"As a composer, performer, instrument builder/designer, storyteller, teacher, mentor, and organizer, Cooper-Moore [b. August 31, 1946] has been a major, if somewhat behind-the-scenes, catalyst in the world of creative music for over 40 years. As a child prodigy Cooper-Moore played piano in churches near his birthplace in the Piedmont region of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. His performance roots in the realm of avant jazz music date to the NYC Loft Jazz era in the early/mid-70s. His first fully committed jazz group was formed in 1970 - the collective trio Apogee with David S. Ware and drummer Marc Edwards. Sonny Rollins asked them to open for him at the Village Vanguard in 1973, and they did so with aplomb. A studio recording of this group was made in 1977, and issued as Birth of a Being on hatHut under Ware's name in 1979 (re-mixed and re-issued in expanded form on AUM Fidelity in 2015!). Following an evidently rather trying European tour with Ware, Beaver Harris, and Brian Smith in 1981, Cooper-Moore returned home and completely destroyed his piano, with sledgehammer and fire, in his backyard. He didn't play piano again until some years after, instead focusing his energies from 1981-1985 on developing and implementing curriculum to teach children through music via the Head Start program. Returning to New York in 1985, he spent a great part of his creative time working and performing with theatre and dance productions, largely utilizing his hand-crafted instruments. It was not until the early 90s, when William Parker asked him to join his group In Order To Survive, that Cooper-Moore's pianistic gifts were again regularly featured in the jazz context. In the early 'aughts the group Triptych Myth was his own first regular working jazz group in decades and together they blazed some trails and released two albums: one rich formative, and one exquisite. A destined creative re-union with David S. Ware in the Planetary Unknown quartet, the Digital Primitives trio with Assif Tsahar & Chad Taylor, and continued work with William Parker followed. Cooper-Moore's creative life continues well-strong and unabated into the present day. He will be/was the Lifetime Achievement Honoree at the 22nd iteration of Vision Festval, NYC on May 29, 2017."

"As an artist, Pettersen has worked long and hard to develop his craft and in doing so has achieved a depth and sophistication that is just now being recognized. An emerging Americana artist in the 90's still driven by the twin influences of Springsteen and the country rebel artists of his youth, Pettersen gained attention for his second release "Somewhere South of Here". Steeped in Americana and country rhythms, the album fell somewhere between the traditional sounds of Americana and the rocking slide guitar of country radio and the tongue in cheek single "DWIOU" (Driving While Intoxicated on You) found a place in jukeboxes worldwide and on the country line dance charts.

But Pettersen's passion for music of all genres was unlimited and led to forming the rock band The Strangely's with friend and drummer Pete Abbott, his brother Mike (one of the finest guitar players Ed knows to this day), and bass player Lori Adams. Despite the great sound of the band, without label support and the inability to tour widely, the Strangely's drifted apart leaving Pettersen with two of his finest rock cuts, the moody and dark "Broken Mirror" and the plaintive "Justine". Around the same time a mysterious illness hit Pettersen hard, sending him through a long odyssey of doctors and hospitals, and being felled by acute physical pain for which there was no visible cause. Temporary paralysis of the vocal chords was a recurring symptom and so for several years Pettersen concentrated on songwriting and production, producing the quirky and gorgeous voiced duo Rosasharn and developing the concept for the Song of America.

An innate drive to hone his craft and work with the best of the best led Pettersen to Nashville in 2002. There, working with the best meant assembling a crack recording unit dubbed The Great American Rhythm section, featuring Reggie Young, Bob Babbitt, Dave Hungate, Catherine Marx, and Ed Greene on drums. The unit played a key role in many of the recordings for Song of America and other Pettersen productions. The only explanation that Pettersen could come up for why they convened at will when called was "They liked to play with each other and I didn't tell them what to do. Am I going to tell Reggie Young who has more number one hits than any guitar player how to play?" So while other songwriters were networking with country artists in town, Pettersen started getting cuts like his marvelous "I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now," on Bettye LaVette's Grammy nominated 2007 The Scene of the Crime and "I Don't Want Anything" on Candi Staton's Who's Hurting Now?, from 2009. The latter includes one of the most delicate and poignantly beautiful lines of all time "Like the beauty of a child's smile, the future on an angel's wing".

