Legendary Interviews
Josie James
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Grammy nominated singer Josie James is equally at home on the concert stage or in the recording studio with a track record that has been praised by many. She sings a wide variety of music influenced by R&B, gospel, pop and jazz. Since embarking on a career in the music world as a singer, Josie has recorded and/or toured with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and The Jacksons, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire, Philip Bailey, Phil Collins, Billy Ocean, Quincy Jones, Patrice Rushen, David Foster, Robert Goulet, Connie Stevens, Elvis Costello, Ronald Isley, Burt Bacharach, and jazz icons Joe Sample, The Crusaders, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Al Jarreau, and many others. Jazz fusion fans will remember Josie James as the lead vocalist of the George Duke Band.
When Josie was 8 years old, her father pushed her onto a stage in front of a large audience where she grabbed the mic and sang Poison Ivy while holding a doll in her hand. Later on during her high school days, the senior class voted Josie Most Talented Senior and she went on to win numerous awards throughout her college years. James had no idea that she would eventually work with many of the artists she loved and listened to.
Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Lyne Carrington was a popular side player throughout the 1980s and '90s, and contributed her funky drum style to many different settings. Carrington was a bit of a prodigy, impressing many veteran jazz players while still a child, and was one of the first significant female drummers in jazz. Moving to New York City in the early '80s, she began to get gigs with many local musicians before gaining enough attention to warrant another move, this time to California, where she was seen by millions on a nightly basis as a member of the band on The Arsenio Hall Show and worked well withWayne Shorter's late-'80s band. She released her debut recording as a leader on Verve Forecast in 1989. Into the late '90s, Carrington continued working steadily and was heard best in funk settings, as exemplified by her work as a side player for Herbie Hancock.
At the turn of the century, her second solo album began to take shape and was eventually released as Jazz Is a Spirit in 2002. Two years later she delivered Structure, featuring the similarly funk and post-bop-inclined saxophonist Greg Osby. Carrington returned in 2009 with More to Say...Real Life Story, which featured an all-star lineup of guest artists including George Duke, Everette Harp, Kirk Whalum, and Walter Beasley, as well as then up-and-coming trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. In 2011, she released The Mosaic Project, which spotlighted several vocalists -- including Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, and Dee Dee Bridgewater -- among other artists. She won a Grammy for the set.
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Brain Culbertson
Brian Culbertson began his musical journey at the age of 8 on piano, adding drums at 9, trombone at 10 then bass at 12. He grew up in Decatur, IL, loving genre-crossing jazz-pop artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Tower of Power, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Yellowjackets and Chick Corea. So naturally gifted was Brian, his 7th grade piano recital consisted of all original tunes. Brian flourished school bands starting in 5th grade and ended up moving to Chicago to complete his musical studies at DePaul University. In 1994, at age 20, Brian self-produced his debut album, Long Night Out. After that release, he then went on to compose jingles for clients such as United Airlines, Gatorade, Sears, Coors and McDonald's in the bustling city's highly competitive advertising community while still continuing to make records and tour.
Since then, Brian has released twelve more albums, toured around the world, seen his name at the top of Billboard and radio charts, worked and performed with industry all-stars like Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, Larry Graham, Michael McDonald, Chris Botti, Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Barry Manilow, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Chuck Brown, and Bootsy Collins just to name a few, and received numerous awards including recently being nominated for a 2012 NAACP Image Award and a 2012 Soul Train Award.
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