Steady Betty is a group of talented and well-practiced Vermont-based musicians that have, each through their own unique paths, come to love the retro, tropical sounds of Rocksteady music. The band is diversely composed of professional musicians, students, and professionals who reside within the Burlington area.
The group’s sound is marked by reggae-esque rhythms that encourage a slow, steady sway to sweep through any assembled audience. However, that is not to say the group can’t energize a crowd. The lovely voices of the group’s vocalists are driven by the rhythm section and highlighted by the horns. With Steady Betty, dancing is inevitable - slow, fast, rhythmic or spastic - you’ll be moving along to the music. Their sound calls to mind dreams of warm Caribbean evenings, young love, and a simpler time, the perfect daydream to get lost within. @steadybettyvt
https://www.instagram.com/steadybettyvt?igsh=MTFsOTk4ZnFtdTFsZg==
The Vermont Jazz Ensemble is a 17 member instrumental music group that performs music, most of which is in the Jazz or "Big Band" style, although the repertoire also includes "Latin", "Rock", "Fusion", and music which is currently "Popular".
The instrumentation includes 5 WOODWINDS (usually 2 alto saxes, 2 tenor saxes, and 1 baritone sax - these players "double" on saxes, clarinet, and flute), 4 TROMBONES (one is a bass trombone), 4 TRUMPETS (these players "double" on flugelhorn), DRUMS, BASS, PIANO, and GUITAR.
The "VJE" maintains a performing library of approximately 300 selections, including music made popular by the bands and orchestras of COUNT BASIE, GLENN MILLER, DUKE ELLINGTON, STAN KENTON, WOODY HERMAN, TOMMY AND JIMMY DORSEY, MAYNARD FERGUSON, and many other "name" bands, as well as recently and currently popular music.
Avi Salloway reunites with his former Bombino bandmate, Corey Wilhelm on drums and ace bassist, Rob Morse for their dynamic new trio. Salloway and Wilhelm share a rich and unique history traveling the world with legendary Tuareg guitarist from the Sahara Desert. Morse is a humble Vermont legend from the band, Vorcza and Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown Broadway musical. Together, their music travels through rock, folk, and global sounds and stories from their journeys.
Salloway is a musician, activist, and educator and recently moved back to Vermont from Los Angeles. He is the bandleader for Billy Wylder, has co-written, produced, and recorded on 15 albums and performed over 1500 concerts across five continents, many with Bombino and Wilhelm. Highlight performances include Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. He has collaborated and performed with renowned artists including Jack Johnson, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tinariwen, David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), The Low Anthem, and Pete Seeger.
A native of Vermont, Morse spent years in New York studying bass with John Patitucci and honing his composition chops at City College. Since then he's been performing and recording with a ton of innovative artists and genre benders like Taylor Haskins, Michael Chorney, the Barr Brothers and many more. Morse released his debut recording as a bandleader with his large ensemble Sound of Mind project in 2018. A founding member of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown Orchestra, Morse still holds the bass chair for the Tony-winning musical.
Originally from Massachusetts, Wilhelm has been a staple of the Vermont music scene for the last 15 years. He has spent the majority of the last decade touring internationally with Bombino while performing with a crew of Vermont based artists including Kat Wright. Wilhelm played drums on Bombino’s Grammy nominated album, Deran.
MIKAHELY ( Solo )
Healing Sound From Madagascar
Mikahely hails from the beautiful island of Madagascar, but his music transcends boundaries! A self-taught musician who first picked up the guitar at age 7, he draws inspiration from traditional Malagasy rhythms and lullabies to create his own unique sounds on guitar and valiha (a zither-like instrument made from bamboo). His songs highlight pressing social and environmental issues facing Madagascar and the world, such as climate change, biodiversity conservation and children's rights. Having toured in Madagascar and Europe, he now brings his music to new audiences in the United States. He is also featured in the documentary Guitar Madagascar.
The Eames Brothers Band are known for their late night sets that drift seamlessly through lowdown psychedelic blues funk to uplifting soul songs and back again.... Always digging deeper for that elusive feeling through sound.