In just the last few years Pettersen has re-emerged as a full-fledged recording and touring artist and in the meantime his voice and talents have grown tremendously. Discovering his Norwegian roots and Scandinavian heritage is the catalyst for the hauntingly melodic acoustic tunes on I Curse the River of Time. But it is the amalgamation of his early years honing a few well-crafted words in advertising, working with playwright and mentor John Bishop, trying a hand at film production, overcoming hardship and illness, and through it all constantly studying music, art, literature, and life that makes Pettersen an artist of note and a poet worth discovering."

"Jerry Navarro

Originally from Oxnard, California, Jerry Navarro has been playing bass guitar and performing since he was 6 years old. He started out playing in his Dad's Romantic Mexican trio, and playing numerous church performances, which led to playing in top-forty bands all over the Golden Coast. In 1996, he made his trek across the U.S. and found his way to Nashville, Tennessee and enrolled at Belmont University studying Music Performance and Composition while also attending the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Although he plays every genre of music, Jerry has an extra special connection to Jazz music. For those who have heard Jerry play his bass, whether it be the upright, playin' those swingin' jazz tunes, or the electric bass, thumpin' that crazy funk music, you can tell that Jerry has that special "thing" that makes your whole body smile when you hear him pluck the strings.

In 2001, Big Kenny and John Rich ("Big & Rich") formed the Muzik Mafia, a ragtag collection of unique and talented musician friends and collaborators. It is most responsible for the birth and early feeding of country acts like Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson. Jerry was the bass player and an original "Pit Boss" of this phenomenon that changed the face of the music business. In 2004, it received massive public exposure from The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, The Tennessean, Country Music Today, Billboard Magazine, The Washington Post, Blender Magazine, Country Weekly and The New York Times and later a popular television show.

Over the years, Jerry has shared the stage with artists such as Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Hank Williams Jr., Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Dave Matthews, 3 Doors Down, Velvet Revolver, Stephen Cochran, Jewel, Bobby Brown, Sisqo, Saliva, Wynonna Judd, Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC), Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band), George Clinton, Angie Aparo and Richie Sambora, just to name a few. In addition to touring all over the U.S., music has also taken Jerry to Japan, Europe and UAE. He has played with jazz artist Kelly Sweet, Funk legends Jabo Starks and Clyde Stubblefield, jazz trumpeter Rod McGaha, Grammy-nominated pianist Jody Nardone, and chart-topping jazz pianist Beegie Adair. Until recently, he toured with one of the music industry's best songwriters, J.D. Souther, who is known for writing hit songs like "New Kid In Town" and "Best Of My Love" (The Eagles), as well as "Her Town Too" featuring James Taylor and is more recently known as a featured actor in the first season of the hit television show "Nashville." Jerry has had opportunities that most people can only dream of, giving him a broad base of experience to offer to Crush Worldwide clients.

In 2008, Jerry decided it was time to create his own company and use his years of experience in the music business: Navarro Nation was born. He recorded and produced numerous acts, managed artists, was a successful studio owner, and has dedicated his time and ability to music, teaching and training the next generation of talent.

After joining forces with John Haring's Random Music Group, Crush Worldwide was born to provide the best of Navarro Nation and Random Music Group's services.

Although the music industry has experienced numerous changes over the years, Jerry's goal has never changed: he's always ready to make great music!"

"Larry Roland, poet, bassist, composer, educator, and music producer, has been involved with the creative performance scene for close to 4 decades. His music and poetry has graced National and International Concert Halls, Radio, Television, the Internet; as well as, parks, street corners, outdoor theaters and private living rooms.

