Artists
MAYSA
Fans of good soul music and music that is good for the soul have known and appreciated Maysa Leak for 30 plus years.
We knew and appreciated her even when we didn’t know it. Maysa lent her backing vocals to Stevie Wonder’s “Jungle Fever” soundtrack. We knew her as the best known and best loved of the rotating roster of super talented vocalists who helped create Incognito’s signature jazz/funk throughout the 1990s and into the 21 st Century.
Maysa voice – sultry, jazzy and soulful – powered Incognito to international super stardom on a series of albums in the 1990s – “Tribes Vibes a Scribes,” “Positivity,” “100° and Rising,” “Beneath the Surface” and “No Time Like the Future.” Maysa seamlessly made the transition to a solo career that has yielded 14 highly acclaimed albums and sold-out live performances, cementing her reputation as one of the best artists working in the game today.
Now as Maysa prepares to release her highly anticipated 14 th studio album – “Music For Your Soul” the public will see her in a different and fuller light. What’s different? Maysa adds the title of label executive to a resume that includes lead and backing vocalist, songwriter and producer. Maysa established Blue Velvet Soul in 2018 to exercise fuller control over all creative and commercial aspects of music making.
“I wasn’t getting the kind of publicity or marketing backup for my albums that I thought I deserved, and I just thought if they are going to just throw my music out there, I might as well just throw it out there too and own it,” Maysa recalled. “That is what prompted me to start my own record label. I thought why not.”
The learning curve was steep. Maysa knows every aspect of the production side – from songwriting to video production. However, she had a lot to learn about distribution and promotion. Fortunately, a mentor and longtime advisor helped her set up the label. The Blue Velvet Soul Records roll out began in 2018 when she released the songs “You Are Not Alone,” “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Loving You is Easy” and “Soft Words” as singles and then as a four song EP titled “The Fab First Four.”
The carefully planned roll out of Blue Velvet Records will culminate with the release of “Music For Your Soul” early next year. Sporting 19 songs, “Music For Your Soul” is ambitious in scope. Maysa worked hard to get these 19 songs ‘in the can,’ and could have easily dropped a couple of EPs on various streaming platforms. That is what many people urged her to do.
“My colleagues told me don’t do this,” Maysa recalled. “Don’t put 19 songs on the album because nobody has that kind of attention span anymore.”
Maysa stood firm because her vision for “Music For Your Soul” is rooted in an idea that hearkens back to a time when music was more than a commodity. With Music “For Your Soul, Maysa” seeks to create an experience that will be the soundtrack for cleaning the house on a Saturday morning, musical sustenance for the long-haul trucker driving down a lonely highway or a mood creator for lovers spending a quiet evening together.
“I am going to do full length albums for the rest of my career,” Maysa states. “I don’t want to do the EPs. I want to give people the experience that I had growing up. I loved my albums. I loved listening to both sides.”.
While Maysa plans to release “Music For Your Soul” in early 2023, but she’s blessed fans by dropping three singles from the album this year. The single “Whatever” is climbing charts and filling dance floors on both sides of the Atlantic. Aimed directly at the steppers set, “Whatever” is a percolating, percussive, breezy, mid-tempo jam that finds Maysa seductively telling her love interest that she has a single-minded focus on making him happy.
The simmering R&B ballad “Just Stay” finds Maysa taking a conversational but sultry tone that finds her dispensing with all pretenses as she asks her man to follow his heart and surrender to love. The Stevie Wonder ballad “Make Sure You’re Sure” holds a special place in Maysa’s heart. That tune appeared on the “Jungle Fever” soundtrack and Maysa served as a backing vocalist on that project. Maysa showcases her jazz chops on this tune as her torchy vocals and the piano engage in a dance.
Maysa notes that she always loved the album and plays it frequently, However, her decision to record “Make Sure You’re Sure” and include the tune on her new album were deeply personal. “I went through a little bit of a heartbreak during the pandemic, and that song just jumped out at me, so when I was going through what I went through I decided that I would remake this song.”
Maysa is crafting a masterpiece with “Music For Your Soul,” and the world will see that mastery when the album drops on March 31. In the meantime, Maysa released the latest single, “I Don’t Mind,” to commercial and critical acclaim. The song has been a mainstay at the top of the UK Soul Charts since its January release.
