MY BOOKS
Traditional Management Clients
Alyson Williams
Alyson Williams: The Voice of Harlem
Alyson Williams, an Emmy award-winning Jazz and R&B singer, captivates audiences with her hauntingly pure voice. Raised in Harlem, Alyson's musical journey began at four, inspired by her father, Jazz trumpeter Bobby Booker. She honed her dance skills under legends like Arthur Mitchell and Alvin Ailey, leading to a scholarship at Marymount Manhattan College and further studies at City University of New York.
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Alyson's talent quickly made her an in-demand studio session singer, collaborating with icons like Melba Moore and Kurtis Blow. She became the first female R&B artist to sign with Def Jam, releasing two successful albums, including the gold-certified "Raw." Her hit single "Just Call My Name" remains a fan favorite.
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Returning to her roots, Alyson shone in musical stage plays and Broadway productions, earning acclaim for her comedic timing and powerful performances. She embraced entrepreneurship, launching her production company, A.W.P. (A Woman’s Prerogative), and hosting a radio show, "Love Notes with Alyson Williams, In The Chill Zone."
Mentored by Dr. Maya Angelou, Alyson performed at prestigious events and memorials, earning the nickname "Song Bird." She has graced stages worldwide, including performances for dignitaries like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
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Alyson's philanthropic efforts include mentoring young artists and serving on the board of the LGBTQ+ film festival Out At The Movies. Despite a life-altering bout with COVID in 2022, Alyson made a triumphant return, touring with award-winning saxophonist Najee and earning an Emmy for her work with Legends United For Saint Jude.
With a voice that transcends genres and a heart full of passion, Alyson Williams continues to inspire and enchant audiences worldwide.
Ryan La Valette
Let's describe Ryan La Valette as a multi-instrumentalist. He started to play
guitar, then saxophone and also learned the bass. Influenced by music and
style of guitar legend George Benson Ryan primarily consider himself as
guitar player.
A graduate of the School of Audio Engineering (SAE) Auckland he was well
aware that expanding outside New Zealand into America would be significant
for his development. For his debut album Saturated Smooth (2018) he was
able to win over guitarist Clay Benjamin and saxophonist Donald Hayes as
guest musicians. After releasing his sophomore album Dimensions of Me in
2020, it was natural for him to seek further contact with American
musicians.
In keyboardist and producer Greg Manning he has found his spiritus rector,
who not only put him in touch with the Trippin 'N' Rhythm label, but also
played a decisive role in his debut work for this label. His album New
Beginnings (2022) is Ryan's embarking on a new episode in his artistic
career. Ultimately, in addition to Greg Manning, keyboardists and producers
Nicholas Cole and Chris "Big Dog" Davis are also involved in his album.
Ryan has written all songs of the new album, which says a lot about his own
compositional talent. This was probably one of the arguments for the
aforementioned musicians to identify with Ryan's music and to get involved
themselves in the realization of his project. The album starts with the
appropriately titled Intro. Ryan takes the first opportunity to show the full
range of his instrumental skills, playing the organ, clavinet, rhythm guitar
and synth bass. To thunderous applause, he gets the listener in the mood for
what to expect on the next songs.
With New Beginnings, he shows that he is very familiar with the musical
currents and has mastered his craft of introducing the listener to great
things with just a few chords. Certainly Greg Manning contributed a key or
two on the keyboard with his tuneful vibes. An extremely successful start.
Ryan goes one better with Let It Flow. This is the first single, which has been
burning itself into the turntables of the radio stations for weeks.
Another Day In Paradise is not a new interpretation of Phil Collins' monster
hit, but your smooth jazz treat with Lin Rountree's trumpet interlude as the
icing on the cake. But Ryan's guitar playing is also so easy that one can
predict a golden future for him. The romance factor is not neglected in
Ryan's album either. On Lover's Melody Ryan is equally supported by two
keyboard greats, Greg Manning and Nicholas Cole.
Steve Carrington
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Born in East Baltimore, Maryland, Steve grew up cultivating a deep love and respect for
jazz music, picking up the sax at age seven. He attended the Baltimore School for the
Arts, then went on to graduate from Frederick Douglass High, a school with a rich
musical legacy whose alumni include Cab Calloway, Eubie Blake, and Ellis Larkin. His
early influences were John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Grover Washington Jr., Hank
Mobley, Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard.
