Countless theater, television, film and comedic endeavors have pushed David Alan Grier’s career to remarkable heights and his ability to excel across all mediums and contexts is a testament to his inherent sense of comic timing and creative drive. The three-time Tony and GRAMMY Award nominee was trained in Shakespeare at Yale where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Grier has enjoyed many accolades and awards throughout his career, not the least of which was his inclusion on Comedy Central’s list of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.”

On the big screen, David Alan Grier was recently seen starring in PEEPLES, produced by Tyler Perry, opposite Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. Grier made his film debut in STREAMERS (1983), directed by Robert Altman for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. He also appeared in the Wayans Brothers’ spoof movie DANCE FLICK (2009).

Grier’s television work is highlighted by a turn as principal cast member on the Emmy Award winning In Living Color (1990–1994) where he helped to create some of the show’s most memorable characters, DAG (2000–2001) and Life with Bonnie (2003) which earned an Image and Golden Satellite nomination. David created, wrote and executive produced a show for Comedy Central called Chocolate News (2008). Last fall, David starred in THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM, a Hallmark Channel adaptation of Paul Curtis’ 1996 Newbery Award-winning novel by the same name. Grier recently wrapped shooting a starring role as ‘Principal Carl Gaines’ in a new series for CBS, Bad Teacher.

Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in The First, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the cast of Dreamgirls before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier’s Play, for which both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation, A SOLDIER’S STORY (1984).

In 2009/2010 Grier starred in David Mamet’s acclaimed play RACE opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway for which he received his second Tony Award nomination. Grier received the third Tony Award nomination of his career in 2012 for his performance in the “stand-out role of the rakish, drug-dealing Sporting Life” (NY Times) in The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. Grier received his first GRAMMY nomination when the cast recording of The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess received a 2013 GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

Jamieson’s career spans stage, screen, and microphone. He has performed on stage in everything from Shakespeare, to musicals, living history, children’s theatre, and outdoor drama. On screen his films include The Patriot, The Secret Kingdom, and short films Carried Away, Huff Dice, Acapellove, and Bounty. Television work includes appearances on Westworld, Without a Trace, Days of our Lives, According to Jim, Frasier, and Unsolved Mysteries. Nickelodeon audiences may recognize his voice as that of Dark Mayhem from The Thundermans.

Jamieson has been working with the LBSO’s education outreach program for more than twenty years and has also appeared with the symphony performing Casey At The Bat; ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas; You’re A Mean One, Mr Grinch; and Yes, Virginia, There is A Santa Claus. In 2020, he was joined on stage by two of his children when Dane Jamieson Price and Cynthia Price sang along with the orchestra and led the audience in several numbers during the “Symphony Under The Sea” Family Concert.

His work as a voice actor includes animation, narration, trailers, commercials, and dubbing both animated and live action series and features. His more than 500 credits range from the iconic anime film Akira to Naruto, from Bleach to the award-winning Fate Zero series. His video game credits include the announcer for Mortal Kombat 9, X, and 11; Baine Bloodhoof (and many others) in World of Warcraft; Abomination in the Marvel’s Avengers game; Garen in League of Legends; The Commander in Monster Hunter World; Surtur in Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 3; the male Monk in Diablo III; The Gulper in Skylanders, and many more. Commercial and Industrial clients include Bank of America, HP Instant Ink, Red Bull, Jimmy Johns, and Nitto Tires.

Jamieson began announcing the names of graduates during Commencement ceremonies at Cal State Long Beach more than twenty years ago. Thanks to his attention to accurate pronunciation and his distinctive, deeply resonant voice, he has added Chapman University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Long Beach City College to the list of universities he serves during commencement season. Jamieson also teaches as a vocal coach for actors and is an adjunct faculty member of the theatre department at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

Colby Benson is a vocalist, songwriter and performer from Hawaii, now based in Los Angeles, California. She is best known as the lead singer and founder of the all-girl band, “Crimson Apple”, who’s debut album, Hello, was nominated for three Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

Colby began training and performing at the age of 9, and spent her early years in musical theater. Her highlights include Aida (Amneris), Once On This Island (Asaka), and High School Musical (Sharpay). At the age of 15, she was chosen as one of only 325 people out of over 100,000 who made it to American Idol’s Hollywood Week season 10. She’s recently recorded background vocals for Empire of the Sun, Aidan James, and Joni Llamedo. This past year she also made her debut with the Hawaii POPs and the Long Beach Symphony. One of her favorite accomplishments is having the opportunity to sing with Hawaiian legends, HAPA.

