George Kahn

When a young musician’s sources of inspiration are jazz greats like Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Vince Guaraldi, and Wynton Kelly, you’d figure that his own music would turn out to be pretty special — and in the case of jazz pianist and composer GEORGE KAHN, you’d be right. His music captures the feel of the West Coast Jazz scene of the '50s & '60s, but with a contemporary edge. George has incorporated many styles including bebop, smooth jazz, blues, Latin, and New Orleans rhythms.

Having a realist’s sensibility, in 1989 George started working in the banking industry, and over the following 10 years, he built a very successful business as a mortgage broker in Santa Monica, CA. Reaching a level of business where he found that he was able to make a substantial income and still have the time to pursue his passion, he reentered the music industry as a second career.

In 1999, George formed SUDHANA MUSIC PUBLISHING and his independent record label, PLAYING RECORDS, as an avenue to share his music. He was an early adopter of using the Internet for his music, being an original shareholder of MP3.com, where his music received over 260,000 listens and downloads.

He has since released eight self-produced CDs — Conscious Dreams (a jazz/new age configuration), Outof Time (a jazz recording featuring the late Billy Higgins on drums), FreedomVessel (featuring Grammy Award nominee Bobby Rodriguez on trumpet and Eric Marienthal on saxes), Midnight Brew, “…Compared To What?” and Cover UP! (featuring Grammy Award nominee Brian Bromberg on bass, Justo Almario on sax, and Alex Acuna on drums). His 2010 release — SECRETS FROM THE JAZZ GHETTO, — is a 2-CD set featuring seven new tracks and a retrospective of George’s original compositions. The newest release, George Kahn Jazz & Blues Revue finds George teaming up with three of the best singers in Los Angeles to create a musical revue that spans the decades from '40s era Andrew Sisters to R+B hits of the '80s by The Pointer Sisters, Etta James and Aretha Franklin

Kahn’s music has also been featured on many TV shows and advertisements, including Lexus, “ER," “The Young and the Restless,” and “How William Shatner Changed the World." In 2008, George Kahn won the 2008 Chuck Niles Bebop Award at the Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival. Most recently George was part of the Catalina Jazz Club 25th Anniversary concert in October 2011, alongside The Yellow Jackets, Lee Ritenour, Brian Bromberg, John Beasley, and many others. In December 2012, George also received a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles for his dedication to helping end homelessness in Los Angeles.

Courtney LEmmon

You can listen to Courtney at reverbnation
Courtney Lemmon… when she sings, angels pause.

Courtney’s Santa Monica roots also extend back to Santa Monica College where she was introduced to George Kahn. She has been with George since before the beginning of Jazz & Blues Revue. She appears on Kahn’s 2006 release “Compared To What?” as well as on his 2008 “Cover Up!” CD.

In addition to being a vocal teacher at various schools, Courtney continues to perform as a soloist in and around the Los Angeles area.

Singer Courtney Lemmon has appeared on several of George’s albums and most recently released her debut CD “STAY WITH ME," teaming her with Grammy Award-winning producer Michael Acosta.

A native of Santa Monica, California, Courtney Lemmon has been active musically since beginning her education in Santa Monica, CA. She had her solo Jazz debut at age 15 with Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton. Her appreciation of a wide pallet of musical styles lead her to the Jazz and Contemporary Program at Manhattan’s prestigious New School University, from which she graduated with a BA in vocal performance, studying with the incredible pianist Junior Mance.

Now back in Santa Monica, she recently recorded her debut CD “Stay With Me” teaming her with Grammy winner Mike Acosta as a co-writer, Producer and Saxophonist. The title cut “Stay With Me” garnered Courtney an Honorable Mention in the 2006 John Lennon Song Writing Competition.

Gina Saputo

Hear Gina sing on her website.
“Gina Saputo… is considered to be a rising star by many jazz enthusiasts.”
- Carl Woideck, KLCC 89.7 NPR

Gina Saputo is a vocalist, entertainer, clinician, and arranger who has already established herself as one of the hippest rising headliners on the scene.

A native of Eugene, OR, Gina began vocal training at the age of eight, singing with the Oregon Children’s Choir. By the age of 16, she was putting together her own groups and singing in jazz clubs, often waiting outside during breaks because she was underage.

From there, Gina attended USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music, and was awarded the Barry Manilow Scholarship for all four years of her education. Gina studied at Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado under Christian McBride. She was interviewed by Dee Dee Bridgewater for her show JazzSet on National Public Radio.

Gina was among seven musicians chosen by Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, and Wayne Shorter to study at the Thelonius Monk Institute. During her time with the institute, she performed for the State Department in Washington, D.C., and toured Vietnam with Herbie Hancock and Nnenna Freelon. In addition to a busy performance schedule in and around Los Angeles, Gina is now a voice teacher at the Musicians Institute.

Crystal Starr Knighton

Crystal Starr began singing around her hometown of West Covina, CA in church. She landed her first professional gig at age 16, singing background for pop sensation Jessica Simpson. Crystal recently returned from starring in the Broadway musical “Baby it’s You,” where she performed nightly for industry veterans such as Quincy Jones, Clive Davis, and Rod Stewart. She has worked as a back-up singer for a "who's who" of Los Angeles talent, including Joss Stone, Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and Ariana Grande. When not performing with Jazz & Blues Revue, Crystal has her own group, "Crystal and The Bowties."