Bios

Richard TBear

Richard TBear was born in New York City. He did most of his growing up in Florida and the Caribbean, where his musical influences were Calypso, Mento, and Latin rhythms.

His live performing credits list like a “who’s who” of Rock ’n Roll music. He has performed with Dave Mason, Mick Fleetwood, The Doobie Brothers, Johnny Winter, The J Geils Band, Jeff Beck, Richie Havens, and The Rascals.

Five Years ago with encouragement from his wife Nina, whom he married in 2010, he started writing songs and playing music again. Richard contacted the best musicians, producers, and recording engineers in Los Angeles and started a 2 year recording process cutting 23 tracks. The album is now finished and 17 songs have been mixed and mastered. Featuring Robbie Krieger, Stephen Stills, Edgar Winter, Tom Scott, Walter Trout, Laurence Juber and Mike Finnegan, Dean Parks, Denny Seiwell, Benmont Tench, Tony Braunagel and even The Wrecking Crew’s Chuck Berghoffer climbed aboard. The album, at last, is finished. “THE BEAR’S BACK”.

Laurence Juber

Laurence Juber, the GRAMMY® winning guitarist is a color performer, recording artist, composer, and arranger. His sound fuses folk, jazz, blues, pop, and classical styles creating a multi-faceted performance that belies the use of only one instrument. 

First Internationally recognized as the lead guitarist in Beatle Paul McCartney’s Wings, with whom he won a Grammy, Juber has since established himself as a world-renowned guitar virtuoso and entertainer and was recently named by Guitar Player magazine as one of the top 50 all-time acoustic guitarists.

Juber, known to his fans as LJ, has recorded more than two dozen albums which spotlight his unique touch and tone on acoustic guitar. His latest release, Downtown, is a collection of standards recorded in one afternoon session at Hollywood’s landmark, Capitol Studios.

Jon Woodhead

John Woodhead was Leon Russel’s go-to-guy spanning many decades. Jon began his professional career as a teenager and soon was touring with Jon Stewart of the Kingston Trio (Daydream Believer) and while still a teen, toured in the US and UK with Ace (“How Long Has This Been Going On”).  Jon also worked with the Sharpshooter Band, which was a spin off including early members of the Allman Brothers Band. After spending a decade raising his children, Jon spent the 90’s touring with Maria Mauldaur and thereafter back with Leon Russell. Along the way Jon spent time in the recording studio.

Jon’s guitar work, in all forms of rock and blues, is often referred to by others as incomparable. For many, his solos resonate in a way that can best be described as being the solos we all dream of.

Denny Seiwell

From a career that spanned from New York’s Jazz clubs to Rock’s biggest stadiums, to countless recording studios, Denny has proven himself as one of the most respected drummers today.

Best known for his legendary work with Paul McCartney, on the RAM album and founding member of Wings, those days included the Hits “Live and Let Die” and “My Love”. Denny has recorded over 200 albums in the past 50 years as a session drummer. Some highlights included Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, James Brown, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Donovan and Astrud Gilberto as well as many Jazz artists, 

A noteworthy performance was with The” Who” in their Rock Opera”Tommy” with the London Symphony orchestra. Denny’s signature drumming can also be heard on countless TV shows and Film soundtracks. His passion and spirit have earned him the reputation as one the industry’s most sought after drummers…. 

Joe Sublett

Joe started his professional musical career in Austin, Texas, as part of the legendary R&B Group, Paul Ray and the Cobras along side a 21 year old Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Cobras were one of the seminal groups that helped define Austin as the music town it has become today. Joe Sublett’s Texas tenor saxophone sound has been heard on CDs by The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Ryan Adams, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Elton John, B.B. King, Leon Russell, Gregg Alman, Randy Newman, Little Feat, Jimmy Smith, Buddy Guy, Percy Sledge, Solomon Burke, Soloman Burke, John Mayall, Otis Rush, Black Crowes, Jimmy Buffett, Jimmie Vaughan, Keb Mo, Bono, Chris Cornell, Delaney Bramlett, Eric Burdon, Jimmy Barnes, Johnny Rivers and Richard Thompson to name a few.

Joe is a Grammy and W.C. Handy Award winner for his work with Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band. He has toured with Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, The Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Blues Brothers and Delbert McClinton.

Paul Ill

Paul Ill is a life-long bassist and songwriter. His peak career experiences include: Playing with the Willie Dixon Family Band at Mr. Dixon’s wake, tracking live in a London studio with Tina Turner, playing and songwriting with Christina Aguilera, Pink,  and Alicia Keys. He has also performed with Bob Weir.

He is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and as a studio bassist he has played on recordings that have sold for over 20 million records and has sold more than 4.5 million records as a songwriter. His recording and touring credits include the afore-mentioned Tina Turner, Bob Weir, Annie Lennox, Linda Perry (a crucial influence and mentor, Courtney Love, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Pink, Daniel Powter, James Blunt, Mick Taylor from the Rolling Stones, Bill Ward from Black Sabbath, and Wayne Kramer from MC5, to name a few.

He is co-author of “The Studio Musician’s Handbook”, published internationally by Hal Leonard Music Publishing. Paul is a “first call” session bassist to esteemed producers Jack Douglas, Michael Lloyd, Guy Chambers, and Linda Perry. The iconic Tom Dowd also made use of Paul’s bass playing.

Mark Pender

Mark “The Luvman” Pender got his start playing with local jazz and blues legends in his hometown of Kansas City. Moving to New York, and now residing in Los Angeles, He has gone on to play more than a dozen gold and platinum records as well as tours, concerts, TV and movie appearances with Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Joe Cocker, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Robert Cray, Ricky Martin, They Might Be Giants, and over 4000 shows as a member of the house band on Conan O’Brien.

Richie “Labamba” Rosenberg

Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg got his start with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in 1976, which lead to years of touring with Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven.

He celebrates 25 years of playing the trombone for the Conan O’Brien live band.

Josh Sklair

1978 Attended Berklee School of Music (Boston, MA)
1979 Graduated from the Guitar Institute of Technology (Musicians Institute) Hollywood, California..

In 1979 Josh was hired as guitar player/Conductor by singer Jon Lucien, for his performance at Carnegie Hall and two nights at the Roxy Theater, Los Angeles that featured both Jon Lucien and Herbie Hancock with an all-star band.

In the early 80’s he toured the US with Philadephia International recording artists the Jones Girls, opening act for the Isley Brothers, Peabo Bryson, Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass.

In the recording studio Josh Sklair has worked as session guitar player for top composers and producers in the LA area including Phil Ramone, Diane Warren, David Z, Guy Roche, Lamont Dozier, David McHugh, John Snyder, Alan Abrahams, Desmond Child, Randy Jackson, Albert Hammond & Barry Beckett.

Onstage Josh was “house guitar player” for the Dick Clark Good Old Rock’n’Roll Show, backing legends like Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Del Shannon, Little Anthony, the Shirelles, the Coasters, the Drifters, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves, Freddy Cannon and many more of the original pioneers of Rock’n’Roll and R&B.

In 1985 he became guitarist and subsequently Musical Director for the legendary Etta James, co-producing over a dozen albums, including the Grammy-award-winning “Let’s Roll”, (Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2003) and “Blues to the Bone”( Best Traditional Blues Album 2004). A musical high point was playing guitar and handling pre-production on four album collaborations with jazz great Cedar Walton, including the Grammy Award-winning “Mystery Lady – a tribute to Billie Holiday”.