Justin Robinson (Carolina Chocolate Drops) + Bhi Bhiman + Saadi Halil July 12, 2012

Justin Robinson, grammy winner and former member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, heads a collective of multi-instrumentalists who bring to the stage the magical intersection of their varied musical backgrounds called Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes. Last year, Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes released an EP called Precious Blood, and they have followed it up this week with the release of their first full-length album, Bones For Tinder. Justin Robinson started studying the violin at age 8, and at a young age began playing in string quartet with his mom, a cello player and opera singer. His interest in music was revitalized during college, after which Justin had a five year stint as a founding member of the Grammy winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. Justin is inspired by everything he's ever heard, and major influences in include rhinestones, the South in the winter, harps, the Apocalypse, doublets, clavichords, robots, and fantasy movies. He also likes sweeping.
http://justinrobinsonandthemaryannettes.com/index.php

Bhi Bhiman is an American original, and yet he seems transported from an era when songs were more important than the pretty faces that delivered them. His rich, bellowing tenor can soothe or explode at a moment's notice. His lived-in, knowing delivery belies his years. His songwriting, too, is quick to captivate. Bhi's mix of humor and deep empathy puts him in the company of distinguished (and much older) lifelong songsmiths like John Prine, Nick Lowe and Randy Newman. And Bhiman's technical, emotive guitar playing rises to the challenge that his striking voice presents. Through every deviation of style, Bhiman's love of wordplay and that jaw-dropping voice carry the listener through to a new track and a compelling new story. Of course, it helps Bhiman's fine songs to have expert help in crafting his sound. While some of the more minimal tracks on BHIMAN were recorded by the artist on his laptop, the bulk of the disc was tracked at John Vanderslice's famed Tiny Telephone studios by engineer Jay Pellicci and produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim), who also contributes instrumentation the album. Together, they have created a deep, layered record that is urgent enough to grab listeners at first listen and deep enough to keep them coming back to hear the subtle, soulful shifts in both instrumentation and that powerful human voice. BHIMAN is Bhi's first truly great album, but one gets the impression that he'll be singing his stories for a very long time to come.
http://www.bhiman.com/

The ability to absorb a lifetime of experience and express it authentically and passionately through song is cornerstone to Saadi's writing and is showcased on his debut album, Before I Head Out Again. Personified by a voice weathered and wise beyond its years, Saadi Halil is the First Son of World Folk. This 22 year old (of Egyptian & Russian-Ashkenazi descent) from Santa Cruz, California performs Delta blues, Spanish cumbia, Portuguese love songs, French jazz, Swahili lullabies and more- with undeniable passion, sincerity and soul.
http://www.saadihalil.com/

Official Website: http://www.jamminjava.com/