Six-time Grammy nominee, WAYNE WALLACE, is one of the more respected exponents of African American-Latin music in the world today. He is known for the use of traditional forms and styles in combination with contemporary music, and has earned recognition with his recent placement in the Downbeat Critics Polls under the trombone and producer categories.
Mr. Wallace is an accomplished arranger, educator, and composer with compositions for film and television. He has also received grants form the Creative Work Fund,the National Endowments for the Arts, the Lila Wallace Foundation, and the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Mr. Wallace has performed, recorded and studied with acknowledged masters of the Afro-Latin and Jazz idioms such as Aretha Franklin, Bobby Hutcherson, Earth Wind and Fire, Pete Escovedo, Santana, Julian Priester, Conjunto Libre, Whitney Houston,Tito Puente, Steve Turre, John Lee Hooker, Con-funk-shun, Francisco Aguabella, Manny Oquendo and Libre, Max Roach, and Orestes Vilató. This experience has provided a solid foundation for Mr. Wallace's current explorations of the intersections of diverse cultural styles, and rhythmic concepts.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, May 29th 1952, at an early age Wayne was exposed to Blues, Country and Western, and Jazz . The fertile musical environment of the San Francisco Bay Area shaped his career in a unique way. His studies of Afro-Latin music and Jazz have included several trips to Cuba, New York, and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Wallace is widely respected as a teacher and historian and is currently an instructor at San Jose State University, Stanford University and the Jazzschool in Berkeley. He has conducted lectures, workshops and clinics in the Americas and Europe since 1983. Currently he is a member of the Advisory Committee of the San Jose Jazz Society.

Wayne is an endorsee of Conn-Selmer trombones.

Some people appear to be driven continually toward some thing.  From the day they’re born, they’re happiest when in motion, constantly striking out for new territories, exploring vast continents, crossing international boundaries.  Jazz vocalist Kristina Smith can claim life membership in this peripatetic group.  Literally born in a car, Kristina entered the world already in motion.  She was already vocalizing, too, as her mother remembers, “crying soulfully…and on key.”

Kristina and her family moved to Oakland, CA when she was three years old.  She was fortunate to have a sixth grade teacher who saw value in teaching her students to embrace another culture and its musical beauty.   By singing in Japanese, Kristina discovered that music could be a visceral, motivating, moving experience in any language.

When she was accepted to Mills College in Oakland, CA, on a dance scholarship, Kristina continued to delve into the rhythmic variations of many cultures while choreographing her dance programs at Mills.  However, faced with a trick knee, she soon turned her attention to conveying her ideas vocally.   Kristina continued to gain experience by engaging audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area venues and art houses.

During summer vacations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kristina studied at the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts and performed with the Gitano Singers and Dancers.   The thriving Flamenco community of Santa Fe gave Kristina a chance to soak up the Latin rhythms and enrich her appreciation of the Spanish counter-culture.

After years of sharing their talents with many great international musicians, (Tower of Power, Paul Winters, Sheila E., George Duke, Paquito D’Rivera and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Pete Escovedo) the VW Brothers have stepped to the forefront as leaders with their debut CD "Muziek,” released February 23, 2010 on Patois Records.

With "Muziek," drummer Paul van Wageningen and bassist Marc van Wageningen (Vah-ga-ning-un) have created a marvelous alchemic example of the possibilities of what jazz continues to offer us in the new millennium. While embracing and honoring tradition, "Muziek" explores and reconfirms our shared legacy and connections in modern music by combining and meshing styles. "Muziek" features eight original compositions, from the neo-classical stylings of "Euro," to the simmering San Francisco’s East Bay funk of "You Guys Done Yet?," A gorgeous Brazilian ballad titled "Benito," provides a passionate contrast to the Afro-Cuban jazz of "Zapatos De Madera.” The release's stunning new versions of the Miles Davis classic "Milestones" and "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” by Michel Legrand confirm what colleagues have known for years, the VW Brother's are blessed with creativity and their passionate interpretations make these well played jazz standards a joy to hear again.

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Holland, Paul and Marc van Wageningen (Vah-ga-ning-un) studied at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music. Paul moved to New York in 1976 to be closer to the American jazz scene and then relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Marc came to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1980. They both acclimated to the Bay Area scene and quickly found work. Their resumés as first-call sidemen and touring musicians read as a "Who's Who" of multi-generational stars spanning a variety of musical genres.

This is the first tribute album to singer Eva Cassidy who is beloved all over the world for her fresh and pure arrangements of jazz and pop standards. Tribute albums are one of the most intimate and moving forms of artistic expression. They must be handled with utmost care and consideration, not just for the music but for the artist's absolute intent.

Amikaeyla and Trelawny's live recording delivers a heartfelt tribute to Eva Cassidy. A vocal duet album, Amikaeyla and Trelawny Rose bring out their interpretation of the essence of Eva Cassidy's music with their new vocal arrangements sung in harmony.

Eva Cassidy's untimely death from melanoma in 1996 at age 33 is one that the music community will mourn for years to come. Her stunning treatment of "Over the Rainbow", "What a Wonderful World" and Sting's "Fields of Gold" gained momentum when she
was signed postmortem to Blix records in the UK.

Over 10 years after her death she continues to release new albums to her growing fan base. Her most recent release was an album of remastered songs "Somewhere". Amikaeyla Proudfoot Gaston had been equated with Eva Cassidy before this recent project, in an NPR piece. At first glance, that would be a sensible comparison as both having found their musical roots in relatively the same areas of Washington D.C. But it goes much deeper than proximity. They shared an innate ability to interpret and convey their musical objectives with such infinite grace and authenticity. Amikaeyla's debut album "Mosaic" received national attention. It won an amazing twelve music awards, including Best Jazz Vocalist, Best Urban Contemporary Vocalist, Best World Music Vocalist, and Best Debut Artist. Furthermore, she was named Washington D.C.'s best Female Composer in 2006 and again in 2008 for excellence in original composition.

On the West Coast, another exquisite talent was unfolding. Trelawny Rose grew up in the diverse and thriving Bay Area music scene. As a soloist for the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC) she delivered heart and power in performances at venues such as Shoreline Ampatheater, The Paramount Theater, The Sydney Opera House and on tour to Israel.