BRIAN MESKO | DRUMS :: Brian currently plays (or has played) with many local and regional acts on guitar, bass or drums, including The Root Downs, Liz Barnes, The Level, Steve Michael Smith, BC's Big Rhythm Sound, Solo Guitar, Funky Urban Southern Ensemble, The Nicholson Brothers, Los Gatos, Downtown Conspiracy, Lew Taylor and more. “Living in Virginia since 2005, I have come to know and play with many wonderful musicians. I am most fortunate to know my loving wife Melissa, and my wild son Benjamin continues to inspire and entertain us.”

STEVEN MICHAEL SMITH | GUITAR & VOCALS :: Steve’s music experience beganin the Shenandoah Valley growing up in Staunton, Virginia. He played guitar in the Stage Band at Robert E. Lee High School and later in the Jazz Band at James Madison University, where he also sang in Jazz Vocal Choir :: Upon graduation, Steve began playing music on the road, working with such notables as Charles Neville of The Neville Brothers, Ike Willis from Frank Zappa’s band and Graham Lear of The Santana Band. Steve did studio work as a vocalist at Bill Scream Studio in Portland Oregon with John Smith of Nu Shus and as a guitarist at Big Red Studio with Billy Oskay of Night Noise. He also did quite an extensive amount of work as an actor: the most notable part he had was Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors at the Portland Repertory. :: In addition to his work with Funk45, Steve performs as a solo guitarist (jazz and flamenco), and performs straight ahead jazz with Jim Wray in The Funky Urban Southern Ensemble, of Afton, Virginia.

LEW TAYLOR | KEYBOARDS & VOCALS :: Lew Taylor is a Lynchburg, VA native with over 30 years experience as a professional performing musician and entertainer. With career experience as varied as the United States Air Force Band, where he received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal for Outstanding Service; Royal Caribbean and Premier Cruise Lines, with whom he formed and led several musical groups; and professional tour experience across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Canada and Pacific Rim countries —Lew Taylor is one of Central Virginia's most versatile musicians. :: With the USAF Band, Lew Taylor honed skills as a keyboardist specializing in pop, jazz and R&B styles, and as an arranger for groups ranging in size from 60-piece concert orchestras to 16-piece jazz big bands to trios and duos. :: Lew currently resides in Lynchburg, VA where he leads a number of performing bands, including Jazmine, a jazz quartet; Island Breeze, a popular Tropicana group; and the Lew Taylor Trio. He holds the position of musical director, keyboardist and vocalist in the very popular House Band, a Lynchburg-based classic R&B/funk tribute and dance band. Lew Taylor holds down the arranger’s position as well as the keyboard and vocal chair in BC’s Big Rhythm Sound, a Lynchburg-based society band performing styles as diverse as Glenn Miller, Gwen Stefani, Barry White, Maroon 5 and many other artists. Lew also is currently keyboardist for The Paul Brunett Band, an original indie rock project. :: He performs periodically with the Roanoke-based Original Royal Kings, which performs classic rock and soul hits from the 1960's and '70's.

ROB QUALLICH | TRUMPET :: Rob Quallich is a crossover trumpet player based in Richmond Virginia, specializing in commercial and lead playing. He has performed with names such as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Temptations, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, Thao get down with the stay down, The Richmond Symphony, Jackass Flats, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and No BS! Brass. Robert also records radio and television commercials for names such as The Virginia and DC lottery as well as the Army Quartermasters Museum. He studied jazz and classical music at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2004–2010 in Richmond Virginia.

BRETT KIRBY | SAXOPHONES :: As a professional Musician, Mr. Kirby has played the role of Composer, Arranger, Contractor, and Performer. He performed for the 24th and 25th International Saxophone Symposiums and has shared the stage with Earth Wind and Fire, Chicago, Bernie Worrell, Ron Carter, Denis Diblasio, and The Allman Brothers Band. Recent notable performances include a World Premier performance of Composer Ray Coen’s multi-movement Latin American Suite. He has also performed with the McLean Symphony, the Virginia Grand Military Band, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra of Washington D.C., Take Note, The Tom Cunningham Orchestra, and Swing Shift. He can currently be heard playing with groups all over Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. His former teachers include Dale Underwood (Soloist with the United States Navy Band), Todd Morrison (United States Navy Band), and Jim Carroll (Saxophonist with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Unites States Army Band). Brett holds a bachelors degrees in music from George Mason University and a Masters degree in music from Boston University. He is the director of Instrumental Music at Stuart Hall School and on the music faculties of Bridgewater College and James
Madison University.

ROBERT MOTT | TROMBONE :: Robert is an active area bass trombonist versatile in classical, jazz and popular idioms. He is a founding member of Mr. Jefferson’s Bones, a professional trombone quartet based in the Shenandoah Valley. Mott’s notable performances include soloing with the Waynesboro Symphony (April 2010) on Chris Brubeck's Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra; backing artists including Gladys Knight, The Temptations, and Sammy Davis, Jr., Charlottesville Symphony, Virginia Consort, and the All-American College Marching Band for the opening of Disney’s Epcot Center. Robert is also an active arranger, composer and a member of ASCAP, and earns most of his living as a professional graphic designer.

LOLA MULLEN | VOCALS :: Lola Mullen is from Staunton, Virginia, by way of Baltimore, Maryland. Performing as a vocalist for as long as she can recall, she was originally trained as an opera singer before taking up the guitar and crafting a repertoire of her own. Collaborating with local musicians Brian Mesko and Anna Matijasic Hennessy (Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees), she is currently developing a setlist based on a blend of Django Reinhardt and Blossom Dearie. Her instruments include acoustic and electric guitar, baritone ukulele, electric bass, harmonica, and accordion. :: Festivals played include the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Staunton Jams, the Charlottesville Music Showcase, Newport Fest, and numerous others. She has taken the stage as a vocalist with regional favorites such as Sarah White and the Pearls, The Findells, Mary Simpson (Whiskey Rebellion, Dave Stewart, Yanni), Nick Reeb (King Wilkie), the Brian Patrick Band, Camilla Ammirati (Pitch A Biscuit String Band, Don’t Tell Darlings), Toby Thomas and Melissa Mesko, and William Lott.

SIMON EVANS | BASS GUITAR :: Simon Evans is from Charlottesville, Virginia and is currently a music student at James Madison University. In Middle School he began playing the electric bass in the jazz band. In High School, Simon began playing the upright bass and performed in many various high achieving groups such as the Albemarle Big Band under the direction of Greg Thomas, CAYJO under the direction of John D'Earth, and was the principle bassist in the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville/Albemarle. :: Spring of 2011 concluded his first year of college which he spent performing with the JMU Jazz Ensemble and Symphony along with a lot of freelance work.