Seth Eames "howls at the moon like no one else," singing songs "churning with dark mystery, with chilling, hollow bodied delivery." The "legendary" Phil Carr holding down the meanest grooves around and always leanin' in. Ralph Eames walking the bass line steady and strong. "Shoveling the coal into the fire that is the Eames Brothers Band."
"You'd be hard-pressed to find a harder working act than Vermont's Eames Brothers Band. The Eames' music is rooted in tradition, from sparse delta blues to stinging electric shuffles." "Their original blues tunes are remarkably soulful... "These dudes have passion, chops and an abundance of flavor." "Their moody, dynamic tunes have a vibe all their own."
Ralph Eames - bass
Seth Eames - guitar
Phil Carr - drums
Michael-Louis Smith and Friends perform an ever evolving, high-energy mix of original music including jazz, americana, world, rock and groovy jams.
This band has delivered the goods to audiences in NYC, New England and nationwide for over two decades with an electric and telepathic group sound characterized by thoughtfully blistering solos, percolating grooves, fiery funkified guitar work and imaginatively scientific down home rhythms. Stories are told through a diverse repertoire of original compositions that take the listener on a journey from worlds of old to futuristic utopian landscapes of psychedelia.
Andriana Chobot, Burlington, Vermont, is a singer-songwriter whose indie-pop and heart-rock sounds ruminate in jazz.
Whether it's just her solo, delivering an electronic piano centered performance, or equipped with her ANDRIANA & THE BANANAS band of local talent, she delivers renditions ranging in upbeat originals, covers and cool, ethereal ballads. Andriana Chobot recently premiered her new videos to her latest singles "Like It's the Last Time" and “Galaxy Eyes” which teases her first full-length album, RETURN TO SINCERE; available now!
Andrianachobot.com
Linktr.ee/andrianacee
The Select Sound System is a three-piece reggae and hip-hop band comprised of long-time convener and curator of musicians, Ben Dunham, on bass, Dan Sharp on drums, and Zac du Lac on lead guitar. The band is fronted by Sed One (Boomslang) and I Rhymes (Who & I), whose soulful songwriting and fiery flows imbue the project with a sense of urgency and invite the listener to step into a state of higher consciousness.
Samara’s soulful jazz vocalizing will hit you right in the feels! Jazz and bossa nova favorites, plus some fiery heaters coming your way with accompaniment by:
Adam Ploof - keys
Brent Thomas - bass
Andrew Bedard - drums
Harmonious, engaging, heartfelt and entertaining are some of the adjectives that have been used when describing the Cassarino Family band. Paul, Tracie, Nick (Nth Power, Jennifer Hartswick band) and Josh (J Rino) have long been performing throughout Vermont since the boys were young. Playing venues like: South Burlington Night out, The Courtyard Marriott, Vermont Pub and Brewery, countless weddings and Holiday events as well as music festivals and the Zenbarn. In early 2009, they were fortunate to add Erin Boyd (singer/songwriter-Phantom Vanity/Resistance Revival Chorus) to the family band, and in 2020, Nick and Erin were married!
Their genre is as eclectic as they are covering tunes the boys grew up with (James Taylor, Earth Wind and Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Anita Baker, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Hezekiah Walker, CSN) as well as original music from all members.
Brett Hughes has been a mainstay in the Burlington music community for years now, long enough that it seems all of his introductions say “this man needs no introduction.” And a decade or so from now, I can still see that being that case. All artists hope to perfect, perform and enjoy their craft, and it seems to me that Brett has all those boxes checked
Brett sings with the pep, energy and tone that simply screams “bluegrass,” in all the best ways. I’ve seen artists near my own age perform with energy nigh equal to a mossy rock, while Brett is decades deep in the industry and still sings like it’s day one. He has cited a number of influences for his style, including George Jones, Merle Haggard, The Delmore Brothers, Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash and his own mother.
-Tom Shimmield