A Jazzy Christmas Show

featuring Lemek & Ellis Hamilton

A Jazzy Christmas Show featuring #1 UK Keyboardist, Oli Silk, #1 Billboard charting Saxophonists, Ellis Hamilton,Paula Atherton and Jeff Ryan and Billboard #1 charting Guitarist LEMEK, and our local favorite amazing Fuzz Band!

This show will electrify you with the diversity of talent and is sure to put you in the holiday groove. Come ready to jam to Holiday classics and crank up the holiday season!

Oli Silk

London-born keyboardist Oli Silk is the UK’s Smooth Jazz Ambassador! He began writing and recording music as part of jazz funk duo ‘Sugar and Silk’ in the late 1990’s. The pair released 2 albums to much European acclaim, and this grabbed the attention of Trippin’N’Rhythm. Records to whom Oli has been signed with ever since. He has produced 6 hit albums in that time: So Many Ways - (2006) The Limit’s The Sky - (2008) All We Need - (2010) Razor Sharp Brit - (2013) Where I Left Off - (2016) 6 - (2020) Oli’s songs have enjoyed huge success on radio in the USA over the last 15 years, highlights include: Easy Does It - Oli’s debut hit, Billboard top 15 (2006) Chill Or Be Chilled - One of the biggest hits of the year, Billboard top 3 and one of the most long charting songs in Billboard Smooth Jazz history with a combined main/recurrent chart tally of 54 weeks! (2008/09) At Your Service - Oli’s first Billboard #1 song (2013) New Bounce - Three weeks at Billboard #1 for this memorable tune, featuring Vincent Ingala (2020) Hurry Up And Wait - Another Billboard #1, the first time that Oli had enjoyed multiple #1’s from the same album, also Billboard #7 song of the year (2021) Out To Lunch - 3 Billboard #1’s in a row, making Oli one of only a handful of Smooth Jazz artists EVER to achieve this feat. Oli remains one of the most dynamic and energetic keyboardists in the genre and his unique mix of jazzy instrumentals, funky vocal cuts and downright old skool keytar and vocoder give his live shows that real wow factor and have earned him a loyal and dedicated fan-base!

LEMEK

The Guitarist— LEMEK “Rising Star Guitarist” LEMEK is a Trippin N Rhythm recording artist and Contemporary Instrumental Smooth Jazz charting soloist with a combined 9 weeks at Billboard #1. Currently a Billboard Top 10 End of Year Chart holder, LEMEK has amassed over 1M Spotify streams and counting. Local to the New Orleans Metro area, LEMEK is a uniquely unapologetic artist who has a lot of unlimited artistic creativity to share in his fruitful journey in instrumental music! “Having grown up with a dad who’s delighted thousands of contemporary urban jazz fans with his amazing saxophone vibes, LEMEK—the son of Louisiana native saxophonist Quintin Gerard W., is bringing something bigger and bolder to the table of contemporary smooth jazz:-- an ever-blossoming guitar artistry with an intense, fiery, sometimes even fusion vibe that incorporates everything from strings to trippy rhythmic textures for an extremely powerful, acoustic and electric guitar driven energy. LEMEK is urban smoothness with high-octane and higher impact modes of expression." The 1st Place Winner of the Gibson KRK Guitar Competition (NAMM 2020), LEMEK is a SAG-AFTRA Recording Artist and ASCAP Songwriting Publisher with live, commercial recording and TV broadcast performance credits. He is presently making a true “EMERGENCE” within the future of Contemporary Smooth Jazz Music today!

 

Ellis Hamilton

The Saxophonist - has performed as a featured soloist on several artists’ professional recordings; composed the scores for several short films, one of which has won several awards at short film festivals; composed the score for a stage play for the City of Fairfax Theater Company; served as Music Director for Heart House Inclusive Productions’ run of The Spongebob Musical; and he was a guest lecturer and performer for the Kirov Academy of Washington, D.C. Most recently, Ellis released his debut single, “My Heart To Yours,” which climbed the charts to #1 on Billboard, Smooth Jazz Network, and Mediabase.

 

Ellis is a self-taught musician and composer, proficient on alto saxophone

(primary instrument), drums, and piano. He also plays tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, vibraphone, and flute. Ellis graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a dual degree in Film Scoring and Performance. His academic achievements and musical talents have earned him many awards, honors, accolades, and scholarships, including being named one of the 2016 Davidson Fellows by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. This organization honors the top 20 students in the United States for their extraordinary talent and accomplishments in their respective fields.

 

An engaging and passionate musician, Ellis has performed as a solo artist and as a member of many ensembles and bands at venues across the country including, The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theater, The National Press Club, The Kennedy Center, Scullers Jazz Club, The Music Center at Strathmore, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, and Blues Alley Jazz Club. He has shared the stage numerous times with his mentor, multi-platinum and award-winning saxophonist and flautist, Najee. Ellis was invited to be a guest soloist with the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, and he arranged and orchestrated one of his original compositions, “Possibilities,” for the Philharmonic to perform. He has also performed internationally on stages in South Korea, Japan, and Germany.

 

Paula Atherton

 

New York based sax player/vocalist and songwriter Paula Atherton has shared the stage with such contemporary jazz notables as The Rippingtons, Nick Colionne, Chuck Loeb, Cindy Bradley, Brian Simpson, Four80East, David Sanborn, Bob James, Marc Antoine, Hiroshima, Gerald Albright and Chieli Minucci. Paula has also worked in the traditional jazz field; one of the notable performances being a weeklong engagement at the Blue Note NYC with pianist and jazz legend, Hank Jones. Paula also performed with Grammy award winning singer Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Annenberg Theater, for the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival.

Paula was the #3 Airplay Artist of the year on Billboards’ year end 2022 chart. Paula was nominated “Best Artist of 2020” by the Smooth Jazz Network, and now is also nominated for “Best Artist of 2023” by the SJN.

Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan is one the most essential young voices in contemporary jazz today. From his uniquely relatable emotive tone to his explosive performance and stage presence, it's no question why he is a staple across the country in the jazz festival scene. Jeff has held consistent radio successes with 5 Billboard #1s, the 2020 Billboard Artist of the Year and Song of the Year in 2021 with his track “Sentimental Soul.” In 2018, his first year on the scene, he was awarded the JazzTrax Breakout Artist of 2018 and the Smooth Jazz Network Debut Artist of 2018.

Ryan was influenced by smooth/urban icons like Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Dave Koz and Grover Washington to jazz legends Michael Brecker, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, and Dexter Gordon. Some of his other influences include Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Wes Montgomery, Lee Ritenour, Earl Klugh and Jonathan Butler. Taking the baton from his mentors he has shown with his consistent quality and feel, that he is not just a saxophonist, but an essential artist worthy of your attention.