WHO ARE WE?
A 6 piece professional band that keeps the party flowing with our top-notch covers!
THE BAND:
Jennifer Justice
Vocalist/Mirror Ball creator Jennifer Justice has been performing since she was 5. Her versatility shows with the diversity of music she sings and also infuses with her eye-catching timing, wit and impressive musicianship. International credits include featured singer at several Club Med locations in Asia, Mexico, The Caribbean and the USA (The Maldives, Sandpiper Bay, Ixtapa, Bahamas & Punta Cana), “Tony & Tina's Wedding” – Fisherman's Wharf (San Francisco), “Jesus Christ Superstar” – Willows Theatre (San Francisco), and “Dirtysomething” – Living Theatre (NYC). Also an accomplished instrumentalist, she is an rehearsal pianist for children's musical theatre and ballet classes, along with being a private violin, viola and voice teacher in Beacon. You can read more about her at her website, jane4justice (dot) com.
Lawrence Neals
Born, bred, and a proud resident of New York City, vocalist Lawrence Neals is a Drama graduate of the original “Fame” School of Performing Arts, and has performed around the world for over 25 years.
Credits include: the title role in Julie Taymor's (Dir. Broadway's The Lion King) musical, Juan Darien; Smokey Joe's Café, Rent, and most recently Freedom's Song: A New Musical; Vocalist: New York Shakespeare Company, NY Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, soloist @NYC's famous Duplex & Bound for Broadway Cabarets.
As a featured entertainer for Carnival Entertainment, Lawrence has been lead vocalist for 5 Inaugural ships and 11 original productions and is proud to be one of the original eight entertainers for Playlist Productions, featured in the original casts of their first 6 productions. He also has wowed audiences with his solo salute to Motown and classic soul with his guest entertainer show “Nightshift: A Legacy of Rock and Soul” featuring classic and modern takes on funk, soul, R&B, and rock music from the last 40 years. He's also an unashamed geek, sci-fi fanboy and avid cosplayer.
You can read more at his website lawrencenealsentertainer.com.
Larisa Stahl
Larisa Stahl has been a performer since she was a child. After excelling in school and local productions, she received the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Award in the Theatre. She attended the University of Maryland, where she was musical director of the ICCA award-winning a cappella group Faux Paz.
After working with wedding bands in DC, she moved to NYC to pursue a career writing and performing original music. She has had numerous TV placement credits and multiple singles in dance music. She continues to perform at weddings and events, and moonlights as a backup dancer for a performance artist in Brooklyn. Larisa is also a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in NYC and Hoboken, NJ.
You can follow her on Instagram at @larisalive.
Mark McCaron
New York-Canadian guitarist, composer, and arranger Mark McCarron has worked with such jazz notables as Ed Bickert and Don Thompson, organist Jack McDuff, and the Mingus Five Guitar Band. He has performed on Canadian Radio and Television and at all of the major Canadian jazz festivals. Mark studied under jazz guitarist John Abercrombie in New York under a Canada Council grant and at the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. A versatile artist, McCarron is much in demand in a wide range of genres and roles. His jazz quartet, The McCarron Brothers, has released two albums: Way Down in Brooklyn, and No Moon Train, on Deep Tone Records. In addition, he has released three albums of original songs with singer/co-writer Dave Rave: Another Side of Love (2001), In the Blue of My Dreams (2007) – featuring Mark's arrangements for voice, woodwind quartet, cello, and jazz quartet, and Memphis Midnight. He has also produced albums for a variety of artists. He can currently be heard in the Broadway show Wicked. He has also been a featured performer in the off-Broadway production Summer of '69, and made recurring appearances as a member of the cast of John Kelly's Paved Paradise: The Music of Joni Mitchell, and has been a substitute in Broadway shows including Rent, and Hair.
Jack Broad
Jack Broad was raised in a musical family in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Miami University on a music scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor Of Music degree in violin. Jack has been fortunate to have studied music with Charlie Banacos, Mike Longo, Ben Monder, Brad Shepik and James E. Smith and has attended masterclasses by John Abercrombie, Adam Rogers, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Andy LaVerne, Kenny Garrett, Billy Hart and Tim Hagans.
Since moving to the NYC area, he has performed with Don Braden, Bruce Arnold, Jon Irabagon, Rene Marie, Christian Fabian, the Charles Calello Big Band, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Jack Lukeman, rockabilly legend Robert Gordon, Atomic Funk Project, rock band Aerovox, fusion band Human Revolution and members of Alicia Keys' band and has opened shows for George Benson, Dave Mason, Kirk Whalum, Ray Obeido, and Rachelle Ferrell, as well as touring throughout the U.S., Asia, and Canada.
George Rush
As a 'tripler' (double and electric basses, tuba) George Rush has covered a lot of ground on the New York City music scene. From Balkan brass bands to Brazilian Forro, from Lincoln Center to Broadway, his career has been eclectic, to say the least. He has toured nationally and internationally, backed pop luminaries and legends, played on Grammy winning albums, worked in theater both on and off Broadway, and played more than a few weddings. He may also be the first tuba player to back up Bruce Springsteen. Career highlight include performances with pop luminaries such as Fred Schneider (B-52s), Debbie Harry (Blondie), Lloyd Cole, David Johansen (New York Dolls), Ben E King ('Stand by Me') Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf). George has worked extensively both on and off Broadway, both recording and performing music for theater productions. This has included work on shows such as 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch', 'The Full Monty', 'The Color Purple' and 'Chicago.' Recorded work for theater includes soundtracks for the Public Theater/Shakespeare in the Park productions of 'Twelfth Night' (Hem), 'Comedy of Errors' and 'As You Like It'. He was also the bassist for the Broadway adaptation of the film 'Amelie.
