Patrice Rushen
Multi-GRAMMY®-nominated artist Patrice Rushen is fashioning her career after her longtime friend and mentor, Quincy Jones. As a jazz pianist, composer, producer, and recording artist, she has earned the respect of her peers in the music industry. Rushen has performed with and produced for artists such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Lionel Hampton, Carlos Santana, Boys II Men, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Michael Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, and Joshua Redman. In 1998, her Signature release received a GRAMMY nomination as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination and landed in the top 10 of the adult contemporary jazz charts. Rushen was the first woman in 43 years to serve as head composer/musical director for the Emmy Awards and the first to serve as musical director for the NAACP Image Awards and the People’s Choice Awards. She has also served as musical director for the American Achievement Awards and for Janet Jackson. Rushen is an accomplished film and television composer who has written the scores for “The Steve Harvey Show,” Men in Black, Waiting to Exhale, and Hollywood Shuffle.
Sy Smith
Vocalist Sy Smith has turned heads with her unique ability to unite hip-hop, jazz, funk, and R&B. Born in New York, Smith grew up in Washington, DC. She studied classical piano as a child and later joined her school’s choir. Smith received a B.S. in Psychology from Howard University and moved to Los Angeles after graduation. Shortly after, Smith was discovered by producer/songwriter Sauce. She has since sung background vocals for Whitney Houston, Jamie Foxx, and Brandy. Smith has performed for television shows including “Ally McBeal” and “Soul Food” and for numerous commercials including The Gap, Chevrolet, and Coca-Cola. An accomplished songwriter, Smith was nominated for an Emmy Award for writing and performing for the HBO original movie Dancing in September. Her debut CD is titled The Syberspace Social.
Bill Summers
Playing everything from pop bottles to traditional African instruments, percussionist Bill Summers has found a musical path to connect Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. For more than 30 years, Summers has recorded with an unending list of artists. He appears on more than 10 Herbie Hancock albums, including performances with the Headhunters group. His discography also includes collaborations with Joe Henderson, Quincy Jones, Patrice Rushen, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Loggins, McCoy Tyner, Sting, Stevie Wonder, and Ahmad Jamal. Summers performed on the soundtracks for “Roots” and The Color Purple. In 1998, he and trumpeter/ keyboardist Irvin Mayfield co-founded the group Los Hombres Calientes, which became an overnight international sensation. The group has released five albums, the most recent of which is titled Carnival. Summers founded the Summers MultiEthnic Institute of the Arts, which takes students to Cuba to study Afro-Cuban music. In 1999, he and several of his students were initiated into the prestigious Yoruba order of sacred drummers by Estaban “Cha Cha” Vega, the most revered drummer in Cuba.
Wah Wah Watson
As a guitarist, writer, and producer, Wah Wah Watson has shared his talent on many of the greatest classics of our time. His signature guitar sound has made him one of the pioneers of the Motown sound. Watson’s first major record date was with renowned Motown producer Norman Whitfield, who hired Watson to play on Edwin Starr’s “Stop the War Now,” released by Motown in 1971. Watson went on to play and record with The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and many others. In 1973, Watson met Herbie Hancock at Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” recording session. He later co-wrote and co-produced several of Hancock’s albums, including Man-Child, Secrets, V.S.O.P., Feets Don’t Fail Me Now, and Mr. Hands. A dedicated educator, Watson has worked with the Thelonious Monk Institute’s Jazz in the Classroom program. He continues to work on several studio projects of his own, including his latest album, After the Fact.
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