Boney James (Friday, April 22) WEBSITE

is the gold standard to which all contemporary jazz players are compared. Boney James, one of the most successful contemporary jazz artists, is nominated for a 2004 Grammy "Best Pop Instrumental Album" This year's Grammy nod, for Boney's new album "Pure," caps a year that has seen him continue his reign at the top of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart (with the likes of fellow Grammy nominees Norah Jones & Jamie Cullum) and announced his arrival into the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart when "Pure" earned "Hot Shot Debut" status as the highest debuting R&B/Hip-Hop album with its #9 bow.
Boney James recently appeared with fellow Grammy nominees Kanye West, Usher, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton and Brian McKnight as part of Grammy Jam celebrating the music of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Billy Preston (Saturday, April 23)WEBSITE

Billy Preston's career has spanded four decades and is highlighted by a string of #1 hits and includes collaborations with some of the most celebrated names in the music industry including... Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones, The Jackson Five, Rolling Stones, Barbara Streisand, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

Singer/songwriter/keyboardist Billy Preston has accomplished all this and much more, which is why he has long been considered "King of the Keys" and a living legend in the industry by his peers and his many fans worldwide. Preston's name and fame were solidified when he scored a string of #1 hit singles: the Grammy winning "Outa-Space," "Will It Go Round In Circles," "Nothin From Nothing," and "Space Race".... and he penned the gold standard "You Are So Beautiful" performed by Joe Cocker. In addition, Billy's duet with Syreeta, "With You I'm Born Again" from the motion picture Fast Break, became an international hit. Preston was also featured in the role of Sgt. Pepper and performed "Get Back" in The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" film.

Today, Preston's live performances exhibit his genius and high energy, leading to an audience participation reaction that prompted superstars such as Mick Jagger, Little Richard, and The Beatles to extend warm invitations for Billy to join them on vinyl, film and on the concert road. Preston just ended a year-long tour with Eric Clapton.


Buddy Guy (Sunday, April 24)WEBSITE

Buddy Guy is the greatest living exponent of classic Chicago electric blues - an an internationally celebrated symbol of the living blues. He is a thrillingly inventive guitarist, a passionately soulful singer, and a peerless showman. In the course of a 45-year professional career, he has sold over two million albums; earned four Grammy Awards; and won nineteen W.C. Handy Blues Awards - more than any other single artist. Amid all of his success, Guy still remains an intrinsically humble icon who's quick to give credit where credit's due. Buddy cites his earliest influences as: Guitar Slim, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lightnin' Slim and Muddy Waters.
Buddy Guy's new album, Blues Singer, continues his journey into blues history and is joined by some equally legendary friends. B.B. King and Eric Clapton .


Mother's Finest (Saturday, April 23) WEBSITE

Mother’s Finest mixes playing scorching Heavy Metal and Hard Rock with a touch of R&B and Soul. One of the most energetic and tightest funk/metal bands around, Mother's Finest is known for its live shows - nonstop excitement, spontaneity, and unpredictability.

The Spinners (Saturday, April 23)
It should come as no surprise that The Spinners have always made music that is at once timeless and utterly in tune with the times. A classic group sound and approach which never loses its universal appeal. More remarkable is the fact that The Spinners, in the 90's are more popular. The Spinners are one of the few groups who can boast of four (4) lead singers: John Edwards, Bobbie Smith, Henry Fambrough and Pervis Jackson, with Billy Henderson making up the quintet. In the past years they have acquired twelve gold records with their hits climbing to the top of both the pop and R&B charts. In 1972 the Spinners came to Atlantic Records teamed with producer Thom Bell, and the hits really started rolling.

A partial list of their songs are Mighty Love, Then Came You, Rubberband Man, I'll Be Around, One of a Kind (Love Affair), Games People Play and Could It Be.

