WESFEST 5 BENEFIT CONCERT AGAIN RAISES OVER $20,000 FOR WES WEHMILLER SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

Annual event and related fundraising drive activities achieve most aggressive fundraising goal to date

BOSTON (March 30, 2010) — WesFest 5, the fifth annual WesFest benefit concert, was held at The Roxy in Los Angeles on February 28, 2010. The concert both surpassed its previous attendance record and met its most aggressive fundraising goal to date - $20,000 - for the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship Fund at Berklee College of Music. This is the second consecutive year that the WesFest fundraising drive has raised over $20,000, and the total amount generated by the WesFest concert series and related fundraising drives since its inception in 2006 has now exceeded $70,000.

In addition to concert ticket sales, private donations, and WesFest-related merchandise revenues, WesFest 5 was also officially supported by corporate sponsors Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Mike Lull Custom Basses, D’Addario & Co, DW Drums, Lurssen Mastering, and EBS Bass Systems (distributed in the USA by Musical Distributors Group). The monies and awareness raised by the WesFest concert series have established the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship as one of the most noted awards given by Berklee College Of Music.

The WesFest 5 concert was headlined by The Tal Wilkenfeld Band. Led by young phenom Wilkenfeld (who just finished up a 3-year stint as Jeff Beck’s bassist), the group included jazz/fusion superstars Oz Noy on guitar, John Beasley on keyboards, and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, comprising the highest profile headliner in the event’s history and resulting in a whole new level of awareness for both the WesFest concert series and the Wehmiller Scholarship. Keeping with WesFest concert tradition, the current year’s scholarship winner performed a set at the show, and 2009’s recipient Justin Schornstein wowed the crowd of over 300 with his deep, gospel-influenced grooves and advanced musical maturity in a set with Danny Mo & The Exciters, a band led by Wehmiller’s Berklee Bass Professor and close friend Danny Morris. Morris is instrumental in selecting the scholarship winner, and leads a separate annual concert event in Boston to further awareness of the scholarship among the Berklee student body.

“This year at the Roxy, Justin Schornstein not only played some righteous bass,” says Morris, “he helped me arrange an energetic set for the Exciters that raised the roof with some high-octane soul and spirited gospel. Performing to a sea of folks movin’ and groovin’ was the highlight of our trip. Every performer on that stage all evening gave it their all, and the night was special beyond expectations.”

Three other acts, all a part of Wes Wehmiller’s broad and diverse musical world, performed at WesFest 5: Brooklyn-based bassist/singer/songwriter John Montagna, a friend of Wes’ from their college days at Berklee; singer/songwriter Joe Brooks, who worked with Wehmiller in Los Angeles; and The WesFest All-Stars, a collection of Wehmiller’s friends and musical compatriots, featuring performances by Tamara Silvera, Kira Small, Ali Handal, I, Claudius, and original WesFest headliner Mike Keneally.

“Each year, the WesFest community grows as more people hear about Wes and this great annual celebration,” says Peter Gordon, the Director of the Berklee Center in Los Angeles. “It’s such a gratifying experience to be part of and it’s exciting to see the momentum keep building!” WesFest co-producer Stacey Ferguson adds, “The love for Wes, coupled with a belief in the importance of music education, makes this event increasingly successful every year, and the phenomenal lineup provided a mind-blowing soundtrack to the true spirit of the event. We look forward to helping more and more students continue their education and develop their gifts at Berklee.”

Established by Wes’ family and friends in 2005, the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship is awarded annually to a continuing student at Berklee who best exemplifies the excellence and grace Wes showed as a bassist and as a human being. The WesFest concert series serves as the centerpiece for a continuing fundraising drive for the scholarship fund, which honors the legacy of Wehmiller, a Berklee graduate (‘92) and highly accomplished bassist, athlete, and photographer who died of thyroid cancer in January, 2005.

All WesFest related merchandise – which includes two concert DVD’s, the I, Claudius CD Bleed: The Wes Demos, and the newest CD Wicked: Music From The WesFest Community – are available for purchase at www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest, with net proceeds also going to benefit the fund. For additional biographical information on Wes Wehmiller, WesFest, and all related merchandise, please visit the official Tribute To Wes Wehmiller Website at www.weswehmiller.net. For more information on the scholarship, or to find out how to contribute to the fund, please contact Peter Gordon, Director of the Berklee Center in Los Angeles, at (818) 380-3041, or by e-mail at pgordon@berklee.edu.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry “who’s who” of alumni, Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for the music of today - and tomorrow.

When preparing for my annual March show in Boston formerly titled “Danny Mo’s Jam”, and this past year renamed by Bass Department Chairman Rich Appleman as “Danny Mo’s Family Reunion” I was impressed with Justin’s skills as an arranger, his leadership while rehearsing, and ultimately performing. Along with his large ensemble, Justin energized the capacity crowd with some of the heaviest Gospel infused grooves I have ever experienced around Berklee. Justin displays tremendous musicianship on both the bass and piano. As the fourth recipient of this distinguished scholarship, I am honored and pleased to welcome Justin into this growing family of talented musicians.

We will be performing together in Los Angles at Wesfest 5 in February 2010. On March 10, 2010 we will be at David Friend Recital Hall in Boston for “Danny Mo’s Family Reunion”. Hope to see many of you there as you are already on the guest list!

Peace and groove,

Danny Mo

WESFEST 4 BENEFIT CONCERT RAISES $21,000 FOR WES WEHMILLER SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

Annual event and related fundraising drive activities generate best result in history of effort to date

BOSTON (July 3, 2009) — WesFest 4, the fourth annual WesFest benefit concert, was held at The Knitting Factory in Los Angeles on February 26, 2009. The concert’s highest-to-date attendance, along with new fundraising efforts such as online auctions and merchandise sales, resulted in a groundbreaking donation of $21,000 to the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship Fund at Berklee College of Music. The total amount raised by the WesFest concert series and related fundraising drives since its inception in 2006 has now exceeded $50,000.

In addition to concert ticket sales, private donations, international charity auction efforts (U.S, Belgium, Netherlands), and merchandise revenues, WesFest 4 was also officially supported by corporate sponsors Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Mike Lull Custom Basses, and D’Addario & Co. The monies and awareness raised by the WesFest concert series have established the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship as one of the most noted awards given by Berklee College Of Music.

The WesFest 4 concert was headlined by The Allan Holdsworth/Alan Pasqua Group featuring Chad Wackerman and Jimmy Haslip, a supergroup of four legends from the jazz/fusion music scene who not only performed at their typically world-class level, but also brought a healthy number of their own fans and supporters into the WesFest circle of awareness and generosity. As in every WesFest concert, the current year’s scholarship winner performed a set at the show, and 2008’s recipient Steffie Willis upheld the tradition by laying down a deep, reggae-influenced groove in a set with Danny Mo & The Exciters, a band led by Wehmiller’s Berklee Bass Professor and close friend Danny Morris. Morris is instrumental in selecting the scholarship winner, and leads a separate annual concert event in Boston to further awareness of the scholarship among the Berklee student body.

“Wes Wehmiller once described a real bass player as someone who actually concentrates on foundation,” Morris recalled. “Wes further depicts that bassist as someone who concentrates on one note and has that one note mean everything. Performing live with Steffie at Wesfest 4 and looking out to the audience movin’ to the heavy pulse, I felt something warm and gratifying. That was Wes smiling and saying, ‘Yeah Steffie, that’s the way to play the bass!’”

Three other acts, all a part of Wes Wehmiller’s broad and diverse musical world, performed at WesFest 4: original WesFest headliner guitarist/virtuoso Mike Keneally in his Keneally-Minnemann-Beller powertrio; L.A. singer/songwriter Tamara Silvera, whose new CD Departures features Wehmiller’s last known full-album recorded work; and The WesFest All-Stars, a collection of Wehmiller’s friends and musical compatriots, featuring performances by Ali Handal, Kira Small, Mother Eff, and Wes’ original rock band I, Claudius (whose CD Bleed: The Wes Demos contains reworked demo tracks with Wehmiller’s original bass parts, and contributed to the overall merchandising effort).

“We’re extremely grateful for the contribution of so many individuals involved in the show, as well their efforts to spread the news on the internet and make the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship known world-wide,” says WesFest 4 Producer Stacey Ferguson. “The fact that the WesFest fundraising drive continues to raise more money every year – even in these tough economic times – speaks volumes about how the amazing energy and depth of Wes’ life continues to touch people, and inspires them to carry it on.”

Established by Wes’ family and friends in 2005, the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship is awarded annually to a continuing student at Berklee who best exemplifies the excellence and grace Wes showed as a bassist and as a human being. The WesFest concert series serves as the centerpiece for a continuing fundraising drive for the scholarship fund, which honors the legacy of Wehmiller, a Berklee graduate (‘92) and highly accomplished bassist, athlete, and photographer who died of thyroid cancer in January, 2005. The first two WesFest concert DVD’s, as well as the I, Claudius CD Bleed: The Wes Demos, are available for purchase at http://weswehmiller.net/wesfest, with net proceeds also going to benefit the fund. For additional biographical information on Wes Wehmiller, WesFest, and all related merchandise, please visit the official Tribute To Wes Wehmiller Website at www.weswehmiller.net. Pictures of WesFest 4 are available by visiting the site’s front page, clicking “WesFest” and then clicking “Gallery.”

For more information on the scholarship, or to find out how to contribute to the fund, please contact Peter Gordon, Director of the Berklee Center in Los Angeles, at (818) 380-3041, or by e-mail at pgordon@berklee.edu.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music was through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved constantly to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry “who’s who” of alumni, Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for the music of today - and tomorrow.

Click here to view photos from WesFest 4!

Click here to download this press release as a PDF file.

Wes and I would listen and study music for countless hours at my house in Cambridge around the time he was a Berklee student. We used to listen to Aretha and marvel at her rhythm piano playing supported by the brevity and genius of Tommy Cogbill’s bass lines. We would listen to Monk and dissect the changes, the harmonic sophistication of his profound musical syntax.

Danny Mo writes, "Herbie Hancock told me he named his last CD "Possibilities" because that's what the future holds in store. This is the feeling I get when playing music with and listening to Justin Schornstein."

Justin has the same vibe, as he too is a true listener. As I dug into his residency as a Berklee student, a wealth of appreciation surfaced from many faculty and students who have already been graced with his bass playing contributions. Justin is extremely popular as one of Berklee’s in demand student bassists and is regularly featured around campus at student recitals and high profile Berklee Performance Center showcases.

When preparing for my annual March show in Boston formerly titled “Danny Mo’s Jam”, and this past year renamed by Bass Department Chairman Rich Appleman as “Danny Mo’s Family Reunion” I was impressed with Justin’s skills as an arranger, his leadership while rehearsing, and ultimately performing. Along with his large ensemble, Justin energized the capacity crowd with some of the heaviest Gospel infused grooves I have ever experienced around Berklee. Justin displays tremendous musicianship on both the bass and piano. As the fourth recipient of this distinguished scholarship, I am honored and pleased to welcome Justin into this growing family of talented musicians.

"It's beautiful to watch people grow," says Danny pictured here with the 2006 - 2009 Wes Wehmiller Scholars. "As I join arms with these four scholarship recipients, including drummer Gabe Jones, and remember where they were as freshman, I am overjoyed with their musical and personal contributions."

We will be performing together in Los Angles at Wesfest 5 in February 2010. On March 10, 2010 we will be at David Friend Recital Hall in Boston for “Danny Mo’s Family Reunion”. Hope to see many of you there as you are already on the guest list!

Peace and groove,

Danny Mo

See photos of Danny Mo’s 2009 Family Reunion.

Click below to hear the band playing, “Sugar, Sugar”.