Colby has won numerous awards and contests, including winning 1st place vocalist for the Hawaii Stars and Catch a Rising Star competitions. Her awards for songwriting including 1st place in the Humane Society’s songwriting contest, 2nd in the Grammy Teens Make Music contest, and 3rd place in Ford’s National “Belt it Out” songwriting contest.

Colby currently studies voice under the direction of International Recording Artist, Kristian Lei.

Born and raised in Montana, Aaron C. Finley’s career has spanned from coast to coast as a professional actor and singer. Educated at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle, he quickly became at top-tier talent in the Pacific Northwest, appearing in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus/Judas), Rent (Roger), Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik), Hairspray (Link Larkin), It Shoulda Been You (Greg Madison) and The Gypsy King (Drago). Among his other regional roles, Aaron originated the role of Billy in the new musical Diner, based on the Barry Levinson film, with music and lyrics by Sheryl Crow and direction by Kathleen Marshall.

Aaron made his Broadway debut in 2013, starring as Drew Boley in Rock of Ages. Earlier this year he took over the role of leading man Brian Howard in It Shoulda Been You, directed by David Hyde Pierce. Among his other work in New York , he participated in a lab production of George Takei’s new musical, Allegiance. He has currently been working on a pops symphony concert celebrating the music of the 1980s that will be performed by symphonies across North America.

Nicole Parker is best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked.  Since playing the green witch in the Broadway company, she has reprised the role for the First National Tour of Wicked. Nicole’s other Broadway credits include Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and The People in the Picture with Donna Murphy.   Regionally, Nicole played Juliet in The Second City’s Romeo and Juliet Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, for which she received a Jeff Award nomination. She also appeared as Rosemary in How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at Reprise Theater, and Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Falcon Theater.

For six years, Nicole was also a cast member and contributing writer on Fox’s MADtv.  For two years, Nicole was a performer and write forBoom Chicago, an all American sketch and improvisation theater in Amsterdam.  Nicole’s film credits include Funny People, directed by Judd Apatow as well as the short films Weathered and Sitting Babies. This year she was featured as a guest star on the mock game show Bunk on IFC, as well as on ABC in Trust Us With Your Life, an improvisation show from the creators of Whose Line Is It Anyway?    She is also a founding member of Waterwell, a non-profit theater company in New York.

A frequent soloist with orchestras around the country, recent and upcoming performances include Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, Houston Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Utah Symphony and Opera, Colorado Symphony, Greensboro Symphony (where she will return in 2014), Kalamazoo Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Pueblo Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Sarasota Symphony, Orlando Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Idaho Civic Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, and Fresno Philharmonic.

Denzal Sinclaire is one of Canada’s most popular jazz vocalists and is ranked among the finest jazz singers of his generation. A graduate of McGill University’s Jazz Performance program (Montreal, Canada), he possesses that rare ability to achieve, from the moment he steps on stage, a profound emotional interaction with his audience. His passionate and sincere delivery caresses every song he sings. He touches the listener with the purity of the message.

Denzal is a Juno Award (Canada’s GRAMMY Award) nominee, a recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for “Best Album”, four – time consecutive recipient of Jazz Report Magazine Award for Male Jazz Vocalist, and 2007 Choc Jazzman Award (France). His admirers include GRAMMY Award -Winning artists, Diana Krall (“Denzal Sinclaire embodies the tradition of the great singers I love like Nat Cole, yet definitely has his own voice. He is one of my favorite singers…”), Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves, Michael Fienstien and Michael Bublé as well as growing legions of jazz fans in his native Canada and abroad. From his early days as a canny interpreter of Nat ‘King’ Cole’s mentholated crooning, he’s grown into one of the most distinctive and individualistic singers anywhere.

He has graced the stages numerous concert halls and festivals around the world and has appeared on several popular TV shows, including Canada’s Bravo!TV, Canada AM, Nashville Now, Ireland’s The Late Late Show. As a former member of UK soul artist, Jamie Lidell’s band, he has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmie Kimmel Live!, and Manu Katché’s show One Shot Not (France).

