In an electrifying fusion of stories, songs, memoir and music, jazz luminaries from New Orleans to Central Avenue, Los Angeles, are brought to life by a world-class ensemble of actors, singers and musicians in this one-night-only celebration of America’s greatest original art form…
Featuring performances by ACTORS: Keith David, Gary Dourdan, Lisa Edelstein, Jason George, Joseph Marcell, Reign Morton, Dohn Norwood, Miguel Sandoval, Antonique Smith, Tracie Thoms, Glynn Turman, Michole White; NARRATORS: Dave Fennoy & Iona Morris; and MUSICIANS: Starr Parodi (musical director & piano), Wayne Bergeron (on trumpet), Terrace Martin (saxophone), Suuvi (cello), Nedra Wheeler (bass), Clayton Cameron (drums), Kevin Ricard (percussion) & more…
“Jazz has always been a man telling the truth about himself.” Quincy Jones
Los Angeles, CA – WORDTheatre®, produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (LA Phil), is proud to present JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION, a literary and musical tribute honoring jazz legends. WORDTheatre‘s original biographical and historical journey into the world of jazz that brings together acclaimed actors, singers, and world-class musicians on stage at The Ford on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 8:00 pm. This electrifying fusion of storytelling and jazz draws from memoir, biography and essay excerpts, poems, stories, lyrics, and musical performances to convey the rich history and power of America’s greatest original art form. JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION features intersecting narratives that trace the cultural impact of jazz, from its roots in New Orleans’ Storyville, through the Harlem Renaissance, to the vibrant club scene that thrived along Central Avenue in Los Angeles beginning in the teens and into the 1940s.
Audiences will be transported by this one-night-only event that shines a spotlight on many of the artists who have become jazz legends such as Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Arturo Sandoval, and Wayne Shorter. These icons broke musical rules and defied societal barriers to build and innovate a musical form like no other – one that drew a significant, racially mixed, though still segregated, world-wide audience. These artists expressed themselves candidly about economic hardships, loss, relationships, especially the nature of love in all its forms, even when it invited censorship and derision. As the jazz artists included in the show grew in scope and popularity, many challenged oppression and promoted equality in America while contributing to a multi-decade legacy of invention and creativity.
Cedering Fox, WORDTheatre® Founder & Artistic Director, and JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION‘s curator, producer and director, shared “We are thrilled to be returning for the third time to one of the country’s most beautiful venues, The Ford, and to be partnering with the LA Phil. It has been six years since we presented our sold-out original show, In the Cosmos, under the stars. It is exciting to be returning with an all-new original production that our gifted ensemble of Actors, Singers & Jazz Musicians feels so passionate about! WORDTheatre’s JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION promises to deliver a uniquely moving night in an historic setting.”
JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION unearths biographical and historical material that confronts the realities of racial discrimination, gender inequality, and social injustices that Black musicians faced throughout history. The show’s narrative, dialogues, quotes, and songs provide insights into the struggles, triumphs, and aspirations of these trailblazing artists.
WORDTheatre is excited to be partnering with our media sponsors KJAZZ, KCRW, and KPCC/LAist to bring this electric one-night-only event to life.
WORDTheatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization celebrating its 20th year producing original live in-person and digital programs. Proceeds from JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION support the organization’s in-the-schools program: WORDTheatre Campus. One of the founding missions of WORDTheatre is sharing the power of language and literature by bringing curated stories into under-funded schools with the help of stellar actors. Now in our 20th anniversary year, WORDTheatre is expanding with the launch of WORDTheatre Campus, all-in-one digital platform exclusive to high school and college educators and students who will be able to access selections of filmed stories from the vast WORDTheatre archive accompanied by educational, peer-reviewed curriculum.
JAZZ Re-EVOLUTION weaves together true and complex stories by and about these triumphant personalities who persevered in the face of racism, personal and economic hardships to become icons. Theater and music enthusiasts, and the general public will easily engage with the profound legacy of jazz history. The performance features 14 actors and 14 musicians who will step into the shoes of many of the most seminal jazz pioneers and embody their resilience, creativity, and significant contributions to this continually evolving genre.
