MERITXELL NEGRE-WILLIAMS txellnegre@aol.com Meritxell is a beautiful soulful songwriter and vocalist with a culturally rich and diverse outlook on life. Born in Barcelona, she embarked on an artistic developmental journey. This journey took her to Nashville, Tennessee.(USA) While there she collaborated with numerous industry writers and vocalists to enhance her skills and extend her vocal boundaries. In 1996 she signed a Publishing and Production contract with EMI Publishing Inc. This great opportunity lead to the writing collaboration of a number of songs, allowing her to improve greatly on the art of writing, recording and producing music. Meritxell has since journeyed to the United States east coast, where she has collaborated with new savvy vocalists and writers. As a result of this move her style is even more diversified and her skills have ascended to another level. She has performed at world renowned events like: The Jazzmatazz Festival in Washington DC, where she shared stage with B.B. King and Jonathan Butler, The Philadelphia Convention Center with Jean Norris, of R&B group Zhane, sharing the stage with R&B singer songwriter Musiq SoulChild, the Detroit Jazz Festival (Maysa Leak, member of Incognito), sharing stage with Billy Preson, Floetry, the Pasadena SoulFest, sharing stage with the legendary Chaka Khan and R&B vocalist Vivian Green. Meritxell has also collaborated with R&B singer Alyson Williams in Washington D.C. At the Baltimore Jazz Festival, she opened for R&B/ Jazz singer-songwriter/producer/arranger Frank Mc Comb, and also for the East Coast All Star Jazz ensemble (Randy Brecker, Omar Hakim, Chuck Loeb, Will Lee, Ralph McDonald, David Benoit, Bill Evans) at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington D.C, and different Corporate Events for world-renowned people and Corporations like Donald Trump or the Coca Cola Company in Atlanta Georgia. She currently resides in the Washington D.C area. After watching and listening to her perform, you will agree that Meritxell is one of the most talented and versatile premier bilingual writer/vocalists in the business today. BIOGRAPHY of GARY W GRAINGER When Gary Grainger speaks, its usually in clean bass tones articulated in musical dialects ranging from fusion to pure jazz. Music aficionados everywhere have heard a lot of what Gary has to say. From his early days with soul singer Luther Ingram to his years as a member of Earth, Wind and Fire's protégé band " Pockets" to his contribution to John Scofield's celebrated quartet, Gary Grainger is talking bass, bass, and more bass. A self-taught player, Gary learned the bass as a teenager. He gave up his interest in drums when his father brought home an old electric bass given to him by a co-worker. Gary also toyed with the tuba and sousaphone in high school. Though surrounded by musical influences for most of his early life, at 18, Gary enrolled as an art major at Morgan State University in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. He kept his interest in the bass alive by playing in local bands on weekends when his studies permitted- While at Morgan, Gary became involved with both the marching and stage bands. His local, after hours playing began to expand outside of Baltimore into the clubs up and down the Washington Baltimore Corridor. In 1974, Gary joined soul singer Luther Ingram on a four month gig in Florida. After Ingram, Gary returned home and joined a fusion band called Inner Visions which was later transformed into the Columbia label recording group Pockets. Between 1978 and 1981, Pockets recorded three albums and toured as EWF"s opening act. Subsequent to Pockets, Gary began to freelance doing studio sessions. Between Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York. During this point of his career, he met Eumir Deodato and recorded two albums with him: Night Cruise and Happy Hour. Fortunately, 1986 was not to be the year of exception. Upon hearing one of Gary's live performances on tape, guitarist John Scofield inducted him into his quartet to create the bass platforms that would support Scofield's own style and musical vision. In 1993, Gary, his Brother Greg and their partner Tony Bulluck, the tour manager for Whitney