Kwame Binea is a self-proclaimed rocker to the core, but he has peppered his own brand of “Roots Rock” which embodies his fertile and culturally diverse personal saga; growing up in West London (his birth place) and his native origins in Ghana, later setting up home in New York City to unearth his artistic aspirations as a burgeoning singer/songwriter. Uptown Shakedown blends rhythmic rock n roll, infectious funk, silky soul with screaming blues. Whether it’s an original song or a classic rock cover like Satisfaction, Uptown Shakedown’s feel-good, positive energy and unbridled passion will help make your event a success.

The Boogie Wonder Band is the best disco funk party band in the world.   Bringing their world famous show to the four corners of the earth… and everywhere inbetween!   Building huge fan support along the way, with stops in Japan, China, Europe, the Caribbean, South America and all of North America, the Boogie Wonder Band crosses cultural barriers like no other.

Through their journeys, the band has played with many of those that came before, including Kool & The Gang, Village People, Rick James, War, Chic, KC and the Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor the Pointer Sisters, STYX, Foreigner and a who’s who of funk and disco.

A fan favorite to all, BWB has entertained celebrities, such as Donald Trump, Celine Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Earth Wind & Fire, Hugh Laurie, Chris Noth, Nicole Miller… New Year's Eve at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida (featured in an A&E TV special), as well as The Paris Casino Las Vegas Millenium Celebration. Galas, Premieres and also top casinos around the world including Venetian Macau, Sands Macau, Mohegan Sun, Taj Mahal, Caesars, Las Vegas Hilton, Excalibur, Foxwoods, Beau Rivage, Montreal Casino (65 sold out shows), and many more!

The Boogie Wonder Band continues to rev up the crowds at major sporting events around the world; highlights include Formula 1 Grand Prix events in Monaco, Indianapolis and Montreal, PGA events across North America, SUGARBOWL Gala, Montreal’s Bell Center for numerous concerts and National Anthems, Montreal Alouettes Halftime show and the CFL Grey Cup!

The corporate world has embraced BWB, and when companies, such as NYSE, McDonald's, IBM, General Electric, Walt Disney, Bombardier, Club Med, Cirque du Soleil, Emirates airlines, etc… want to "Raise the Roof" they know where to turn!

The Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra is a thrilling 11-piece salsa group which plays dynamic dura arrangements of indie rock tunes we love. No bananas in the hair; this is innovative, astonishing salsa with a new, vibrant aesthetic. With an ever-evolving set list that includes songs by Arcade Fire, TV On The Radio, Spoon, M83, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Keys, and many more, the WSO has taken the typical salsa form and infused it with a completely modern identity. The explosive arrangements have established the band as a groundbreaking force in the New York underground, and has led to international acclaim for this completely new approach to the genre.

The WSO Debut Album has already been recognized by writers and DJs throughout the world as a document which resets the boundaries of the art form and has the potential to bring the music to new audiences around the globe.

Led by percussionist/arranger Gianni Mano (from the Latin-funk legends Radio Mundial), and fronted by Argentinian chanteuse, Solange Prat, the WSO has found an audience among new and classic salsa lovers, quickly becoming one of the most popular bands in New York City.

The WSO has been featured recently in Rolling Stone Magazine, on MTV, Telemundo, Univision, and on the nationally syndicated program LatiNation on Fox. Recent shows include the Blue Note Jazz Festival at B.B.Kings 42nd Street, The Kennedy Center, The Brooklyn Bowl, SOBs (Sounds of Brazil), The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and many more.

William Count Basie started the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, Americans were listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become “The Swingingest Band in All The Land!”

The phenomenon that was born in 1935 is still going strong today, with many of the current band members having been hired by Basie himself.

Since Basie’s passing in 1984, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and now Dennis Mackrel have led the Count Basie Orchestra and maintained it as one of the elite performing organizations in jazz. The Count Basie Orchestra has won 17 Grammy Awards, and 20 Downbeat and Jazz Times reader polls….more than any other big band in jazz.

But it’s the irreducible cocktail of smooth, rich, brassy goodness that makes this band truly “legendary”.

“These are my boys!” exclaimed Sir Paul McCartney after rocking out to a Chilli performance

"Awesome!” said film star Ewan McGregor after he guested on drums with the Chillis

"Gotta get me some of that Red Hot Chilli Pipers!  I WANT some!” tweeted actor Samuel L. Jackson after seeing the band perform on NBC in the summer of 2012

Bagpipes with attitude.  Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and show so hot, it carries its own health warning!

It’s Bagpipes. It’s Rock. It’s Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns. Where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland.

It’s The Red Hot Chilli Pipers -- an 9-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers -- who have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing to Melbourne and everywhere in between with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless.  The band has four music degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and all the pipers and drummers have played at the top level in bagpiping.

Since they walked away with the top prize on the primetime TV talent show, “When Will I Be Famous” in the U.K. in 2007, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers haven't stopped for a breath, other than to inflate their bagpipes!  Formed in 2002, The Chillis have fast become a global phenomenon, taking their signature 'Bagrock' sound to the masses with their unique fusion of rocked up Bagpipes and clever covers of popular songs from all genres.  Their trademarked sound includes traditional pipe tunes – like “The Flowers of Scotland”, “The Hills of Argyll”, and “Amazing Grace” (done Chilli-style, of course!) -- and contemporary anthems like Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, “Clocks” by Coldplay, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams, and a fantastic rock medley of “Deep Purple”, “Smoke on the Water”, and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”.

With three highly successful albums already under their belts, the band has just released their fourth entitled “Music For The Kilted Generation”. Their previous live album and DVD “BLAST Live!” have already gone triple platinum in Scotland plus their second album “Bagrock To The Masses” received platinum in Scotland and silver status in the UK.

From huge festivals and concerts to top corporate and A-list celebrity clients, the Chillis have been playing to packed houses and standing ovations night after night.  They are very simply the red-hottest ticket in entertainment today.

Ask us about tie-in opportunities with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and your local Public Television Station.

The Art Strings Ensemble's concert activities include chamber music concert series, single concerts, recordings,  and, live broadcasts.  Our musicians have provided music entertainment for corporate businesses and private clients such as UN Headquarters, Merrill Lynch & Co., Estée Lauder, Richard Gere, Sarah Jessica Parker and many others. 

The Art Strings Ensemble's engagements include recitals at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, UN Headquarters in NYC, Cooper Union Hall, Scottsdale Performing Art Center and many others.

These adorable former USO gals, each with strong Broadway, TV and recording credentials, sing everything from boogie woogie, Big Band and the blues, to American Bandstand and the great vocal harmonies of the fabulous girl groups of the 50's and 60's. The Dolls travel the world, performing at theatres and concert series, military events, air shows, veterans events -- you name it!