About WORDTheatre
WORDTheatre produces unique theatrical events that engage, entertain, and inform. We work with the finest actors, musicians, and authors in the U.S. and the U.K. to bring great, human, beautifully crafted stories to life. In WORDTheatre‘s bespoke Author/Actor events, the actors step into the world of the story, live in the characters’ skins, feel their hidden yearnings and traumas, thereby transporting audiences to a place of deep empathy. Our original, theatrical, themed events weave together fiction, poetry, memoir, history, music and dance in large scale productions such as In the Cosmos, Mysteries of the Mind, Parenthood, Dreams, A Tribute to Langston Hughes, and Witness: The John Edgar Wideman Experience. We have worked with hundreds of actors, including Ed Harris, Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Lily Tomlin, Bill Pullman, Alfred Molina, Brian Cox, Sterling K. Brown, Amanda Seyfried, and Sharon Stone. WORDTheatre is on a mission to make the world a better place – one story at a time.
About the LA Phil
Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil offers live performances, media initiatives and learning programs that inspire and strengthen communities in Los Angeles and beyond. The Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra is the foundation of the LA Phil’s offerings, which also include a multigenre, multidisciplinary presenting program and such youth development programs as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). Performances are offered on three historic stages— Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford —as well as through a variety of media platforms. In all its endeavors, the LA Phil seeks to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through musical, artistic and learning experiences that resonate in our world today.
About The Ford
The Ford is one of the oldest performing arts venues in Los Angeles, with an outdoor 1,200-seat amphitheater and a rich history dating back to 1920. Situated in a 32-acre park and under the stewardship of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, The Ford presents an eclectic summer season of music, dance, film and family events that are reflective of the communities of Los Angeles.
For full event listings and to reserve tickets:
The Ford: https://www.theford.com/events/performances/2550/2023-07-22/jazz-re-evolution Visit the WORDTheatre website at www.WORDTheatre.org/events
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Talent Bios
KEITH DAVID (performer): Born and raised in New York, Keith David became interested in the arts at a very young age, enrolling in the High School of the Performing Arts and going on to The Juilliard School. After graduation, he was hired as an understudy for the role of Tullus Aufidius in William Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus.” He is widely recognized for appearing in “The Princess and the Frog”, “Requiem for a Dream”, “Men at Work”, “They Live”, and “The Thing.” TV credits include ” “NCIS: New Orleans”, “Blackish,” MacGyver”, “Community”, “Enlisted”, “ER”, and “Mister Rogers Neighborhood”. On Broadway, Keith starred in August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” and “Jelly’s Last Jam” for which he received a Tony Award nomination. He has earned three Emmy’s for his narration work and is also a remarkable singer, touring in two shows: “Too Marvelous for Words”, in which he portrays Nat King Cole, and “Here’s to Life”, about the incredible Blues singer Joe Williams.
GARY DOURDAN (performer): Born in Philadelphia, Dourdan was raised by his creative-minded mother, a fashion designer, and father, an agent who represented jazz musicians. After meeting “A Different World” producer Debbie Allen, Dourdan was cast as Shazza Zulu, a recurring gig he played for over two seasons. In 1996, Dourdan landed the role of Yates in the action drama “Playing God ”. Afterwards he appeared in the blockbuster “Alien: Resurrection” and dramas “Thursday” and “Trois”. On television, he appeared in the ABC movie “Muhammad Ali: King of the World,” as the formidable Malcolm X. In 2000, Dourdan was cast for the crime procedural, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” playing investigator Warrick Brown where he and his cast mates won the Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2003 and 2006, he won “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” at the NAACP Image Awards. Recently, Dourdan has been seen on BET’s “Being Mary Jane”, and Starz’s “Redemption Day”.