Houston, developed a sophisticated mini-recording studio. Through a very effective use of space and some creative engineering concepts, the trio designed Hillview Studios to support musicians who want to bridge the two worlds of acoustic and digital sound. Since then, they have been busy producing a broad range of artists whose music runs the gamut from jazz and rap to pop and gospel, as well as creating original jingles and music scores for Umbro Sports, ABC Sports/Nutmeg Mills, Rudo Sports and others. Gary's other recent endeavors include, both performing and studio work with Maysa, Lonnie L. Smith, Pure Soul, Nancy Wilson, Dennis Chambers and George Duke in the Walt Disney's Clinton Inauguration Special "Celebrations for Youth", also Eric Marienthal, Slim Man, Nelson Rangel, The WPG Trio, Less Traveled and Ken Navarro to name a few. Grainger was also the opening act for the East Coast All Star Jazz ensemble at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington D.C in July of 2004. These days you're most apt to find Gary working on his soon to be released second album "Grainger Phase II" with his brother Greg. "Grainger Phase I" was release in 1997 and was very well received by the public winning 3 Wamma awards, 1997,1998 and 2000. Gary's excitement about the collaboration with Greg is contagious as he explains; "these projects are a serious effort for me. Whenever Greg and I join forces we create a very dynamic chemistry. That's what we're going to get on tape-that special magic that happens between us when we play together. It's a family thing I guess." Gary's latest endeavor is the creation of his own signature 5 string bass guitar with Paul Reed Smith, which will be released on the market in January of 2005. He has recently held bass clinics in several cities in Canada and China, promoting his new bass guitar. E-MAIL CLOEE2 ©MSN.COM Less Traveled 2000-Present Bassist, vocalist; Performing Nationally. 1st CD "Nobody" released in 2000. The WPG Trio 1998 - Present Co-Leader. Bassist. Vocalist. Songwriter. Performing nationally, WPG's 1st CD is soon to be released in 2001. Pure Soul Singing Group November 1997 Session Bassist: Performed on latest project, CD due to be released in 1997. MAYSA January 1996 - Present Tour Bassist; Performs with new Solo Artist, and member of the group "Incognito" on her tour of the United States. Ken Navarro 1994-Present Tour/Session Bassist: Performed on last five CD's, currently performing on United States Tour. GBM Records Incorporated 1994 - Present "Grainger Phase II" due to be released hi May 2001. Hillview Studios 1991 - Present * Owner/Producer/Engineer Lonnie Liston Smith 1993-Present Tour/Session Bassist- Performed on one United States Tour, session bassist on CD. GARYW. GRAINGER Dennis Chambers 1991-Present Tour/Session Bassist; Performed on three World tours and /session Bassist for CD's "Getting Even", Graffiti's "Good Grove" ^ and performed on instructional video's "hi The Pocket", and "Serious Moves". John Scofield 1986-1992 Tour/Session Bassist; Performed on four World tours and session bassist on three CD's "Blue Matter", Loud Jazz and Pick Hits Live". Performed on instructional video's "Jazz/Funk Guitar I and II". Grainger Brothers Productions 1992-Present Bassist, Songwriter, Producer, Artist Manager: Performed in family band "Grainger", with #1 chart hit in several cities and Top 30 Billboard R&B chart Hit "Shine your Light", developed former MCA artist Debbie Jacobs-Rock, The Soft Tones and First Class. Freelance and Studio Bassist 1981 - Present Session Bassist, Performed in studio session with Verdine White, Pockets, Bobby Eli, Blue Magic, Debbie Jacobs-Rock, The Soft Tones, Jackie Moore, Robert Wright, and various television and/radio commercials Studio bassist on two Deodato albums, "Night Cruiser and Happy Hour". Pockets 1978-1981 Co-Leader and Bassist; Performed on tour with Earth Wind & Fire; Bassist on three albums released by CBS Records, produced by Earth Wind & Fire's Verdine White and Robert Wright, "Come Go With Me Take It On Up and So Delicious". ' Luther Ingram 1974-1975 Tour Bassist; Performed on Florida tour. REFERENCES AND DEMO TAPE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST