Stern grove festival

www.anitabaker.com

Anita Baker was born in Detroit, Michigan, and started singing in church and later in groups throughout Detroit, before landing a gig with Chapter 8 with whom she had the hit “I Just Wanna Be Your Girl” in the early 80s. Anita later went solo and recorded the classic collection The Songstress (“Angel,” and “No More Tears”) before finding her way to Elektra Entertainment and a decade-long collaboration that birthed such completely perfected projects as Rapture, Giving You The Best That I Got, Compositions and The Rhythm Of Love, and honing a powerhouse songbook that includes such masterpieces as “Watch Your Step,” “Been So Long,” “Lead Me Into Love,” “Talk To Me,” “Body and Soul” and “I Apologize.” Her mantel is filled with Grammy, Soul Train, NAACP Image, Billboard and Rolling Stone Awards and she has been heralded as one of the great stylists of our time.

www.thefamilystonemusic.com

Jerry Martini, aka Papa J is the original founder of Sly & the Family Stone, the first inter-racial, multi-gender major American band. He has also performed with countless luminaries including Mike Bloomfield, Carlos Santana, Rolling Stone Bill Wymann, Robert Cray, Willie Lomax, Prince, Graham Central Station, and Van Morrison. He has also penned numerous songs, including "One With the Sun" on Santana's Barbaletta album, among others. Along with Cynthia Robinson and Larry Graham, Martini played with Prince on his 1999/2000 New Years Pay Per View special "Rave Un2 2000" capping "The Jam of the Year" tour taking them worldwide through Europe and the US.  More recently he has been seen on the 2006 Grammy Awards with a cast of all stars in their tribute to Sly & The Family Stone.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, trumpet player Cynthia Robinson was part of Sly and The Stoners in 1966. In recent years, Robinson has performed on stages throughout the US and Europe, playing with George Clinton, Larry Graham, Prince, and more.

Greg Errico joins fellow founding members, Jerry Martini and Cynthia Robinson, in The Family Stone. Errico has played a broad range of musical styles with such legends as Joe Zawinul (Weather Report), Jerry Garcia Band, Grateful Dead, and Santana. Errico's talents as a drummer, songwriter and producer keep him in continuous demand. Other than raising his children in the San Francisco Bay Area, Greg is a partner and managing director of Unity Music for which he has produced several CD’s featuring many world class jazz musicians.

Bass player Blaise Sison began his professional career as a musician in 1981. His list of credits include performances with various bands, and as the opening act for Toto, Cameo, Morris Day & the Time, Chuck Negron, Steppenwolf, Average White Band, War, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Tommy James & the Shondells, Maceo Parker, PortisHead, Kenny G, and Billy Ocean. Sison has also accompanied artists such as Charo, Al Jarreau, Rick James, Richie Havens, Lee Oskar, Curtis Mayfield, James Brown. Lou Rawls, BB King, Buddy Guy, Lee Ritenour, Robert Cray, Willie Nelson, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, among others.

Lead guitarist Nate Wingfield got his start early on with sessions at Sigma Sound with the famous R&B producers/songwriters Gamble & Huff.  Hist credits inclusing playing with artists such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Willie Nelson, Evelyn Champagne King, Jimmy Castor, Norman Connors, Jean Carne, Phyllis Hyman, and trumpeter Hannibal Marvin Peterson.  While living in New York, he worked with producer Narada Micheal Walden, artists Stacy Lattisaw, Johnny Gill, and Colonel Abrams hit single “Trapped” produced by Richard Burgess. Nate has also produced “Let Me See Your Body Move” for dance artist Shannon's album Do You Wanna  Get Away, as well as working with hip-hop artist Afrika Bambatta and Curtis Blow.  After moving to LA, he toured with and recorded with Brian McKnight, Jackie Jackson, and Irene Cara. He was also the Musical Director for Malaysian superstar Anita Sarawak and Soul Desire. He has also just completed his first solo album entitled Rhythm Tree.

An actress, singer, dancer and model, lead vocalist Trina Johnson was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri where she studied Voice Performance and Theater at the UMKC Conservatory of Music.  She has appeared on shows such as the Grammy Awards, Oprah, The American Music Awards, and has also graced the stage with great entertainers from Barbra Streisand to MC Hammer. As a performing artist, Johnson Finn has many film, television, and theater credits under her belt. Appearing in projects like Anchorman, starring Will Ferrell, Breakin All The Rules, starring Jamie Foxx, Bringing Down The House, starring Queen Latifah and Steve Martin, and the Off-Broadway theater productions of "Dreamgirls" and "Jesus Christ Superstar".

Out of the small town of Akron, Ohio, accomplished singer, drummer, and multi-instrumentalist, Alex Davis has done just about everything there is to do in the music industry. Starting out in the early 70s with local funksters The Ohio Players as a sub, Alex has toured or performed all over the world with the likes of Maxine Nightingale, Taste of Honey, France Jolie, Village People, Peaches & Herb, The Big Picture, Chaka Khan, Richie Sanbora, Joey Melotti, Ronnie Foster, Jimmy Crespo, Lester Chambers, Chuck Berry, Rick James, and more.