ALLAN HARRIS (Narrator/Blue) Jazz vocalist Allan Harris is also a producer, composer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and educator. A natural entertainer, his dynamic stage presence has made him a mainstay in concert halls, theaters, jazz clubs and jazz festivals around the world. Tony Bennett has called him "my favorite singer." He has been a guest performer with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, the Winter and Summer Olympics, a featured guest with Country Music Star Vince Gill and with Stevie Wonder. Ever since he burst on the jazz scene in the latter part of the twentieth century, The Brooklyn-born, Harlem-based vocalist/guitarist/ bandleader/composer Allan Harris has reigned supreme as one of the most accomplished and exceptional singers of his generation. Described by the Miami Herald as an artist blessed with, "the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat 'King' Cole," the ample and aural evidence of Harris' "protean talent" can be heard on his ten recordings as a leader; his far-flung and critically-acclaimed concerts around the world; and his numerous awards, which include the 2022 Sarah Vaughan International Vocalist award, the New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist—which he won three times—the Backstage Bistro Award for Ongoing Achievement in Jazz, the Harlem Speaks Jazz Museum of Harlem Award and the DownBeat Critic's Poll Rising Star Jazz Vocalist Award. Memories of his early career playing guitar and singing with country rock bands inspired Allan to create his 2006 song-cycle Cross That River, a stunning portrait of the African American West. Cross That River recently finished a five-week run at 59E59 Theater in New York City to critical acclaim.
TANESHA GARY (Mama Lila, Dark Spanish Lady, Mail Order Woman) is honored to be part of the Cross That River family! Tanesha Gary is a recording artist (original member of EarthGrylz-Capitol Records), Broadway, TV and film actor. She was part of the original company of Caroline, or Change on Broadway. She's a current member of the Tony Award^®^winning, Grammy-nominated Broadway Inspirational Voices choir. Tanesha has performed with Patti LaBelle, Oleta Adams and JT Taylor of Kool & The Gang. She's a vocalist in (MSNBC) Joe Scarborough's band, Independent Council of Funk, and delights audiences across America headlining Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin tributes with Soul of America Orchestra. She was a company member of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fat Ham (The Public Theatre, NY), starred in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill (Human Race Theatre) and is the voice of Worm's mom in Bug Diaries (Amazon). Tanesha's grateful for God's continued blessings.
JEREMY COUSAR (Young Blue) is a NYC-based artist originally from Charlotte, NC. He is thrilled to join this cycle of Cross That River with Love Productions. Some of Jeremy's recent work includes: Motor City Live (Elite Casino Marketing), Choir Boy (Bobby), and Amateur Night at the Apollo (2022 Finalist) He would like to thank his home base (mom, dad and extended family) for the love and overflow of support. You can follow Jeremy on all social media platforms @jeremycousar
CAROLYN LEONHART (Courtney) A soulful singer of "stunning intelligence" with a voice that is "absolute magic" (Jazz Times), award-winning vocalist Carolyn Leonhart has released four critically acclaimed solo albums which have charted jazz radio stations worldwide. In addition to headlining at jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals with her solo band, Carolyn has been a member of the iconic jazz/rock group Steely Dan for over a decade, appearing as a featured back-up vocalist on every album and every tour, including the multi Grammy Award-winning Two Against Nature. Carolyn has toured and performed with Al Jarreau, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Enya, The Charles Mingus Big Band, Helen Sung and Christian Sands, and she was recently featured at Jazz At Lincoln Center.
ARCOIRIS SANDOVAL (Piano/Keyboards) is a jazz pianist, composer and Fulbright Award recipient currently residing in New York City and originally from Arizona. She obtained her master's degree in jazz piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music and has won several ASCAP young jazz composer awards as well as being a semifinalist at in the Montreux Solo Jazz Piano competition, a participant in the Mary Lou Williams Festival, Betty Carter Jazz Ahead and the Metropole Orkest Arrangers Workshop directed by Vince Mendoza featuring Richard Bona. "Her award-winning writing has a melodic sensibility that's all her own, often challenging and using rhythms that don't interlock so much as overlap" (The Washingtonian).
