LEO SIDRAN BAND - LEO SIDRAN GOIES HOME

Leo Sidran is a Grammy winning multi-instrumentalist musician, producer, arranger, composer, recording artist, and journalist. After playing professionally as a teen-ager with the legendary Steve Miller Band he established himself as a versatile artist at ease as band-leader (with eight solo albums in his discography) as he is producing other musicians around the world (in 2005 he co-produced the Academy Award Winning song, "Al otro lado del rio" from the film The Motorcycle Diaries for Jorge Drexler), composing film scores and music for media.  As a drummer he has performed around the world with his father, the legendary jazzman Ben Sidran. (Leo has also produced all of his father’s records for nearly 20 years.) As an engineer he has recorded projects ranging from jazz great Snarky Puppy to British duo Massive Attack. He also hosts an influential podcast for WBGO Studios called The Third Story featuring interviews with musicians, producers, and songwriters.  Leo’s most recent solo record What’s Trending (his eighth) is “all about romanticism, joy and perfectly trussed grooves as an antidote to the ambient gloom, and a wise look at today's world, its social networks, its pandemics and the next generation” (David Koperhant, Jazz News, France).

Tim Whalen is highly versatile songwriter, keyboard player, producer, composer, and arranger living in Washington, DC. His passion and dedication to his art shines in everything he touches, and he’s been blessed with opportunities to write and play music with some incredible people. He’s played all over the United States, Japan and Europe in many different musical situations, and has written music for everything from jazz duos to orchestras, as well as his own original songs.  Since moving to Washington DC in late 2010, Tim has been a key contributor to the DC music scene, and has played with the finest musicians in the area, including Lena Seikaly, Tommy Cecil, Chuck Redd, Paul Pieper, Tedd Baker, Lyle Link, Kenny Rittenhouse, Kris Funn, Elijah Jamal Balbed, Donvonte McCoy, Victor Provost, Mark Prince, Zack Pride, Tom Baldwin, Paul Langosch, The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, and others. He’s also ranks as one of DC’s most respected and successful bandleaders. His groups have presented sold out concerts at venues such as Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, Twins Jazz, the Smithsonian, and the Strathmore Music Center.  Beyond the Washington, DC area, Tim has played with David “Fathead” Newman, Ernie Adams, Wessell Anderson, Ambrose Akinmusire, Jon Hendricks, Vic Juris, Richard Davis, Dennis Irwin, Tim Ries, Clyde Stubblefield, Jackie Allen, Ben Sidran, Jorge Drexler, Marcus Belgrave, and Andy Martin. 

John Christensen | Award winning bassist, composer and Shifting Paradigm recording artist John Christensen supplies an open-hearted solidity and adventurous spirit to all of his music endeavors. With an appetite for expressing in many musical genres and situations, John has found a unique compositional voice, as demonstrated on his highly acclaimed debut album as a leader, Dear Friend.

Hannah Johnson provides an adventurous and joyful approach to her musical endeavors. Hannah’s desire to express herself in various genres keeps her busy composing and playing drums within the jazz idiom as well as folk + indie music.

In her Milwaukee based quartet, Heirloom, she brings a mesmerizing optimism and compositional voice. Her awe of rhythm, emotive harmonic structures and a touch of chaos drives Hannah's musical approach. You can hear her enriched sound within her song "ISF" - a harmonically elusive yet personable homage to Duke Ellington’s “Isfahan.” 

Hannah has become a highly sought-after side musician, playing with numerous regional and international artists and bands. She recently toured with soul and R&B artist, Durand Jones, who opened for country musician, Orville Peck, on his North American “Stampede Tour”.

Host or Publisher Al Rasho