REGGIE MCBRIDE

BIOGRAPHY

McBride is an American bass player born and raised in Detroit, Michigan; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in local bands and by that time, he was a sought after session musician, soon to be on the road with The Dramatics, opening for James Brown. In 1973 he was called by Stevie Wonder to join his band Wonderlove, followed by recording the album Fulfillingness’ First Finale in 1974.[1]

Since then he has played, recorded or toured with some of the biggest names in music history, such as Elton John, Rod Stewart, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom Jones, Van Morrison, Eric Burdon, Rick Springfield, Lyle Lovett, Ziggy Marley, Billy Preston, Ry Cooder, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Queen Latifah,[2] jazz greats Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, blues greats John Lee Hooker, B.B. King[3] and was a constant member of Tommy Bolin Band, Rare Earth, Glenn Frey and recently Steven Seagal.[4]

In 2005, he released his first solo record, Element.

PHOSPHORESCENT

BIOGRAPHY

Phosphorescent is the alias of Matthew Houck, an Alabama indie folk/rock singer-songwriter who adopted the name during 2001 in Athens, Ga. He’s released five albums – including the 2009 Willie Nelson tribute “To Willie” – and a pair of EPs since 2003. Now residing in Brooklyn, Phosphorescent contributed “Wolves,” a song from his 2007 album “Pride,” to the soundtrack of the 2011 film “Margin Call.”

OUTERNATIONAL

BIOGRAPHY

¡OUTER NATIONAL! are a culture-revolutionary band from New York City that has their roots from classics such as Rage Against the Machine and The Clash. Lead singer Miles Solay met Tom Morello as teenagers still, which cemented the way for a long lastign friendship but also for what they call a revolution through music. In 2012 they toured on both sised of the US / Mexican border with their album ‘Todos somos ilegales – We are all illegals’. First coming to Europe in 2013, they shared the stage with Die Toten Hosen in Germany and Manu Chao on France. 

NOVI NOVOG

BIOGRAPHY

Novi Novog, born in North Hollywood, California is an American viola player. She is sometimes simply credited as “Novi” and is the cousin of Lauren Wood (also known as “Chunky”).

TAJ MAHAL

BIOGRAPHY

As sturdy and iconic as the monument in India that bears the same name, Taj Mahal is a multi-faceted giant in the Americana and World Music communities, with a nearly 50-year recording legacy. Mahal (born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in Harlem) formed the Rising Songs with Ry Cooder during the mid-60s and also worked with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Lightnin’ Hopkins before starting his solo career in 1968. He’s led the Phantom Blues Band, the Hula Blues Band and the Taj Mahal Trio and has also collaborated with Eric Clapton, Etta James, the Rolling Stones, Ali Farka Toure and many more, scored the 1972 movie “Sounder” and was part of the “Largo” all-star project in 1998. Mahal has won two Grammy Awards, received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Wofford College in South Carolina and was named the official Blues Artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2006.

SHAWN MULLINS

BIOGRAPHY

Shawn Mullins is a singer-songwriter best-known for his Grammy Award-nominated 1998 hit “Lullaby.” The Atlanta native was mentored by Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserve before beginning his music career. Mullins has recorded eight studio albums and was also part of the group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge. His song “All in my Head” was used in the television sitcom “Scrubs,” while “Shimmer” was part of a promotional campaign for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Mullins recently appeared on “DAVE FM Live: Volume 3,” a charity compilation benefiting the environmental organization EarthShare of Florida.

MOSES MO

BIOGRAPHY

Gary “Moses Mo” Moore is a member of two long-running bands – the decade-old Carl Carlton and the Songdogs, a rock band with an international lineup, and Mother’s Finest, a pioneering funk-rock band that formed in 1970. Known for his flashy style that extends to the color of his bright red guitar, Mo has recorded extensively with both groups and released a solo album, “Cartoon You,” in 2002. Mo has been a significant influence on contemporary guitarplayers from the Souther States as Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow) and the Georgia Satellites among others.

