JAZZ IN THE
GARDENS ALL-STARS
FEATURING…
Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Philip Bailey,
the Dixie Hummingbirds, John Blake, Odean
Pope and Pat Martino.
Maysa kicks off the summer with her new
album, LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD, a hand-picked
collection of Maysa’s favorite songs, redone with
her own unique soulful twist, solidifying her as
the greatest Soul-Jazz singer of her generation-
the latest in a distinguished line of singers that
stretches back through Anita Baker, Chaka Khan,
Will Downing, Angela Bofill, Marlena Shaw and
more recently, Ledisi and Chrisette Michele.
nominations for his compositional work on
The Guiding Light, his works in both film and
television are well recognized, writing and
contributing music to Dancing With The Stars,
American Idol, Good Morning America, as well
as soundtracks for No Country For Old Men,
Bowfinger, Legally Blonde, and Panic.
MAYSA
is well known by fans of smooth jazz both for
her solo work and for her work with the British
band Incognito. A unique, instantly identifiable
vocal sound encompassing both Jazz and R&B.
Grammy-nominated Soul/Jazz Maysa, celebrates
her 25th year as a solo recording artist this year.
Chieli Minucci’s
Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Maysa Leak
knew early on that she would be a musician. “I
was six years old when my mom took me to see
Purlie,” she recalls. “When Melba Moore came
on stage and sang her heart out, I knew at that
moment I wanted to make people feel the way
she made me feel.”
seminal contemporary jazz supergroup Special
EFX marks their 35th year of recording and
touring in 2018 with the release of Deep As
The Night, their 21st studio recording, and first
celebrating their recent partnership with the
Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm record label.
Formed in 1982 the as the brainchild of the duo
of guitarist Chieli Minucci and percussionist
George Jinda, the combination of Chieli’s edgy
& melodic driving style and George’s sense for
temperament and rhythm struck a perfect
balance, and the rise of a distinctive new
and original sound that incorporated heavy
percussive world elements fused with smart,
energetic, playful and memorable guitar lines
was formed.
Now the leader and driving force behind the
band, Chieli has recorded and performed over
the years with some of pop music’s biggest:
Celine Dion, Lou Reed, Lionel Richie, Jennifer
Lopez, Michael Bolton, Marc Anthony as well as
some of the jazz genre elites, from Jeff Lorber to
Kirk Whalum.
Honored with a Grammy nomination for their
Modern Manners CD, 3 Emmy wins and 10
GERALD VEASLEY
Musician. Educator. Curator.
Gerald Veasley’s life as a creative professional is
clearly multifaceted. Indeed, he wears various
“hats” yet he is motivated by a singular purpose:
to translate his joy of music to the world, music
without boundaries.
Gerald Veasley’s musical odyssey has taken him
to the top of the contemporary music world
as a bassist, bandleader, composer, producer,
educator, and curator. His performance as a six-
string bassist has been top shelf, as his extensive
body of work attests.
Veasley has recorded or performed with many of
the world’s top artists in Jazz, R&B and Gospel:
Kirk Whalum, Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Maysa,
Nnenna Freelon, Special EFX, Pieces of a Dream,
McCoy Tyner, The Jaco Pastorius Big Band,
Maysa’s journey took her from singing upon
graduation with Stevie Wonder for a year to
becoming the lead singer for Incognito in the
90s. In 1995 she recorded her first solo album.
After celebrating her 26th year as a solo artist,
NELSON RANGELL
is an American jazz musician and composer
from Castle Rock, Colorado. Known for his work
with the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone,
his primary instrument is the piccolo, which he
began playing at the age of 15.
Beginning in 1989, he recorded eight albums
for GRP. He has recorded with The Rippingtons,
Chuck Loeb, Patti Austin, Tom Browne, the GRP
All-Star Big Band and is featured on The Hang,
an album by Don Grusin that was nominated for
a Grammy Award.
In the late 1990s he signed with Shanachie
Records.