Here's what you'll find at the 2008 Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival:

• 7 performance slots with 11 entertainers
• Multiple Grammy Award winners and nominees
• 6 acts with vocals, including 2 female lead vocalists
• 2 artist packages with legendary R&B vocalists as part of their show
• A legendary Grammy winning sax man to perform as part of one package
• A unique jazz-swing artist whose last CD was top 10 on the Billboard jazz sales charts
• An artist who has gold and platinum hits in 5 decades in multiple radio formats
• 5 play slots have smooth jazz backgrounds
• 2 of the artists are currently top 10 on the Radio and Records charts
• 5 of the acts will have new recorded product released before September 1, 2008
• 9 of the 11 entertainers are first time performers at KMJF
• Opportunity for "special appearances" by guest artists during the festival
• All acts will have CDs on site for sale and autograph

2008 KETTLE MORAINE JAZZ FESTIVAL ENTERTAINMENT LINE UP

Friday, September 5

5:30 p.m.: Warren Hill

A saxophonist, vocalist and talented composer, Warren Hill is one of the most consistently popular contemporary jazz artists, an “off the hook” showman, and an innovative creator of new and different ways to present his music and connect with his fans. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, he began his music career at age seven, originally studying guitar. At age 12, he began playing saxophone, and it became the focal point of his life while studying jazz at the Eastman School of Music. At Hill’s graduation performance at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, acclaimed record producer Russ Titleman approached him to play on a Chaka Khan record. It was at that moment that he knew he’d followed the right path.

Hill moved to Los Angeles in 1989. Within a year, RCA Records signed him to a record deal. His first CD, Kiss Under The Moon, was released in 1991. Soon after, Natalie Cole picked him up as the opening act on her 40-city Unforgettable Tour. Since then, he has released nine CDs with numerous No. 1 hits on the Contemporary and Smooth Jazz Charts, and also been recognized by a diverse list of awards.

In fall 2002, he began to conceptualize the revival of the “smooth jazz cruise genre,” and the result was one of the most successful and talked about Smooth Jazz events in the past decade: Warren Hill's Smooth Jazz Cruise. The first cruise took place in January 2004 in the Caribbean and featured many of the top Artists in Smooth Jazz, after which Hill embarked upon the first full ship charter smooth jazz cruise in the history of the format. The ’05 and ’06 cruises were both sellouts and critical successes of the highest order.

Hill simultaneously embarked on another mission: starting his own record label, PopJazz Records, which came to fruition in spring 2005 with the release of Hill's much anticipated 10th CD, Pop Jazz. Produced by Hill and his bassist, André Berry, the CD is packed with outstanding musicianship from Hill's touring band, whom many industry insiders claim to be one of the hottest bands in the genre (André Berry, Ronnie Gutierrez, Dave Hooper, Randy Jacobs & Michael Whittaker), as well as some special guest appearances by Norman Brown, Brian Culbertson, Jeff Golub and the incredible Harris Brothers Horns.

In addition to using his label to further his own recordings, Hill has a passion for undiscovered talent. His new website portal PopJazz.com is a multi-Artist site that features not only signed and national recording Artists, but many unsigned acts from around the globe.

www.warrenhill.com

7:30 p.m.: Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

Sultry chanteuse Lavay Smith evokes a sensuous era of glamorous Jazz divas and sexy pinups adding a modern, feminist twist. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, her glamorous stage presence and high musical standards ensure that this diva will continue to be a bestselling independent phenomenon.

Smith, vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, grew up in Southern California and the Philippines. The owner of her own record label, Fat Note Records, Smith produces her own CDs with musical director Chris Siebert. Her debut CD, One Hour Mama, was an independent smash hit, outselling most major label jazz and blues releases – a true testament to her musical and business savvy. Her second CD, Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout Miss Thing, repeated this success, staying on the Billboard Jazz charts for 20 consecutive weeks, and rising to No. 10. The album received widespread critical acclaim, including a prestigious 4 1/2 star review in Downbeat Magazine.

Smith’s eight-piece band features the finest musicians anywhere, consisting of four horns, piano, bass and drums. Truly an all-star ensemble, these musicians have performed and recorded with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Wynton Marsalis, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Big Mama Thornton, Taj Mahal, and Little Esther Phillips to name a few.

The band first performed in 1989 and immediately began attracting crowds thanks to Smith’s big, bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach. According to Fox TV, the band has become “a San Francisco Institution.” In 1998, the readers of San Francisco’s two major newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, voted Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers the “Best Band” in the annual reader’s poll.

