Hear from the best in San Francisco Bay Area music with recording artist, producer, singer, and songwriter Kimball Hooker.
Sacramento native Pinkie Rideau has got the flair, the style, but most importantly, she's got the music to make you move. Pinkie Rideau is a contemporary blues musician, writer, producer, vocalist and philanthropist. Having had numerous medical problems since childhood as well as her share of heart breaking family loss, she falls back on sheer experience in forming songs for stage. Drawing from a background steeped in Cajun roots and exposure to the many types of blues that the world has to offer, her music relates to just about everyone. From funny moments to gut wrenching love and loss, she will stimulate your senses. Find out more about Pinkie at https://www.facebook.com/PinkiesMusic/
Yvette Salas is vocalist of the Bay Area band The Groove Foundation, a group of experienced musicians with a combined total of over 40 years of experience. Find out more about Yvette and The Groove Foundation at www.thegroovefoundation.com.
Jim Bruno is an experienced vocal instructor, music innovator, performer, and founder of Showcase Music Institute (SMI) at Guitar Showcase in San Jose, California. Jim started performing professionally at the age of 12 and was known as “Little Jimmy Knight" - a child prodigy with amazing talent. Jim plays multiple instruments, writes music, is a consummate performer, and loves to teach. Find out more about Jim at http://jimmynite.com/.
Award-winning vocalist Niecey Living Single has graced the stages with music legends such as Lenny Williams, The Dramatics, and Tony Terry (to name a few). Find out more about Niecey at https://nieceylivingsingle.net.
Doug Ellington is best known as a trumpet player whose music is an eclectic combination of genres including rock, hip hop, R&B, and jazz. He tells Kimball about his experience coming from a musical family, including his grand uncle Duke Ellington, and how he wasn't raised to think in terms of genres, but rather in terms of sound. Find out more about Doug at https://kimball.show/doug-ellington.
Oakland native Harold Kiel earned his credentials in the underground Bay Area music scene but is now earning his stripes not only a vocalist, but a writer, song arranger, and solo artist. Harold is also the Senior Vice President and Partner of World Peace Records Inc and former member of the Bay Area band A Touch Of Class. He is now the band leader to the Full Xtreem Band aka FX, a 9 piece funk band. Find out more about Harold Kiel at https://www.facebook.com/harold.kiel1.
Denise Bridges is the founder of Child of Mercy ministries, and of 'Never Lose Hope' and 'Destined for more' women's and girls conferences. She's the worship leader for the women's conferences, retreats, and events at Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California, with Pastor and author Chip Ingram. Her story and music can be heard on CBN News, The 700 Club, The Trinity Broadcasting Network, CSN International, and several other television and radio stations. Find out more about Denise at http://childofmercy.com.
Legend Michael "Spiderman" Robinson is a multi-platinum keyboardist, writer, arranger, producer, and band leader. He played keyboards on the R&B Classic "Very Special" by Debra Laws, which is now sampled by a host of artists on millions of recordings including the Multi platinum hit "All I Have" by Jennifer Lopez and LL Cool J. Find out more about Michael "Spiderman" Robinson at http://www.mikespidermanrobinson.com/.
Jaquelynn Herrera and Kyle Caprista head the much-beloved Bay Area band Mercy & The Heartbeats, a dance band comprised of veteran musicians from some of the most popular and successful dance and touring bands in the Bay Area and beyond. Jaque and Kyle also tell Kimball all about how they balance their relationship as both bandmates and spouses. Find out more about Jaque & Kyle's band at https://mercyandtheheartbeats.com.
Bay Area saxophonist De'Lon Charley has been playing for over 42 years, performing with Stevie Wonder, Robin Thicke, Byron Cage, and Smokie Norful. He's also opened for Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Vickie Winans, and Maurette Brown Clark. Find out more about De'Lon at https://kimball.show/delon.
Join Kimball as he interviews Oakland's legendary keyboard player and internationally recognized musician Gig Anderson. Gig is taking the Bay Area music scene to new heights (giving us some great stories and lessons along the way!). Find out more about Gig at www.facebook.com/gig.anderson.
A musician whose career stretches beyond our imagination, Jeanne Parson has been the keyboardist for Touch of Class, composer for Atari Games (Primal Rage and Area 51 anyone?!), and is now principal sound designer for AI speech at Microsoft. Find out more about Jeanne at www.jeanneparson.com.
Johnny Neri has been singing and performing in the South Bay since 1982. He sings in 3 octaves and plays 4 instruments: guitar, piano, harmonica, and drums. Johnny is known throughout the Bay for his endless energy, combined with passion and conviction, and draws in crowds from all over the state. Find out more about Johnny Neri at http://www.johnnyneriband.com/.