LISA EDELSTEIN (performer): Lisa Edelstein is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series House (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo series Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. In response to the growing AIDS crisis of the 1980’s, Edelstein wrote, composed and starred in an original musical called Positive Me which she performed at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City, receiving many accolades. Edelstein picketed during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, which halted the production of House. She also continued to land guest-star spots on such shows as ER, Frasier, Just Shoot Me!, Without a Trace, and Judging Amy.
DAVE FENNOY (narrator): Dave Fennoy has been a preeminent voice working in Los Angeles since 1990 and one of the most versatile voices in the industry. His promo clients over the years include Hulu, ABC, The WB, Fox, CBS, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, The Disney Channel and TV One. His various film voices include GHOST RIDER, HAPPY FEET, and KING’S RANSOM, and he has proved a cartoon favorite in such series as “Kim Possible,” “Ben 10,” “Darkwing Duck, “Johnny Quest” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Fennoy has been the show
voice for several TV and Award shows, among them The Billboard Music Awards, The Teen Choice Awards, and for the past 15 years The NAACP Image Awards.
JASON GEORGE (performer): A graduate of the University of Virginia, versatile actor Jason George broke onto the screen in 1997 as a main cast member of the television soap “Sunset Beach.” He appeared in all 354 episodes until the show ended in 1999. He made his feature film debut in the 1998 Denzel Washington thriller FALLEN before appearing in the hit films BARBERSHOP, CLOCKSTOPPERS, and BEWITCHED. More recently, he starred opposite Academy Award-Winner Halle Berry in the 2017 film KIDNAP and opposite Gabrielle Union in the 2018 film BREAKING IN. He has worked constantly in television over the many years of his diverse career having appeared in such shows as “Friends,” “Without a Trace,” “Stargate SG-1,” “House, “ER,” “CSI: Miami,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Castle,” “The Closer,” and “Love, Death & Robots.” Since 2010, Jason has been playing Dr. Ben Warren on the hit ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy” and its spinoff “Station 19.”
JOSEPH MARCELL (performer): Joseph Marcell is a British actor whose work is commendable and highly appreciated by audiences and critics. He is well known for his incredible work as Geoffrey Butler on The Fresh Prince of Bel which aired from September 1990 until May 1996. Born in Saint Lucia, he moved to the United Kingdom when he was nine years old. During his education, he learned theater at college, and later began courses in dance and speech. He started appearing in feature films and television series by 1974 with one of his first roles as Eros in Antony and Cleopatra. From 2003 to 2004, he played Hudson in the TV Show The Bold and the Beautiful. He is also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and acted in productions of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream and Othello. Continuing with Shakespeare, he also joined the Globe theater in London; where he participated in the 2012 production of Ado About Nothing.
IONA MORRIS (narrator): As a director, Iona directed an episode of black-ish titled “If A Black Man Cries In The Woods” and was nominated for a Hollywood Critics Award and for a NAACP Image and my short, “Celeste’s Dreams”, has screened in 14 short film festivals, winning an Award for Merit from the Canada Shorts Film Festival and as an actor Iona has recurred or guest starred on many television productions and appeared in theaters from coast to coast.
REIGN MORTON (performer): Reign Morton is known as a vocalist, actor, activist and all around visionary in regards to arts. Born in Portsmouth Virginia he entered into the US Army where he served overseas for multiple tours. Afterwards he moved to Los Angeles and became inspired to study acting. He began having recurring roles on shows like “Clean House,” “Hilton Head Isle” and the role of Eddie Murphy on the movie “Whitney.” He was most notable for his role as Cassius Kibedeaux on ABCs “General Hospital” which aided in him achieving a Daytime Emmy award for Best Cast Performance his first year. Alongside acting he has received mentorship from Stevie Wonder while also traveling to countries such as France, Canada, and Osaka to aid in curating his own voice. He presently uses his voice as a tool to inspire people to have positive energy at protests which has shifted him into the light as a community leader.
DOHN NORWOOD (performer): Film and television credits include being a series regular on such shows as Hightown, The Sinner (where he co-starred with Bill Pullman), and Hell on Wheels. Other credits include Bruce Almighty, Castle, Entourage, Without a Trace, ER, Bones, and The Closer. As a product of not only acting programs but many after school outreach organizations such as Indiana University’s Upward Bound program (as a student) and later as a Tutor/Counselor and Drama instructor for Morehouse College’s Upward Bound
Program as well, it is no surprise Dohn’s life has expanded to include philanthropy. Dohn not only serves as Vice President but as an instructor for The T.Y.M.E. Foundation/Boys to Men Enrichment Program centered in South Los Angeles, a non-profit based on the principle of teaching young men excellence. “Boys to Men ” is The T.Y.M.E. Foundation’s youth outreach program which focuses on principles of scholastic achievement, leadership, and community service.
MIGUEL SANDOVAL (performer): Miguel Sandoval came to acting in 1975 through the study of pantomime at a school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While training, he was asked to join a local theater company before launching his own that trained inmates at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in 1979. He was first cast in a science fiction Western called “Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann”. The film’s producer, Michael Nesmith, recommended Sandoval to director Alex Cox, for his upcoming production, “Repo Man”. Sandoval would collaborate with Cox on further projects, including “Sid and Nancy”, “Straight to Hell” and “Walker”. During this period, he also collaborated with director Spike Lee, who cast him as hot-tempered New York police officer Ponte in “Do the Right Thing” and “Jungle Fever”. In 2005, Sandoval was cast as district attorney Manuel Devalos on the show “Medium.” Other roles have been in the limited series “Sharp Objects” with Amy Adams, and “Station 19” as Captain Pruitt Herrera.
ANTONIQUE SMITH (vocals / performer): Hailing from East Orange, New Jersey, Antonique Charmaine Smith is a critically acclaimed Broadway, film and television actor, a grammy nominated artist and writer, and a passionate social, climate and environmental justice activist. Antonique first garnered attention in her buzzworthy leading role in “Rent” on Broadway as Mimi Marquez. She became and remains the international poster girl for the show. Antonique Smith then became famous for her starring role of Faith Evans in the movie NOTORIOUS. The LA Times called her “delicious in the role” and Rolling Stone magazine said she was “terrific”. She was also praised by critics, including Jeffrey Lyons who called her “one to watch”. She also starred in the 3rd season of the Emmy nominated anthology series “Genius”, titled “Genius: Aretha” as Aretha Franklin’s mother, Barbara Franklin.
TRACIE THOMS (performer): Tracie is currently a series regular opposite Oscar winner Octavia Spencer on the Apple series, “Truth Be Told”, and recurs on “9-1-1” and “Station 19.” She was a series regular on “Cold Case.” Tracie realized a long-held dream when she starred as ‘Joanne’ in the final weeks of the historic Broadway run of the iconic musical, “Rent.” She played the same role in Sony’s film of “Rent” opposite Rosario Dawson and
Idina Menzel. She was seen opposite Bruce Willis in Rian Johnson’s “Looper,” and with Denzel Washington in “Safe House.” She starred with Kurt Russell in Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” and opposite Anne Hathaway in “The Devil Wears Prada.” She was featured in Columbia’s remake of “Annie” with Jamie Foxx. Tracie starred on Broadway in James Lapine’s production of “Falsettos.” She also starred opposite Dulé Hill and Mekhi Phifer in “Stick Fly,” and opposite Alfre Woodard in “Drowning Crow.”
GLYNN TURMAN (performer): Boasting a lengthy résumé, Glynn Turman is revered likewise for his roles on the soap opera “Peyton Place” (1964-69), the sitcom “A Different World” (1987-1993), and the drama series “The Wire” (2002-08). He began his acting career in 1959 with the original Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun. Turman made his film debut with a minor part in the racially themed romantic drama “Honky” (1971), which he followed up with roles in movies including “Five on the Black Hand Side” (1973), “Thomasine & Bushrod” (1974) and “Together Brothers” (1974). In 1988, Turman began portraying Col. Brad Taylor on the family comedy series “A Different World” (NBC 1987-1993). In addition to his role, Turman directed and did so
for other sitcoms including “The Parent Hood” (1995-99) and “The Wayans Bros.” (1995-98). Turman enamored a new generation with his substantial role as Baltimore Mayor Clarence V. Royce on the critically revered drama series “The Wire” (2002-08).