Sugar Sugar with Danny Mo at Danny Mo\’s Family Reunion

Event details

February 26, 2009

Doors open for all ages at 7:00 PM

Sponsored by:

Berklee News Article

Band Lineup

• The Allan Holdsworth/Alan Pasqua Group featuring Chad Wackerman and Jimmy Haslip (all-star jazz/fusion headliner!)
• Keneally - Minnemann - Beller
• Tamara Silvera
• Danny Mo & The Exciters (featuring 2008 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Winner Steffie Willis)
• The WesFest All-Stars (featuring the music of Mother Eff, FlynnFernquistKonnerth, Kira Small, Ali Handal, and the return of I, Claudius)

Ticket Pricing

$30 per pair of tickets in advance (advance tickets are available through February 24, 2009 until midnight)
$20 for single tickets in advance
$30 for tickets at the door.

More Info [pdf]

Will Snyder playing solo piano in Santiago, Chile

The morning sky has a hint of orange and blue, mixed in with some puffy clouds. It’s 6:30 AM and I’m heading back to Boston from the island of Nantucket after playing a gig last evening. I’ve been meaning to keep you all informed as to the whereabouts of our three scholarship recipients, and this is as good a time as any to write. In a two-day stretch last week, I ran into all three: Will Snyder ‘06, Claire Finley ‘07, and Steffi Willis ‘08.

Will just returned from an extended tour playing piano and bass in Chile. He

Andrew Gouche, Claire Finley, and Danny Mo at WesFest 3

looks marvelous, with his hair a resplendent orange. Claire just returned from a southwestern tour, much of it in Texas playing her distinctive neo-soul bass lines. Claire’s energy is reflected in her groove, and her sound has been augmented with her new Epifani bass rig, courtesy of an endorsement she received after playing her set at WesFest 3 in L.A. last February.

Steffi with her new Fender bass lockin' up the groove

Meanwhile, Steffi was holding down the low end in Brazil over the summer playing reggae music. If you’ve never met or heard Steffi play the bass, be assured that her vibe will shine a light on you. If you weren’t at the Danny Mo’s Jam last March, I have to tell you, the David Friend Recital Hall at 921 Boylston St., Boston, MA has never seen more folks crammed in to witness a vibe like that. The rear doors of the hall had to be opened up to the outer hallway. I didn’t even realize those walls could move. Thank you Wes!
The musician has an obligation to their soul. Playing music often soothes this very need. Our three recipients are all playing lots of music, learning, creating, grooving. In the tradition of Wes’ commitment to serving the song with a righteous bass line, I’m happy to report that all is cool in the low end around here.

Peace and see you soon,
Danny

WesFest 3, the third annual WesFest benefit concert, took place at Paladino’s in Los Angeles on February 25, 2008 and raised $10,000 for the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship Fund at Berklee College of Music for the third consecutive year. This brings the total amount raised by the WesFest concert series to over $30,000 since its inception in 2006.

In addition to concert proceeds and private donations, WesFest 3 was also officially supported by corporate sponsors Epifani Custom Sound, Mike Lull Custom Basses, D’addario & Co., and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The monies and awareness raised by the WesFest concert series have quickly made the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship one of the most noted awards given by Berklee College Of Music.

Headlining WesFest 3 was gospel/R&B bass legend Andrew Gouché, whose world-class jazz/fusion quintet left the audience of nearly 200 with jaws open and hearts filled from their combination of musical excellence and spiritual presence. A tradition also continued as 2007 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Award winner Claire Finley performed at WesFest 3 with Danny Mo & The Exciters, a band led by Wehmiller’s Berklee Bass Professor and close friend Danny Morris, and featured Berklee alum and Zappa Plays Zappa drummer Joe Travers (’92). Finley, the second winner of the award, confidently took center stage and grooved mightily as The Exciters pounded out original and classic rock material.

Three other acts, all a part of Wes Wehmiller’s broad and diverse musical world, performed at WesFest 3: Nashville-based soul/R&B singer/songwriter (and Berklee alum) Kira Small (’93), newly-formed Los Angeles rockers Mother Eff, and perennial WesFest performer Mike Keneally, whose virtuosic band headlined the original event in 2005 and brings continuity to an ever-expanding community.

“The WesFest concert series really has come of age very quickly, and it’s still growing,” says WesFest 3 producer Bryan Beller. “And though we’re very grateful for its success, it’s not just about meeting fundraising goals. Every year we do this, we’re meeting and bringing new people - students, musicians, folks from all walks of life - into the community, and they get for themselves a huge awareness of Wes and why he’s so special to the people who knew him. Plus, everyone’s seeing with their own eyes the tremendous impact of their support. Seeing Claire Finley carry on the tradition is a reaffirmation of what the event really stands for, and then watching Claire watch Andrew Gouche while Wes’ family and friends look on…that’s when you start to get the bigger picture of why this works so well. We’re all connected, and you can’t help but get swept up in the positivity generated by the whole thing.”

Established by Wes’ family and friends in 2005, the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship is awarded annually to a continuing student at Berklee who best exemplifies the excellence and grace Wes showed as a bassist and as a human being. The WesFest concert series serves as the centerpiece for a continuing fundraising drive for the scholarship fund, which honors the legacy of Wehmiller, a Berklee graduate (‘92) and highly accomplished bassist, athlete, and photographer who died of thyroid cancer in January, 2005.

The first two WesFest concerts are available on DVD, with net proceeds also going to benefit the fund. For additional biographical information on Wes Wehmiller, WesFest and the WesFest DVD’s, please visit the official Tribute To Wes Wehmiller Website at www.weswehmiller.net. Pictures of WesFest 3 are available here.

For more information on the scholarship, or to find out how to contribute to the fund, please contact Peter Gordon, Director of the Berklee Center in Los Angeles, at (818) 380-3041, or by e-mail at pgordon@berklee.edu.

Visit the Gallery

Steffi Willis performing at Danny Mo's Jam 2008

Welcome, Steffi Willis, 2008 recipient of the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship! Steffi will warm your heart with her spirit and her groove. They are interchangeable. Steffi is one of the most in demand bassists around the Berklee community for good reason: She plays the bass with a conviction to the song, to the groove. You can shut your eyes and feel that commitment, that strong pocket linking the rhythm to the harmony. If you open your eyes, you’ll witness someone doing what they love.

She plays the 5-string bass with a penchant for the low register. After all, the bass is the lowest voice and Steffi never lets you forget it. With her warm personality, glowing spirit, and rootsy feel on the bass, Steffi was the perfect choice for this scholarship in Wes’ honor. She now joins fellow scholarship recipients Will Snyder (2006), and Claire Finley (2007) in this pantheon of deserving students from Berklee’s Bass Department.

On March 12th, 2008, Steffi joined me for a performance at Berklee’s David

Danny Mo with Wes' Taylor 5-String Bass

Friend Recital Hall. She brought with her a 15-piece choir for which she arranged the music. It was Sunday morning [BB's note - I'm guessing that's the intended meaning here?] on a Wednesday night at Berklee. The rear doors had to be opened to allow for the over-capacity crowd. Steffi joined my group for a few tunes, and together with a great audience we raised the roof. I want to thank all the musicians who performed, Paula and John Wehmiller, my wife Jacqui and son Charles, Bass Department Chairman Rich Appleman, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, and everyone in the house that evening. We tore down yet another Danny Mo’s Jam for the record books.

We’ll be in L.A. next winter for Wesfest 4, and hope to see you again next March for the Danny Mo’s Jam 2009 in Boston. You’re all on the guest list.

Peace everybody.
Danny

Visit the Gallery
Here’s some audio of Danny Mo performing on Wes’ Tyler 5-string bass with Gabe Jones on drums, Marty Walsh on guitar, and Cleveland Jones in a trance… Listen to Cleveland sing Koffi Burbridge’s “Like Anyone Else.”  It will move your world to a nice place. Like Anyone Else

Skating in a roller hockey rink, sometime in 2002.

This is one of the first videos Wes did of his roller hockey, sometime in 2000. Who did the video while he skated?