Smith and her all-star eight-piece band maintain a busy schedule of over 250 performances per year. She has performed in 40 states, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. When not on the road, they are showcased every Friday at San Francisco’s hippest nightclub, the Cafe du Nord, where they have sold out shows for ten swinging’ years.

www.lavaysmith.com

9:30 p.m.: Soul Express, featuring Phil Perry, Everette Harp, and Chris Standring

Phil Perry

Romantic adult contemporary singer/songwriter Phil Perry launched his professional career with ’70s soul group The Montclairs before cutting two albums for Capitol as part of the Perry & Sandlin duo. After the duo split, he established himself as a first call background vocalist and session singer in Los Angeles. When Capitol Records executives heard him singing with Lee Ritenour at the Hollywood Bowl, they signed him to the label for the acclaimed 1991 solo recording Heart of the Man, which spawned the No. 1 hit “Call Me.”

Performances with Dave Koz, recording dates with Fourplay, and a vocal on GRP’s The Benoit/Freeman Project increased Perry’s popularity in smooth jazz circles and led to a deal with GRP. The acclaimed Pure Pleasure album in 1994 featured the hit singles “If Only You Knew” and “Love Don’t Love Nobody.” One Heart, One Love (1998) was Perry’s debut recording for Peak Records via their then distribution through Private Music/Windham Hill. He then released My Book of Love on Peak/Private in 2000. He’s toured on and off with the Rhythm of Love Tour since 1997 and recently contributed several vocal tracks to the Ritenour-produced Twist of Marley.

Magic, Perry’s new Peak Records debut via the label’s new association with Concord Records, takes his flowing passion for love songs to a new level while showcasing more than ever his development as a songwriter. “Whatever era of time we’re talking about, people will always want to hear great love songs,” Perry said. “I make music that I hope can become a part of someone’s life. The new album Magic is another wonderful opportunity to do what I love to do.”

Everette Harp

Firmly established as one of R&B’s major ambassadors, sax man Everette Harp is at the top of his game both artistically and professionally. With a string of hugely successful solo albums, and having played with everyone from Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick and Jeffrey Osborne, to Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Herbie Hancock, Harp brings a dynamic force to the new Soul Express line up. His latest album, In The Moment on the Shanachie record label, is now in stores nationwide.

Chris Standring

With three critically acclaimed records to his name, and now his latest 2006 release, Soul Express, Chris Standring has become known as the Soul-hipster who prefers to push the boundaries of instrumental music to the limit on every record he makes. With a strong radio presence, the release of “Hip Sway” cemented his status as one of smooth jazz’s top stars in 2000. Standring has appeared regularly at top festivals in the U.S., as well as England, his home country.

www.soulexpress.us

Saturday, September 6

1:30 p.m.: Nelson Rangell

Jazziz magazine writes that Nelson Rangell is “an artist of depth, a master of song, and an improviser non pareil.” Such praise is a confirmation of what contemporary jazz fans have known since the Denver based saxophonist emerged in the late 80s: that Rangell is one of the most exciting and diverse performers in the genre, equally adept at soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone, as well as being a genuine virtuoso on flute and piccolo.

Rangell studied both classical and jazz music at The Interlochen Arts Academy, a national camp for gifted music students. He went on to attend The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. After college and two prestigious Down Beat Magazine awards, he headed to New York in 1984 to pursue his career.

The next four years were spent sitting in, playing alongside, and gigging with some of the world’s greatest contemporary jazz musicians including Hiram Bullock, Jorge Dalto, Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Jaco Pastorius, David Sanborn and many others. He also found occasional employment with the legendary Gil Evans Monday Night Orchestra and worked on many commercial jingle recording sessions. Rangell’s 1987 debut album was released on Gaia/Gramavision Records, but soon thereafter Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin at GRP Records signed him.

A succession of albums followed at GRP where he recorded eight CDs. His stated ambition throughout these endeavors was “to grow and evolve as a player and artist while making music that people can easily relate to in a form that is substantive.” He recorded with The Rippingtons, Chuck Loeb, Patti Austin, Tom Browne, and The GRP All Star Big Band to name a few, and is featured on Don Grusin’s Grammy-nominated CD The Hang. In the late ’90s Rangell continued his career with Shanachie Records and has now released 14 CDs nationally and internationally.

Now with Koch Records, Rangell recorded two CDs in less than a half a year. Called “an instant holiday classic” by Jazzreview.com, his first Christmas CD, All I Hope For Christmas, has been well received by critics. Rangell’s newest Koch Records release, titled My American Songbook (vol.1), is Rangell’s most exciting, unique and artistic recording to date, featuring ten new arrangements of diverse American classics.

www.nelsonrangell.com

3:45 p.m.: East Bay Soul

East Bay Soul is a combination of instrumental soul funk and rhythm and blues vocals built on a design to discover new achievements rather than extend the past.

When great musicians who have shared several significant music accomplishments reunite on a performance stage again, you never know what will happen next! East Bay Soul makes music history with the benefit of vision, musical “know how,” and the insight that comes through genuine affection, respect and friendship.

