in the music industry that Rolle has enjoyed an illustrious career as a much sought-after drummer. Ralph’s performance list includes artists such as: Nile Rodgers and Chic, Toshi Kubota, Sting, Bette Midler, Bono, Elvis Costello, Vanessa Williams, Mary J. Blige, Biggie Smalls, Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, John Legend, India Arie, Roger Daltrey, Dolly Parton, Freddie Jackson, Joss Stone, and many more.
For 12 seasons, Ralph was seen weekly on the nationally syndicated television show, ‘It’s Showtime At The Apollo’. In 1999 Ralph founded Phat Kat Productions, Inc. a music production company. Phat Kat Productions has produced and arranged both orchestral and vocal musical segments for commercials such as Nike, Burger King, Miller Genuine Draft, and Dark & Lovely. Ralph has worked on many projects writing, re-mixing and editing recording projects for R & B , Rap, Gospel and Pop artists including Toshinobu Kubota, Hi Five, Najee, Glenn Jones, Jonathan Butler, Al Green and the list goes on.
Rolle has been heard performing on TV and movie productions. Rocketman, Cats, Netflix (Once In a Lifetime with Nile Rodgers and Chic), Strictly Come Dancing (BBC), X Factor (BBC), Jools Holland (BBC), Sunday Brunch (UK), The Chris Rock Show, Vibe, Planet Groove, The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show, The Cosby Show, A Different World, New York Undercover, One Life To Live, Good Day New York, Maury, Good Morning America, Fox After Breakfast, N.B.C. Today Show, Top Of The Pops(BBC), The Late Late Show (Ireland), Siempre En Domingo (Mexico), Jon Stewart, Regis and Kelly, NHK (Japan), Beat Street Soundtrack, Love Jones Soundtrack, On the Ropes Soundtrack (Academy Award Nomination).
Oliver Straus
Oliver Straus is a recording engineer that has worked with a multitude of artists over the years at his studio Mission Sound in Brooklyn, New York.
Tashan
Tashan, born Thomas Jerome Pearse, is a singer, musician, writer, producer, entertainer and recording artist. A musical product of the Beulah Baptist Church and The Estelle and Alphonso Dance Studio of Poughkeepsie, NY. While at Howard University in Washington, D.C. he decided to pursue his dreams in music, influenced by legendary soul men, and compared to them by music journalists and fans worldwide.
He has compiled quite a musical repertoire of his own, first as Tashan, singing background on The Fat Boys debut album "Can You Feel It?" From there he hooked up with the rap group Whodini to create one of the first records ever to blend Rap and R&B together, "Yours For A Night" on Jive/Arista Records in 1983. As a solo artist in 1984, he was the first R&B singer signed by Russell Simmons to Def Jam Recordings.
Tashan's passion for Soul and Hip Hop shined on his debut release, "Chasin' A Dream" through Def Jam/Columbia, in 1985. Tashan had a number of releases through (OBR) Original Black Records/Def Jam and Chaos/Columbia/Sony Music through 1994. That year he performed the first single "Love Is Forever" on Don Cornelius's Soul Train. Tashan’s first independent release "Life Goez On" through Powerkingdom Music in 2002. His soulful sophistication exudes in his melodies and lyrics. He has toured performing for Soul and R&B fans across the globe. In 2019 with the release of new music and the launching of his new website, he uses the name Tashan7.
Kenny Vaughan
After attending Harvard University, Kenny Vaughan also known as “Kenny Vaughan and The Art of Love” composed a multitude of award-winning original tracks for films, tv and PSAs. His original compositions “Feels Like Heaven” was featured on the multi-platinum soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy film “Boomerang” and “This Is Love” featured on the soundtrack for House Party.
Notably, Vaughan has used his talents to give back to the community with tracks for children in mind. On the children's album ABC-123 and Other Fun Stuff -- "Africa, Africa" teaches children respect for animals and the environment. His other compositions for Sesame Street include "Hot In The City", "Put On Your Dancing Shoes", "Doing The Family Thing", "Something Old Into Something New", “Sandbox”, “Honey Bee” and "Count Me In".
Vaughan created the "Leave No Child Behind" National PSA, receiving special recognition from President Bill Clinton for The Children's Defense Fund - Marian Wright-Edelman. He was honored to perform the national anthem for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and for the New Jersey Nets at Continental Airlines Arena.
Jessie Wagner
Jessie Wagner gained her greatest exposure to date by singing the songs everyone knows the words to, on some of the world’s biggest stages. Wagner has logged thousands of miles as an in-demand vocalist on tour with Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Kid Rock and most recently Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul. But you may have noticed her on New Year’s Eve if you watched the Time Square performance by Niles Rogers and Chic!
Wagner has been a part of many command performances and lent her background vocals to a multitude of projects, that it's no surprise when she turned her talents to her own personal projects.
It’s been a long journey to center stage for Wagner as it’s only now, through sharing her own triumphs and pain, that the spotlight is shining directly on her at last. Displaying an impressive range encompassing bluesy R&B, neo-soul, acoustic balladry and rock a la John Mayer’s more confessional side, 'Shoes Droppin’ maintains a unified sound rooted in ’60s and ’70s style production. Her debut solo album through Wicked Cool Records was released on October 9, 2020. The songs trace times of darkness and redemption for the Norfolk, Virginia native, now based in New York City, who also fronts the rock/soul band Army of the Underdog.
