Carla Helmbrecht vocal | Gaea Schell piano | Ruth Davies bass | Michael O'Neill saxophone and bandleader
DISCOGRAPHY
JAZZANOVA with Arturo Sandoval and Branford Marasalis [2018 Album]
Quiet Intentions with Akio Sasajima [2012 Album]
Here's to Love [2004 Album]
Be Cool, Be Kind [2001 Album]
Debuted as “the most added jazz record on radio in the nation”, and reached #8 on Gavin Jazz radio and received three Grammy nominations, featuring Ernie Watts (saxophone), Joe LaBarbara (drums), Tom Warrington (bass), Peter Horvath (piano & arranger), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Michael Spiro (percussion), and Larry Koonse (guitar).
One for My Baby [1994 Album]
Grammy-nominated singer/song-writer, Carla Helmbrecht, began her love affair with music at the age of eight. A native of Wisconsin, Carla was raised in a large music-loving family and had an inherent desire for music. It was her father who introduced her to jazz, and it was not uncommon for the entire family to spend endless evenings making music. By age 13, she was singing professionally and continued her musical studies through high school and college. Early influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, and Blossom Dearie. Her dual career in music and Speech Pathology has given her a unique understanding of the balance between vocal efficiency and expression in this fragile instrument – the voice.
Carla has enjoyed living in San Francisco since 1997 – performing, recording, and teaching. She tours nationally and internationally and has been a featured artist at special events/venues like the KXJZ Sacramento Jazz Concert Series, the cabaret production “Sassy Divas”, the San Francisco International Film Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Katy/West Houston Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s (Oakland), JZ Brats (Tokyo), the Blue Room (Kansas City), and the Fillmore Jazz Fest. She has had the great pleasure of sharing the stage with the likes of Tony Campizi, Bob Mintzer, Louie Bellson, Peter Horvath, Ernie Watts, Brad Leali, Cyrus Chestnut, Claus Raible, Alvester Garnett, and Akio Sasajima.
Ruth Davies has performed with Clark Terry, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Jay McShann, Van Morrison, Maria Muldaur, Junior Mance, Barbara Morrison, Etta Jones, Terry Gibbs, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Little Jimmy Scott. She toured the world for ten years with the late Charles Brown, performing at major jazz festivals, concerts and radio and television broadcasts. Ruth continues to spend considerable time abroad. Lately she performs and travels with Elvin Bishop's band. She has been on the faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for 17 years and has had a very successful annual "Ruth Davies Blues Night" series at the Stanford Jazz Festival. She also is actively engaged in the San Francisco Symphony’s "Adventures in Music" program and the "Just Say Jazz” project.
Michael O’Neill, a San Diego native, began studying clarinet at an early age. His first mentor was his neighbor, the great jazz and studio drummer, John Guerin. After the usual involvement with school bands and orchestras, Michael did a stint in the Air Force Band. In college, while majoring in Biology, he minored in music studying composition and arranging as well as jazz performance. After a brief career in science, Michael returned to music full time, studying saxophone with the great Joe Henderson while playing in dance bands, salsa bands and doing local jazz gigs. During this time Michael became interested in composition and formed groups to perform his original material, a trend that is ongoing today. Besides jazz composition, Michael’s interests have taken him into orchestral and ethnic musical forms. In the 1980's he began writing music for documentaries and television for which he now has a long list of credits. Jazz performance residencies as leader include 13 years at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon bay, 7 years at Cetrella Half Moon Bay and 6 years at the Hotel Sofitel in Redwood Shores. Michael has performed and/or recorded with Idris Muhammad, Joe Locke, Michael Wolff, Giacomo Gates, Geoffrey Keezer, Maria Muldaur, Eddie Fisher, Rodney Jones, Kim Nalley, Jackie Ryan, Tony Lindsay, Margie Baker, Faye Carol, Brenda Boykin, Jeff Chambers, Rob Schneiderman, Mark Levine, Frank Jackson, and many others.The Michael O'Neill Quintet featuring the great vocalist, Kenny Washington, has headlined the Monterey Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, SF Jazz, the Blue Note in Napa, Jazz at Pearl’s, Oakland and San Francisco Yoshi’s, Anna’s Jazz Island, the Jazz on the Hill Festival, the Oakland Art and Soul Festival, the San Jose Jazz Society Concert Series and many others.