The Lost Tribe
A world music jazz afro-funk instrumental collective ensemble from Connecticut, formed in late 2017 and led by drummer and percussionist Jocelyn Pleasant. Their debut album Diaspora is available for purchase on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms
The New Mosaic
Following the 2017 release of her debut solo EP, "Young", Erica T. Bryan of West End Blend brings her powerhouse vocals to a fresh neo-soul project. Together, with Tom Sullivan (West End Blend), Mike Carabello (The Lost Tribe), and Dwayne Keith (Keepers of the Vibe) the quartet lays down a collage of R&B, funk and jazz inspired by the artistry of Erykah Badu, Chaka Khan, Sade and more. Erica T. Bryan and friends present: The New Mosaic.
Broca’s Area
Broca's Area is a four-piece future soul band, based out of Hartford, Connecticut. Their dedication to the groove and unique blend of r&b, soul, and hip hop pushes the envelope toward jazz and gives you the multi-dimensional band that is Broca's Area. Serving their audiences with their soulful lead singer Mary Corso (of the Eric Krasno Band) who delivers warm breathy vocals reminding you of the classic school of neo-soul. The core band arrangements are a keyboards-bass-drum trio (Mike Carabello, Josh Uguccioni, & Steve Cusano) that bring tight grooves influenced by the Blue Note catalog. Broca's Area serves its audiences with high energetic performances of original compositions with some unique covers mixed in. The band has toured throughout the Northeast over the last few years. They have shared the stage with The Becca Stevens Band, The Nth Power & DJ Logic and more. Their first full length album "See The Light" was released on October 13, 2017.
Orice Jenkins
Orice Jenkins is a vocalist, arranger, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist signed to independent imprint Truth Revolution Recording Collective. After three remarkably diverse projects, his newest album, “Centennial Cole”, is a celebration of a great voice from the past: Nat King Cole. The legendary singer was most famous for songs like Unforgettable and The Christmas Song, but Jenkins performs his own soulful arrangements of less popular and nevertheless timeless tunes, similar to his work on his 2016 release, “Soar”, which reached #11 on the iTunes jazz chart. Jenkins became notorious for his hip-hop laden covers of jazz standards like Bye Bye Blackbird and Body & Soul, as well as his swinging treatments to songs by Drake and Rihanna. Centennial Cole offers much tamer sounds, accented by the presence of a string quartet. Around The Piano, his 2014 debut, featured original orchestral soul songs written during Jenkins’ teenage years. More of his early songs were released on Tertiary, a 2017 mixtape that featured entirely self-produced music. Both were released several years after their inception, partially because of Jenkins pursuing higher education at arts conservatory, The Hartt School, as well as his work as a music educator in Hartford, CT. He has also toured nationally with The Afro-Semitic Experience, and has served as musical director and arranger for legendary soul singers Betty Harris and Kenny Hamber, as well as Grammy-award winning artist Charmagne Tripp.