Larry graduated from Boston University in 73' with a BS in Education, and a Masters from the University of Massachusetts in 97'.

His poetry career began at BU, and his Bass discovery started in 76' while running a coffee house in the south end of Boston.

Larry has had a wealth of experiences as a performer and a producer.The following is a highlight of some of the activities he's been involved with from 'then' till 'now'.

From 74-84' Larry performed as Poet and Bassist with Jamyll Jones, " Worlds Experience Orchestra". That group recorded two albums, "The Beginning of a New Birth" and "As Time Flows On", which are today considered collectors items.(You Tube).

In 84-88', house band at Wally's in Boston. Wally's is a very popular establishment where the Established, as well as, the young cutting edge musicians from the surrounding formidable music schools (Berklee, N.E. Conservatory, etc.) cut their teeth before moving on to NYC, and other places.

In 89', Larry was invited Perform with the Raphe' Malik band, and went on the road performing throughout the east coast, Canada and Europe from 91-94'. This band recorded "21st Century Texts"...Live in Berlin in 91' on the FMP lable; Raphe' was a fiery free improvisationalist trumpet player and composer who had been in the Great Cecil Taylor Unit Bands with Jimmy Lyons for several years. Other albums recorded with this group were, "Bells, Whistles, AND Sirens", on the Mapleshade label in the early 90s; and in 99', "Looking East", recorded live by the Boxholder label at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Boston, Ma.

In 96', Larry struck up a musical collaboration and formed the "Urge 4Tet" with Donel Fox, a noted Award Winning Pianist and contemporary classical composer; and Waldron Ricks, a talented trumpeter/composer; and developed a repertoire consisting of originals and non-originals, then set out and toured Southern France in the summer of 97'; The concerts on that tour were recorded, and the CD of that tour, "21st. Century Decisions" on the Boston Composers Group Label, was released it in 2000.

In 2001, Larry released the solo bass and word CD, "As Time Flows On", on his Boston Composer Group Label.One of the pieces on that CD, "The Underground"(Bass with Poetry), was used as a interweaving theme in the Award Winning Indie film documentary, "The History of Jazz In Roxbury" by Taliba Kennedy.

In 2004', Larry met Award Winning Dancer/Choreographer, Adrienne Hawkins, and decided to team up with her after she had been using the CD, "As Time Flows On", for live performances at Dance Festivals and other functions. Out of this collaboration, "Bassline Motion" was created. At first, Larry and Adrienne performed together as a duet, then eventually increased the group to include, 4 musicians and 8 dancers. They both decided on a Theme, while Larry developed the music and poetry, as Adrienne created the movements to ride the music, and to compliment the words. "Bassline Motion" performed in museums, outdoor festivals, universities, art galleries, jazz clubs, poetry gatherings, etc.

2009, Charles Gayle, a highly noted saxophonist on the NY and International Jazz improvisational scene, invited Larry to perform at a major Jazz Festival in Mexico City. .....it turned out to be very successful. In 2010, the trio toured Portugal and the Azores.In the winter of 2012, one of the coldest in European memory, the same trio was involved in a 10-city tour that took them through the countries of France, Austria, Belgium, and Germany. In March of 2011', and after not having recorded in over 10 years, The Charles Gayle Trio released a CD entitled, "Streets". It is said to be one of the top selling CDs of its genre on the European scene.

Currently, Larry is involve with several different projects of his own while writing poetry and music in preparation to present some more of his documented work to whoever will watch and listen in the 21st century.

In the meantime, 2012, Larry has been invited to be a part of the, "We Free Strings" group of which he has become a significant contributor to its repertoire as bassist/poet and composer. In Dec. of 2012, Larry was able to successfully produce the groups first major concert, The Larry Roland Project, Live at "The Stone" located in New York City's' East Village, featuring "We Free Strings".... (You Tube)"

"Al Perkins (born January 18, 1944) is a Texas-born American guitarist known primarily for his steel guitar work. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential dobro player" and began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2001-designed and autographed by Perkins.

