CHELLE! and Friends
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MICHELLE "CHELLE" JACQUES
FOUNDER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Michelle Jacques is the Artistic Director/founder of the CHELLE! and Friends, and founder/producer of the Queens of New Orleans Music Festival.  Michelle also performs with the La Mission Band. Michelle performs educational programs for the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures in Music program and children’s concerts for Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, California.

Michelle is the founder of the Gospel World Music Chorus, founded and directed the ALA Children’s Chorus in Alameda in 2007-2008, teaches at the Cazadero Music Camp, is an elementary school music conductor for Oakland Youth Chorus in the Oakland Unified School district, and LEAP…Imagination in Learning in the San Francisco school district and former director of Young Performers International chorus in Marin. 

Michelle is also a founding member of the Street Sounds a cappella quintet. Michelle has toured throughout the United States and Europe performing with and alongside many well known artists including: Manhattan Transfer, Wynton Marsalis, Linda Hopkins, Ladysmith Black Mambaza, Pete Seger, Al Greene, and The Persuasions. Michelle also performed in Geneva, Switzerland, for the United Nations World Conference of Human Rights, the Montreux Jazz Festival, The Gurten Music Festival, and The Berne Jazz Festival. 

Michelle’s credits include: recipient of the City Of Oakland, Individual Artist grant for 2008, winner of the 1992, Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) for “Best Folk/Progressive Song”, “Home Africa, studio recordings with the renown producer Greg Landau including Pamela Rodriguez, Susana Baca, Kepa Junkera, and soundtrack for the Sundance Film Festival Official Selection, 2010 movie “La Mission” with Benjamin Bratt, and served on the board of directors of Arts First Oakland.

 


RHONDA CRANE
Although Rhonda is native to Brooklyn, New York, she was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She was always studious, and her love for education equaled her love for music. Her vocal talents developed as a child in the Baptist church, and she studied classical piano and viola through college, toured with the Lowell High School Orchestra in Japan, and received the San Francisco Sun Reporter’s Youth of the Year Award in her Senior year of high school. As a music major at San Jose State University, she sang in the opera AIDA with Grace Bumbry and organized the Rhonda Hudson Singers. Being associated 17 years with the Edwin and Walter Hawkins Music & Arts National Conference has blessed her to work with numerous artists as the O’Jays, Tramaine Hawkins, Donald Lawrence, Ricky Grundy, Daryl Coley, LaShun Pace and Yolanda Adams to name a few.  Rhonda is currently the Director of the Youth Department for this organization.  Rhonda began singing professionally with Street Sounds in 1991 sadly, after losing her greatest musical influence and supporter, her mom.  "The one who told me to follow my dream, no matter how long it took, now has the best seat in the house at every show!"  " Because of Street Sounds, I’ve traveled the world, (Korea, Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium) and I am thrilled to meet and share the stage with artists that I’ve enjoyed and respected all my life. But my enthusiasm comes from the awe of being a part of a group that is so talented and has so much chemistry on stage.  I am honored to be included!"  Rhonda has performed onstage with the following: Robert Cray, Joan Armatrading, Zap Mama, Chick Corea, Al Green, Holly Near, Manahattan Transfer, Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Wynton Marsailas, just to name a few. In addition to her performing, Rhonda loves to run workshops, and currently teaches voice to school children in the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts, at Mt. Tam High School in the Marin Adult & Community Education program, and was the Minister of Music at the Greater True Light Baptist Church in Modesto, California.         
 
BRYAN DYER

Bryan S. Dyer is a multi-talented musician who not only sings but plays several instruments including bass guitar, percussion and piano; writes and arranges music, conducts choirs and groups, and has worked in television and radio. A veteran of some of the Bay Area's top vocal groups including Street Sounds, SoVoSo and Slammin, he also sings with Chelle and Friends, Rankin Scroo and Ginger, and R&B group, 510. His musical experiences have him taken around the globe including several trips throughout Europe, Japan, South Korea and Jamaica. Bryan's talents have landed him alongside such artist as Al Green, Bobby McFerrin, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo to name a few.

