WesFest 5
A Concert to Benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at
Berklee College Of Music
Featuring
Tal Wilkenfeld
Also performing:
Danny Mo and the Exciters
Featuring 2009 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Award Winner
Justin Schornstein
Joe Brooks
John Montagna
and
The WesFest All-Stars
Featuring music by Mike Keneally, Tamara Silvera, Kira Small,
Ali Handal, and I, Claudius.
EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The Roxy
9009 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Doors open for all ages at 7:00 PM
Tickets: $35 per pair in advance (available through 2/25/10), $20 for single tickets in advance, $30 for tickets at the door.
*All advance tickets will be held for pickup at the box office. Paper tickets will not be mailed.
Ticket Purchase/Donation Procedure:
BY CHECK:
Send a check made out to Berklee College of Music, along with your return mailing address, to:
Berklee College of Music
15303 Ventura Blvd. Suite 931
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Attn: WesFest 5
NOTE: Please include “WesFest 5″ in the memo field and, if you are ordering tickets, please also include the number of tickets you wish to purchase. For non-ticket donations, include “WesFest 5″ only.
BY CREDIT CARD ONLINE:
CLICK HERE, enter ticket quantity, and complete the form.
NOTE: After completing the form, please send an e-mail to Peter Gordon at pgordon@berklee.edu confirming your order, including the number of tickets you purchased and your mailing address. For non-ticket donations, this is not necessary.
For any questions about ordering tickets or donating to the fundraising drive, please contact Peter Gordon directly at (818) 380-3041 or pgordon@berklee.edu.
More Info About The Band Lineup For WesFest 5
Jeff Beck, not one given to effusive praise, said this about his then-21-year-old wunderkind bassist Tal Wilkenfeld: “How does one describe an astonishing talent? The answer is, you don’t. You listen, and watch, as 45,000 people did in Chicago at the Crossroads Festival 2007. To see all those blues fanatics and guitar freaks go berzerk halfway through her solo left me emotional. The word proud is barely adequate.”
A native of Sydney, Australia, Tal Wilkenfeld moved to Los Angeles to pursue music professionally while still in her teens. Her prodigious talent was quickly recognized in an endorsement by famed luthier Roger Sadowsky. High profile sideman gigs spanning several genres soon followed, with seasoned pros like Russell Ferrante, Kenwood Dennard, Hiram Bullock, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Leni Stern, Susan Tedeschi, and the Allman Brothers Band. Her 2006 debut solo album Transformation, which she composed, arranged, and produced, garnered this from Bass Player Magazine: “Wilkenfeld displays a writing depth and musical presence to complement the buzz about her dynamic-yet-discerning bass approach. Tal has a natural gift for writing in odd meters while retaining an indelible sense of melody and groove. Make no mistake, this lass is poised to soar.”
At just 21, she accompanied jazz giant Chick Corea on his tour of Australia. A month later, she became Jeff Beck’s bassist (forming a rhythm section with uber-drummer Vinnie Colauita), and the now-famous Crossroads Festival gig took place. Since then she’s played with Eric Clapton, Joss Stone, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Corinne Bailey Rae, Wayne Krantz, John Beasley, Robben Ford…and the list goes on. Most recently she was seen with Jeff Beck on the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25th Anniversary HBO television special.
Rarely has a star risen so quickly for any musician, let alone a bassist, but Tal Wilkenfeld is a very rare talent.
Danny Mo & The Exciters (featuring 2009 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Award Winner Justin Schornstein)
Since becoming the 4th recipient of the Wes Wehmiller memorial scholarship, New Jersey’s Justin Schornstein has maintained a busy schedule as a student and performer. He’s already graced the stage as bassist for Lalah Hathaway and Paula Cole, and was handpicked to work with producer Don Was during his residency in Berklee’s Music Production and Engineering department. L.A. studio guitarist and Berklee professor Marty Walsh says, “Justin and Don Was hit it off beautifully, and the groove on the tracks are proof positive!”
Justin has studied in the last year with saxophonists Greg Osby and Joe Lovano, trombonist Hal Crook, and master bass teacher Lincoln Goines. He continues to participate in the renowned Gerald Veasley Bass Boot Camps in Philadelphia. He’s also been composing original music, writing orchestral scores, and producing and arranging tracks for Berklee artists. His bass playing and arrangements have appeared on Aryn Michelle’s new album Lockless Heart, and Maddy Zani’s Lifeline EP. He’ll be performing with Berklee Bass Professor Danny Morris and his band The Exciters, featuring guitarist Kristian H., vocalists Theresa Flaminio and Melinda, saxophonist Scott Gillman, and Zappa Plays Zappa band drummer Joe Travers.
Based in Los Angeles, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Brooks blends alternative, pop and rock into one mainstream sound. After radio airplay and success in Canada (including a Juno Award), he moved to Hollywood in 1999 and began collaborating with pop singer Tiffany, co-writing ten tracks for her The Color of Silence album (“one of the year’s best pop records” – Billboard). His songs have been used on many TV shows, including Ugly Betty, Ghost Whisperer, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, and One Tree Hill. Most recently, his songs “Strange” and “Lift You Up” were featured on the MTV hit The Hills.
Music Connection Magazine described Joe as an “exceptional talent” and rated his original EP one of 2006’s top 25. In 2008, playing every instrument except drums, Brooks emerged with his latest collection of original material entitled Time Machine.