MOGUAI

BIOGRAPHY

“Moguai is a German music producer and DJ from Marl. In the early 1990s, Moguai began organising his own club nights and parties in Ruhrgebiet and Münsterland. He became one of the very first techno DJs in Germany, sharing a platform with the likes of Paul van Dyk, Westbam and Sven Väth. In more recent years, however, Moguai’s sound has developed to include a combination of tech-house, progressive house, big beat and electro house. He has also worked in more mainstream areas of the music industry, producing for the likes of the Sugababes, Girls Aloud and 2Raumwohnung, which earned him double platinum and gold disc awards.” (c) Wikipedia

STAAGES collaborated with Moguai on the production of the track “Rain”, a musical project created specially for GROHE’s “AquaSymphony” series, released on March 13th 2017. 

MAX BUSKOHL

BIOGRAPHY

After establishing himself with the German band Empty Trash in 2005, Max Buskohl burst onto the European scene as a contestant on season 4 of German TV’s hit talent search “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”. He was part of the album, “[Klaus] Voorman & Friends,” performing alongside Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens). The excellent singer songwriter continued with “Confessions”, a smash album with his band Empty Trash in 2009. His long awaited first solo album “Sidewalk Conversation” was out in May 2012 including the hit singles “No more bad days” and “Never Fall In Love Again”.

MAHALIA BARNES

BIOGRAPHY

Mahalia Barnes is an Australian soul singer/songwriter and the daughter of Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes. As a child, she teamed with her siblings Eliza-Jane, Elly-May and Jackie to form the kiddie-pop group the Tin Lids. Later, she sang backup for her father and other performers before striking out on her own with her band the Soul Mates. Her recordings include the digital EP “Live at the Basement” (2006), another EP, “Mahalia Barnes & the Soul Mates” (2007) and her debut full-length album “Volume 1″ (2008).

SONNY LANDRETH

BIOGRAPHY

Slide guitar master Sonny Landreth was born in Mississippi and raised in South Louisiana. Inspired by the finger-picking approach of Chet Atkins and the sounds of Delta bluesmen like Robert Johnson, he went on to develop his unique “behind the slide” technique for slide guitar . Mentored by Zydeco patriarch Clifton Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, he continued recording solo albums and went on to work with John Hiatt’s Goners, John Mayall, Leslie West, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani and many others. He’s also appeared at all three of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals.

LUCA

BIOGRAPHY

Coinciding with the release of “Toast to Freedom,” Amnesty also sponsored a competition encouraging musicians all over the world to enter their own musical interpretations and arrangements of this catchy tune. Of the many entries received, “Toast to Freedom – The Berlin Mix” by the young Berlin artist Luca, was unanimously chosen by the judges as the winner. Inspired by Berlin’s own struggles against tyranny, Luca succeeded in creating a moving arrangement that captures a deep and intense yearning for freedom. Accompanied only by sister Maria on cello and by unadorned acoustic guitar and fragmentary bass, Luca’s “Toast to Freedom – The Berlin Mix” delivers equal parts reality and rapture. Appropriately, the song’s video is set on both the rooftops and the streets of the city.   Luca’s version was also a clear winner for songwriter Carlton: “The message of the original, which is about each individual’s right to freedom and the protection of human rights around the world, is in Lucas’ version transformed into a very personal one. In the original, we used many musicians to create a powerful and colorful sound, and to do justice to a multicultural understanding of rights and freedoms. By contrast, Lucas’ version is fragile, sensitive, but at the same time it delivers a very concrete message. This is a young voice coming forward to make the point that the fight for freedom and human rights takes place in our very own back yards every day.” Executive producer Jochen Wilms says, “Luca’s Berlin Mix adds a new and very personal dimension to the artistic initiative. She recorded it independently in Berlin and, together with Berlin cameraman Daniel Devecioglu and co-director Tom Richter, also produced her own video – a truly impressive and moving professional production!”

PASCAL KRAVETZ

BIOGRAPHY

At the age oft ten, Pascal recorded his first single, the anti-war song „Wozu sind Kriege da“, a duet with the German artist legend Udo Lindenberg. The song remained in the German top ten for quite some time. 

Since 1988 he plays keyboards, guitars and sings in the Peter Maffay Band where he also co-wrote and produced a number of songs.