Al Perkins was born and raised in Texas and learned to play Hawaiian steel guitar at the age of 9. In the 1950s Perkins was considered a child prodigy, playing with regional country and western bands, appearing on TV/radio, and winning several talent contests. In the early 1960s, Perkins began playing electric guitar with west Texas rock bands, and was discovered by Mickey Jones and Kenny Rogers of The First Edition. By 1966, he enlisted into the Army National Guard and was discharged from the US Army Reserves in 1970.

In 1970, Perkins joined the east Texas country rock band, Shiloh, and moved to California. The band included Don Henley and future producer/record executive Jim Ed Norman. Perkins was then hired to play in the new incarnation of the Flying Burrito Brothers and recorded the live album The Last of the Red Hot Burritos in 1972. Perkins, along with Chris Hillman, formerly of The Byrds, went on to join Stephen Stills' Manassas, whose material fused Latin, rock, blues, country, folk, and bluegrass influences. He also played steel guitar on the Rolling Stones' song, "Torn and Frayed" on Exile on Main St.

With Stills working with Crosby Stills and Nash, Perkins and Hillman joined Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield and Poco founding member) and J.D. Souther in the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Perkins moved into record production in the mid-1970s, but did tour again with Michael Nesmith and McGuinn & Hillman. As a session player, Perkins contributed to many notable albums, including the Eagles' On the Border.

He joined the British band Ark in 1977 and recorded the album The Angels Come.

Continuing his production work into the 1980s, Perkins also toured with Chris Hillman as a duo before joining Dolly Parton in 1986, touring and recording with her for several years before moving to Nashville.

In Nashville Perkins formed a new project called The Nash Ramblers with Emmylou Harris, with whom he had worked previously on the two solo albums recorded by Gram Parsons. (It was his association with Parsons that led to Perkins being called in to play on the sessions for the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street). The Live at the Ryman album was to win Perkins his first Grammy award in 1992.

Perkins is listed playing pedal steel guitar on two albums by Christian singer Don Francisco: Holiness and One Heart at a Time.

Al Perkins continues to tour and record. To date, other artists Al Perkins has played for are: James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh, Mike Love, Solomon Burke, Patty Loveless, Cher, Rita Coolidge, Iris DeMent, Michael Martin Murphey, Buddy Miller, Yo La Tengo, and Jim Lauderdale.

In 2002 Perkins released a collection of studio outtakes and rare recordings. Snapshots features recordings by the Nash Ramblers and the Flying Burrito Brothers among others. This was followed in 2003 by Triple Play, Perkins' first solo album, revealing blues, country, bluegrass, gospel and Cajun influences.

Perkins appeared on stage alongside James Burton and Keith Richards at the Gram Parsons tribute show in California in summer 2004.

Throughout the 2000s Perkins toured periodically with the Road Trippers, a band led by Kevin Montgomery and occasionally included Mike McAdam and Mavericks Paul Deakin and Robert Reynolds.

In 2009, Perkins formed Big Dog 3, a trio with bassist Chris Donohue and drummer Brady Blade. Big Dog 3's self-titled debut album features guests such as Jim Lauderdale and Emmylou Harris. Today Al Perkins performs with The HiPower Band, which includes vocalist Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo)."

"Molly Thomas doesn't shy away from expressing who she is in her music. Never trying to emulate anyone with her sound, but always mindful of the influence that her experiences bring, she has constantly continued to craft her skills. She has now poured them into a stunning showcase, in the form of her latest effort, "Make Everything Bright."

The road to "Make Everything Bright" started when she began playing violin as a child in Mississippi and has taken her around the world sharing the stage with names like Todd Snider, Will Hoge, Matthew Ryan, Mando Saenz, Amelia White, Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack and K.S. Rhodes. Each mile prepping her for making the type of music that begs to be written. Her desire to share her stories and evoke emotion from others is where her talent and heart shines brightest. [...]"