Anna Cheek

Music:

Member Since: 6/12/2006
Band Website: www.annacheek.com
Band Members:

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order and lends to all that is good and just and beautiful" ~ Plato

I think it all started back when I was about 3 years old and I discovered a pair of my brother's drumsticks lying around. Curious of course, I went for the sticks and started hammering away. My parents figured they would try to save some of the furniture in the house from me and my sticks so they bought me my first drum (thanks!). Little did I know that I would rediscover the drums several years later and find a craft that would become one of my passions in life. I like to call it "making music." I was living in Puerto Rico at the time I did my first gig, I think I was about 15. I joined my brother, blues/rock guitarist Joe Quintana, in a band that played clubs and bars across the island. It blew my mind to be part of that scene, to watch people dancing and feel them grooving to the music. And it was only the beginning of the many journeys to come. Somewhere on the long list of musicians and people I met playing music in Puerto Rico came the name Anna Cheek. Anna was singing and playing keyboards in one of the local bands (7th Wave) that I later joined as well. One of the cool things about Anna's band was that she would sneak some of her original tunes in the mix-- they sounded really good. I remember saying to myself, "Wow, she should record this stuff!" The next few years were nonstop nights of gigs all over Puerto Rico with a number of different bands from outdoor beach bars to 1,000 seat venues. One day I got a call. Anna Cheek was in Woodstock, New York, getting ready to record an album of those original tunes and asked would I come up to record with her in the studio. That became the beginning of another journey: moving to New York, taking Anna's music on the road, recording two more albums with her, and getting to work and play with yet more interesting and talented people. Robert Frazza, the producer who mixed and engineered "Closer to Now" and recorded and produced "Live at Mast Cove", is one of them. Through Robert came the amazing opportunity to work a tour with the Tony Levin Band and play drums on stage with the guys every night. An awesome experience (thanks guys). Living in New York I have gotten the chance to play along side some of the finest musicians, songwriters and bands in and around the area: Robbie Dupree, Bar Scott, Jim Weider and the Meg Johnson Band to mention a few. When Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and political activist Roy Brown came on U.S. tour with his band Trova Nostra, I was able to join them, including my brother Joe on guitar, for gigs in several cities. It's good to be back in the studio with Robert and Anna for the new Anna Cheek CD. I've also been playing original and adapted funk/jazz/hip-hop/r&b fusion with some amazing musicians in "da411" - which started as the Joyous Lake house band, Flash & Ted Orr on guitars, Mike Coletti on bass who I also get to play with in the Anna Cheek band, Ross Rice on Keys and Vocals, Baby Son rapping on the mike and Peter Buettner on sax. I guess I'll continue grooving through these musical journeys sharing my soundtrack with those of you who are along for the ride in one way or another.
Performance (Drums/Percussion) - Joe Quintana Band, Equilibrio, Anna Cheek, Tony Levin Band, Bar Scott, Jim Weider, Meg Johnson Band, Robbie Dupree, Larry Hoppen, Roy Brown, da411/Lakehouse Band Sound and Stage Tech - Tony Levin Band, Robbie Dupree Band, Mood Ring Studio recordings (Drums/Percussion) - "Closer to Now," (Anna Cheek); "LIVE at Mast Cove" (Anna Cheek)

Kyle Esposito has studied and performed music for over 25 years. Focusing on theory, arranging and composition, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. He has worked steadily as a bandleader and sideman on both Guitar and Bass. Performing and recording over the last decade as Bassist with George Baker (former guitarist and musical director for Marvin Gaye) solidified his approach to Blues and R&B, while his own band, Fourth House, received favorable national press for it's blend of Rock with Jazz-influenced harmony and an advanced rhythmic concept.
Currently, Kyle is Guitarist and songwriter in the Meg Johnson Band, whose CD "Between You and the Golden Sun" is receiving airplay around the northeast. He can also be found playing Fretless Bass in Less Deluxe, a highly improvisational trio with an appetite for sonic adventure.
Whether filling the Bass or Guitar chair in Anna's band he finds a unique opportunity for musical dialog and teamwork within the well-crafted, emotionally expressive framework of her songs.

Michael has been playing the electric bass on the Northeastern US club scene for over twenty years. Starting performing in clubs at age fifteen, he has enjoyed playing music of all genres including, Jazz, R&B, Funk, and Rock. Michael earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in music from SUNY@ Purchase. Michael studied under world famous organist and harpsichordist, Anthony Newman and producer Jim McElwaine. Some of Michaels session work includes: Leslie West's /Alligator/ release; studio recordings with songwriter/composer Frank Carillo (Peter Frampton, Carillo, Golden Earring,). Michael loves performing and songwriting. Three co-written cuts will be featured on Eric Hills upcoming CD. He feels very privileged and honored to join Anna, Manuel, and Kyle on what will certainly be an exciting and magical musical journey.
Session work includes: Leslie West's /Alligator/ release; studio recordings with songwriter/composer Frank Carillo (Peter Frampton, Carillo, Golden Earring,). Eric Hills upcoming CD

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A melodic and soulful player in a range of styles, Bob creates a percussion sound that complements the textured tunes of Anna Cheek. A mainstay on the Northeast music scene, in recent years, Bob has been playing blues with Folding Sky, world beat with Mare's Nest, roots rock with the Meg Johnson Band, and jazz with the Shanghai Cowboys. With an eye on the melody and an ear to the rhythm, Bob's experienced playing and enthusiasm is the perfect accompaniment to the pensive, diverse songs of Anna.
Influences: Mazzy Star, JS Bach, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, Nico, Eartha Kitt, Victoria Williams, Rikki Lee Jones, The Band, Imogen Heap, Tori Amos, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits, Frederic Chopin, Carol King, Mercury Rev, Bruce Springsteen, Nancy Griffith, Janis Ian, Bruce Hornsby, YOU&nbsp