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were a powerhouse girl group from Detroit, Michigan, who rose to fame in the 1960s as part of the legendary Motown scene. Led by the dynamic vocals of Martha Reeves, the group churned out numerous hits that captured the energy and spirit of the era.
Their signature song, “Dancing in the Street,” became an anthem of joy and celebration, while other tracks like “Heat Wave” and “Nowhere to Run” showcased their soulful harmonies and storytelling abilities. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Alexander Zonjic
In 2020, eleven years after releasing Doin’ the D, an album paying dynamic homage to the music and magic of Detroit, Alexander Zonjic got back in the throwback R&B groove with the release of another infectious, high-spirited valentine to his beloved adopted hometown. Written and produced for the veteran, multiple award-winning flutist by Pieces of a Dream keyboardist James Lloyd, “Motor City Sway” – the infectious lead single from Playing It Forward, Zonjic’s first collection on his own Hi-Falutin Music label – quickly hit the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart and was one of the most added singles on the Billboard BDS chart two weeks in a row. Ten of the eleven tracks on Playing It Forward were produced by keyboardist Jeff Lorber, who helmed the majority of sessions for Zonjic’s previous albums Reach for the Sky (2001), Seldom Blues (2004) and Doin’ The D.
A native of Windsor, Ontario (immediately across the Detroit River), Zonjic is a 15-time Detroit Music Awards winner with deep and multi-faceted ties to and influence on the city. He has been a multi-media personality since he began hosting the morning radio show at the longtime smooth jazz station WVMV in 1998 – a popular stint that ran through 2010. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alexander Zonjic from A to Z,” a weekly half hour hybrid TV show on WADL TV-38 (airing Sundays at 10 p.m., with an encore at 1:30 a.m. mixing live concert elements with special guest live interviews.
Also in 2016, Zonjic launched “Doin’ The D,” a magazine-style talk radio and music show, airing from 5-7 p.m. Sundays on WFDF 910-AM. Between in studio guests and call-ins, his mostly Detroit centric interviews have included Kenny G, Martha Reeves, former Detroit Police Chief Ike McKinnon and legendary Grammy and Emmy Award winning keyboard icon Bob James, who discovered Zonjic in 1981 when the flutist was playing in Detroit’s famous Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. James invited Zonjic to join his band on and off on tour, and the keyboardist later was a producer (along with saxophonist Kirk Whalum) on Neon, Zonjic’s first major label album (Reprise Records) in 1990. James also appeared on the flutist’s 1993 follow-up album Passion, which featured a vocal track by Angela Bofill.
Over the years, as Zonjic puts it, he has morphed from “that flute guy from Canada” into the owner of a veritable cottage industry as the artistic director and producer of more than 10 annual festival events in the region and philanthropist under the umbrella of his Hi-Falutin Music.
Believing in Gandhi’s words that the “best way to find oneself is to lose oneself in the service of others,” Zonjic and Hi-Falutin work with numerous large charity organizations in the Detroit area. They host an annual “Soup City” fundraiser for COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter); and have partnered on a variety of fundraisers for many years with the Children’s Foundation, including he upcoming “Derby For Kids.” Their work with Mariner’s Inn, a shelter and treatment center for the homeless in Midtown Detroit, includes a recent virtual fundraiser. Other organizations Zonjic’s organization has supported include Franklin Wright Settlements, Habitat for Humanities, Lighthouse of Oakland County, Windsor Downtown Mission, SAY Detroit and Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac, Michigan.
James Lloyd
For over three decades, keyboardist, composer and arranger James K. Lloyd has been the aural architect of Pieces of a Dream. As a co-founder of the group, Lloyd composed and co-wrote over 100 compositions, from the ’80’s summer anthem “Mount Airy Groove” to “Love’s Silhoutte.” Born in Philadelphia on August 30, 1964, Lloyd started playing piano at the age six. A graduate of Philadelphia’s High School of Performing Arts, Lloyd was inspired to take up the instrument when his older brother started playing it. LLoyd was classically trained by an 89 year-old piano teacher who exposed him Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mozart. He was also heavily influenced by the great keyboardists, Ramsey Lewis, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Larry Dunn, Chick Corea and Bud Powell.
In 1975, Lloyd met drummer Curtis Harmon and bassist Cedric Napoleon. They performed all over Philadelphia as Classic Touch, A Touch of Class and Galaxy. Inspired by Stanley Turrentine’s “Pieces of Dreams,” The trio changed their name to Pieces of a Dream in 1979. They were discovered by Grover Washington, Jr. when POAD performed on a popular TV show, City Lights. Washington and POAD performed Washington’s hit, “Mister Magic” at Philadelphia’s Bijou Cafe (where Washington recorded Live at the Bijou). Washington produced POAD’s first three recordings Pieces of a Dream, We Are One and Imagine This.
Throughout POAD’s label and personnel changes, James K. Lloyd’s dazzling piano technique, inventive synthesizer programming and leadership have signatured POAD’s soulful sound. In the future, Lloyd, now based in Ohio, plans to produce some neo-soul, hip-hop and R&B recordings. As a performer, writer or producer, the artistry of James K. Lloyd is the foundation of POAD.
Motor City Horns
The Motor City Horns (MCH) are a Detroit-based horn section that have worked with Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band since 2006. They have appeared on Seger’s last three albums, including Early Seger Volume 1, Ride Out, and I Knew You When, and have toured with the band on every tour since 2006. The MCH have also collaborated with other artists, including: Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Noel Gallagher from Oasis, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. , Clarence Clemons and the Temple of Soul, The Verve Pipe, Frankie Ballard, Carl Craig and Tribe and Alexander Zonjic.
Lin Rountree
Lin Rountree is an American soul/ urban Jazz Trumpeter, record producer and composer. He has recorded eight solo albums, the last six for Trippin N’ Rhythm Records. Between the years 2011 – 2023 Lin Rountree released 21 singles that landed on the National Billboard Top 25 Smooth Jazz Chart which included four number 1 singles; “Pass The Groove” (that stayed #1 for three consecutive weeks), “Fluid”in 2020, “Release” in 2021 and “Solid” in 2023. Rountree’s sixth solo album, Stronger Still, peaked at #20 on the Billboard Top 50 Jazz Albums Chart. In 2014, Lin Rountree appeared alongside Jordin Sparks and CeeLo Green in the film, Sparkle.
Larry Lee and the Back in the Day Band
Larry Lee and Back In the Day was founded in August of 2002 by former NFL player, NFL Executive, and Professional Musician Larry Lee. Larry played 9 years in total with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Denver Broncos. While with the Broncos he played in Super Bowl XXII. After his playing days he became Vice-President of the Detroit Lions during some pretty good years the 90’s with players such as Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Chris Spielman, and Lomas Brown. After spending 18 years total in the NFL he retired and decided to return to his original childhood passion, music. Larry has been a professional bass player for more than 30 years.
While growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Larry learned how to play the bass guitar. Some of his childhood friends and schoolmates went on to put Dayton on the map by creating #1 hits and chart topping funk grooves like The Ohio Players (Fire, Funky Worm, Skin Tight) Roger Troutman/Zapp (More Bounce to the Ounce, Computer Love, I Heard it Thru the Grapevine),Slave (Slide, Watching Ladies, Just a Touch of Love), Heatwave (Always and Forever, Boogie Nights, Groove Line), Lakeside (Fantastic Voyage, Raid, Something About That Woman), Faze-O (Ridin High), and Sun (Radiation Level, Flic my Bic). At the time Larry was forced to make a decision on which career path to take he chose football. That worked out very well. As aforementioned, once that path had run its course he returned to his original childhood passion, music.
He got his fingers back into shape and went around the Detroit area looking for the best musicians he could find. He landed upon individuals that have been around the world with some of the greatest groups of all time such as The Temptations, Four Tops, Spinners, Dramatics, Contours, Dwelle, K-Jon, and includes a Gospel Music Hall of Famer. Thus, Back In The Day was created. In its short 9 year exsistence Back In The Day has won several awards to include R and B Band of the Year and Larry has been voted Bass Player of the Year.
Having shared the bill with Chaka Khan, Temptations, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Little Richard, O’Jays, Cameo, George Clinton, Average White Band, Whispers, Ohio Players, Dramatics, Morris Day and the Time, KEM, En Vogue, Gap Band, Boyz II Men, Ledisi, War, Brian McKnight, Rick Springfield, Isaac Hayes, and others Larry Lee and Back In The Day is no stranger to the big stage nor high end Corporate events.
Larry Lee and Back In The Day is a go-to for high energy award winning entertainment.