Sunday, March 12, 2017
THE BAKED POTATO
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR – DOORS OPEN AT 7:00PM
Featuring headliner…
PATRICE RUSHEN
with
Reggie Hamilton
and
Ndugu Chancler!
also performing:
Hayley Jane Batt & Will Snyder
and
Danny Mo and The Exciters
featuring 2016 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Award Winner
JONATHAN ELYASHIV
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EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, March 12, 2017
THE BAKED POTATO
3787 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Phone: (818) 980-1615
FOR NON-TICKET DONATIONS to the WES WEHMILLER SCHOLARSHIP click the image:
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Presenting:
Patrice Rushen
Multi-Grammy nominated artist, Patrice Rushen, is fashioning her career after the legacy of her long-time friend and mentor, Quincy Jones. Composer…Producer…International Recording Artist…Rushen has definitely earned the respect she has been awarded by her peers in the music industry.
Admired by many for her groundbreaking achievements, Rushen has amassed an impressive list of “firsts”. She was the first woman to serve as Musical Director for the 46th, 47th & 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the first woman in 43 years to serve as Head Composer/Musical Director for television’s highest honor, the Emmy Awards and the first woman Musical Director of the NAACP Image Awards, an honor she held for 12 consecutive years. Rushen has also been the only woman Musical Director/Composer for the Peoples Choice Awards and HBO’s Comic Relief. She was the only woman Musical Director/Conductor/Arranger for a late-night television talk show. The show was The Midnight Hour, which aired on CBS. In addition, Rushen was named the Musical Director/Composer for Newsweek’s first American Achievement Awards, broadcast from the Kennedy Center and she served as the Musical Director for Janet Jackson’s World Tour, “janet.” As the Musical Director for the award shows, she composed and performed special musical tributes to Michael Landon, Ted Turner, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, The Temptations, James Garner and Leonard Bernstein to name a few. Rushen was named Composer in Residence during the August 2004 sessions at the Henry Mancini Institute.
Click here for Patrice’s very impressive biography…
Hayley Jane Batt & Will Snyder
Hayley Jane Batt was the 6th recipient of the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship in 2011 and performed at WesFest 7 – Will Snyder was the 1st recipient of the scholarship in 2006 and performed at WesFest 2! We are so excited to have them back again, this time as the openers with their own band!
Hayley
Hayley attended the London Centre of Contemporary Music in 2009, before moving to study at Berklee College of Music, graduating with an Honours degree in bass performance in 2012.
Moving to New York straight out of college, Hayley became a member of acclaimed indie band Freelance Whales, as their bassist/female vocalist – also adding Harmonium, Glockenspiel and Synth to her skill-set. She toured with them in 2013, whilst also gigging extensively with Catey Shaw and Tei Shi. In England she has played for various artists (Bob Blakeley, Luke Batt, Delaire), notably playing 02-indigo supporting Dionne Warwick, Chris Evans Car-fest, and playing live on Terry Wogan BBC Radio 2.
Whilst at Berklee, Hayley received the ‘Timothy B Schmitt Endowed Scholarship Award‘ for bass playing and singing, along with the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship
Hayley is now based in LA, after becoming the touring bassist/background singer for songstress/actress Emily Kinney (Walking Dead). Most recently she has been on a west coast tour with Aussie band High Highs, performed on The Ellen Show with Zara Larsson and MNEK, and become bassist/singer for YouTube sensation Madilyn Bailey.
Will
At Idyllwild Arts High School, Will studied music with the renowned and extremely talented Marshall Hawkins. In 2003, after eight months of study with Hawkins, Snyder won the Sam Karam Music Award. After graduating from Idyllwild, Snyder attended Berklee College of Music, where he continued studying music. In 2006, he won the Bass Department Achievement Award and the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Award. After college, Snyder was signed with Marble Mountain Records for his original music, which at the time could be described as an innovative junction of pop, folk and jazz. During the following years, he was able to develop his skills as an artist, singer and producer through work at various studios, such as Avatar Studios in NYC, NY, Mix One in Boston, MA, as well as Marble Mountain Records studio in Boston and Orlando, FL.
