The Beast | |
---|---|
Origin | Durham, North Carolina |
Genres | Hip hop, soul |
Years active | 2007–present |
Members | Pierce Freelon, Eric Hirsh, Stephen Coffman, Peter Kimosh |
Website | http://www.thebeastmusic.com |
The Beast is an American alternative hip hop band from Durham, North Carolina. They were formed in 2007 by emcee Pierce Freelon, drummer Stephen Coffman, bassist Peter Kimosh and pianist Eric Hirsh. All members of the band are graduates of UNC Chapel Hill.[ citation needed ] The Beast is best known for their 2010 album, Freedom Suite, which was recorded with jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon [1] and released in collaboration with Okayplayer's jazz channel The Revivalist. [2] Other artists the Beast has collaborated with include 9th Wonder, YahZarah, Phonte, The Apple Juice Kid, Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo) and Branford Marsalis. The band has been praised for their progressive lyrics and eclectic, jazz-based production. [3] [4]
Samuel Ervin Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album. He occasionally tours with a full band.
Thelonious Sphere Monk III is an American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader. He is the son of jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown, first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The track was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970, and it became a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending September 12, 1970. Subsequently, Motown released a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version as a single in the United States as well, where it quickly became a number-one hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.
Nnenna Freelon is an American jazz singer, composer, producer, and arranger.
Terence Oliver Blanchard is a world-renowned, 7-time Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da 5 Bloods, both directed by Spike Lee, a frequent collaborator.
Bill Anschell is a jazz pianist and composer. He has recorded seven CDs as a leader, and performed or recorded with many jazz greats. His original compositions and piano work are prominently featured on Freelon's Grammy Award-nominated recording Shaking Free and her CBS recordings Heritage and Listen. His own CDs have received extensive national airplay and critical acclaim. His compositions have appeared in many films and television series, including "The West Wing," "The Wire," "Bloodline," and "NCIS: LA."
Beirut is an American band that was originally the solo musical project of Zach Condon. Beirut's music combines elements of indie rock and world music. The band's first performance with the full brass section was in New York, in May 2006, in support of their debut album Gulag Orkestar, though they performed their first show with Condon, Petree, and Collins at the College of Santa Fe earlier that year.
"Yesterdays" is a 1933 song about nostalgia composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Otto Harbach. They wrote the song for Roberta, a musical based on the novel Gowns by Roberta by Alice Duer Miller. "Yesterdays" was overshadowed by the musical's more popular song, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", which was a number one hit for the Paul Whiteman orchestra.
"Lady Sings the Blues" is a song written by jazz singer Billie Holiday and jazz pianist Herbie Nichols.
Kendrick Scott is an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. He is the founder of the record label World Culture Music.
George Schuller is an American jazz drummer. He is the son of composer Gunther Schuller.
The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band currently consists of Danny O'Donoghue, Glen Power, Benjamin Sargent and Ben Weaver (guitar). Mark Sheehan was a member of the band up until his death in 2023. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic and released their first album The Script in August 2008, preceded by the debut single "We Cry" as well as other singles such as "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", "Breakeven" and "Before the Worst". The album peaked at number one in both Ireland and the UK. Their next three albums, Science & Faith (2010), #3 (2012) and No Sound Without Silence (2014), all topped the album charts in Ireland and the UK, while Science & Faith reached number two in Australia and number three in the United States. Some of the hit singles from the albums include "For the First Time", "Nothing", "Hall of Fame" and "Superheroes". The band's fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released on 1 September 2017, and features the UK Top 20 single "Rain". Their sixth studio album, Sunsets & Full Moons, was released on 8 November 2019, and features the single "The Last Time". A Greatest Hits album was released on 1 October 2021.
Deborah Ann Ryan is an American actress and singer. She started acting professionally onstage at the age of seven, and was later discovered during Disney Channel's nationwide search for new talent. She had starring roles in the series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011), the film 16 Wishes (2010), the series Jessie (2011–2015), and the film Radio Rebel (2012). She also appeared in the drama film What If... (2010), the series Insatiable (2018–2019), the comedy films The Opening Act (2020) and Shortcomings (2023), the thriller film Night Teeth (2021), and the Jeff Baena films Horse Girl (2020) and Spin Me Round (2022).
Philip Goodwin Freelon was an American architect. He was best known for leading the design team of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
John Plymale is a record producer, recording engineer, and musician from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Matt Von Roderick is an American trumpeter, rapper, singer and recording artist. In 2003, he was named Jazz Artist of the Year by the Independent Music Awards.
Stephen Levitin is an American record producer. Apple Juice Kid's production has been heard on songs by Mos Def, Azealia Banks, Wale, Camp Lo and MC Lyte. He has released several jazz remix albums with support from Okayplayer including Miles Davis Remixed and Frank Sinatra Remixed.
Pierce Freelon is an American musician, educator, author and politician from Durham, North Carolina. He is a Grammy-nominated family music artist and former Durham City Council Member. Freelon is the founder of Blackspace, an Afrofuturist digital makerspace. He co-founded Beat Making Lab, an Emmy Award winning PBS web-series. He is co-director, writer and composer of The History of White People in America, a PBS animated series.
The Revivalists are an American rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007. The eight-piece band consists of Ed Williams, David Shaw, Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas, Andrew Campanelli, Michael Girardot, and Paulet "PJ" Howard.
Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday is a 2005 album by Nnenna Freelon recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday.