We were more than thrilled to play at the 18th Annual WishtoyoBenefit Celebration honoring the 90th Birthday & Extraordinary Career of Johnny Mandel! Looking Through the Eyes of the Ancestors
featuring a pre-release premiere of Ukamusic’s “You are There: The Songs of Johnny Mandel” in French , English & Japanese .....with Naomi Louise Warne on keys and vocals, Grammy winner Charles Neville (Neville Brothers) on tenor sax; Grammy winner Butch Norton on drums; Dave Raven on drums and percussion; Mark London Sims on bass; Nina Hungerland on vocals and Mitch Stein on keys. 2015 Awardees:
Global Legend Award: We are honored to bestow this award in recognition of the Extraordinary Career of Music Legend Johnny Mandel and his contribution to spiritual wellness through sharing his musical gifts with the world.
Human Spirit Award: Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, representing Los Angeles County’s Third District elected on November 4, 2014. She previously served eight years in the State Senate and six years in the State Assembly. She is the Founding Director of the Public Policy Institute at Santa Monica College and, in 2012, was Regents’ Professor in Public Policy at UCLA.
Eco Warrior Award: Andrew Masiel has served the Pechanga Tribal community for over twenty years as Tribal Councilman and Tribal Administrator, as well as serving several other Southern California Indian Reservations. Mr. Masiel was one of the Founders that formed the Native American Environmental Protection Coalition (NAEPC) in 1994 along with Leaders from Pala, Rincon, La Jolla and Santa Isabel communities in an effort to protect Tribal Lands.
Simply the Best..... It was a joy & privilege to spend the day with the late Doug Sax, (April 26,1936 - April 2, 2015) one of the great Mastering Engineers, at his Studio ( www.themasteringlab.com) in Ojai .....amid the horses & the rolling hills , as he mastered our new Album..... Tu Es La, Les Chansons de Johnny Mandel. ........the magic is in the music! Thank you Doug, blessings!
It was such a treat recently to interview Charles Neville about our new project You Are There , The Songs of Johnny Mandel & it was fascinating to hear him explain the similarities between music & T'ai Chi........the flow......Just a joy to watch & learn as he shared his profound understanding. The video interview is coming soon.....!