Equally at home in the theatre, film and television arenas, Denzal has delighted audiences with his critically-acclaimed performance in Unforgettable, a musical based on the life and music of Nat King Cole; Tapestry: The Music of Carole King (Arts Club Theatre); William Saroyan’s award-winning The Time of Your Life (Soul Pepper Theatre Company). His TV and film credits include appearances in the new Battlestar Gallactica TV Series (dir. Michael Rymer); and, Being Julia, starring being Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons (dir. István Szabó). Denzal’s voice has also been featured on TV and Radio ads in Canada and Japan.

A pivotal role in Denzal’s career was the collaboration with highly- sought after guitarist/composer/arranger Bill Coon whom he befriended in Montreal. Over the course of 15 years they performed to rave reviews in a variety of musical settings ranging from duo to symphony orchestras, as well as several live radio, television and studio recordings for the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and SRC (Société Radio-Canada). In 1994, they recorded an album of duets, and in 1996, recorded the very first in-studio concert for Canada’s BRAVO!TV with a unique ten-piece ensemble. They now enjoy a new type of collaboration as members of the Hammond Organ Auartet, The B3 Kings, featuring Bill on guitar; Cory Weeds, tenor sax; Chris Gestrin, B-3 organ; and Denzal on drums and vocals.

He has performed with renowned artists such as Patrice Rushin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Janis Siegal, Dee Daniels, Kevin Mahagony, Michael Feinstein, Marilyn Mae, Bob Mintzer, Jimmy Heath, Barry Harris, The Count Basie Orchestra, Dame Cleo Laine, Sir John Dankworth, Peter Appleyard, Reuben Rogers, Gregory Hutchinson, Russell Malone, Seamus Blake, Nicholas Payton, Brian Blade, Jamie Lidell, Holly Cole, Vince Giardano & The Nighthawks, David Berger Jazz Orchestra, and the WDR Big Band. The list of artists he has supported includes Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Anita Baker, Four Tops, Holly Cole, Bill Charlap, Katie Melhua, Jane Monheit, Matt Dusk. Denzal has recorded three albums for Universal Music, I Found Love (Juno Award Nomination, 2000), Denzal Sinclaire (Best Album, National Jazz Awards, 2004) and My One and Only Love. (CHOC Jazzman Award, France 2007).

Courtesy of Greenberg Artist

When Ana Gasteyer steps up to the mic, she evokes the swagger of an era when a lady ruled a nightclub and an audience knew they were in for good time. The patter is real, the themes adult; the lyrics are timeless, and the music swings like crazy!

From songs like One Mint Julep and Proper Cup of Coffee to a surprisingly smooth rendition of Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats, Gasteyer’s saucy selections tell stories with humor, heartbreak…and just a little splash of soda. Her vibe recalls that of a time when entertainers truly entertained, an era when a broad could bring home the bacon, swing a set of sultry standards
and still be a gracious hostess. Ana’s heroes are those fun-loving dames who downed a cocktail, donned a dress and fronted a band of dapper gents in sharp suits wielding shiny horns—think Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire as she captures Gary Cooper’s heart. And then breaks it.

A violin player from the tender age of five, Gasteyer always had an ear for music and a knack for timing. Years later, after a formal education as a classically trained singer, she made the fateful discovery that she could get people laughing—and laugh they did every Saturday night at NBC’s Studio 8H. Audiences fell in love with Gasteyer’s flair for irony and character driven comedy on six seasons of SNL, where she unabashedly played, and often sang, at full-tilt.

Eventually, Broadway came calling and Gasteyer spent several years belting out superstar vocals in shows like Wicked and Rocky Horror. But she felt most at home crooning and chirping with a big band in a nightclub, amidst laughter and the inviting clink of ice in a glass. Her acclaimed shows, Let it Rip and Elegant Songs from a Handsome Woman earned praise from audiences and critics alike who hailed the acts as “exuberant and rollicking entertainment” with “high-octane vocals” and “a topnotch swingin’ ensemble.”

The current star of ABC’s Suburgatory (and vampy Weight Watchers spoke-singer) has teamed with producer and “New York Nightclub Supernova” Julian Fleisher to make this Moxie Jazz album with an eclectic range of covers and reimagined classics.