About Me
Brad Kraft - Sax
Brad has been playing the saxophone for over 15 years. After high school, he moved to Saskatoon where he studied at the University of Saskatchewan in the Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education program under saxophonists Marvin Ekroth and Glen Gillis. Brad had a nine-piece funk band in Saskatoon known as the Plan. After 3 years of playing in bars, and night clubs around Saskatoon, he decided to move on to bigger and better things. Brad moved to Calgary in January of 2006 where he immediately got in contact with Steve Scharfstein. Collectively, the two formed the band Trip the Lights.
Steve Scharfstein - Keyboard
Steve spent 11 years in the Royal Conservatory of Music starting at the age of 6. After that, he moved on and entered the world of jazz. He has been studying and performing jazz for the past 8 years throughout western Canada and Ontario. Steve spent a year studying jazz piano at Humber College in Toronto under some of Canada's most accomplished jazz musicians (Mike Murley, David Occhupinti, and Brian Dickinson). Most of Steve’s performances have been with jazz groups playing at all kinds of venues including coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, bars, weddings, stadiums, and outdoor events. Steve moved to Calgary in September of 2005 and helped form Trip the Lights in February of 2006. Ever since, Steve has found his true calling in the genre of Funk & Soul.
Nic DeGama-Blanchet - Bass/vocals
Nic fronted Brit power rock trio Third Party Stories in the late eighties and then went on to form and front funk rockers Jo Crow in the early nineties. Jo Crow went on to open for Toyah Wilcox and Stiltskin on UK tours in the mid nineties. Nic moved to Calgary in 2001 and co-fronted the power rock trio Busted and then went on to co-front the short-lived but highly rated Tommy Tequila and the Worms. After Tommy Tequila folded, Nic knew it was time to return to the funk and hooked up with Trip The Lights. This band has proven to be the ideal vehicle for the funky bass parts Nic had been scheming on for years.
Alex Hamilton - Lead vocals
Alex Hamilton began singing in the Calgary Boys Choir when he was 9. For the past 10 years Alex has been singing in different rock, jazz, soul, and funk bands where he currently has come to sing with us.
Graham Mezzarobba - Guitar
Graham began playing guitar at the age of 12, and has been fortunate to study under and perform with some of the world's more talented guitarists and musicians. He studied blues stylings under Chris Williams in Calgary, Flamenco rhythms under Roberto Cerda in Mexico and Japanese Flamenco/classical master Kiirchiro Hayashi in Taiwan. In 2003, Graham returned to Calgary and joined The Fat Cats, a power-funk trio. When he saw an ad in the local newspaper beckoning a guitarist for a funk band, Graham made the jump to Trip The Lights where he now brings his eclectic rhythms to the well-rounded sound of the band.
Celene Yohemas - Drums
Celene Yohemas has created a freelance career in percussion and drums as a performer, composer and educator. She has performed in many genres including classical, folk, pop, jazz, country and world.
