Festival of Songs

Martin Rivas - "This Winter Isn't Ending"

Photo: Paul Christopher Williams

Zeke Martin Project - "Summertime"

Continuing this week's Summer theme...

Zeke Martin is the son of the late Stu Martin, who played with the likes of Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Charles Mingus, Dave Holland and Quincy Jones. At the age of 12, he got his musical debut with Steve Lacy in France. I've been following Zeke Martin since the release of his 2006 CD "Funky Stuff." Prior to that, Zeke had already made a name for himself, performing with Boston's Ed Jones Quartet and Ray Brown Quartet before starting his own group, The ZMP (Zeke Martin Project).

In addition to his own projects, both live and recorded, Zeke has appeared on various other projects including Lori Dow, Persian Blue, and the Mike Delledera Band. His live schedule over the next few months has him performing with The ZMP, as well as sets with The Ray Brown Group and Mystic Chorale before a month-long tour in Malaysia with The Pike.

Links:
iTunes | Official | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | MySpace

Encore Presentation: Victoria Vox - "Summertime"

To kick off the unofficial start of summer, here's an encore presentation of Victoria Vox's "Summertime".

From the looks of her website, Victoria Vox has been a busy woman! In fact over the last six years, she has averaged 125+ gigs a year, including numerous dates in Europe and Canad. She has also released three CD's, appeared on various compilations, and released a custom Christmas card filled with original Christmas songs. And, did I mention she appeared on Leno last December?

Her latest CD, Exact Change, is available now. Victoria's tour schedule remains very busy. Check her website for specific dates, but definitely go see her live!

Links:
Official | iTunes | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | MySpace

Noelle Hampton - "Blackwing Butterfly"

By 2001, Noelle Hampton had enjoyed the success that most DIY artists only dream of. She was featured in the first iTunes commercial (along with Iggy Pop and Barry White), won a slot on the Lilith Fair, and opened for the likes of Bob Dylan, Wilco, Chris Isaak and Richard Thompson. With her self-produced debut Under These Skies, Noelle won praise as one of the best Bay Area artists, receiving a nomination for the California Music Awards as outstanding female singer alongside Gwen Stefani. After many record label inquiries, there seemed to be a theme of "We don't need another Sheryl Crow" coming from the labels.

San Francisco wasn’t the most affordable place to live for a burgeoning artist. After a few years of touring, Noëlle and her husband/music partner Andre Moran relocated to the artist haven of Austin, TX. In the intervening year of settling in, a deep depression settled in and Noelle thought her music career was over. However, an unexpected request from a major network television show was the first step out of her hole, quickly followed by renowned producer Mark Hallman (Carole King, Ani DiFranco, Eliza Gilkyson), drawing Noëlle back into the studio to record Thin Line, set to be released August 18th.

"Blackwing Butterfly" was Noelle's first song after moving to Austin. "I was taking a walk in my neighborhood and saw a bunch of these little black butterflies, and I began to think about the notion that this creature that is usually full of color, was a bit ominous in black. I wondered if they were some sort of envoy of death...little blackwing butterflies that take you over to the other side. I wrote the whole song while I was on my walk and when I got back I put it to music.”

With the release of Thin Line, Noëlle is planning a fall tour and a radio push.

Links: Official | Facebook | MySpace | CD Baby

Anna Zoe - "Someday"

Anna Zoe is best described, in her own words, as "Sara Bareilles drinking hot chocolate with Coldplay."

It all started with piano lessons, school chorus and theatre. However, her first "break" came with an opportunity to sing the National Anthem at her high school football game. After performing the Anthem at other major events in her hometown, Anna decided that New York was the place to be if she was to pursue music as a career.

While attending college in New York, Anna realized she could have a positive effect on people's lives with her songs about peace, love and war. It took five years of living in New York before Anna built the confidence to perform at her first open-mic. Not long after that first open-mic, Anna was performing her own shows and being compared to artists like Tori Amos and Sarah Bareilles. Although, it took her a while to come into her own, she is now very comfortable with where she fits in as an artist.

In 2009, Anna released "Someday", a 3-song EP, and is currently working on a full-length release. Catch Anna Zoe live on June 9th at Best Buy in New York City (60 W 23RD St). For more information, including Anna's personal blog, check out her website.

Links: Official | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | iTunes | Amazon | BandCamp