Justine Miller—trumpet, vocals
Justine won a music scholarship to University of Nevada-Las Vegas then studied in the masters program at Peabody Conservatory in computer music. She has toured everywhere from Maryland to Florida to Puerto Rico in bands playing Latin, R&B, funk, jazz and classical. Justine has worked with 2 Funkin’ Heavy, an all-girl funk band, as well as with numerous Latin groups. She has recorded with many bands including 2 Funkin’ Heavy, The Brenda David Group, Heoka, and Malvin Lopez.
David McDavitt—drums
Since first punching through the fragile paper heads of a toy drum kit at age seven, drums have been David's madness. He specializes in Ewe, Akan, & Ga music, often orchestrating tribal ensemble drum parts onto his Afrotrap kit. David studied with Ghanaian royal drummer Asante Okyerema (Paul Simon). David has celebrated his passion for African music playing with Jimi Hope,
Meet Chopteeth
Michael Shereikis—
vocals, guitar
Michael's deep fascination with various African guitar styles began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic. He subsequently honed his skills playing with local recording artists in New Orleans and in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), while pursuing an advanced degree in ethnomusicology. He is a founding member of the Ivoirian group Zieti
Craig Considine—trombone
Craig performs and records with several bands in Baltimore. He can be heard playing Latin Jazz with Rumba Club, Rock and Soul with All Mighty Senators, and original music as well as live scores for silent films with Anne Watts and Boister. Craig has played his trombone for audiences all over the world. In the D.C. area he has played Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian, The 9:30 Club and many other venues.
 | ||||||
Mark’s high school rock band played at the original Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, and he has spent the 40 years since performing with some of the most respected names in jazz, soul and funk. Mark toured for seven years with the DC horn section backing Gladys Knight and the Pips, and has played and recorded music around the US and
Mark Gilbert—saxophones
Mexico with artists such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Dells, Cab Calloway, Don Cherry, Los Flamers, Rootboy Slim, Trouble Funk and many others. Mark has performed during three Presidential inaugurations, and he has played in many local jazz, funk and salsa groups including Windmill Saxophone Quartet, Locura, Chainsaw Jazz and Vector.
Trevor Specht—
saxophones, vocals
Trevor combined his interest in technology and music as a computer music student at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He has performed a wide variety of musical styles with many different groups, ranging from classical saxophone quartets and wind ensembles to funk/rock party bands. A few of Trevor's musical heroes are Branford Marsalis, Charles Mingus and John Cage.
Victor Crisen—guitar
Originally from Romania, Victor has been playing guitar since childhood. He studied music at the University of Maryland, where he was privileged to play with the Maryland Jazz Ensemble and work with maestro Chris Vadala. Victor has collaborated with a number of groups, including funkers Original Jones and alt-rockers The Walk (now Continuous Play). He teaches guitar professionally and has done studio recording work in addition to pursuing acting.
Robert Fox—bass
Robert has been playing and collecting music for more than thirty years, and he is a student of many musical genres. His influences include Duke Ellington, The Velvet Underground, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, John Zorn, Manu Chao and Johnny Cash. Robert lives in Takoma Park, MD.
Cheryl received her Master of Music Education degree from the Eastman School of Music with a concentration in trumpet performance and jazz studies. A veteran performer who has played since age 8, Cheryl has experience in a variety of musical genres, including jazz, classical, Latin, funk, blues and rock. She has appeared as a member of the Wammie-nominated all-girl funk band, Zeala, and when not performing,
Cheryl Terwilliger—trumpet
Cheryl is a full-time music teacher at a local independent school. She also maintains a studio of private students.
and is currently producing their debut release in the US for Rootstock Productions. In addition to his first love, the old-school afropop of Chopteeth, Michael gigs and records with several groups in the Washington DC area. Michael can be reached at rootstockproductions@msn.com.
Photos of Michael, Craig, Cheryl, Trevor, and Victor are courtesy of
CL Kunst/Clicks Photography. Photo of Robert is courtesy of Veronika Lukasova.
Brian Simms—keyboards
An award-winning keyboardist, vocalist, arranger, and accordion player, Brian also leads Baltimore’s renowned New Orleans funk band Junkyard Saints, and has toured and recorded with Rounder recording artists Disappear Fear. Brian performs with many of the DC area's most notable bands and musicians, including Billy Coulter, Patty Reese Band, Squeeze Bayou, and 2009 Grammy-nominated group Milkshake. Additionally, Brian records extensively; he has performed on over 100 CDs, and he can be heard on numerous radio and TV spots. Most recently he was voted 2009 Musician of the Year by the Washington Area Music Association. Brian is a
graduate of Towson University’s music program. He teaches independently and is a guest lecturer on the music business at area colleges.
Cheick Hamala Diabate, and A Different Drummer. David teaches architecture, and directs a children’s African drum ensemble.
Atta Addo—percussion
Atta Addo grew up in a musical family in Accra (Ghana), and began playing drums at age 7. By the age of 12 he had joined his first working group, and by 17 he was touring in Europe, East Africa and beyond with a series of world-class artists. Atta has played with the likes of Hugh Masakela, Angelique Kidjo, Toots & The Maytals, Orlando Julius Ekemode, Alhadji K. Frimpong and others. Since coming to the US
several years ago, Atta has taught drumming at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and has toured the US with Los Angelos-based band Solfege.
Jason Walker—percussion
Jason Walker is a multi-disciplined percussionist with over twenty years of training and experience. He began his training in the eighties with Kenneth Krohn. He is a 1996 graduate (BM percussion performance) from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT. Currently Jason studies Afro-Cuban rhythms with master percussionist Sam Turner and Ashiko with Baba Taiwo Duvall. Jason's music can be found in a number of settings including: performance, recording, therapeutic intervention, dance accompanist, and group and private instruction.
