The Reedy River Jazz & Wine Festival

Harry Kim was born and raised in New York City where he attended High School For The Performing Arts and prepared for a career as a classical trumpeter. After high school however, he relocated to Los Angeles and soon discovered the world of funk and jazz.

After several years touring throughout the U.S. with various show groups, R&B revues and big hands, including the Harry James Big Band, he returned to Los Angeles to further his career. Latin music took a front seat during the disco era, a time when live music was rarely featured in discotheques but was in strong demand by salsa audiences. It was at this time that he began working with artists such as Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, and also began honing his arranging skills by writing and performing on many disco productions.

Soon he joined Stevie Wonder’s Wonder Love which opened the doors of opportunity to perform and record with such artists as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, The Temptations, and Smokey Robinson. He was on stage for the Emmy Award winning 25th Anniversary of Motown performing with many of Motown’s greatest stars. It was an evening highlighted by Michael Jackson’s introduction of his now legendary moonwalk.

In 1985 he joined the Phenix Horns, the celebrated horn section of Earth Wind and Fire. Together they performed with various artists throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Included were two tours in 1987 and 1988 with French icon Michel Berger and vocalist France Gall.In 1989 he participated in the making of Phil Collins’s multi award winning CD …But Seriously . A world tour followed in 1990 marking the beginning of a long association with Collins. The multi platinum live concert CD Serious Hits Live was released soon after. Realizing the many advantages of being part of a high performance horn section, Kim founded The Vine Street Horns. He called together musicians with whom he had worked for many years. Numerous productions with various artists were to follow.In 1994 Phil Collins called on The Vine Street Horns to join him on his Both Sides Tour, an extensive 18 month world tour.In 1996 he was asked by Collins to organize a big band featuring adaptations of his music and the music of Genesis in a jazz setting. The Phil Collins Big Band was born. As musical director and arranger, Kim and The Vine Street Horns took center stage performing at all the major European jazz festivals, with Tony Bennett as vocalist and Quincy Jones as guest conductor.

Recently he has acted as horn section leader and arranger for the 2005-2009 seasons of American Idol as well as for America’s Got Talent and Celebrity Duets. He has recently recorded with: Chaka Khan, Alicia Keys, Lyle Lovett, Chris Botti, Marc Anthony, Joe Zawinul (Faces and Places), and Shakira.

Click here for an ETV radio interview with Harry, on the SC public radio show, “Your Day.” Thanks to the Clemson University PSA department and Dyana Daniels, host of “Your Day,” for allowing us to post this link.
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Currently Mr. Edwards travels and performs with his band The Calvin Edwards Quartet and is the producer of jazz shows in Okinawa, Japan on many military installations. Mr. Edwards was the producer of the performance prior to given prior to President Clintons speech at the G-8 Summit.

This Jazz guitarist, vocalist, and producer is a talented, entertaining, member of the Jazz world. His immense Soul and Jazz nature has captured many hearts and ears around the world. Jazz lovers of America, Jazz lovers of Europe, Jazz lovers of Japan, prepare yourself for a smokin’ good time.
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Gwen Hughes has made a huge impression on Atlanta’s jazz scene, so much so that she has been written about in This Joint Is Jumpin’, a non-fiction book about swing, as well as in a work of fiction, the mystery novel Dancing Made Easy by Phillip DePoy, part of his Flap Tucker series. She has been voted as Atlanta’s favorite jazz/swing singer, three times in the last 4 years. Her Touch of Life album was singled out for merit by the Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Female Recording. Not too shabby for someone who started out not as a jazz vocalist, but as a singer in a rock & roll band. She even put in time delivering show tunes and acting. But when she discovered the complexities of jazz, she was hooked. Hughes molded herself into a song stylist and followed in the footsteps of such artists as Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra and one of her inspirations is Ella Fitzgerald.

Gwen Hughes is a member of the “Jazz Outreach” Committee for the Atlanta Chapter of NARAS; a board member of The Atlanta Coalition of the Performing Arts; & a multiple winner of Creative Loafing’s BEST JAZZ ARTIST — a popular ambassador of the genre.

The Furman University Jazz Combo will be our opener for 2011 and they are under the direction of Director, Matt Olson.

Mere words can only capture the refrain of her awesome talent. Maria Howell is much more. She is the ballad of beauty and elegance. The melodies flowing from the petite vocalist are truly amazing. While casting a spellbinding smile, she mesmerizes her captive audience with incredible harmonies and rhythms.

Howell’s signature film performance as the choir soloist in the movie “The Color Purple” was quoted by one critic as being “one of the film’s most stirring moments!” Her rendition of “God Is Trying to Tell You Something” was memorable for all who saw it, but the offerings of the all-grown-up Maria are truly unforgettable, eliciting more stirring moments, one after another.

Some may be inspired to call her best kept secret, but anyone who leaves an imprint on every medium from radio, stage and television to the Hollywood screen is hardly incognito. Howell’s talent has been featured as a nightclub singer “Goldie”, in “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,” produced by George Lucas (Chicago and NY episodes, which also features veteran actor Keith David). Other roles on the small screen include “Linda,” where she plays alongside master performers Richard Thomas (The Waltons) and Virginia Madsen (Sideways).