Mr. Reed, Gabriel Royal, Cathy Grier, Theo Eastwind Band, Emore Saylavee, Ken Ruan
Spike Hill
07/24/2014 07:30 PM EDT
Mr. Reed
Mr. Reed is the spiritual and musical embodiment of New York City, and New York City embodies the World. An accomplished solo artist, Mr. Reed's backing band, at its largest, may be as small as a single man show or an octet with a horn section. His band personnel are prepared to meet the requirements of any space or occasion. The size of his band is always flexible to the needs of the particular event. As a band leader, Mr. Reed is also a capable musician, in his own right. He is a songwriter, arranger, lyricist, rapper, drummer and vocalist. Because Mr. Reed has a keen ability to recognize and collaborate with talented musicians, his band is known to include some of the best up and coming talent from the New York City music scene, and abroad.
Mr. Reed is from East New York, Brooklyn, New York; a community of approximately 90,000 people, he shines bright as one of its most well respected ambassadors. Although given to a passionate love for his hometown, of Brooklyn; he is known to traverse all of the city's boroughs for performances and collaborations. He can often be found enjoying the sounds of some of his favorite musicians, at some of the city's most popular large and small venues, like Brooklyn's, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Knitting Factory and Brooklyn Bowl; The Nuyorican Poet's Cafe, in the Lower East Side; The Village Underground, The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard, Small's, Cafe Wha and Rockwood Music Hall, in the East Village; The Soho House and The Greenhouse, in Soho; The Highline Ballroom, in Chelsea; Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, in Midtown; as well as, The Apollo Theater, The Shrine and The Black National Theater, in Harlem.
Mr. Reed's style is inclusive of his influences of Hip-Hop, Hi-Life and Hip-Life, House, Rock, Jazz, Soul, Salsa, Soca, Calypso, African-Americana (Spirituals), Popular Music, Blues, Gospel, Bossa, Reggae/Dancehall, World Musics, and all that cannot be defined or genre(d). He has used his wealth of life experiences and musical influences to be a successful event planner, promoter and booker of other talented artist, ranging from all genres; via his marketing company.
Mr. Reed is the name of the man and his band. For a number of years he performed under the name, Mr. Reed & SoundHouse. As a producer of records for others, his team of musicians and producers are known as, The Soul Circle. Their writing process is as natural as their live show.
Mr. Reed's songwriting and production style possesses an instant familiar quality, that hooks the ear of the listener; yet takes you on a musical journey, that it would seem, only one's childhood could allow. It has been said that, “Somehow he wraps nostalgia into a bottle, shakes it up, opens it, and from it, out-pours your childhood memories of great music.” He is currently working on a trilogy of albums in his "Life, Love and Economy" series, which include: Recession Free Music, Recession Free Music: A darker Abrax - U. S., and finally, Recession Free Music: PULSE! Mr. Reed seeks to use these albums as a précis to cover both general and global themes; that will set the foundation for his future bodies of work. These future albums will take on a more personal, introspective, and biographical tone. Before the release of Mr. Reed's second album he will release a live album called, Mr. Reed Live From Recession Free Music: Brooklyn. This live album will provide a taste of how Mr. Reed's live performance has grown since the release of his first album in 2008.
Mr. Reed has shared the stage with such acts as:
Big Sean "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay"; Lupe Fiasco "Superstar", "Kick Push"; LifeHouse "Hanging By A Moment"; Reel Big Fish "Sell Out"; and Motion City Soundtrack "Hold Me down".
He has also performed at, and/or run residencies in, many of New York City's most prestigious venues, including: The Darby, Sounds of Brazil, The Village Underground, The Blue Water Grill, Ella Lounge, Club Groove NYC, South Paw, Sullivan Hall, Giant's Stadium (The New Meadowlands Stadium) for The Bamboozle Festival, The Hammerstein Ballroom; Webster Hall, for the QAS; The McKittrick Hotel, for Sleep No More; The Gramercy Theater, WNYC/NPR's The Greene Space, The National Black Theater of Harlem (NBT).
Mr. Reed has performed from the subway platforms, of New York City, as an effective marketing tool to gain attention for his work. He has acted in, written original music, lyrics, score, and co-written treatments for commercials for major brands, such as Gillette, Guitar Center and NBC’s America’s Got Talent. He has also performed on the many great stages of New York City. Howard Stern, referring Mr. Reed's performance on America's Got Talent, said, "I think Mr. Reed is a huge star...my hat is off to you, when you open your mouth and sing, it is absolutely beautiful."
He is now on tour under the banner of, The Recession Free Music Tour 2014, heading to your university, city, state and/or country. Expect great things from this artist, who expects great things of himself. He is currently booking and accepting dates for 2014, domestically, in New York; Philadelphia, PA.; Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida; California; Connecticut; New Orleans, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and internationally, in French and Dutch side, St. Maarten/St. Martin; Barcelona, Spain; Berlin, Germany; Paris, France; and Amsterdam, Netherlands; etc. He is also currently organizing a 50 date domestic college tour with future dates to be determined.
Gabriel Royal
Gabriel moved to New York in 2010 from Tulsa, Oklahoma and has been creating music and practicing his craft since. He's a musician, song writer, and educator. You may have seen him while waiting for the L train, at a private event, or on the dance floor at one of his concerts. With every opportunity Gabriel captures his audience and creates an undeniable atmosphere, one in which you want to be part of.