Since then he worked together in the studio and on the road with artists like Jimmy Barnes, Robert Palmer, Paul Young, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Cocker, Tony Carey, Nina Hagen and many others.

Since 2001 he is also part of Carl Carlton & the Songdogs.

LIGHTS OUT IN WONDERLAND

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

BIOGRAPHY

Kris Kristofferson is a singer-songwriter and actor who’s been an integral part of the American and international music communities since the mid-60s. The Texas native composed songs such as “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night, “For the Good Times” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and is a three-time Grammy Award winner – twice for duets with ex-wife Rita Coolidge. Kristofferson was also a member of the all-star group The HIghwaymen with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, and he’s been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. His key film roles include “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” “A Star is Born,” 2001′s “Planet of the Apes” and “Joyful Noise.” 

KENNA RAMSEY

BIOGRAPHY

Par of David Foster’s elite band and orchestra, Kenna Ramsey has been singing support vocals for a number of  recording artists on their most memorable hits. Among them are: Martina McBride, John Mayer, Donna Summer, Katharine McPhee, Dionne Warwick, Faith Hill, Rita Wilson, Kenny Loggins, Babyface, Phil Collins, Hall and Oats, Tears for Fears, Peter Cetera, Alicia Keys, Lionel Richie, Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Natalie Cole, Sarah McLaughlin, Theo. 

KEB MO

BIOGRAPHY

Born Kevin Moore in South Central Los Angeles, Keb Mo is a singer, songwriter, performer and activist — and occasional actor. He began his recording career with former Jefferson Airplane/Starship violinist Papa john Creach and his R&B band, then played the blues in the Whodunit Band. Mo went solo with his self-titled 1994 album. He’s won Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album for three of his 12 releases and has also appeared as a guest on albums by Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Amy Grant and Marcus Miller. He was featured in Martin Scorsese’s PBS mini series “The Blues” and on “A Prairie Home Companion,” and he’s appeared in the films “Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl?” and “Honeydripper” and in the TV series “Touched By An Angel.

JOHNNY LEE SCHELL

BIOGRAPHY

Johnny Lee Schell is an American guitarist and songwriter. In the 1970s, he premiered as a prominent member of a Texas-based southern rock band, Baby. Since his professional debut, he has played with dozens of well-known recording artists. His inclusion on albums such as Bonnie Raitt‘s Green Light (1982)[1] and Nick of Time (1989)[2] has lent him his bearing in American pop music culture. Yet, Schell’s works had already journeyed from the North America to Australia, when he worked with Australian soul singer Renée Geyer on her album So Lucky (1981). As a member of Bonnie Raitt’s road band, Schell backed the Australian Geyer while recording So Lucky (renamed Renee Geyer for international market) at Shangri La studios in Malibu, California.[3][4] Other members included Ian McLagan (formerly of The Faces) and drummer/producer extraordinaire Ricky Fataar.

JOHN LEVENTHAL

BIOGRAPHY

John Leventhal is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer and composer whose credits include work with is wife, Rosanne Cash, and her father Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, MIchelle Branch, Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, Joan Osbourne and others. More than 100 songs have been recorded by assorted artists – including Colvin’s Grammy-winning “Sunny Came Home” in 1997 – and he’s played sessions for Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Bruce Hornsby and more. Leventhal also wrote the score for the 2005 film “Winter Solstice.”

JOE SUBLETT

BIOGRAPHY

Grammy-winning saxophonist Joe Sublett is a member of the Phantom Blues Band, Texacali Horns, and Jim Belushi’s band, the Sacred Hearts.

JIMMY BARNES

BIOGRAPHY

The Scottish-born singer made his name out of Australia, first with the group Cold Chisel and then as a solo artist, with 13 solo albums and nine No. 1 hits down under. Barnes also worked with INXS, on its cover of the Easybeats’ “Good Times” and co-writing the original “Laying Down the Law;” after frontman Michael Hutchence’s death he also fronted the band at the Mushroom 25 Concert in 1998. Barnes has recorded with Tina Turner, Huey Lewis, Mick Fleetwood, Kim Carnes, Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon and others, and was part of the all-star hard rock group Living Loud. Barnes was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2005.