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Jason Feddy:
A Tribute to Joe Cocker
Performance of the Month

Festival of Arts brought to the stage some of Southern California’s most well-known tribute bands. Talented performers pay homage to music legends as they re-create popular songs. In this rebroadcast, Jason Feddy and Friends perform his tribute to the legacy of Joe Cocker.

Joe Cocker emerged during the Woodstock era and was best known for his unique, gravelly voice and his prolific, decades-long career. His hits included the 1970s cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” “Up Where We Belong,” “You are so Beautiful,” “The Letter”, and “Feelin’ Alright.” Cocker fans won’t want to miss this performance as Feddy brings together some of Laguna Beach’s top musicians for a loving tribute to this English singer-songwriter.

This performance was originally recorded on August 28, 2018, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

LA Transfer: A Tribute to Manhattan Transfer
Festival of Arts

LA Transfer is the newest West Coast commentary on an East Coast legend. Made up of four high caliber Los Angeles-based vocalists, LA Transfer delivers the tradition of vocalese through Manhattan Transfer classics, as well as MT-style arrangements of 1970s-2000s pop hits.

Vocalists include Jenny Ing (Margo Rey Band, Brian Johnson, John Oates), Jason Maniscalco (Fame, Radio City, The Buddy Holly Story), Anne Walsh (GRAMMY-nominated international touring artist, faculty at AMDA, OCC), and Jeff Bratz (America's Got Talent, Cabaret, The 39 Steps). They are backed by an incredible trio including pianist Tom Zink (GRAMMY-nominated pianist/arranger), bassist Lyman Medeiros (Steve Tyrell Band, Michael Buble, faculty at Musicians Institute) and drummer Chris Wabich (GRAMMY-nominated artist, Leonard Cohen, Sting, Mark Murphy).

This performance was originally recorded on August 27, 2017, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

Gregg Karukas

One of urban contemporary jazz’s most versatile artists over the past 25 years, keyboardist/composer Gregg Karukas is a GRAMMY winner for producing, engineering, co-writing and arranging Omar Akram’s Echoes of Love, which won in the category of Best New Age Album. As a solo artist, Gregg’s own albums have garnered consistently solid reviews for his signature piano touch, pristine production, and melodies that are both soulful and sophisticated.

Always in demand as a musical director, composer, and keyboardist, his best-known singles, “Girl in the Red Dress,” “Nightshift,” and Jessy J.’s #1-hit “Tropical Rain” showcase Gregg’s funky, melodic compositional style familiar to his fans.

He is a founding member of The Rippingtons and since then has been in the company of the top acts in the Smooth Jazz and R&B pop genres, touring with Boney James, Peter White, Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Melissa Manchester, Larry Carlton, Sergio Mendes, Brenda Russell, Jeffrey Osborne and featured with various Allstar groups in recent years. He has had a diverse career in music with a long list of credits; Gregg arranged and played all keyboards on the theme songs to Disney's Ducktales and Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers and is a veteran of TV/Film music sessions.

This performance was originally recorded live on August 11, 2016, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

Eric Marienthal
Performance of the Month

Eric studied with the legendary saxophone professor Joe Viola at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. By the time he left Berklee, he had achieved the highest proficiency rating given by the school. Then in 1995, he was awarded the Berklee Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. Eric has since gone on to perform in over 75 different countries, recorded 14 solo CDs, and has played on hundreds of records, films, television shows and commercial jingles.

Eric Marienthal started his professional career in 1980 with famed New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt. After returning to Los Angeles, Eric became a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band. He recorded six albums with the Chick Corea band and won two GRAMMYs. Eric went on to join the Jeff Lorber Fusion and recorded GRAMMY-nominated albums with that group.

He has also performed with Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, David Benoit, The Rippingtons, The Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, Patti Austin, Lou Rawls, David Lee Roth, The Yellowjackets, B.B. King, Ramsey Louis, Patti Labelle, Olivia Newton-John, and many others.

Every summer for the past two decades, Eric has put on an annual fundraising concert for High Hopes. High Hopes is a non-profit organization in Orange County, CA, that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries. With the help of many guest artists who have donated their time to perform, these concerts have raised well over $2,000,000 for this charitable organization.

This performance was originally recorded on July 28, 2016, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

From Jobim to Jorge: Great Composers of Bossa Nova
Festival of Arts

Brazilian bossa nova took America by storm in the 1960s, led by Antonio Carlos Jobim whose numerous massive hits included Girl From Ipanema and Corcovado. The bossa nova movement had various contributors including many brilliant composers, such as Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi, and Milton Nascimento.

Anne Walsh and GRAMMY-nominated arranger and pianist Tom Zink perform some of the great music of these giants, as well as songs from contemporary Brazilian composer Kleber Jorge (guitars, vocals), who joins Anne and Tom on stage.

