Lisa Haley and the Zydekats bring modern Roots music to a wide audience, reaching far beyond a traditional genre. Lisa is a Grammy-nominated fiddler, dancer, vocalist, and songwriter, serving up heart-moving Louisiana Bayou rhythms, traditional stylings, and original songs that speak to all ages. They’re the most joyful Americana/Cajun/Zydeco act on tour today. A fourth-generation fiddler and a Blue Fiddle Records recording artist, Lisa’s musical upbringing combines multi-faceted genres of Americana, Cajun/Zydeco, Irish/Celtic, World/Pop, Folk/Bluegrass, Blues, R&B, and Jazz genres. Her work tells the story of a family and cultural journey through time. Her mother’s family were Irish immigrants, arriving in Roddy Bayou, Louisiana, in 1718 to escape a smallpox epidemic. Close on their heels came the French Diaspora of the late 1700’s. The family soon married into the LeBoeuf, Broussard, Lambert, and Thibodaux families. Born in Delaware to expatriate Southern parents serving in the Navy Reserve and the Pentagon, Lisa is a descendant of Francis Scott Key and also kin to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bill Haley, and Pocahontas. She spent much of her early life in the South and began performing at age four, becoming the protégé of legendary Cajun accordionist Joe Simien.

More information: http://www.lisahaley.com

At age three singing before a congregation of 1500 people on Easter Sunday, Yve (pronounced “Eve”) Evans had no idea that performance was her destiny. However, the little girl grew up to be an outstanding singer and pianist. There is an intangible quality in her music that gives it a life of its own, a life that reaches out and touches the souls of the people who hear it. Yve has performed all around the world and has played with some of the greats in jazz and cut five CDs (all done live and in only one take, the way jazz was meant to be). Evans was mentored by internationally renowned choral conductor Jester Harriston and attended the University of Califorina, Irvine, School of Fine Arts where she studied Opera and Theater. Evans’ band (she calls it her Company) is comprised of some of the industry’s most accomplished musicians. Each performance shows a dedication to the tradition and understanding of jazz and its timeless repertoire. The goal is sharing the sheer joy and freedom that her music brings, or at the very least taking the audience on a musical roller-coaster ride with Yve at the helm. The title of her latest CD sums up her style “3 Degrees Celsius – not frozen, just very cool.”

More information: http://www.yveevans.com/home.html

Gilbert Hansen was formerly the bassist for The Pointer Sisters. Now he has his own band that plays cover tunes, including standard rock ‘n roll and R&B.

More information: N/A

Saxophonist Paul Carman, who has been playing in Southern California for over 35 years, is a veteran of the Frank Zappa Band of the late 1980s. Other artists Paul has played and recorded with include Kei Akagi, Vinny Golia, Bruce Fowler, Larry Koonse, Kim Richmond, and Brad Dutz. Forbits is only one of the jazz groups Paul has led over the years. He is also a member of the Los Angeles collective WEDU, collaborating with trombonist Joey Sellers and saxophonist Matt Zebley. An accomplished composer, he has released four critically acclaimed CDs and has composed and recorded music for several independent films. Passionate about jazz education, Paul has taught jazz, jazz history, saxophone, and computer music applications at USC, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Saddleback Collage, and several high schools. He is the developer of the acclaimed jazz teaching tool, CD Metronome, used in virtually every jazz school in the world. Paul also maintains a private teaching practice and teaches jazz studies and saxophone at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, where he lives with his family.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/paulcarmanmusic/

Jazz in the Pines audiences will have a special opportunity to hear six students from Idyllwild Arts Academy perform during the festival. Their teacher Paul Carman and recent alum Owen Zorn will join the sextet as they play material performed at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival in Boston and the Reno Jazz Festival. The students are Moe Fienberg (Class of 2018, trumpet), Mark Beebe (Class of 2019, alto sax), Cisco de la Garza (Class of 2018, tenor sax), Michael Dunaevsky (Class of 2020, piano), Ray Godfrey (Class of 2020, bass), and Caelen Perkins (Class of 2019, drums). Moe and Cisco will attend The New School in New York to continue their jazz studies.

Originally from Hemet, California, Owen Zorn moved to Idyllwild in 2014 to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy, and in 2017 to Los Angeles, where he maintains a performing and recording schedule as an up-and-coming artist. He studied under jazz legend Marshall Hawkins for six years, including a year of private study when he was 11, a year coming up to the Academy to play in Hawkins’ ensembles when he was 12, and four years at the Academy. Zorn is a member of the Jed Holtman Trio and of Erik Findling Entity and has performed on KCSB 91.9 with Finding Ikigai, led by Avery Scanlon. He has also performed with Richie Cole, Harry Pickens, Evan Christopher, Charles Owens, Bob Boss, Gilbert Castellanos, John Rodby, Tom Heinz, Sherry Williams, and Andy Fraga.

More information: https://owenzornbass.wordpress.com

Theo Saunders: Piano
Thedross Avery: Saxophone
Henry Franklin: Bass
Yayo Morales: Drums

Henry Frankiln is a jazz double-bassist who played on Hugh Masekela’s 1968 number-one single, “Grazing in the Grass,” as well as with Masekela’s band at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival. Franklin has played and recorded with Gene Harris & the Three Sounds, Hampton Hawes, Freddie Hubbard, Bobbi Humphrey, Willie Bobo, Archie Shepp, O.C. Smith, Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, and Al Jarreau. His recording of “Soft Spirit,” composed by Sanifu Al Hall, Jr., was featured on the breakbeat compilation Tribe Vibes, as it had been sampled by A Tribe Called Quest. Franklin recorded five albums with Hampton Hawes and played with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Billy Higgins, and Scott LaFaro. He appears on more than 100 albums, many produced under his leadership, and has published a method book for bass players called Bassically Yours.

More information: http://www.henryfranklin.com