Signal Path –WEBSITE

Signal Path is a product of musical evolution. by deeply rooting their sound in the history and culture that has brought musical expression thus far, Signal Path is able to move ahead into the future, charting new musical territory, while bringing the knowledge of their Predecessors along the way. By incorporating artists from greatly diverse backgrounds, signal path engineers a high quality product which is fresh and new in its syle. Signal path engulfs its sound in drum n' bass, house, down-tempo, and rare groove while keeping its traditional roots in jazz, funk, and natural rhythm.

Seether -

Stretch Arm Strong - South Carolina punks Stretch Arm Strong formed in 1994, originally comprising singer/bassist Matt McCarty, guitarists Scott Dempsey and David Sease, and drummer John Barry. After debuting on a split single also featuring local band Bedlam Hour, Stretch Arm Strong recorded recorded an album which remains unreleased; with the addition of bassist Chris McLane, McCarty was able to focus solely on vocal duties, and after Dempsey founded his own label, Insurgent Sounds, the group issued a six-song EP which sold out its original pressing in a matter of months. When McCarty quit to get married, McLane assumed the frontman role and Donnie Raines was brought in on bass, although he was dismissed after a lone split single with Prevail (whose Shawn Williams played bass on Stretch Arm Strong's full-length Rise. Jeremy Jeffer was tapped as the permanent bassist prior to the band's 1999 effort Rituals of Life. Revolution Transmission appeared two years later. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Confliction – WEBSITE
Hailing from all corners of the United States, Rollin Carver (vocals), Tripp Gaddy (guitar), Matt Fortin (bass) and Chuck Cooper (drums), now reside in Myrtle Beach, SC. Immediately following the formation of Confliction, the band took to the road touring the United States with the sonically varied likes of Sevendust, Cold, Trapt, Nonpoint, Flaw, Life of Agony, Shinedown, Presence, Soulfly, System of a Down, Saliva, 3 Doors Down, Default, 12 Stones, Hatebreed, Trust Company, Soil and Crossfade.

Confliction successfully released an Independent LP (2002) and two Independent EP's (2003 & 2004). They are currently anticipating the April 2005 release of their latest Independent release entitled Turning Point.

Turning Point is pivotal, emotional, and defining.a romance of sorts, forConfliction and their love affair with music. Turning Point touches on beating addiction, relationships, letting go of the past and focusing on the good things that have happened in life.

SC Jazz Allstars

Jim “Soni” Sonefield

Benedict College Gospel Choir - They sing, they dance, they light up the stage like seasoned performers, highly anointed by God and ministering to young and old alike, as they pour out their hearts in song and humble themselves before God and man to do service as only God could orchestrate them to do.
This dynamic, energetic, spirit-filled group of young people is one of the southeast's premier choirs. Under the awesome direction of Mr. Darryl Izzard, a chosen vessel of God, this choir has become an icon of excellence among church, school and community gospel choirs.

They have performed before audiences in urban churches, rural churches, schools, other college campuses, civic auditoriums, national events, tourist attractions such as "The House of Blues" in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and most recently for the mayor of Kaisershlatten, Germany.

This outstanding choir has performed with various world-renowned gospel artists including, Madame Tramaine Hawkins, Minister O'landa Draper and the associates, Minister Ricky Dillard of the New Generation Chorale of Chicago, Minister Donald Lawrence of the Tri-city Singers, Montage Philone of Chicago, and Elder Norman Hutchins of Los Angeles, California.

As the 2000-2001 1st place choir of the Black Music Caucus' National College Gospel Choir Competition, Benedict College's Gospel Choir is a force to be reckoned with and an experience in God that all should witness. God has continued to exalt this group of choir ministers and His mighty hand and it is evident in all that they do.

A 131 year old, historically black institution, Benedict College is located in the capital city of Columbia, South Carolina. Since 1870, Benedict, a Baptist affiliated institution, has served the community as a "power of good" historically, Benedict College has always worked cooperatively with church and community- in housing, in community development, and in personal development. Benedict represents a helping hand to improve the lives of those who are in need.