Three time Grammy nominee vibraphonist/ composer Stefon Harris introduced his band Blackout, on is Top Ten CD Evolution (2005, Blue Note records). Featuring an exciting blend of modern acoustic sounds written by Harris as well as a moving rendition of Sting's "Until", the group has been hailed for "pursuing contemporary jazz on its own terms" (The Washington Post). The band includes Marc Cary on keyboards, Earl Travis on bass, Terreon Gully on drums and Casey Benjamin on alto sax. They have performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Egg (Albany), Jazz At lincoln Center, and Herbst Theater (San Francisco) among many others. Evolution was named one of the Top 50 CDs in 2004 by Jazz Times. Stefon has been honored as best vibist by jazz iz, jazz times, downbeat and the jazz Journalist association. His latest CD, African TarantellaÖDances With Duke features selections new arrangements of Duke Ellingtonís ìNew Orleans Suiteî and ìThe Queen Suiteî along with of from Harris' originals from "The Gardner meditations", a new work commissioned by The Wharton Center at Michigan State University.
Marc Cary
Raised in Washington, D.C., Marc Cary has become known as one of the most original jazz pianists in New York. A man of eclectic tastes, Cary has a strong post-bop foundation but has also explored Afro-Cuban rhythms, electronic groove music, and other directions with his various ensembles. Upon arriving in New York, Cary was taken under the wing of Mickey Bass and Beaver Harris. His first big-time gigs came in the early '90s with Arthur Taylor, Betty Carter, and Roy Hargrove. In 1994, he became Abbey Lincoln's pianist and arranger.
Cary's own records distinguished his unique modern sound, beginning with 1994's Cary On. Two releases for Arabesque followed, Listen in 1996 and The Antidote in 1998. An uncharacteristic electronica project titled Rhodes Ahead, Vol. 1 appeared in 1999, as did a live album by Cary's world music group Indigenous People (both on the Jazzateria label). Cary's acoustic trio released Trillium in early 2000 and in 2006 he released Focus and Abstrakt, both on Motema Records..
Earl Travis
A native of Houston, Texas, Earl Travis graduated from the acclaimed High School for Performing and Visual Arts in 2005. He was selected to the Gibson Baldwin Grammy Jazz Band which recorded a CD that same year. He promptly moved to New York to attend The New School where he is a freshman in the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. In just a few months on the scene, Earl has performed with Nicholas Payton, John Ellis, Eric Lewis, Marcus Strickland, Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, and many others.
Casey Benjamin
A first generation New Yorker, born of Caribbean and Panamanian parents,Casey started playing the saxophone at the age of eight and began performing professionally at the age of twelve. After attending the famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and the Performing Arts Benjamin worked with such greats as Grover Washington Jr. , Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Arturo Sandoval, Roy Ayers, and many others. Casey has also worked with D.J. Logic and leads his own band that blends jazz, soul and roots music.He has received numerous honors such as the C.D. 101.9 Jazz Group / Artist of the Year, the Saturn scholarship, Bertlesman's "World of Expression" Songwriting Competition, and first place Presidential Scholar in the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. He has performed at many New York jazz clubs as well as at the Village Vanguard, The Apollo, Lincoln Center and Washington DC's Kennedy Center. His most memorable performance was in 1996 for President Clinton's 50th birthday celebration at Radio City Music Hall, N.Y.C. He performed at Birdland N.Y.C. with The Joe Chambers Quintet, the Spoleto Jazz Festival in Spoleto, Italy with the late Betty Carter, Blue Note N.Y.C. with Pucci Amanda Jhones, and with The Buster Williams Quintet at the Jazzmobile in N.Y.C.
Terreon Gully
A native of East St Louis, Terreon Gully is one of the most sought after drummers in New York. A 1996 graduate of the University of Houston where he received a B.A. in Music Performance, Gully spent time in Atlanta working with various jazz and hip-hop projects, eventually moving to New York. He has worked with the finest of musicians in man genres including Dianne Reeves, Abbey Lincoln, Jacky Terrasson, Bobby Watson, Kevin Mahogany, and Common.