There are 2 groups known as Fourplay, 1) An American smooth jazz group, 2) An Australian string quartet: 1. Fourplay is a jazz group, founded around 1990, in the USA. Current members are: Bob James (keyboards & programming), Nathan East (bass & vocal), Chuck Loeb (guitar) & Harvey Mason (drums & percussion). Loeb replaced Larry Carlton who himself had replaced the founding guitarist, Lee Ritenour in '98.
Femi Kuti is an award winning Nigerian musician, and the oldest son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Femi was born in London on 16 June 1962 and grew up in the former Nigerian capital Lagos. Like his father, Femi has shown a strong commitment to social and political causes throughout his career, but he differs in his religious views. In 2001, Femi collaborated with a number of US musicians such as Common, Mos Def, and Jaguar Wright, on his Fight to Win album. This album was widely regarded as the most influential Neo-Afrobeat album of the early 21st century.
Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949 in Chicago) is an American poet and musician, known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word performer, associated with African American militant activists. Heron is perhaps most well known for his poems/songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "What's the Word - Johannesburg" a movement hit during the 1980's South Africa college and national divestment movement in the United States of America.
UK BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ playing an eclectic mix of soulful electronic jazz beats and breaks.
Perth, Australia (2004 - present) Tangled Thoughts of Leaving was formed in 2004 and has released the following works (all available for free download from http://www.revertentertainment.com/dl ) Tiny Fragments EP [2008] Split EP with sleepmakeswaves [2009] Contextually Inept single [2010] TToL are currently recording their debut album, destined for a mid-late 2010 release. Members:
Aaron Pollard – Piano, Synth, Vocals
Andrew McDonald – Guitar, Uke
Ben Stacy - Drums, Sax
Luke Pollard – Bass, Samples, Glokenspiel
Kirk Degiorgio was born in Stepney, East London in the late 60's. Raised in a family who loved a wide range of music - and one which could claim a hugely famous pop-star cousin in Marc Bolan of T-Rex - Kirk got early exposure to music from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Sly Stone, Roxy Music, etc. His mother Janet Feld was a young 'mod' who devoutly followed The Kinks, The Who, etc around the venues of London.
Tower of Power is a horn-based funk/soul band from Oakland, California. In the mid-1960s, 17-year-old tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo moved from Detroit, Michigan, to Fremont, California. He started a band called the Motowns, specializing in soul music. In 1968, Castillo teamed up with baritone saxophonist Stephen "The Funky Doctor" Kupka and trumpet/trombone player Mic Gillette, moved to Oakland, and began writing original material. They changed the band's name to Tower of Power and began playing frequently in the Bay Area.
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews (born January 2, 1986) is a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Rare indeed is the artist with the virtuosity to draw the unqualified respect of some of the most iconic legends in jazz and the ability to deliver a high-energy funk rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars. Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews is one such artist - and there is no one else like him.
Alfred McCoy Tyner (born 11 December 1938) is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career. Tyner was born in Philadelphia as the oldest of three children. He was encouraged to study piano by his mother. He finally began studying the piano at age 13 and within two years, music had become the focal point in his life. His early influences included Bud Powell, a Philadelphia neighbor.
"the fingers malone ensemble" is the production and stage name of Colin O'Reilly, a musician, composer and producer from Fingal Head, Australia. He is now based in London. He is best known for his production and drumming for 'The Winnie Coopers' (Australian hip hop band) and, more recently, his drumming and MPC playing for Ash Grunwald (Australian blues artist). His solo work is varied and ranges from live jazz arangements to fully programmed hip hop style beats. Although much of the work sounds like samples almost no samples are used.