A special episode dedicated to live performances on The Kimball Hooker Show! There were so many to choose from, but we couldn't fit them all, so here are 4 of our favorite performances by the talented Cherronda Gray, Larriah Jackson, Angie Maserati, and Nehal Abuelata. Make sure to check out their full-length episodes to hear more!
Thùy Linh is known as the first Vietnamese-American jazz vocalist & composer of the San Francisco Bay Area. Singing jazz since the age of 20, she is self-taught with a repertoire including everything from the Great American Songbook to latin boleros, pop, R&B, and originals. Listen to Thùy Linh on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/thuy_linh_tl. Watch the video of this interview here: https://kimball.show/thuy-linh-interview
Victoria Thúy Vi is a multi-talented performer with vocal classical training in English, Vietnamese, Italian, Latin, and Spanish songs. She is affectionately known as the “Voice of San Jose, Jr.” for singing the US, Vietnamese, and African American anthems at San Jose City Hall, Stadiums, and many Non-Profits and community events. She was also named Miss Teen Vietnam USA in 2019. Find out more about Victoria at http://victoriathuyvi.com and follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/victoriathuyvi. Watch the video of this interview at https://kimball.show/victoria-interview.
Nehal & Austin are a musical duo based out of San José, CA. They've been performing professionally in the Bay Area and beyond as an item for the last 5 years. Their projects span from original Retro Blues in their 5-piece band named Grace and the Grit, to a French Romantic Classics Duo by the name of Amour de Seine, all the way to Rock Soul Funk 6-piece outfit Sweet HayaH. They often perform as Nehal & Austin for festivals, restaurants, private events and more. Find Nehal & Austin on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nehalandaustin), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nehalandaustin), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClzuY8qF77M3nK6zXzYQo2A) Watch the video of this interview at http://kimball.show/nehalandaustin-yt Discover more ways to listen to THE KIMBALL HOOKER SHOW (we also have vodcasts!) at http://kimball.show.
Paul Kent, band leader from the much-beloved South Bay band The Houserockers, talks about what it takes to be a Bay Area favorite for over 20 years, how to fit a big 10+ piece band into small venues, and how he builds lasting music collaborations. Find out more about Paul and The Houserockers at https://svhouserockers.com.
From touring internationally as a band member for MC Hammer to playing live on stage with En Vogue's Cindy Herron - George "G Roc" Williams has played with the best. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist in his own right, G Roc knows every side of the business as an experienced music producer and owner of Thro Down Studio. Listen & subscribe to G Roc at https://youtube.com/user/ThroDownStudio. Listen to other episodes of THE KIMBALL HOOKER SHOW at http://kimball.show.
Oakland native Larry Batiste, well known as the musical director for the Grammy Awards and countless other achievements, is described by his peers as "a music industry legend" and "the best of the best". Today he talks to Kimball about staying grounded throughout his incredible high-profile career and the innovative music he's made along the way. Find Larry on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/larrybatiste Discover more ways to listen to THE KIMBALL HOOKER SHOW (we also have vodcasts!) at http://kimball.show.
Sacramento singer Larriah Jackson talks with Kimball about her music training, staying humble, and what it's like to be on The Voice while in high school DURING the pandemic! Watch Larriah's performance on The Voice: https://kimball.show/larriah-thevoice Follow Larriah: Website: https://larriahjackson.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Larriah4 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larriahj/ Discover other episodes of THE KIMBALL HOOKER SHOW at http://kimball.show.
From award-winning singer songwriter to supporting other artists as CEO of Corporate Divas PR to X Factor contestant to successful wellness coach, Bay Area's Sawanya Stanley gives Kimball a glimpse of her diverse career and incredible talent! Find out more about Sawanya at http://www.sawanyasoulmusic.com/. Follow Sawanya on Instagram @divasawanya.
Kimball gets a chance to sit down J.D. Hill, the legendary founder and leader of Bay Area's The Touch Of Class Band. J.D. is a dynamic front man with years of experience putting together high energy show bands. Not only does J.D. have formal training in voice, percussion, and trombone - he also contributes to the group's musical arrangements and incredible choreography! Find out more about J.D. Hill and Touch Of Class Band at http://tocband.net and follow them on Facebook.
Singer & songwriter Ronnie Arriola joins Kimball in the studio to talk music, fashion design, and what it's like as an up-and-coming artist in the Bay Area music scene. Find out more about Ronnie at http://flowcode.com/page/svo.ent
Marcus Thompson is a founding member of '80s R&B group, Timex Social Club ("Rumors"). An accomplished author, DJ, producer, and songwriter, Marcus sits down with Kimball to talk about how he grew a successful music career out of his hometown of Oakland, CA. Find out more about Marcus at http://timexsocialclub.com.
Bay Area musician and percussionist Juan Escovedo shares about growing up in the renowned Escovedo family, music advice from Prince he still follows, and how to be a professional musician that puts in the work (but still knows how to have fun). Check out Juan's new CD and find out more at http://juanescovedo.com.
Tony Lindsay, who was born in Kingston, New York, now calls San Francisco his home, is back in the SANTANA lineup. He first toured with SANTANA in 1991 and can be heard on the 1992 release, Milagro. When not touring with SANTANA, he sings for Spang-a-Lang, a local R&B/Jazz/Pop group he founded that has opened for several well-known acts, including Curtis Mayfield, Jr. Walker, Tower of Power, and Average White Band, to name a few. As an individual, Tony has recorded or performed with several artists, including Tevin Campbell, O'Jays, Al Jarreau, Steve Winwood, Johnny Gill, Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin, and Lou Rawls. His full-bodied tenor voice and unique style have paved the way for his participation in a variety of musical projects, including a 1993 duet performance with Angela Bofill and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Avery Fischer Hall in NY. (The song was written by Narada Michael Walden, and entitled "Enough for Everyone.") Tony's voice can also be heard on Mazda, Hotwheels, Dreyer's Ice Cream and Wendy's commercials as well as on the "Adventures of Kanga Roddy." Tony is also a talented song writer, and sings with the Dancing with the Stars Road Tour. Find out more about Tony on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Cherronda Gray is a talented singer and songwriter from Richmond, California who has worked with renowned musical artists such as Jamie Foxx, Chanté Moore, Lenny Williams, Aaliya, James Brown, Grady Wilkins of the Whispers, and legendary R&B singer Howard Hewett. This episode was also chosen as KCAT Radio's 2021 Favorite Live Performance
Yvette Salas is vocalist of the Bay Area band The Groove Foundation, a group of experienced musicians with a combined total of over 40 years of experience. Find out more about Yvette and The Groove Foundation on Facebook and on their website, www.thegroovefoundation.com.
Professional singer, songwriter, and recording artist Angie Maserati shares her experiences as an internationally known artist. Angie also has a band based in the Bay Area where she and her professional musicians play all your favorite Pop, R&B, Rock and Latin tunes from the 70's to today! Find out more about Angie Maserati at www.angiemaserati.com.
Executive Director of California All World Beauties Samantha Alexes shares her experience as a successful recording artist, what it's really like to be a pageant contestant, and finding the right people & organizations that authentically represent you. Check out Samantha's new single "Let's Pray" on YouTube (kimball.show/samantha-alexes-lets-pray)
Kimball sits down with the world-renowned drummer, singer, producer, and former member of Tower of Power, Ron E. Beck. Beck talks about performing and recording with the likes of Herbie Hancock, The Temptations, Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, Bob Marley, Etta James, Rick James, Sista Monica, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Clifford Coulter, and Carlos Santana. Find out more about Ron E. Beck at www.ronebeck.com, follow him on Facebook, and listen to his music on YouTube.
Join Kimball as he talks about Bay Area music with professional flutist and music teacher Judy Nelson. Find Judy on Facebook and her Facebook Group.
Join Kimball as he talks about the Bay Area music scene with DJ Nick Saint Croix. Find DJ Nick Saint Croix on Instagram @nicksaintcroix.
Joel Nelson is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. His main instruments are piano and keyboards but he also plays guitar, bass, drums, flute, banjo, and ukulele. He sings thousands of songs in every style and can perform just about any song he is requested to play. He plays solo or with his band that can range from 4 pieces to his full 10 piece party band called “All Access”. He also does a lot of work with his Dueling Piano Show called “Those Dueling Pianos”. Over the years he has played thousands of events from 10 people to 200,000 people. He continues to produce new music for himself and other musicians. He owns the legendary Catalyst Nightclub in Santa Cruz. He has raised thousands of dollars for charities around the country. Check out Joel Nelson at his website, Facebook, and his company FB at Joel Nelson Productions.
Music Director, Bass Player, Songwriter, and Producer Frank "Tebo" Thibeaux brings some spicy cajun-flavored music to The Kimball Hooker Show! Find Tebo on Facebook.
Musician Harold Day joins Kimball in the studio today. His band, Harold Day and the Experience, will take you through an experience, that will give you a feeling of what a live Hendrix concert was like. Find Harold Day on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow Harold Day and The Experience on their website and Facebook.
Aki Starr is an internationally acclaimed singer, actor, dancer, songwriter, music producer, and radio personality who's latest dance/freestyle single “Voices In My Head” is currently charting on Billboard peaking at #18. The new Aki Starr single TENDER LOVE, Featuring FORCE MDs officially released and available here. Find Aki on Instagram, Facebook, and his website.
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