Who's Been Here

Rich Berry
Rich lives in Kansas City and has been playing most of his life, gravitating toward Blues and R&B music of the greats as well as writing his own material. He has played concerts with Li’l Ed and the Blues Imperials, Anthony Gomes, Kenny Neal, and Paul Thorn. He represented Kansas City in the International Blues Challenge; accepted to play in the King Biscuit Blues Festival in 2005; and chosen for the Greater Ozark Blues Fest among others.

Dizzy Atmosphere
Violinist Chris Volker and Mary Dee Brown on guitar make up this lighthearted duo inspired by the 'Hot Club du France Quintet'. Their music represents a collusion of European and American jazz idioms, a collision of breathless gypsy bravado and scintillating American swing.

Harry Nino
Harry “O”, as he is known, was born in New York City and raised in Harlem. He has been a musician for over 40 years with an extensive background playing R&B from New York to Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis. Harry has played with an array of notable musicians, too numerous to mention here. In 1992 he formed the “Oysters Rockefeller” band who continue to play in the Chicago area and have recorded two CD’s. In 1996 Harry started a “Blues in the Schools” program with funding from the musicians union and has now expanded the program to include the entire state of Illinois.

Carrie Newcomer
Carrie Newcomer first gained attention singing and writing in the folk band Stone Soup. Since then, she has recorded 14 albums during her solo career. Carrie uses a combination of styles such as folk, jazz, blues and rock, with a variety of open tunings. Her lyrics are playful, sometimes serious, but always right on the path to enlightment. Hoping to be an inspiration for young songwriters, she teaches songwriters workshops and has been an artist in residence at several colleges. She currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana.

Steve Leslie
A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a singer/songwriter, Steve Leslie has performed with a multitude of talented musicians, opening for national acts such as Blue Oyster Cult, Jason Aldean, Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Wynona, Rick Derringer, and Ace Frehley of KISS. He has performed and recorded with a list of artists including TM Stevens, ( Joe Cocker, The Pretenders), Will Calhoun (Living Color), and Al Pitrelli (Alice Cooper) to name a few. Currently, Steve performs as many as six shows per week in St. Louis and surrounding areas. Songs from his latest CD “CORE” can be heard on local and internet based radio stations.

Swing DeVille
Blending stringed instruments and a myriad of musical styles, this ensemble creates a unique, "unplugged" listening experience. They draw their musical influences not only from the early Western Swing sound, but also from Old-Time Fiddle, Bluegrass, Big Band, Gypsy Jazz, New Orleans Jazz, Pop Music of the 20's through the 40's, and a variety of traditional and contemporary styles. In addition, the band continues to compose original songs and add them to its repertoire. They play acoustically, with or without a P.A. system, on quality vintage instruments.

Augusta Bottoms Consort
Augusta Bottoms Consort is a versatile music ensemble playing acoustic music from several traditions including original songs, folk, ethnic as well as classical music. Members of the group, Paul Ovaitt, Michael Bauermeister, Gloria Attoun Bauermeister and Rebecca Weis Mayer live near the fertile bottomland fields of the Missouri River in Augusta, Missouri. They play a variety of acoustic instruments and focus on close harmonies with a unique and warm style.

Rob Compton & Thom Pallozola
Rob is "Babaloo" on his day job playing as many as four shows a day. Thom has been heard on KDHX and is an RCS regular. Together their musical talents combine to make a cool groove and one that will make you smile.

Javier Mendoza
Singing in English and Spanish, Javier blends his Spanish roots and his classic and modern rock influences, delivering a unique transnational sound that will reach your soul and get you up and groovin. His long list of accolades include The Audience Award for best Latin Artist in Saint Louis' 2006 Music Awards sponsored by KDHX, nominated for Best Vocalist on the 2006 Independent Online Music Awards and the 2005 Budweiser True Music Artist as well as voted Best World and Pop Artist in St. Louis 2000-2004. Javier has had 7 songs featured on MTVs Real World 2000-2005 and shared the stage with Ben Folds, The Roots, Los Lobos, G-Love, Willie Nelson and more. He was a semifinalist at the Independent Music World Series Conference in 2003 and his song 'Join The Party' was picked as one of MECA Conference's best songs in Chicago in 2004. Javier has performed at the Mid Atlantic, Northern Plains and North East NACA conferences, was a former Warner-Chappell songwriter, and performed for Pope John Paul II in 1999.