He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Cathy Grier
Cathy Grier aka NYCSubwayGirl
Cathy Grier, a "folked-up blues" singer songwriter guitarist, also known to many as "NYC Subway Girl." has been jamming in underground with the Music Under NY program since 1999. Grier has played around the world in destinations like Paris, Morocco, Australia, and Germany before moving back to her NYC roots in 1996. The troubadour has played in impressive spots like Joe's Pub, 54 Below, BAM, Avery Fisher Hall, and on CNN, The Today Show, and CBS Sunday Morning.
Cathy's website NYCSubwayGirl has an entire section dedicated to Busking information and rights. She has a busker links page and many clips of buskers she has filmed throughout the years.
"While my songs are sometimes political, sometimes analytical, they are always infused with love, optimism and hope."-- Cathy Grier
Theo Eastwind Band
If you can get a New York City straphanger to purchase your CD in the 30 seconds it takes for their next train to arrive, you're damn good. Theo Eastwind's intoxicating lullaby style is guaranteed to hook you in, wrap you up, and stop you dead in your tracks.
Described as "New York's Own" by The Village Voice, Theo is the essence of a self- made man. He arrived in this country with nothing. He ha
s since gone on to form his own production company, TheoSophical Music, from which he has produced three albums. He has also attracted a sizable following of devoted fans by playing in the subways and clubs of NYC were he has sold over 20,000 CDs.
The story of Theo Eastwind begins in Vienna, Austria. Theo's mother cleaned office buildings and his father worked for the city library as well as conducted a small local orchestra in the 17th district of Vienna called The Hernalser Chamber Orchestra. Theo received his musical roots from his father, but was never given any attention or support towards his talent as a musician.
Dyslexia and strabismus in his left eye (corrected later in life through a surgical process) made school extremely difficult for Theo. He quickly grew impatient and dropped out of school in the ninth grade. He then enrolled in a trade school and started an apprenticeship for a degree in the confectionery arts. There, a new passion and talent for baking was found. He specialized in Viennese and French pastry and various types of bread.
In 1995, Theo answered an unemployment notice seeking a baker to run a Viennese bakeshop called "Lipizaner" in New York City. He was given a round trip ticket to fly to the Big Apple, but by the time he arrived, the business had lost all its backers and the venture had fallen through. Theo was left on his own in a strange city with his life savings in his pocket. His only possession was a beat-up old guitar strapped to his back.
He was too proud and stubborn to return to Vienna, but his savings quickly ran out. With no place to live, and without knowing a soul in this new country, the reality of the tough city was now setting in. Down and out, strolling through the subway, a voice captured his attention. A man, Carlton, was singing a cappella for money. This subway musician inspired Theo to do the same.
He began by singing cover songs by Nirvana, Sade, Live, Fountains of Wayne, and Oasis. He was inexperienced, shy, and could barely make five cents in three hours. Theo realized he had a lot of hard work to do if he was going to eat and pay the rent.
Theo furiously practiced day in and day out, determined to cultivate his musical technique. Out of his effort to simply survive, he stumbled across a gold mine of talent. He began, with no formal training, to write his own music and lyrics. Today, his extraordinary voice conjures up images of Jeff Buckley, David Grey, and Sting, and his captivating songs elicit comparisons to Dave Matthews and Nick Drake. His guitar playing is raw, passionate, and loaded with heart and soul. Put all these elements together and you have the alchemical Theo Eastwind.
In 1998, Theo joined forces with bassist, Steve Brown, who became his close friend. Together, they played and became regulars in such New York clubs as Under Acme, Mercury Lounge, The Livingroom, CB's Gallery, and The Cutting Room. They also started writing commercial jingles freelance as a business.
Ruth Dibbel, a mutual friend, then loaned them a generous amount of money. Enough to set up a project studio. A company was born, TheoSophical Music. With all the music Theo had accumulated over the years, he and Steve immediately began recording their first album, the shimmering and soulful, W.I.P. (Work in Progress). Their second album, Oh La La Li… in 1999, was dedicated to Nick Drake, one of Theo's biggest inspirations. Oh La La Li… showcases Theo's raw, expansive talent and intimate lyricism that can reduce a room to silence.
Theo's third album, One, was recorded in 2000. One is richly textured and emotionally diverse. Jamie Lamm at Fearless Music, NYC, produced and mixed the album. One was a collaborative effort of many talented and accomplished artists, including Matt Johnson (former drummer for Jeff Buckley), Steve Holley of the Saturday Night Live Band, Billy White (electric guitarist from Dokken), Steve Schlitz from Longwave, and many more.
After One was released, the band went in different directions and Theo branched out on his own. He collaborated with several different artists including Soul Farm and Rachel Sage where he had the opportunity to play at such clubs as Irving Plaza, The Bottom Line, and the Hard Rock Cafe.
The O, released in 2006 is an impressive recording clearly demonstrating Theo's appeal to both an alternative and more mainstream audience. Featuring the instantly memorable "Set Up", The O is a startling and refined recording produced by the multi-talented Mark Ambrosino at the Madhouse Studios.
Theo is however a committed advocate of artists working in the subway and will release a live CD recorded entirely on a subway platform. Working again with Mark Ambrosino, this will be Theo's first release as a Sojourn Record's artist. A new and innovative NYC-based independent label, Sojourn Records will be releasing Theo's live CD in the summer of 2009.
Venue Information
Spike Hill
186 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
http://www.spikehillmusic.com/