The SoulJazz Collective ft. Nick Milo & LaRhonda Steele

Thu, Jul 31

Welcoming to Christo's for the first time, the SoulJazz Collective! Featuring the amazing vocal stylings of LaRhonda Steele, and featuring keyboardist Nick Milo, guitarist Richard Smith, bassist Kevin Deitz and drummer John Bishop. They'll be doing classics and originals from the Great American Soul Songbook. Nick Milo's career has brought him into the role of long-time music director for legendary musicians from Joe Cocker and Maria Muldaur to Tower of Power. As a composer Nick has worked in film and television and has composed for many top artists on the global R&B and soul scene, including Greg Adams and East Bay Soul. Kevin Deitz is an educator, a composer/arranger, and multi-instrumentalist who has performed with the Portland Opera Company, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Third Angle New Music Ensemble, Mose Allison, Frankie Avalon, Dave Brubeck, Terrence Blanchard, Andrea Bocelli, Paquito D’Rivera, The Eagles, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Ill Divo, The Moody Blues, Kenny Rankin and Brian Wilson amongst many others. He is an artist/endorser for Conklin Basses and Sidewinder strings and his album of original compositions, Skylines, is on the Origin Arts label. As a drummer, educator, record label owner, graphic designer, and festival presenter, John Bishop has been one of the primary voices in Northwest Jazz for 40 years. He has performed in concerts and clubs with Lee Konitz, Slide Hampton, Benny Golson, Bobby Hutcherson, Ernestine Anderson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Sonny Fortune, Herb Ellis, Gary Peacock, Buddy DeFranco, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, and countless others. He’s appeared on more than 100 albums, including sessions with Hal Galper, Larry Coryell, Ernie Watts, Mark Murphy, Joe Locke, Bud Shank, George Cables, Ralph Towner, Teo Macero, and Jerry Bergonzi. He was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2008 and was named a “Jazz Hero” by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2019. Richard Smith is a Los Angeles based recording artist and music professor at USC. His last 3 singles (2021 and 2022) have landed him in the most-played category on Sirius XM. His recordings feature Jeff Lorber, Kenny G, Vinnie Coaliuta, Alex Acuna and members of Tower of Power. He is a member of Greg Adams and East Bay Soul and helped pen the title cut of their last CD ‘The Real’