MICHOLE BRIANA WHITE (performer): A seasoned veteran in the world of theatre, film, television and commercials, Michole Briana White has amassed many incredible credits over her career. She is a series regular on the Starz series “Black Mafia Family” and has appeared in other hit shows such as “Atlanta,” “Dead to Me,” and “Goliath.” She has worked multiple times with director Spike Lee in his films “25th Hour” and “She Hate Me.” White played one of the lead roles in Ava DuVernay’s debut film “I Will Follow” in 2010. She has also been seen in such films as “Lila & Eve” with Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez, “Malignant” from director James Wan, “Faster” with Dwayne Johnson, and “Volcano” with Tommy Lee Jones.
SUUVI (cello): As a performer, producer, creator, and educator, Cuban-Chinese musician and interdisciplinary artist Suuvi combines her background as a classically trained cellist with a passion for technology, innovation, and storytelling to create works and experiences for contemporary culture. Her performances and work have been featured at Carnegie Hall, La Fondation Louis Vuitton, The Museum of Modern Art, The Fashion Institute
of Technology, Lincoln Center, The Berliner Philharmonie, Le Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, The Tonhalle Zürich, Victoria Hall, and others. She has toured as the solo cellist in Hans Zimmer’s “World of Hans Zimmer”, commissioned and debuted works by Paul Leonard-Morgan, Steve Hackman, Dan Tepfer, and Pedro Osuna. She has been an artist ambassador for The Grammy Music Education Coalition, an artist in residence at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Technology and Applied Composition Department, and currently serves as a board member of LA’s contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC.
WAYNE BERGERON (trumpet): Wayne Bergeron was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1958, and moved to California shortly after. Bergeron first came of note as the lead trumpet chair with Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1986 and would eventually work along side artists like Ray Charles, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Idina Menzel, Leslie Oden Jr, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Earth Wind & Fire, My Chemical Romance, and Chicago, including over 500 TV & film soundtracks. TV credits include Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, American Idol, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Jeopardy, Will & Grace, Phineas & Ferb, King of the Hill, and Futurama. Bergeron’s debut solo effort, You Call This a Living? earned him a Grammy nomination in 2004 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. Bergeron has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the L.A. Philharmonic, The New York Philharmonic, Taiwan Symphony, and Tokyo Philharmonic. Bergeron is currently teaching at California State University Northridge.
TERRACE MARTIN (saxophone): A three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist/producer/multi-instrumentalist from the Crenshaw District, Terrace Martin is renowned as being one of the top jazz musicians in the world and has become a creative engine at the epicenter of LA’s progressive hip-hop scene. His noteworthy production has included major collaborations with Kendrick Lamar (good kid, M.A.A.D. city & the GRAMMY-winning To Pimp a Butterfly), Travis Scott, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, and many other influential artists. Among the most versatile musicians and producers of his generation, Terrace’s path is leading him in parallel with the greats including Quincy Jones and Dr. Dre, while also launching his vibrant, progressive, genre-crossing record label, Sounds of Crenshaw. 3 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS | 15 BILLION STREAMS |15 MILLION ALBUMS SOLD
STARR PARODI (Musical Director): Starr Parodi first entered the public eye playing keyboards as part of the house band on the Arsenio Hall Show. Since then she has scored hundreds of episodes of TV & film and is also an innovative solo artist, pianist, and producer. Her neoclassical release, THE HEART OF FRIDA, celebrating Frida Kahlo, won awards for Solo Piano Album of the Year from International Radio Broadcasters and solopiano.com. In 2017, for ”The Women in the World Summit”, the New York Times invited Starr to Lincoln Center to conduct “To All The Little Girls,” a music video and performance she produced and arranged with filmmaker Terry Sanders. Starr is a featured composer and artist on the iconic recording “Women Warriors: The Voices of Change”, which won the Grammy® in 2022. As a producer and featured artist, Starr won the 2023 Grammy® award for Kitt Wakeley’s “An Adoption Story.” Starr currently is a co-chair of the AWFC advisory board. Starr served as President of the Alliance for Women Film Composers and currently sits on their board.