John’s captivating stage presence and natural gift for bold, melodic bass lines have made him one of New York City’s most sought-after bassists and vocalists. Early on, he studied with bass guitar virtuoso Anthony Jackson and attended Berklee College of Music. He’s since performed and recorded with dozens of Big Apple-based artists such as Francis Dunnery, Amel Larrieux, Chris Orbach, and The Maxes. He’s also toured the world with legendary rockers Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, and former Wings guitarist Denny Laine.
John has released four independent solo CDs, showcasing his extraordinary talents as a composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. His genre-defying music serves as an ideal context for his fiery bass guitar playing. Onstage, John performs his own music solo, accompanying himself with a 4-string bass guitar.
The WesFest All-Stars
Carrying on the spirit of gathering and celebration of Wes’ life, the WesFest All-Stars are a diverse collection of WesFest veteran performers who were not just friends of Wes, but also played and recorded music with him throughout the years. The acts inside this “community” band are singer songwriter and a vocal/performance coach Tamara Silvera, guitar-driven singer/songwriter Ali Handal, soul/R&B singer/songwriter/keyboardist Kira Small, multi-instrumentalist/composer Mike Keneally, and a reformed version of Wes’ original rock band, the legendary I, Claudius. Musicians include Rick Musallam, Colin Keenan, Griff Peters, Joe Travers, Bryan Beller, and more.
More Info About The WesFest All-Stars
Canadian born singer-songwriter Tamara Silvera’s songs seem deceptively simple – slightly weird pop songs with well placed hooks – but they increase in depth and intensity with repeated listening. Songs from her debut solo album appeared in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Ghost Whisperer.
Her second solo release Departures, produced by Grammy award-winner John Whynot, is a collection of songs that chronicle loss, change and personal evolution. It’s also one of the last known works to include Wes Wehmiller on bass. “It was really hard to go back to work on the songs. It took us months to even put the tracks up and give them a listen. Wes has such a powerful presence…we found ourselves really choked up. We just had to keep chipping away. Eventually we got to the place where we could let it go.”
Silvera has lived in Los Angeles since 1989. She writes and records her songs, performs live solo shows, and is a busy vocal coach.
R&B/soul songstress Kira Small likes to hang with the big boys. Her CD, Love In A Dangerous World [Offrow Records, 2006] and her upcoming 2010 Offrow Records release were produced by Bruce Dees (James Brown, Ronnie Milsap), and both feature numerous Motown and Muscle Shoals R&B veterans.
Also an accomplished pianist, songwriter and arranger, her impressive resume includes a stint on Berklee College of Music’s voice faculty and work with Peter Frampton, Wynonna Judd, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Gretchen Wilson, Ronnie Milsap, Radney Foster, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Hall and Ray Stevens. Grammy award winning songwriter Mike Reid exclaimed, “Girl – you sound like a neat glass of single malt in a world of Michelob Ultra.”
Kira made Wes play country songs with her at Berklee and he was very nice about it.
This award-winning singer/songwriter has rocked solo and full band live shows on stages from Los Angeles to Japan. LIVE! Magazine said about Ali: “I don’t mean she’s a good guitarist a la folk singer Jewel, or ‘she’s good for a girl.’ I mean she’s a kick-ass guitarist, electric and acoustic, a la Chrissie Hynde meets Ani Difranco meets Prince.”
Ali’s recorded work reaches even further. Songs from her first two albums have aired on national and international radio, on airplanes (Northwest/KLM), at pop concerts in South Africa (Ali’s song “While You’re Here” was recorded by a South African TV star), as well as in film and TV shows such as Sex in the City, Joan of Arcadia, Dawson’s Creek, and other shows on MTV, VH-1, and more.
Music Connection Magazine said it best: “[Ali Handal is] Earthy, natural, real and loaded with talent…a singer/songwriter with something to say…a gifted artist who brings insight and intelligence to her art.”
Long acclaimed as one of the world’s most creative and intense guitar players, Mike Keneally’s talents as a vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist are nearly unequalled in rock music. Keneally has released nine albums of his original music since 1992, and has built a body of work of remarkable inventiveness and originality.
Keneally played in Frank Zappa’s last touring band, performing as a vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. He’s appeared on many Zappa albums, and has also recorded or performed with Robert Fripp, Wayne Kramer, Sting, Kevin Gilbert, Steve Vai, The Loud Family, Henry Kaiser, Michael Manring, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Andy Prieboy, Mullmuzzler, The Persuasions and many others.
Known for his innovative, unpredictable live shows, Keneally plays extensively in the United States and Europe. Matt Resnicoff wrote in Time Out New York: “This band, with such a peculiar genius leading it, is a thing to savor.”
He’s currently the touring guitarist with [adult swim] cartoon metal sensation Dethklok, and his most recent release is Scambot: One. Keneally’s music streams 24 hours a day for free on www.radiokeneally.com.
Formed by Berklee alums Wes Wehmiller and Colin Keenan in the 90’s, I, Claudius’s ironically-tinged, heavy-toned sound combined pathos and humor, attitude and insecurity to create “the band no one cared about…especially the band itself.” Fans of their boulder-heavy riffing and live performances begged to differ.
Now, more than a decade after the band’s inception, their original demos - many constructed by Wes Wehmiller himself - have been built upon with additional tracking from guitarist Griff Peters and singer Colin Keenan to finally create a full-length I, Claudius CD. The proceeds of the Claudius CD go to benefit the Wehmiller Scholarship Fund. Their live performance lineup includes founding members Keenan and Peters, along with Bryan Beller on bass and Joe Travers on drums.