member profiles

Jim Wilson is an acclaimed recording artist of piano-featured instrumentals. Guests on Jim’s recordings include Arlo Guthrie, David Sanborn, Stephen Bishop, and Dan Fogelberg. Four of Jim’s 10 recordings have hit the Billboard Top-20 and he’s had two PBS specials.

Jimi Yamagishi's current release “Talkstory” derives its title from the Hawaiian phrase for hanging out with friends and enjoying the moment. This is what this collection of songs is all about. Jimi speaks from a deeper place, painting stories with words & music, in a unique style that is all his own. Jimi is a songwriter advocate, journalist, motivational speaker & someone who knows the importance of knowing people for who they are, not for what they can do for you. He is also the director of Songnet.org, a songwriters group that you should check out.

Nominated five times for Pop Entertainer of the Year by the Chicago Music Awards (other nominees have been Mavis Staples, and Jennifer Hudson, to name a few), Joan Hammel is an award winning professional vocalist who performs live as well as appears in commercials and films, and on television and radio.

Grammy® nominated Joanie Leeds is a NAPPA Gold Winner, Gold Parents´Choice Award Winner, USA Songwriting Competition 1st Place Winner and an Independent Music Award Winner, John Lennon Songwriting Contest Finalist, Nickelodeon's Parent's Pick Winner with music featured in People Magazine, Parents Magazine, NY Times, NY Post, Washington Post and #1 Song on Sirius/XM's Kids Place Live and WXPN's Kids Corner. She also plays in an Americana duo with Matt Check, and they are happy to play for us this evening.

Joanne Lazzaro is a classically trained world flutist, composer, independent recording artist, founder of the Los Angeles World Flute Circle, Principal flute of Beach Cities Symphony & freelance performer. Her award-winning 2015 solo Native American flutealbum UNDER THE STARS, can be heard on various radio programs. She has performed all over the world, including Los Angeles (Disney Hall), New York, Chicago (Symphony Center), San Diego, Philadelphia & New Jersey - as well as Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Monaco, & the Netherlands.