The Musicians

Jason Bezou grew up literally surrounded by jazz and funk greats of his hometown, New Orleans. Taking to the stage himself as a young singer, he galvanized live audiences with the band Pilot, where he met the studio musicians who performed on the BEATING THE STREET sessions. An entrepreneur and Certified Financial Planner^TM professional (CFP^®), Jason was inspired by Hurricane Katrina to write SAVED: ONE MAN’S SALVATION THROUGH HURRICANE KATRINA, a book about his family’s struggle and his own spiritual transformation as a result of the storm, and to co-write the lyrics and music to all songs on BEATING THE STREET.

Canadian-born bass player Casandra Faulconer arrived in New Orleans in 1998. Since then, she has made a name as an elite accompanist for many of the Crescent City’s top artists, including Papa Mali, Charmaine Neville, Sista Teedy, Ingrid Lucia, Eric Lindell, Theresa Andersson, blues guitarist Debbie Davies, and others. Cass plays with New Orleans rock pioneers and festival favorite Cowboy Mouth. Her work has appeared on Alligator Records, Vizztone and numerous Rabadash Records releases, as well as on recordings for the NFL. Cass uses Mesa Boogie amplifiers and cabinets, and D’Addario strings.

Louisiana native John “Papa” Gros developed his funky piano and B3 organ style during years of collaboration with New Orleans artists including Snooks Eaglin, Earl King, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Better Than Ezra and many others. His all-star funk conglomerate, Papa Grows Funk evolved from a one-night stand into an award-winning, nationally touring band with five critically acclaimed albums. John’s compositions have been heard on national broadcasts of Treme, numerous professional sporting events and a film documentary about New Orleans music after Hurricane Katrina.

Trumpet player Eric Lucero rode the train from California to New Orleans in 1991 and stayed to become part of the funk, jazz and latin sound of the city. A member of the popular touring band the Iguanas, Eric also plays with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra conducted by Irvin Mayfield. His credits include work with the latin jazz group Otra and a decade with Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and the Louisiana Sunspots.

Born in New Orleans, drummer Stanton Moore is a founding member of the funk band Galactic, with whom he has recorded seven albums and toured the world. Stanton’s solo recordings feature a who’s who of New Orleans music, and his trademark sound, which Modern Drummer called “infectious, jazz-meets-Bonham, nouveau second-line,” has accompanied artists from Corrosion of Conformity and Irma Thomas to George Porter, Jr., Dr. John, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Stanton has  signature products with Vic Firth, Gretsch, LP, and is a co-owner of Crescent Cymbals.

Mark Mullins and his innovative, trombone-led bands Bonerama and Mulebone changed the way people think about trombone. Mark previously recorded and toured with Harry Connick Jr., including numerous appearances on the Tonight Show, Late Night with Letterman show, and Conan O’Brien Show, and a gig as musical director for HBO’s Comic Relief broadcast. Mark’s horn and arrangements have been part of recordings by Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, George Porter, Jr., Better Than Ezra, and many other artists.

Brent Rose and his inspired saxophone sound have made him a sought-after fixture on the Frenchman Street music scene in New Orleans. He has worked on stage and in studio with his band Quintology, Galactic, Nicholas Payton, the Temptations, Flavor Kings, Adonis Rose, New World Funk Ensemble, the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and many others. Brent is an award-winning jazz composer, and he teaches theory, jazz history, and saxophone at the University of New Orleans.

Brian Seeger is widely recognized as one of New Orleans’ best jazz guitarists. His recording and performance credits include Aaron Neville, Jason Marsalis, Johnny Vidacovich, and many others. An award-winning composer, producer, and jazz educator at the University of New Orleans, Brian has dazzled U.S. and worldwide audiences at concerts and festivals in Bolivia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. He has produced more than twenty discs for U.S. and international recording artists. Brian uses Mesa Boogie amplifiers, D’Addario strings and Bryan Galloup guitars.

The songs and the CD were mastered by Vlado Meller at Masterdisk, NYC. Assisted by Mark Santangelo. Vlado worked with CBS/Sony for 38 years. After the legendary Sony Studios in New York City closed, Meller joined Universal Mastering, where he continued to expand his unparalleled portfolio until 2011. Today, Vlado continues to perfect his craft at Masterdisk in NYC.

All songs were mixed by Ben Lorio, Recording/Mixing Engineer, The Music Shed, New Orleans.

Jeff Mankin, National Sales Manager for WTS Media, Inc., and owner of jtMankin, Ent., Chattanooga, TN, provided Manufacturing and Graphics Design for both the CD and Book.