Lisa Chavous, vocals: 

Lisa Chavous was born and raised in Sharon Hill, in suburban Philadelphia, and she began singing in local church choirs and family gatherings at the age of five.  In 1989 she began performing with the group Chapter One in banquet halls such as The Twelve Caesars and the Riviera Ballroom.  In 1997 Lisa won first prize while competing in the Temple University jazz station talent contest sponsored by B&V outreach.  In 1999 she began forming bands that performed for a variety of audiences.  These ensembles eventually became known as Lisa Chavous and Friends.  Lisa has performed with them in, restaurants, ballrooms, country clubs, and other major venues in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Lisa has performed with jazz greats Byard Lancaster, Odean Pope, Trudy Pitts, Pat Martino, Jimmy McGriff and Bootsie Barnes, and is regularly backed by former members of Patti LaBelle’s band, as well as by Don Evans, former guitarist for Billy Joel.  Lisa, who is a nurse, has also donated her talents at a variety of functions that benefit children’s organizations supporting research for multiple sclerosis and the anti-AIDS foundation.  Lisa’s most recent concert performances have been the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival and the Palmyra, NJ County Festival and she can be frequently found at Stephen’s Prime in Media, PA.  Lisa’s forte is her great versatility in singing jazz, blues, and rhythm & blues, all with tons of soul that projects her sincere love and devotion to her music and that creates powerful audience attraction and response.  

Larry Hambrecht, harmonica, vocals: 

Larry Hambrecht’s father, George, was the principal flutist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; however Larry’s biggest musical influence is the harmonica work of Little Walter Jacobs.  While writing poetry, art gallery reviews, and his novel, The Midnight Reviews of Professor Soho, Larry was a part of the blues scene in the East Village during the seventies in NYC.  There he played with noted bluesmen Louisiana Red, Lefty Diz, Bill Dicey, and jammed with Sugar Blue in Washington Square.  Larry plays the chromatic harmonica as well as blues cross harp.  Larry has long been a presence at the acoustic blues scene of The Mermaid Inn in Northwest Philly.  It was Larry’s initiative that brought the Messenger’s together for their first gig at Ludwig’s Garden in downtown Philadelphia. 

Kevin Joella - guitar, bass, Production Engineer

On stage Kevin embodies an Eric Clapton style of blues rock ferocity, which belies his off stage unassuming manner. Kevin was dubbed Guitar Center King of the Blues for the Mid Atlantic Region, but is a versatile guitarist who plays all styles. Kevin plays lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass, and when needed is sound engineer for our gigs.  Kevin was the engineer for all three Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers CD’s, “Blues for Sale,” “Blues Addiction” and “The Underground Hustle.”

The Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers Horns: The full horn section brings a soulful Memphis Horns sound to major Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers shows at Festivals and corporate events. The members of the horn section have played together as friends and musical collaborators for many years. The Philadelphia Blues Messengers Horns include:

Kenneth Taylor – Trumpet

Kenny Taylor brings a New Orleans, Louis Armstrong flavor to the horn section, and is equally adept at blazing trumpet solos, or close horn harmonies.

Bob Tokonitz – Trombone

A veteran of many big bands around Philadelphia and the surrounding area, Bob is always there when we need him, and adds a Big Band component to the horn section.

Donald Williams – Saxophone

Sax great, and international recording artist, Byard Lancaster was the mentor and teacher to Donald Williams, who was hand-picked by Byard Lancaster to succeed him as the sax player for Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers. Don is a bandleader in his own right and has appeared internationally at the Moers Jazz Festival in Dusseldorf Germany. Don’s jazz style has often been compared to Grover Washington. However, Don is also known as a real rhythm and blues soul man who counts Junior Walker, Maceo Parker, and King Curtis among his influences.

Percussionists – Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers feature a rotating line up of Philly’s finest drummers including:

Bob Holden, veteran drummer, currently with Little Red Rooster Blues Band, Wayne Morgan, formerly with Count Basie, and when he is in Philly and not on tour with Branford Marsalis or Eric Clapton, young percussion phenomenon, Justin Faulkner is occasionally featured.

 

Byard Lancaster-Founder, Band Leader, saxophone, and flutes

The founder, mentor, and inspiration for the “Lisa Chavous and the Philadelphia Blues Messengers Band” was the late, great jazz and blues legend,  Philly Sax, Byard Lancaster, who mapped out a musical journey that he prophesized would one day lead to France and beyond. We look to follow in the footsteps of Byard’s other discoveries, Kevin Eubanks, the Roots Band, and jazz bassist, Stanley Clark, and achieve worldwide prominence while spreading the motto of Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, throughout France, the long time friend of the United States, and eventually to Paris, our sister city, as well as to the rest of the world. It was Byard Lancaster who brought the band together, with Lisa Chavous, to carry on in his footsteps to promote, unity, diversity, peace, and progress to the world through the universal language of music.