Dimitri Moderbacher
Dimitri Moderbacher (Bass) holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University. Also known as a saxophonist, he has performed with a diverse list of artists that includes Aretha Franklin, Tabou Combo, Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Lou Gramm, Norah Jones, Brian Stoltz, and Jerry Lewis. Dimitri has performed at The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, S.O.B.'s, The Atlanta Jazz Festival, The St. Lucia Jazz Festival, and on The Late Show with David Letterman. www.DimitriModerbacher.com
Jeremy Baum
Jeremy Baum plays the Hammond Organ and leads his own trio which is rooted in the blues and funky soul-jazz sounds of the late 1960s (think Booker T. and the MGs, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff!) He also leads JB & The Dirty Funk Contingency, a high energy group that will get your on your feet and shaking what your mama gave ya!!
JB has released two full length albums and four singles so far, and all are available on your favorite streaming platforms!
"Both traditional and trailblazing...Highly recommended."
- Blues Review Magazine
Endorsements: Jeremy is a featured artist endorsee for Hammond USA. Jeremy also endorses Nord Stage Pianos.
Awards: On May 4th, 2014 Jeremy Baum was officially recognized and inducted as a Master Blues Artist in the New York Blues Hall of Fame.
Jeremy has also been a successful sideman, performing on over 60 albums. His extensive professional credits also include work with: Levon Helm & Garth Hudson & Jim Weider & Randy Ciarlante (of The Band), Richie Havens, Corey Glover (of Living Colour), Bill Perry, Cindy Cashdollar, Amy Helm, The North Mississippi Allstars, Buffalo Stack, John Hammond Jr., Melvin Sparks, Sue Foley, Debbie Davies, Gil Paris, Chris O'Leary, Vance Gilbert, Slam Allen, Melissa Mary Ahern, Murali Coryell, Connor Kennedy, Rae Simone and countless others. He toured for six years with five time grammy nominated blues singer Shemekia Copeland, soul-jazz legend Melvin Sparks, and was a founding member of the Hudson Valley Latin band Soñando.
Ron Thompson
Ron Thompson is a New York City based pianist/keyboard player,
composer, music educator and music producer. Hugh Masekela, Tom Browne, Tom Scott, Teruo Nakamura, Mark Peterson, Vivian Sessoms, Mikki Howard, Gordon James, Paula Atherton and Nozomu Ito, are among some of the jazz/smooth-jazz artists Ron is proud to have collaborated and performed with. Ray Schinnery, Bo Diddley Jr., Bobby Harden, Cheryl Pepsii Riley, Alyson Williams, Chrissi Poland, Lilias White, Acantha Lang, the R&B Soul vocal groups, 'The Main Ingredient', 'Blue Magic', 'Rose Royce', and the live band for the disco group, 'Musique' are among the national and international, blues, pop, R&B artists, and singer-songwriters, Ron has collaborated and performed with. Ron has performed in the live band of William Hall's “Legacy Tour,” a tribute to the world's greatest entertainer: Michael Jackson. Ron currently travels and performs with “Circular Time,” the blues based, world-beat, reggae, R&B, calypso, soca, jazz and fusion band, also performing, in and around town with, “Felicia Collins & The Mighty Throw Down” and with NYC/North Jersey progressive blues ensemble, “Blues People”. Ron enjoys performing, composing, recording and producing music, and strives to play, create and produce music as a way to enrich human connection and spread love.
Arei Sekiguchi
Tokyo-native Arei Sekiguchi took up drums after early studies in classical piano and marimba. His first exposure to international performance came through tours of the U.S. and Europe with Up With People at the age of 18. Later he moved to NYC to further study music. He received a BFA from the New School University under the guidance of jazz Legends such as Bobby Sanabria, Chico Hamilton, Reggie Workman, and Charles Tolliver. He has also studied privately with some of the most sought after drummers in the world: Michael Carvin, Jorge Alabe and Antonio Sanchez. He has performed at various festivals and venues all over the United States including River to the River Festival (NYC), New York Anime Festival, Whitney Museum, and the National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Arei has recorded for labels such as Sony Japan, and Clean Feed(Portugal). Besides performing and touring, he actively teaches in Schools as well as privately throughout New York City. He has also been a regular accompanist for the Afro-Brazilian Dance Class (led by Quenia Ribeiro) at Alvin Ailey for the last five years. You can read more about him at whosdatjapanesekid.com
Eric Halvorson
He has performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008 and 2010 and at numerous festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, Eleuthera Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Norwich Music Festival (UK), Silda Jazz (Norway), Radio Classica (Chile), Cork Jazz Festival (Ireland), Festival de Jazz (Colombia), Kaunas Jazz Festival (Lithuania), and the Iowa City Jazz Festival.
He is in demand on Broadway and was the drummer for the 2015 revival of Gigi. He has played in the orchestras of Book of Mormon, Moulin Rouge, Waitress, Mean Girls, Come From Away, The Prom, Beautiful, A Bronx Tale, Color Purple, Wicked, Pippin, On the Town, West Side Story, Sister Act, How to Succeed in Business, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Shrek, Xanadu, and many others. He played the Los Angeles production of Follies in 2012. He is sought after by a variety of performers because of his rock and pop
sensibilities.
Eric is a Paiste Cymbals Artist.