NORMAN EDWARDS (Drums/Cajon/Mule Skinner) was born on March 15, 1985, in Queens, NY. He was born into a musical family; his father was a drummer in the gospel scene and his mother was a dancer and clarinetist. Norman went to the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and The Performing Arts majoring in music. Norman also studied at The Manhattan School of Music and ended his studies with a master's degree in jazz performance. Norman is a two-time Grammy-nominated artist under the Jazz Heads label with the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. The name of the albums are Kenya Revisited: Live, and Tito Puente Masterworks:Live. Norman is an educator with Manhattan School of Music's Preparatory Division, Arts Connection and the New York Youth Musicians School in Brooklyn, NY.
MARTY KENNEY (Bass) Based in New York City, Marty Kenney is among his generation's most versatile and in-demand double and electric bassists. Originally from Palmer, AK, Marty received his bachelor's degree at the University of Northern Colorado. He relocated to New York City in 2012, where he completed his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music, studying under bassist Jay Anderson. Marty has toured throughout the United States and Europe including performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Pori Jazz Festival, the Mosaic Festival in Romania, and many famous jazz clubs and venues around the world.
ALAN GRUBNER (Violin) graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College where he received both the 1998 MacDonald-Smith Music Prize for High Achievement in Musical Performance and the Heiman-Rosenthal Ensembles Award for High Achievement in the Creative Arts. He continued graduate studies in jazz performance at Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory. Some of Alan's more recent work on fiddle is featured throughout the groundbreaking film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival and the Caméra d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. Alan plays violin and viola on the soundtracks of multiple episodes of the Emmy Award-winning TV series, Louie, starring Grammy Award-winning comedian, Louis C.K. In 2012 Alan received two commissions to compose pieces for contemporary alternative string quartet. "Missed Rust" and "Drops" were premiered respectively by the North Sky Cello Quartet at the historic Trinity Church concert series in Downtown Manhattan and the Nurse Kaya String Quartet at Bennington College. The debut album from Alan Grubner's Firelight Ensemble, Long Road Home, features Mr. Grubner's songwriting, and performances by Aoife O'Donovan, Sonya Kitchell and Philip Hamilton.
MATT SMITH (Guitar/Banjo/Dobro/Mandolin) is a lifelong musical performer. He's played the Blue Note as well as Carnegie Hall, Central Park Summerstage, and Eisenhower Park with the New York Pops Orchestra. He's performed with, opened for, or recorded with B.B. King, Sheryl Crow, Trey Anastasio, Al DiMeola, Greg Allman, Los Lobos, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, Adrian Legg, Ed Gerhard, Portishead and many others. A born troubadour, Matt has performed at numerous international guitar festivals including the Bath International Guitar Festival and the Montreal Guitar Festival. His family history of bands includes The Matt Smith Band, The Monstas, Matt Smith's World, Chop Shop, and The Hot Nut Riveters.
REGGE LIFE (Director) is pleased to be remounting Cross That River after a triumphant reading at the Aspen Theater in the summer of 2014. His recent credits include Dishwasher Dreams at the Castillo Center and PS 21 in Chatham New York. He directed God of Carnage and the widely acclaimed Kaufman's Barbershop at Shakespeare & Company. He has directed across the country with credits that include I Just Stopped by to See the Man for Milwaukee Rep, Yellowman and Gem of the Ocean for Pittsburgh Public Theater, Ghosts for the Pearl Theater, Piano Lesson for Virginia Stage Company, A Walk in the Woods at Capital Rep, Rebel Armies into Deep Chad, Laurence Fishburne's Riff Raff and Arthur Miller's The American Clock for The Juilliard School as well as Living in the Wind and Do Lord Remember Me at The American Place Theatre.
PAT HARRIS (Producer) Artist manager, producer and agent Pat Harris has been managing and booking jazz artists since 1997. Her current roster includes Allan Harris (jazz/blues vocals/ guitar) Igor Butman & the Moscow Jazz Orchestra and Cross that River. Harris has been a panelist for IAJE, Jazz Congress, and Jazz Across Borders (which she helped organize in St. Petersburg, Russia). She runs an independent record label, Love Productions Records, for which she has co-produced 14 Allan Harris recordings. For the past 18 years she has produced 2 Great Days of Jazz during APAP Conference in New York. Other productions: Jazz at Sotheby's, Monday Night Jazz in Harlem, the parlor jazz series Harlem After Dark and the weekly stream of Harlem After Dark Unplugged. Harris is a co-writer and producer of the Allan Harris musical Cross That River which has toured the country from the Kennedy Center to San Angelo, TX.