   

JAY LAMONT

Jay Lamont is originally from Oklahoma City and is a graduate of Langston University with a B.A. Degree in Broadcast Journalism. Jay started out working as a radio personality for radio stations in Oklahoma City and Houston, Texas. After relocating to Houston, he embarked on a career in the comedy business as well as becoming a singer. Jay has opened for a wide variety of artists including the late great Luther Vandross, MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly, D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey, Tommy Davidson, Cedric The Entertainer, Mike Epps, Jamie Foxx, The Gap Band, The O’Jays and the late Roger Troutman. While in Houston, Jay was invited to perform at a local comedy club where he met various talented individuals who would help broaden his career. Jay has appeared on the first season of BET’s Comicview as well as Showtime At The Apollo, Russell Simmon’s Def Comedy Jam and Jamie Foxx presents Laffapalooza. Along with CHELLE! and Friends, Jay is also the lead vocalist with two R&B groups. He has toured nationally and internationally. Find our more about Jay at: www.myspace.com/jaylamont



SAM BEVAN
Sam Bevan first established himself as a bassist, vocalist and pianist for a wide variety of  bands while stumbling his way through college in pursuit of a “lucrative” French degree. During that time, he won Best Bassist from the Salt Lake City Weekly in 1997 and 1998, as well as Best Songwriter Award in 1998 with his band the Sun Masons. Sam moved to the Bay Area In 1999 and became a member of the David Grisman Quintet from 2000-2001. Following his Dawgville stint, Sam settled into the Bay Area music scene performing with a wide range of groups. He records and tours regularly with the Matt Flinner Quartet, mandolin/fi ddle wizard Joe Craven and Monk’s Music Trio. Other fi ne artists he has worked with include Roswell Rudd, Hal Stein, Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Jenna Memmina, Mimi Fox, Adam Levy, Danny Caron, Sheldon Brown Group, Cuarteto Sonando, Django Latino, Hot Club of San Francisco, Michelle Amador’s Higher, Japonize Elephants, Collective Amnesia, New Pickle Family Circus, and the Lost Trio. In August of 2005, Sam released his debut jazz album, “The Fine Line.” More information on Sam is available at: www.sambevan.com



DONNA VISCUSO
Donna Viscuso is an experienced performer, composer and teacher, having worked in numerous schools, educational programs and grant-sponsored touring ensembles. Donna has performed, recorded and toured with many groups, including The Snake Trio, Jackeline Rago and The Venezuelan Music Project, Altazor, Wild Mango, the KTO project, Chelle and Friends, Brazilian singer Adriana Moreno and Chilean singer/songwriter Lichi Fuentes. She studied music at Laney College and San Francisco State University, and has experience playing fl ute, saxophone, harmonica and percussion. Donna has traveled to Venezuela to further her musical studies. While there, she performed and recorded with several renowned musicians, including percussionist Alexander Livinalli and members of the Fundacion Bigott (Venezuela’s Folkloric Institute). In addition she has recorded with Venezuelan musicians, Aquiles Baez, Gonzalo Grau, Marco Granados, and Leo Blanco. She also performs regularly with the Adventures in Music Program, sponsored by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, performing in elementary schools throughout the S.F. school district, as well as with the World Music Ensemble, W.O.W. (Women of the World) which performs for children of all ages in libraries and schools throughout California. A talented composer, Donna has written music for several award-winning documentaries. Her compositions can also be heard on the popular Living Books collection of Educational CD-Roms, including the ABC Book, Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss, Harry and the Haunted House and Arthur’s Reading Race.
 



Bob Scott

Drummer Bob Scott has toured and recorded with:

 

Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Earl Father Hines, Bob Dorough, , Art Pepper, Pharaoh Saunders, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Mal Sharpe and Gumbo West

 

Bob Scott has been a professional drummer since he was 14 yrs old.  Bob’s parents could not afford to buy drums so Bob made his own drum set out from waste paper baskets, plywood chairs, thermos bottle lids, and tin pie pans nailed on broom sticks for cymbals.  In the 7th grade he joined a garage jazz band and played his drum contraption.

 

He has performed in the musically diverse San Francisco area for 30 years with many great musicians not only as a drummer, but also as a singer and songwriter.

 

His drumming can be heard on the following CD's: 

Willie Nelson: Gypsy, Stardust, Angel Eyes (with Ray Charles)

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks: Last Train to Hicksville, Shootin Straight, Where’s the Money? 

Terry Garthwaite: San Francisco LTD, Terry and Tony

 

 Ken “Snakebite” Jacobs

Ken “Snakebite” Jacobs plays the saxes and clarinet and has been in the Bay Area for 5 yrs. after being forced to leave his home in N.O. because of Katrina. He has played with and/or recorded with the Neville Bros., the Temptations, the O'Jays, the Band, Martha Reeves and many others.  In the SF area he has performed with such people as Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, and Bonnie Raitt and others. Studied music at Berklee school of music, Boston, and privately with John Handy and Eric Traub.  Ken “Snakebite” Jacobs also played with Gatemouth Brown, the Dells, the N.O. Nightcrawlers. 

 

 
“New Orleans is visiting us with the powerhouse group of CHELLE! and Friends! This is spiritual gospel fused with Caribbean rhythms, Cajun mix of  spicy vocals that will make you dance, sing, pay attention and certainly will give you chills and lift your spirit! This is one of my favorite performing groups in the Bay Area…”

Stephanie Dalton

Urban Music News

 

 

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