THE 'OFFICIAL' ROOFTOP BIO:
The ROOFTOP is an all-star band fronted by some of the biggest names on the NYC Soul scene. With a focus on songwriting, the sound is a unique blend of modern soul, jazz, blues, gospel, and acoustic world music. The songs feature intelligent lyrics about life, with melodies floating above stylized chords and rhythms. The end result is a fresh sound with raw grit. It's not that synthetic soul sound from the corporate music world, it's REAL.
The group was originally born out of artist collectives like The Lobby and Westside Rhyme (not to mention a few jam session parties thrown on various rooftops). Crowds of NYC hipsters would come to hear cutting edge original music and spoken word. With no rules to bound the performances, producer/guitarist Christian Ver Halen (CVH) saw this as a perfect setting to work with some of his favorite vocalists, MC's, poets, and musicians.
After several shows a ROOFTOP performance was finally recorded for the world to hear. The result is the CD titled 'A Live Shot'. It features a literal "who's who" of the NYC Indie-Soul scene. The band members all lead their own projects and they each bring something unique to the music. They have all recorded and/or toured with some of the biggest names in the world: soul legends Stevie Wonder & Roberta Flack, hip-hop artists Common & Talib Kweli, jazz greats Wynton Marsalis & Cassandra Wilson, and African superstar Angelique Kidjo are just a few.
The CD 'A Live Shot' is a benefit for Music Rising. This non-profit organization brings aid to musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. www.musicrising.org . You can purchase it at the bottom of this section.
Buy the disc, save a life.
THE 'WHATEVER' BIO FOR ME:
I don’t know how, but I’ve found myself right in the middle of a scene that’s blowing up as you read this. Some call it “NYC Indie-Soulâ€, others just call it "Soulful Songwriters" or "Raw Soul", whatever....I just hope people call it “good musicâ€. A few years ago I started writing and performing with Maya Azucena. She’s flat out amazing. We wrote some tunes, started playing gigs, people dug it (thank you!!), we worked our asses off, and now she's one of the few independent artists known worldwide. Through the years I’ve also gotten to work with so many other great musicians and vocalists. I put together The ROOFTOP because I wanted to bring these amazing artists together. It’s a really powerful experience, and the shows are off the muhfuggin’ hook. So I made a live CD to capture the raw, earthy feeling of the music. And there’s a whole lot more to it than what you can see here. You can hear samples in the Snocap store above, or check the official website to hear the whole songs. The next CD will be more about beats and production, but I like coming out of the box having people know that the music is REAL and the talent level of these artists is HIGH, no doubt. Ain’t no Ashlee Simpsons on my stage, godammit.
Maya's new CD "Junkyard Jewel" came out in May on Purpose Records. It's an all-acoustic soul album. Beautiful and raw. There ain't nuthin' like it out there! And its already gotten a lot of great press. I co-wrote almost all of the songs with Maya, I wrote the string arrangements, and I also co-produced the cd. Check out the sneak previews of the songs "Down Down" and "Junkyard Jewel" in the music player above. You can pick it up right here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mayaazucenaKendra's new CD "New Voice" is really a stunning debut cd. She's already worked with Kanye West, Talib Kweli (he's on her CD), Faith Evans, and others. Finally she's out doing her thing. I produced the CD, played guitar, co-wrote half of the songs, blah blah blah. There's so much more to it than what you can hear with the song samples above. It's worth the .99 cents to get the whole track (or just get the whole CD) and keep it. For now you can order the album thru the link on the left - under 'band members' or thru iTunes right here
On the other side of reality, I’ve been booking music at The Blue Note in New York City – which is one of the most famous venues in the world. Through that gig I’ve met and/or performed with many of my heroes: Mos Def, BB King, Savion Glover, Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, Talib Kweli, Bill Cosby, and a billion others. It’s primarily a jazz club, but I’ve started a couple of programs that have worked out really well: “The New Sound of Soul†series – which spotlights the top names on the NYC Indie-Soul scene, and “The Late Night Groove Series†– where I get to book all sorts of cool DJ’s, experimental soul, rock and jazz groups, jam bands, live hip-hop, beatboxers with jazz musicians, poets, whatever. The shows are dope, and I'm glad that I get to check out so much cool music.
Damn straight. Now that James Brown has passed, I am OFFICIALLY the hardest working man in show business!
One more thing that’s always been crucial to me is giving to others who are less fortunate. It just makes me feel better. And I’m lucky enough to work with people who share this quality. We frequently perform at fundraisers and benefit shows for those who are struggling, whether its afflicted children, breast cancer survivors, 9/11 relief, Darfur rallies, etc. We’ve even done some shows at prisons – Johnny Cash style – which have been truly amazing experiences. Read my blog titled “Why does the CD benefit Music Rising†and you'll understand.
Take a sec and check the website here . It’s got a whole lotta music on there: studio versions, bonus live material, sneak previews, etc. Each song has a little “Behind the Music†section where I talk about the songwriting or producing process. It’s got photos from our tours. And tons of cool shit. www.TheRooftopMusic.com
Spread the word.
Peace,
CVH