Gregory Porter, Chante Moore, Kindred the Family Soul, und Marion Meadows

Gregory Porter was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. A 1989 graduate of Highland High School, his path was originally leading to a career in sports after Porter gained an athletic scholarship to San Diego State University. However after incurring a shoulder injury during his junior year of high school, his football career was not to be.

Porter instead began recording music influenced by his adoration for blues, soul and gospel. His debut album 'Water' was released in 2010 via Motéma Music and gained the singer/songwriter a nomination for Best Jazz Vocal album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. During this time Porter was performing as part of the original Broadway cast of 'It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues'. The second album 'Be Good' was released in 2012 and following his notoriety from critics, it achieved moderate chart success across Europe. Once again critics adored Porter's blues/jazz sound and he picked up his second Grammy nomination, this time for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the album's title track.

The third album 'Liquid Spirit' was released in 2013 after he signed a contract with Blue Note Records (Universal Music Group) and was produced by Brian Bacchus. It was a huge success worldwide, charting within the top 20 of the UK album charts, top 10 in Germany and The Netherlands and cracked the top 200 in the US. This album went on to win Gregory his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album supporting the theory 'third time lucky'.

Born the daughter of a gospel minister, Chante Moore was raised on a solid diet of George Duke and Lee Ritenour. Having been a beauty pageant contestant and model in her younger years, by the age of 22 she had been discovered by MCA Records exec Louil Silas, who subsequently singed her to Silas Records. The singer’s musical debut came singing backup for R&B diva and Moore’s idol Toni Braxton. Moore subsequently featured on El DeBarge’s hit single “You Know What I Like” ahead of releasing her debut album “Precious” in 1992. Whilst the album only reached No. 101 on the Billboard 200, the album’s singles “Love’s Taken Over”, “It’s Alright”, “Who Do I Turn To”, and “As If We Never Met” all charted within the R&B Charts Top 40 significantly raising Moore's profile.

Two years later the singer issued her sophomore album “A Love Supreme” which charted at No. 64 on the Billboard 200. Moore subsequently recorded “Your Home Is in My Heart” with Boyz II Men for the “How Stella Got Her Groove Back" soundtrack, as well as featuring on the American Music Award-winning soundtrack for the 1995 film “Waiting to Exhale”. Following the release of her highest-charting album to date, 1999’s “This Moment Is Mine” Moore was nominated for the Soul Train Music Award for Single of the Year alongside Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Lauryn Hill. Two years later she would win the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single for her song “Contagious” featuring the Isley Brothers.

The Billboard No. 50 charting album “Exposed” appeared in 2000 after which Moore moved to Arista Records to release a duet album with partner Kenny Lattimore entitled “Things That Lovers Do”. The record proved her most successful to date peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B Charts and spawned the follow-up duet album “Uncovered/Covered” in 2006. A year later the singer performed in the stage production of “By Any Means Necessary”, before signing a new solo contract with Peak Records. Moore’s fifth full-length “Love the Woman” was released in June 2008. Led by the single “Ain’t Supposed to Be This Way”, Moore supported the album with a modest U.S. tour, before returning to musical theatre. Her first album release in five years and noted for its stronger jazz influences, Chante Moore’s sixth studio album “Moore is More” was released in July 2013.

Kindred the Family Soul consists of the married couple Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon, who really put emphasis on the family in their namesake. The duo were discovered when their record label saw them performing at the Black Lily Film & Music Festival in Philadelphia. They are considered to be members of the neo soul movement that includes artists such as Jill Scott.

In February 2003 the couple released their debut album 'Surrender to Love' on the Hidden Beach label and it includes the singles 'Far Away' and 'Stars' which both appeared on the US R & B charts. Their fourth album 'Love Has No Recession' appeared at #90 on the US Billboard chart and they have had a string of R & B single chart appearances over their career, the peak remains 'Where Would I Be' which reached #41 in 2006. Their discography currently stands at five albums, with their latest 'A Couple Friends' being released in 2014 and features the singles 'Everybody's Hustling' and 'A Couple Friends', the latter is a collaboration with Valerie Simpson.

The duo have also enjoyed critical success through their career, in 2004 they were nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album for their debut and in 2006 they also scooped a BET award.