Greg Adams

Tom Scott

Grammy and Emmy nominated trumpeter Greg Adams, offering tight, horn-filled rhythms, is a founding member of the super horn band Tower of Power, best known for “Don’t Change Horses (In The Middle Of A Stream),” “What Is Hip?” and “So Very Hard To Go.”

Tom Scott, renowned composer, arranger, producer, musical director, and saxophonist, has 29 solo recordings to his credit and for these efforts, he has earned three Grammy Awards and 13 Grammy nominations.

Lee Thornburg will join Greg Adams on trumpet and backing vocals. Thornburg also spent over a decade as a Tower of Power member.

Completing the ensemble is a band that has toured together for six years and played with numerous luminary artists – Johnnie Bamont on alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones and flute; Joey Navarro on keyboards; Brian Allen on bass; James Wirrick on guitar; Evan Stone on drums; and Johnny Sandoval on percussion. Ten soulful members create a music extravaganza that will remind you of what you loved most about music.

www.eastbaysoul.com

6;15 p.m.: Jim Peterik’s Lifeforce

Jim Peterik — Grammy® winning singer, songwriter and guitar/keyboardist — has unveiled his first smooth jazz project, Jim Peterik’s Lifeforce. As the founding member of both Survivor and The Ides Of March, he has been responsible for eighteen Top 10 hits, three of which, “Vehicle,” “The Search Is Over,” and the Grammy® winning “Eye Of the Tiger” (theme from Rocky III), made it all the way to No. 1. Peterik is also responsible for many of the hits of .38 Special, such as “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up In You,” and “Fantasy Girl.” His songs have been featured worldwide in countless movies, television shows, sporting events and commercials.

Who knew that behind the rock legend was a musician steeping himself almost exclusively in smooth jazz and new age in his time off? Peterik said, “My wife of 35 years, Karen, and I have been huge fans since day one of Pat Metheny, David Grusin, Spyro Gyra, Keiku Matsui, Acoustic Alchemy, Basia and so many more. Writing and performing this style myself is just a natural progression from fan to artist.”

Jim Peterik’s Lifeforce is a potent synergy of his many influences through the years. Along with the exciting new songs he has written for this album, there are also jazzy re-imaginings of two of his biggest hits: “Eye Of The Tiger” and “Vehicle.” In addition, “The Search Is Over” has been recast as a duet between Peterik and Lisa McClowry, a rising smooth jazz singer who is featured with him throughout this album.

“My message and mood is positive and uplifting,” Peterik said. “Much like the theme of ‘Eye Of The Tiger,’ I feel that visualization of your desired outcome is the first step to actualization. This theme, as well as making sure we appreciate each day, runs through my songs.”

The album, produced by Peterik and Larry Millas, features some of the world’s finest musicians: Ed Breckenfeld on drums, Mike Aquino and Peterik on guitar, Klem Hayes on bass, Christian Cullen, Scott May, Jeff Lantz and Jim on keyboards, Steve Eisen on sax and flute and Lisa McClowry on vocals. Special guests include smooth jazz great Nick Colionne on the standout track, “Unconditional Surrender,” with Larry Gray and Sharay Reed on upright bass.

www.jimpeterik.com

8:30 p.m.: Nick Colionne

Red-hot guitarist and vocalist Nick Colionne has been described as “one of the most exceptional performers to come along on the jazz scene in a long time.” Nick grew up in Chicago, in a household full of music. By 15 he turned pro, touring all over the world with famous artists and bands, including some of the greatest R&B legends, from The Staples Singers to Curtis Mayfield.

Colionne’s CD, Keepin‘ It Cool, has produced the hits “Always Thinking of You,” “If You Ask Me,” and “Keepin‘ It Cool,” and achieved Top Ten status on all major charts, following in the path of his previous CD, Just Come On In, which was also Top Ten with the mega-hits “High Flyin‘” and “It’s Been Too Long.” His newest CD, No Limits, on the prestigious Koch Records label, will be out in the summer of 2008.

Colionne was honored with the prestigious 2007 International Instrumentalist Artist of the Year Award at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, succeeding 2006 winner Chris Botti. He is a three-time headliner on the All Star Smooth Music Cruise, and is also the official Jam Session Host, duties he will be repeating on the 2009 Smooth Music Cruise.

Nick is frequently referred to as “The best dressed man in smooth jazz,” and he enjoys an ongoing endorsement from the men’s designer line Stacy Adams, as well as a longtime endorsement with Epiphone Guitars, who are currently featuring him in their national advertising campaign. The Chicago native has toured all over the world but still finds time to devote to mentoring children – he is in his 12th year counseling at a K-8 school in suburban Chicago.

Colionne’s sustained chart-topping radio history, combined with his charismatic stage presence and guitar virtuosity, is evidence of his success. Audiences love the excitement and energy he brings to every incredible performance that he infuses with his own unique blend of jazz, funk, R&B and blues.

www.nickcolionne.com

Relive the 2007 Ziegler Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival.