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Victoria Hammill - Junior's Icehouse and Grill

VICTORIA HAMMILL
(Lead Vocals / Lead Violin / Co-Writer - Live & Studio)

"I love the creative process, and it is joy to perform and create with other artists - listening to and co-creating on the fly, working with the unique expression of each individual, complimenting and harmonizing, soloing freestyle, and expressing feeling through tone, melody, rhythm and lyric, that's what I love. The whole thang - it's all very healing for me and the little girl inside me - it brings out enthusiasm for life - its a gift - and it is so very beautiful when it is free-flowing and spontaneous and when the listeners, through their presence, are part of the process.

So, having a jam band that draws on blues, rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz fusion makes perfect sense due to the very nature and structure of these influences - it's "feeling" — it's "free-flowing" — it's "spontaneous" — it's "electric".

I am a native Texan - "Stevie Ray Vaughan" country - and I play violin gunslinger style - very high energy. So, as you may have already guessed, my unique signature and style has Stevie Ray and Hendrix influences, and I listen to other blues greats like Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Walker, and I am a big fan of rhythm and blues/rock greats like Carlos Santana, Sade, and Janis Joplin. I am also attracted to the music of John Lennon - his "sensitivity" and "honesty" and "depth" of his writing, and his incredible imagination, as well as Hendrix's colorful concrete style of writing that raises consciousness, and the healing words and feeling that Stevie Ray conveyed through his music that inspired many; and their fearlessness to experiment and incorporate new sounds and musical elements throughout their careers. And the artist/writer and the scientist/engineer side of me identifies with these attributes - having something to say through lyric, melody, rhythm, amplification, tone, effects, etc."

Victoria Hammill has worked with and performed with many notible artists, both on stage and in the studio; such as with Waldo Weathers & The Mix (Lead Saxman for Charlie Pride and James Brown / Country Music Hall of Fame Award), James "Nick" Nixon (The Imperials), Nashville's Queen of the Blues Marion James (Night Train to Nashville), Steve Rossi (Keyboardist for Peter Frampton), Mungo (Drummer Bo Didley), Mississippi Millie, Johnny Jones, Miranda Louise, James Cotton, Shannan de Bayou (Delicious Blues Stew), Tom Larson (Scott Holt Trio), Jackie Newhouse (Bassist for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Triple Threat), Mike Doss (Bassist for B.B. King), The Brew, to name a few. She has performed as an electric violinist and vocal solo artist and with the Victoria & Zeta Five Band from since 2003.

 

Edward T Hammill / Songwriter and Guitarist
EDWARD T HAMMILL (Guitarist / Co-Writer / Producer)

In 1993, Victoria began writing songs with guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Edward T Hammill.

As a co-writing team, they have written numerouse songs. Most recently, they cut the Quiet Storm / New Americas, a piece which fuses american blues, rhythm and blues, smooth jazz, classical, afro, latin, and brazillian genres, at Eclectica Studios in Austin, Texas.

Edward T sees color and rhythm and movement and shapes feeling with a foundation for Victoria to float on top a triangle between the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums.

In his opinion, the rhythm guitarist gets to use chords that he finds fascinating. Chords are built up with two or more notes ... He likes to use thick chords, that is; as many notes as possible to make warm and airy sounds.

Edward T uses chords to express a feeling ... and he trys to use chords to convey specific feelings that allow his audience to pick up and perceive. Sometimes he uses open tunings, or open string chords.

When he was 7 years of age, Edward T heard the folk song, "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley", on the radio. ... a sad song about a man about to die being hung ... and he felt it was an effective way to communicate.

The first 45 he ever bought was "Mamas and Papas" Monday, Monday. And the second one was the Yardbirds "Shapes and Things".

Throughout his school days, he loved writing poetry and songs. His focus started with folk, and then after high school, Edward T and his brother played in rock bands together. Later, his brother chose to tour, and Edward T chose to stay home, turning his focus to songwriting and becoming more versed with blues and jazz guitar.

The music he hears in his head is what motivates him to play and create.

Being the producer-writer type, he gets great satisfaction out of creating a new song, a new arrangement, chord progressions with movement, lyrics, and orchestration of other instruments.

With a spontaneous gift for rhyme and meter, often Edward T creates the lyrical structure, and Victoria completes the melody and verse.