JONATHAN SACKS (musical arrangements): Composer Jonathan Sacks is a versatile and eclectic composer who writes for film, theater, and the concert hall. Originally from Boston, Sacks is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Sacks has worked as a composer and orchestrator on over 30 feature films. Jonathan recently scored the award winning documentary Look At Us Now, Mother directed by Gayle Kirschenbaum. Sacks has composed orchestral arrangements for Steve Martin, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Metallica, and Kiss. This work has been performed by over nine different major orchestras including the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the National Symphony at Kennedy Center. Sacks has written several dozen scores for productions of Shakespeare, Stoppard, A Christmas Carol, for such theaters as the San Diego Repertory Theatre, Antaeus Theatre, and Shakespeare Festival, LA. He is currently collaborating with WordTheatre. He recently has composed a book of musical settings for a number of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
NEDRA WHEELER (bass): Nedra is a recipient of the 2006 Jazz Legend of Los Angeles Awards from the Dunbar Economic Development Corporation and The City of Los Angeles, State of California. She is a performer and teacher with the Jazz Mentorship Program at the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs-Watts Towers Arts Center & Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center, Developer of the U.S./Japan Gospel Workshop and Inter-Cultural exchange for the CAT Music College of Osaka, Japan/Lighthouse Career Encouragement USA Corporation and Adjunct Assistant Professor in music the Los Angeles Community College School District. Wheeler’s artistic versatility (bass, composition, vocals, and experience with diverse musical genres) includes Jazz, Pop, R&B, World Music and interpretation of original compositions for modern dance. A charismatic bassist, Wheeler is a favorite with the Al Williams Jazz Society and has appeared numerous times at the Long Beach Jazz Festival and the Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival.
CLAYTON CAMERON (drums): Clayton Cameron is known as a dynamic drummer who has also experimented with and perfected the art of brush technique. Cameron has toured with Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett, as well as other legends of the jazz world including George Shearing, Joe Pass, and Joe Williams. During Cameron’s time with Tony Bennett the group performed with many great artists including Frank Sinatra, Billie Joel, Sting, Mariah Carey, Brandy, the Back Street Boys, James Taylor, K.D. Lang, Elvis Costello, and Ricky Martin. Cameron received a degree in music from California State University at Northridge. During college, he played in clubs around L.A behind artists such as O.C Smith, Ernie Andrews, Jimmy Weatherspoon, instrumentalist Teddy Edwards, Larry Gails (of Thelonious Monk fame) and Gerald Wilson. After graduating from college, Clayton moved to Las Vegas to perform nightly with a jazz group called the Kirk Stuart trio.
KEVIN RICARD (percussion): Kevin Ricard’s versatility and musicality are the most important things he brings to each recording or performance. He brings a sense of groove to Rock, Jazz, Pop, and R&B styles, and adds authenticity to Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian styles. Whether it’s the Brazilian groove of Sergio Mendes, the timeless music of Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie, or playing with legends like Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins, or the late, great Celia Cruz, Kevin shows he can move smoothly between diverse styles and why he’s in constant demand. Kevin’s long list of recording credits includes B.B. King, Natalie Cole, Wayne Shorter, Marc Anthony, Kenny Loggins,Queen Latifah, Enrique Iglesias, Jill Scott, and others. Kevin has also performed on a number of movie scores including The Hangover, Speed, The Addams Family Values, A Bug’s Life, and many more. Kevin’s professional television career includes being a member of the house bands for Dancing with the Stars, America’s Got Talent, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and American Idol.