In June 2014, Snyder released his first single, “Love Me,” which was widely spun in London after being remixed by remix team, 7th Heaven. After years of developing and honing his studio chops and musicianship, Snyder became a sought-after producer for other artists. In October 2014, jazz guitarist and composer Graham Dechter sought his insight as a producer for his record “Takin’ it There,” which became the #1 jazz record spun in the country for two weeks in a row.
From 2014 to 2016, he released a single with producer Kyle Patrick and three full-length records: 2028 (mixed by Grammy-winning mix engineers Mick Guzauski, Miles Walker and Will Hensley), My Condition (mixed by Will Hensley), and his third was produced by Grammy-winning songwriter Angie Aparo.
Will resides in LA, California and is focusing on continuing to bring innovative music to his fans.
Danny Mo and The Exciters
An annual tradition at WesFest, Danny Mo & The Exciters is a group led by Wehmiller’s former bass professor and close friend DANNY MORRIS, and features the winner of last year’s Wehmiller Scholarship Award, JONATHAN ELYASHIV on bass. Danny Morris says that Jonathan is a favorite around the Berklee campus. “His love and appreciation of ‘the song’ is heart-felt. Not only does he put genuine soul into his bass tracks, he and his Dad build the basses too! Jonathan has a warm gentle personality, an insightful ear, and a groove that’ll melt your insides. He has been a joy to have in the classroom, and a thrill to watch and listen to on stage.”
— Also performing with Danny Mo & the Exciters
John “JR” Robinson
We’re honored to welcome back Berklee alum JR Robinson. Most known for his work with Quincy Jones, including Michael Jackson’s multiplatinum Off the Wall album and the charity single “We Are the World.” Grammy winner Robinson has played on a number of motion pictures as well as with an enormous list of artist. Check out his website HERE!
Kira Small
We also welcome back another WesFest/Berklee alum, Kira Small! “Girl you sound like a neat glass of single malt in a world of Michelob Ultra.” – Grammy award winning songwriter Mike Reid (“I Can’t Make You Love Me”) Nashville recording artist and 2012 Independent Music Awards winner Kira Small’s albums Raise My Voice [2010 Offrow Records] and Love In A Dangerous World [2007 Offrow Records] were produced by Bruce Dees (James Brown, Ronnie Milsap) and feature many Muscle Shoals & Motown veterans. An accomplished pianist, songwriter and arranger, her impressive resume includes a stint on Berklee College of Music’s voice faculty, back-up vocalist for Martina McBride’s 2012 and 2013 Joy of Christmas Tour and work with with Peter Frampton, Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Randy Travis, Ray Price and more. For more info visit www.kirasmall.com.
Marty Walsh
Another artist we are thrilled to have returning for WesFest is guitarist Marty Walsh!
Marty Walsh is an assistant professor in the Ensemble and Music Production departments at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. A veteran of the LA studio music scene, he has worked as a guitarist with some of the biggest names in the business. The early 1980s found him on the hits “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, “She Works Hard For The Money” by Donna Summer, and “Heartlight” by Neil Diamond, to name a few. He also recorded with John Denver, Eddie Money, Kenny Rogers, Sheena Easton, and Julio Iglesias, among others. In 1985, Marty played guitar on the Supertramp album ‘Brother Where You Bound’ and then toured with the band in 1985-86 and again in 1988 after playing on their 1988 release ‘Free As A Bird’. Continuing to do recording sessions into the 1990s, he also was a part of the live band on the Nickelodeon Television show ‘Roundhouse’ which was critically acclaimed and ran from 1992 through 1994. In the late 90’s early 2000’s Marty played guitar on numerous Curb Records releases including three of Leann Rimes’ albums, ‘Sittin On Top Of The World’, ‘Leann Rimes’ and ‘I Need You’, whose title track set the record for weeks (54) in the top 40. More recently, he can be heard on the Freddie Jackson single “Until The End Of Time”, which reached the number 1 spot on Billboard’s R&B charts and stayed on the charts for 26 weeks. And now much to the anticipation of guitarists and musicians everywhere, Marty has released his first instrumental solo album ‘The Total Plan’!
Check out his website HERE