 

Luiz Coutinho (Drummer / Percussionist) LUIZ COUTINHO (Drummer / Percussionist / Writer - Live & Studio)

Luiz Coutinho is a musician, drummer, and percussionist from Brazil, born into a family and culture of music and spirituality. While a young boy growing up in Brazil, Coutinho participated in several samba schools ‐‐ Blocos Afros and Afoxes ‐‐ collaborating with other musicians and studies, traveling all over Brazil, studying Brazilian culture from north to south.

In 1993 he arrived in the USA settling in Austin, Texas, "the live music capitol of the world" in an effort to broaden his love and knowledge of music. Coutinho currently has initiated his own interpretation of world music and dancing with The Batikum using his Brazilian influence with many different styles from Africa, South America, Central America, Middle East and Europe.

And now, in collaboration with Victoria & Zeta Five, The Batikum incorporates rock, blues, rhythm 'n blues, and jazz fusion, to create a new platform for dancing. Their first track, "Quiet Storm / New Americas" written by Victoria & Edward T Hammill, was recorded at Eclectic a Studios, Austin, Texas.

Luiz Coutinho has worked with and performed with many notible artists, both on stage and in the studio; such as, with Thereza Tinoco, Homen de Ben, Barrosinho, Banda Caffe, Banda Agua de Coco, Jamenja, Olodum, opened for Elton John with John Arthur Martinez, Gary Powell (Walt Disney), Duo Milagres in Mexico City, Papa Mali, The Brew, John Arthur Martinez, Oliver Rajamani, Vallejo, Carlton Pride, Hayden Vitera, Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble), Tina Marsh (Circle of Light), to name a few.

KB & the Batikum is endorsed by Nago Brasil Instruments & Percussion, and by Reis Brasil Instruments and Percussion.

Luiz Coutinho - Nago Brasil and Reis Brasil Endorsements

 

Sergio Yasbek, Guitarist SERGIO YASBEK (Lead and Rhythm Guitarist - Live & Studio).

Sergio Yazbek is from São Paulo, Brazil, and has been a professional musician for the last 30 years and has spent the last 15 years living in Rio de Janeiro recording and touring with one of the most famous pop reggae bands in Brazil, Cidade Negra. With Cidade Negra Sergio recorded 7 CDs, including a Platinum selling MTV Unplugged and 3 DVDs.

He has also toured Brazil countless times, as well as in Europe, USA, Japan and Africa. And he played at top Music Festivals, including Rock in Rio (2011) and at the Mountreux Jazz Festival (2003 and 2012) among others.

Sergio has played with Brazilian's top artists like Gilberto Gil, Martinho da Vila, Paralamas do Sucesso, Jota Quest, Daniela Mercury, Sergio Dias and Arnaldo Batista (Os Mutantes) among others, and he also appeared in two editions of Guitar Player Magazine (Brazilian editions). He is now living in Austin since March 2014.

Mayela Shepherd LILLIAM MAYALA SHEPHERD (Bassist - Live & Studio).

Lilliam Mayela Shepherd, born in Costa Rica, began her music activities at the age of 13 with a family band created by her father. She was a participant of the Four-H International Youth Programs from Costa Rica to the USA in 1981, and was an active member of several bands in Costa Rica, which includes the International touring “Cherry Band”.

A graduate of The National University of Costa Rica School of Music with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, she has worked in elementary, middle, and high school as a music educator with school districts.

In 2007, Lilliam Mayela became a United States citizen, and she is now an active teacher and musician in the Austin, Texas area. She has been invited to perform with several local bands, and to tour with W.C. Clark.

Currently living in the Austin, Texas area, Mayela is also a songwriter. “Green Calypso”, “Mi Cordillera” and ”Meditation”, are a few of her title songs.

She is excited to be a part of the Victoria & Zeta Five project.

 

Chris Castaneda

 

CHRIS CASTANEDA (Lead Guitarist - Outro / Janaina)

Chris Castaneda is an up and coming singer / songwriter / guitarist. He has recently shared the stage with such artist as Los Lonely Boys and Al Green… just to name a few. An open mind with open music, Chris plays with an intensity that can only be described as “Electrified”. Always hard at work with his national touring band Pride and Joy, Chris still finds time to work on his solo projects and gig with Grammy Award Winning Artists weekly. Chris’s new project pulls from all his influences and has resulted in a genre defying sound we call Texas Soul.