Following graduating in 1986, Steve was awarded a scholarship to Berklee College of
Music in Boston. There, he studied with saxophonist Bill Pierce, formerly of Art Blakey’s
Jazz Messengers. After Berklee, Steve moved to New York, where he played with the
Charles Mingus Epitaph, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Hargrove, Milt Hinton, plus Frank Wess
and Jimmy Heath (at the same time!), among many others.
In the early-mid 1990s, Steve decided to revisit his roots, to give something back to the
community that had nurtured him. He joined the faculty of the Jazz Mentoring Program
at the Eubie Blake Center for Cultural Arts, where one of his star students was Quincy
Phillips, who’s played with late great Roy Hargrove. Continuing his musical pursuits in
the Baltimore/Washington area, Steve performed with Ruby Glover, Phillip Harper,
Theodros Avery, Grady Tate, and Cyrus Chestnut, who has Steve on his third Atlantic
album, “Earth Stories,” alongside Antonio Hart and Eddie Allen.
As leader of his own group, Steve has opened for jazz giants Abbey Lincoln, Lionel
Hampton, Stanley Turrentine, and Milt Hinton. Currently, Steve is a part of the legendary
drummer Greg Bandy’s band: Greg has played for many years with Pharoah Sanders,
Stanley Turrentine and Yusef Lateef. Steve is also a member of the Valery Ponomarev
"Our Father Who Art Blakey" Big Band. Valery is a jazz messenger being an elder
Alumni of the great Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers." Steve is also the Saxophonist
and member of Cyrus Chestnut's African Reflections Band and Cyrus Chestnut's
Quartet. As Of the Past couple of years Steve has been performing with the Legendary
Famed Funk/ R & B Group Kool and the Gang as well. As the world was being shaken
by the present COVID-19 Pandemic Steve was not sitting still and music continues to flow. Steve has become apart of the Dizzy Gillespie Legacy Bands under the direction
of the legendary Bassist and grammy award winning engineer John Lee in whom was
Dizzy's longtime bassist. Steve is proud to have released his debut album A Caring
Tone on Samech records, which is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play and
all social Media Platforms. After returning from European Tour with Kool and The Gang
in October 2019 Steve's released a new record entitled “Mind Traveler”.
During the pandemic, Steve assembled a stellar group of musicians across generations
to record and release a new CD coming in January of 2023 to be called "Far Beyond the
Horizon". This new CD will include Cyrus Chestnut (Piano), Freddie Hendrix (Trumpet
and Flugelhorn), Mark Whitfield Sr. (Guitar), Corey Wilcox (Trombone), Mark Whitfield
Jr.(Drums), Davis Whitfield(Piano and Nord Keyboard), Kenny Davis (Bass), Alexander
Claffy (Bass), Rudy Bird (Percussion).
MY ARTICLES
Innovative Management Clients
Lori Williams
Acclaimed international Jazz vocalist Lori Williams has a most
impressive resume as a performing artist, music educator, songwriter,
producer, musical theater actress, radio host, business owner
(PositiveMusicPM.org), and artist-in-residence with over 30 years of
experience. Her annual vocal jazz tour and performance at music
festivals have taken her to Europe (Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Russia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Ukraine), Japan, The Caribbean (including Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, et. al), Mexico, and across the USA. Her vocal jazz artist residencies have allowed her to work with and mentor students on
college campuses in the United States and abroad.
As a veteran vocal music educator and private vocal coach, Lori
received many honors for her contributions to the arts, including The
Atlanta Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association’s 2023
Excellence in Arts and Entertainment Award, Outstanding Music Teacher
in the October 2000 issue of Teaching Music, the 2007 Superintendent
Arts Teacher of the Year and the 2010 Vincent E. Reed Teacher of the
Year. Lori was nominated for a 2014 Helen Hayes Award as an
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Resident Musical for her role as Ella
Fitzgerald. Lori has received letters of recognition for her performances
by President Joseph Biden (wherein he wrote that Lori Williams has the
voice of an angel…absolutely amazing...) Speaker of the House John
Boehner, and Senator C. Anthony Muse. Immersed in traditional jazz
from an early age and earning a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton
University, she hosts a weekly radio program on JazzRadioWETF.org
Her weekly broadcast focuses on women in jazz, the international scene and young performers dedicated to the roots and traditions of the music. Lori is also the producer and host of Sunday Jazz Lounge at St. James Live! Jazz club in Atlanta, Georgia (stjamesliveatl.com). For over three decades, Lori Williams has had the honor of working with many notable artists as lead / background / studio session / guest vocalist including Najee, Oleta Adams, Yolanda Adams, Nikita Agafonov.
Adrian Crutchfield
Saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield is known around the world for creating and performing music in a variety of genres such as jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock, and more.
Adrian’s star began shining at the age of four when he received his first saxophone during a concert in Roanoke, VA from acclaimed jazz artist Kenny G, who noticed Adrian’s interest from the audience, stopped the show, and invited him to the stage, playing a childish melody, and finally bestowing the sax to young Adrian.
Known as the last horn-man to perform and record (2012-2016) with Prince and the New Power Generation; Adrian is featured on many of Prince’s final masterpieces including the 2017 Grammy- Nominated Hit-N-Run Phase 2. Adrian has also had the privilege of performing with many of today’s brightest stars such as Lionel Richie, Bette Midler, Ceelo Green, R&B icon Anthony Hamilton, Fantasia Barrino, KC and JoJo, and with hip hop superstar Young Jeezy. In jazz Mr. Crutchfield has been featured by names such as Brian Culbertson, Kim Waters, Mike Philips, Alex Bugnon, Jeff Lorber, and Branford Marsalis; and with legendary groups such as Fourplay and The Gap Band featuring Charlie Wilson. Praised by saxophonist Dave Koz as a favorite and most highly anticipated up-and-coming artist; this saxophone aficionado is one of his generation’s most prolific and lauded musicians.
Freddie Fox
CONTEMPORARY JAZZ AND R&B
Born in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and educated at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music, Freddie Fox is recognized worldwide for his own solo recordings (featuring multiple Top 20 Billboard hits, including the #1 single “Too Tuff”), as well as his work with many legendary contemporary jazz and R&;B artists. That’s his rhythm guitar you hear on the GRAMMY winning album “Givin’ It Up” by George Benson and Al Jarreau. Freddie played on the tracks “Mornin” and “Ordinary People”. Known for his endless versatility and his smooth, soulful tone, Freddie incorporates multiple styles into his music, including Funk, Smooth Jazz, Jazz Fusion, R&B, and Rock.
He’s been a featured touring member with notable acts such as Chaka Khan, Najee, Atlantic Starr, Eric Benet, Rose Royce, Jennifer Holliday, and the incomparable vocalist Evelyn “Champagne” King (whom he’s been married to for 22 years). Freddie’s solo releases have included appearances by Gerald Albright, Nelson Rangell, Michael Lington, Walter Beasley, Evelyn “Champagne” King, and Michael White.
As an in-demand studio player, his work can be heard on projects by Warren Hill, Najee, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Walter Beasley, Atlantic Starr, Marion Meadows, Althea Rene, Cindy Bradley, and others. Freddie has also contributed work to TV shows including The Arsenio Hall Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jerry Lewis’ M.D.A. Telethon, Sinbad “Soul Music Festival Summer Jam” Part III (HBO), The “Vibe” Show, Motown Live Show, Soul Train, The Later Show, The Queen Latifah Show, The Apollo Live Show, BET Jazz, NAACP Image Award, and The Pat Sajak Show.​
Logistcs & Tour Management
Najee
Najee's journey through the world of Contemporary Jazz is nothing short of extraordinary. He is the recipient of the United States Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters, Trumpet Award winner, Grammy nominee and NAACP award-winning, multi-Platinum selling Saxophonist/Flautist.
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Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley, has artfully and dynamically redefined the phrase “musical Renaissance Man” for the modern generation. Considered by fans and critics alike as the “heir to Grover Washington, Jr.’s Throne,” Beasley is the acclaimed saxophonist, vocalist, educator, and entrepreneur of the decade. As the highest selling full-time Professor / Recording Artist in history, the Boston-based musician has long mastered an exhilarating high wire act of balancing a successful career as a contemporary jazz recording artist and performer with an equally thriving presence in the field of music education.
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