Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Jonathan Butler spent his youth under apartheid, and official government policy of political, legal, and economic discrimination against non-whites. His escape was music. The youngest of twelve children, at age 7, he began singing publicly in South African townships. Not yet in his teens, Butler’s talents as a singer and guitarist were recognized and he soon toured his poverty stricken country in a traveling variety show. In his travels, he could neither comprehend the extreme destitute nor the harsh treatment he endured and bared witness to under the reign of Apartheid. Afrikaans was his native tongue, but he learned English on the road. After signing his first record deal as a teen with British record producer Clive Caulder’s Jive Records, Jonathan’s premier single made him the first black artist to be played on white South African radio stations. The single won a Sarie Award, South Africa’s equivalent to the Grammy. His self-titled debut album also garnered two Grammy nominations; one for the R&B-pop vocal statement “Lies” and the other for “Going Home,” a poignant instrumental. Other releases include Jonathan (2005), Gospel Goes Classical (2006) with Juanita Bynum, Brand New Day (2007), So Strong (2010), and 2012’s Grace and Mercy, filled with the soulful sounds and insightful lyrics fans have come to expect from this veteran performer.  

Jazz and R&B icon Gerald Albright is considered one of the most innovative and successful artists of the last 25 years. One of the biggest stars of R&B, contemporary and straight-ahead jazz, he’s earned a reputation as a “musician’s musician.”  The Los Angeles born musician began piano lessons at an early age. His love of music flourished when he was given a saxophone that had belonged to his piano teacher. By the time he enrolled at the University of Redlands, he was already a polished saxophonist. He made the switch to bass guitar after seeing Louis Johnson in concert. A few months after graduating college, jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen was forming her own band and he joined her on sax.  When the bass player left mid-tour, Albright replaced him, finishing the tour on bass guitar. During the ’80s, Gerald became a highly requested session musician, playing on albums artists including Anita Baker, Ray Parker, Lola Folana, Atlantic Starr, Olivia Newton-John, the Temptations, and Maurice White. He also toured extensively with Les McCann, Jeff Lorber, Teena Marie, the Winans, Marlena Shaw, Quincy Jones, and Whitney Houston, among others. He went on to record several successful solo albums. Two hit the #1 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Chart, and were nominated for Grammy Awards in 1989 and 1990. In 1998, Phil Collins asked Gerald to front a Big Band and they toured together. They also recorded one of Albright’s tunes, “Chips N’ Salsa” on Collins’ Big Band Project, entitled “A Hot Night In Paris.” Later that year, Gerald released “Pleasures of the Night” with Will Downing which hit #1 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Most recently, “Sax for Stax” received a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album and “Pushing the Envelope” followed suit in the same category in 2010.