” Chris Castaneda always seems to amaze the crowd with his electrified sound and awesome showmanship”

Omar Molina

 

OMAR MOLINA (Lead Guitarist / Quiet Storm - New Americas Outro)

Omar Molina has been playing guitar for half his life, which isn’t much by any measure being in his mid-20's. Texas born and bred, he grew up listening to classic rock and found the blues by tracing rock’s steps. By taking pages out of the playbooks of his favorite guitarists (Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Brad Paisley, and Robben Ford) and adding twists of his own, he is able to create a sound that is classic in a whole new way. Although he holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master's from Austin's own University of Texas, his heart and soul are in the guitar. Omar can be found on lead guitar with numerous acts around Austin, and he is currently writing material for a solo project.

 

Kristopher Lee Wade (Bassist, Background Vocals)

 

KRISTOPHER LEE WADE (Bassist, Background Vocalist)

Bassist Kristopher Wade has studied with Dr. Utah Hamrick and has shared the stage with some of the Live Music Capitol's finest musicians including a stint with fiddle/guitar virtuoso Erik Hokkanen and 3 years with Ghosts Along the Brazos, winners of 3 Austin Music Awards.  As a member of the Marshall Ford Swing Band, Kris has shared the stage with fiddle legend Johnny Gimble (Emily, his grandaughter is also a member of the band), backed up Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel alumnus Cindy Cashdollar and Danny Levin at the Long Center's Tribute to Western Swing, played the National and American Folk Festivals and travelled to China as an Official State of Texas Representative, twice.  

 

Kelley Glover / Vocalist

 

KELLEY GLOVER (Background Vocalist / Janaina)

Kelley Glover earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Howard University with a voice minor, and a Master of Arts from the Eastman School of Music with an emphasis in ethnomusicology. Kelley is a professional singer who has performed onstage with Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Rait, Ruthie Foster, and Kris Kristoffersen among others. She studied voice with Grammy Award singer/songwriter, Jon Secada, and the Metropolitan Opera Mezzo Soprano, Hilda Harris. Kelley has also performed as a professional percussionist with Mitra Kusuma, a professional Balinese gamelan ensemble in Maryland.

Kelley Glover is the creator, executive producer, writer, and composer of a premier music literacy show, U BETTER Sing! She is also the voice of three of the characters on the show's cartoon, "U BETTER Sight-Sing!"

Along with working on her show, “U BETTER Sing!” Mrs. Glover is the vocal team leader/soloist for the Unity Church of the Hills Celebration Choir in Austin, Texas. She also teaches U Better Sing! UBS Choir to youth ages 9 to 14 and gives private vocal instruction to children and adults.

 

Tim Dolbear / Eclectica Studios Producer / Sound Engineer and Guitarist TIM DOLBEAR (Eclectica Studios Producer / Sound Engineer and Rhythm Guitarist - Janaina Jam)

Tim Dolbear cut his musical teeth playing live with people such as Sammy Hagar, and in the studio with his mentor, producer Keith Olsen. Currently, he works with both labels and independent artists, and receives projects from all over the world. Current projects Tim has produced receive airplay world wide, along with his work on soundtrack music for TV and film. Tim works in every style of music, visit the Samples page to hear selections of his work.

Tim Dolbear has worked with, produced or performed with; Sammy Hagar, Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge), Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, David Lee Roth), Jamie Oldaker (Eric Clapton, Frampton, Ace Frehley), Phil Brown (Lite Feat, Steve Perry), Larry Thompson (James Brown,John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, Otis Redding), Rebellion Records Europe, Metal Mayhem records, 909 Records, The Tonight Show Band (1989), Ashley Lolham, David Paul, Adrian and the Sickness, Zach Almond, Zach West, Juan Carlos, Strong Arm and the Bullies, Better Chemistry, Lee Halsey, DeAllen, Meliesa, Shameless, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys), Raging Saint, CroonBoom, Jansen Hawkins, Pretty Visitor, Chris Kelly, Amanda Waggener and on and on. Albums Tim produced received nominations for the Southern California Music awards.

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