This performance was originally recorded live on August 20, 2017, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

Brian Bromberg
Festival of Arts

His first big break came in 1979 when Marc Johnson, the bassist with the great jazz pianist Bill Evans, heard Brian Bromberg play while on the road in Tucson. Several months later while on tour, Marc ran into legendary jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. Stan was looking for a new bass player and Marc told Stan about Brian. Brian auditioned for Stan and joined the Stan Getz quintet in December of 1979. Brian had just turned 19 and spent nearly a year touring the world with Stan and his band. Since then, Brian has toured, performed and or recorded with some of the greatest artists of our time including the likes of Arturo Sandoval, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Kirk Whalum, and Patrice Rushen.

Brian's solo career began with the release of his first album A New Day in 1986. Right from the beginning with this first release, critics noticed that Brian was different, doing things with the bass that had not been done before. Bromberg's reputation was starting to spread throughout the world. Smooth jazz radio took notice as well, breaking Brian into the format and charting with his first record.

A freak accident at his home a few years ago resulted in Brian breaking his back in two places with severe trauma. The fall nearly debilitated him requiring extensive rehabilitation to stand and walk, let alone cradle an upright bass properly or strap an electric bass on his back. He had reason to believe that he might never play music again, thus, the gravity of his latest acoustic jazz project Full Circle - one he says may well be “the most important record of my career.”

In addition to Brian’s success as a solo artist, he has developed quite a reputation as a producer. Brian certainly has evolved into a very respected voice in music industry. From smashing through the barriers of traditional bass, cutting edge bass design, to being recognized as a world-class producer, songwriter, and session musician. He keeps pushing the envelope to become the best that he can be and to keep pushing the boundaries. As Brian himself says, "There are no rules, just dreams".

This performance was originally recorded live on July 30, 2016, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

Kiki Ebsen's
Joni Mitchell Project
Peformance of the Month

A versatile artist whose work includes multiple music genres—jazz, folk, pop, classical, Kiki Ebsen is respected by a litany of GRAMMY-winning, platinum-selling artists with whom she’s toured internationally as keyboardist/vocalist, including Christopher Cross, Al Jarreau, Michael Paulo, Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald and Tracy Chapman, among others.

In 1968, Kiki Ebsen discovered the magic of Joni Mitchell on Song to a Seagull. With each subsequent release including Clouds, Ladies of the Canyon, and onto Blue, Kiki discovered the magic of Mitchell’s brilliant lyrics, amazing arrangements, and solid song stylings, each new album giving greater insight into Joni’s artistry.

Ebsen created the "Joni Mitchell Project” as an opportunity for Joni-inspired professional musicians to join her in declaring, as she describes, “our respect, regard, and unending appreciation for her gifts.” Concert repertoire includes selections from nine of Mitchell’s albums, from Song to a Seagull through Wild Things Run Fast (1968–1976).

This performance was originally recorded live on August 19, 2017, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

John Proulx
Festival of Arts

His piano playing is hot and swinging, and his voice recalls the smooth, mellow sounds of a young Chet Baker. GRAMMY-winning composer, singer, pianist, and recording artist, John Proulx's latest CD Say It features Chuck Berghofer, Joe LaBarbera, Larry Koonse, Bob Sheppard, a duet with Melissa Manchester, and three string quartet arrangements by Alan Broadbent. In addition to touring with his own trio, John has performed with the likes of Anita O'Day, Natalie Cole, Melissa Manchester, and Marian McPartland.

John began his formal musical education at the age of three on violin, but quickly switched to classical piano lessons. His late grandfather, Clyde Proulx, was a jazz guitarist who introduced him to the world of jazz. Hooked on the freedom of improvisation, his education took him to Chicago to study at Roosevelt University’s Chicago School of Performing Arts then moved to Los Angeles to further his musical pursuits. He also spent four months at the prestigious Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency hotel in New York City playing a nightly solo piano/vocal engagement.

Since then, John has appeared on Michael Feinstein’s radio show on NPR, “Song Travels” as well as on Marian McPartland’s radio show “Piano Jazz”. John serves as adjunct faculty at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Long Beach.

This performance was originally recorded on August 14, 2016, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.

Greg Manning
Festival of Arts

Greg Manning is a Berklee College of Music alum and an amalgam of cultures. He was born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland. Greg moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and has had an incredible career. He is a three-time certified platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland, and has had several Swiss Chart toppers since 1996. Greg is the former keyboardist and music director for GRAMMY Award-nominated artist Jonathan Butler -- and keyboardist for Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Brian McKnight, Chante Moore, and Kirk Whalum, just to mention a few. After touring extensively for ten years throughout the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the U.K., Greg made a conscious decision to come off the road. Not too long thereafter, he started composing music for film and television.

As an artist, Greg Manning's own music is the union of jazz, soul, and funk, which can be heard on his album Sugar and Spice, which was released on Kalimba Records. The title track went on to spend 20 weeks on the charts rising to #5 on Billboard. Most recently his chart topping single "Top Down" was celebrated as Billboard's 2019 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year.

His latest single, "Twinkle" a 2020 cover of Earl Klugh's 1981 classic, debuted at #29 on the Billboard charts.

This performance was originally recorded live on July 20, 2017, at Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA.