shows & musicians

We are thrilled to be welcoming some of Washington & Oregon's top jazz musicians to the Mayfield Lake Summer Tunes! We are grateful that they are sharing their talents and enthusiasm and hope that all attending will be as impressed as we are with these fabulous performers! Two favorites from last year's Harmony Jazz and Wine Festival are returning for the Harmony Jazz & Wine Festival in September -- Shelly Rudolph and Michael Powers (a third -- RaChiChi Pop Jazz Trio -- performed at our Jazzy Summer Evening, Aug. 22).

Please check out their websites below to learn more about them, hear song samples, watch videos, and buy their CDs to get a taste of what you'll be hearing live.

Michael Powers closed the Harmony Jazz & Wine Festival last year, and we're glad to have him back as he's just released another CD this summer, Soul School. So, expect to hear some new sounds this year from this prolific musician.

Michael was born in New York City, but grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. His musical career began as therapy, when at the age of 15 he took up strumming the guitar to strengthen his wrist after a skateboard accident. Following his graduation from Berkeley High School when he was 15½, he moved to Seattle and frequented local jam sessions, keeping his fingers on the guitar strings and his mind on making his music reach a wider audience. Says Powers, “I learned how to play by sitting in at as many places as I could, developing eclectic tastes by playing with all types of bands: Jazz, Rock, Blues, R&B, and Top 40. I wanted to learn how to play any kind of music that featured a guitar as a solo voice.”

On stage, Michael has performed with, recorded with, or shared billings with piano giant Herbie Hancock, classic Jazz saxophonist Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson, B3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ronnie Cuber, Gil Scott Heron, Keiko Matsui, Nancy Wilson, Les McCann, Najee, Tommy Davidson, Dr. Cornel West, the legendary Ray Charles, Afro-pop star King Sunny Ade, Grammy award-winning vocalist Diane Schuur, R&B greats Gladys Knight and the Pips and Atlantic Starr, contemporary Jazz artists Ronny Jordan, Tom Grant, David Benoit, sax great Ernie Watts, the Yellowjackets, and the duo of Tuck & Patti.

Michael Powers has established himself among a new breed of guitarists and composers who, with each album and every performance, continually redefines the guitars' role in the jazz context. -- The Tacoma News Tribune

 

An audience favorite from the first Harmony Jazz & Wine Festival in 2008, we're thrilled to have Shelly Rudolph and friends back this year to be our evening headline act on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Shelly is a maker of soul music, as a fine and sultry singer and songwriter with a sense of adventure and a desire for emotional truth. That much is plainly true. But, while soul music guides her, the stylistic plot keeps thickening, as she demonstrates on her ambitious new album, Water In My Hand. R&B, in its many guises, may be the foundation of Rudolph’s new project, but she also takes her voice into areas where you can’t deny the touch of hypnotic gospel, African concepts, New Orleans barbecue sauce, tango, jazz phrasing, and visitations from her recurring Caribbean muse. The album's diversity of tracks and styles, and rhythmic landscapes from different global corners, makes for a diverse creative journey. But it’s also one with a clear and coherent musical identity.

Call her a "world soul" artist. Rudolph's naturally curious musical tendencies put her in the heart of a time when musical hybrids come easily, and sticking to a purist attitude can limit artistic potential. An experienced vocalist, in jazz, pop, and soul, Rudolph is all about exploring new levels of potential. If an Oregonian at heart, she has lived and performed in New York City, Los Angeles (where she recorded her debut album project), and has traveled to and performed in the Caribbean, the free spirit and swaying musical vibe of which is one of the stronger impulses in her musical concept. With her new body of work and multi-directional sound, Rudolph is poised to take her place among the movement of creative voices in the loose genre of New Soul. She abides by the importance of soulful expression, in whatever global garb suits the moment.

Every so often an artist comes along that literally has it all... great songwriting, a beautiful seductive voice and a passion for music... Shelly Rudolph is that special artist and Water in My Hand is that special CD. Shelly possesses that natural, earthy tone that can't be taught in a music class. Her voice caresses your ears and her sassy attitude keeps you coming back for more. If you want to fall in love again look no further... - Calvin Walker, Director, KMHD Radio, 89.1