The instrumental music on this debut album features Gregg Suerez and Monte Perrault. Suerez & Perrault play a variety of guitars including flamenco, acoustic, 12-string, electric and bass guitars. Their debut album draws from musical genres such as rock, jazz, Latin and blues. Suerez & Perrault have created 13 original songs which have beautiful and memorable melodies, harmonies and rhythms. Their musical journey in creating this album started back in 2012 and was born out of the love of music, friendship and collaboration. The tracks on "Quintessence" often evoke imagery and imagination. The collaboration and artistry on the tracks were enhanced by a select group of internationally recognized musicians. Players such as Mario Mendivil on bass guitar, Dan Tomlinson and Adriel Perrault on drums and percussion and Ioannis (Yanni) Goudelis on piano helped make the recordings truly special. The opening track "Mesmerized" features Mike Crotty on alto and soprano sax. In a career spanning over 50 years, Mike has shared his love of music with some legendary musicians, including Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, as well as vocalists Tony Bennett. Mike also has a trumpet solo on "The Rhythm Of Your Body". On "Noche de Verano", Lydia Torea recorded castanets adding sparkle to the percussion on the track. Lydia has had decades in the flamenco world. She was snapped up by Jose Greco and toured much of the world with his company, becoming his prima ballerina. Then, she captured a movie role in the Stanley Kramer's 1964 film, Ship of Fools with Vivian Leigh and Lee Marvin. Later she toured with Xavier Cugat and Charo. Steve Smith's mandolin playing is featured on "When All Is Said and Done". Steve Smith has been performing for nearly thirty years in about as many types of musical situations as one can imagine. He has appeared as a solo artist, bandleader, in-demand sideman, session player and producer in traditional bluegrass (his first love), old-time, Celtic, new acoustic, jazz and chamber music. His deep Virginia roots and thirty years of traveling the country give him a hard driving unique instrumental sound coupled with a powerful tenor. The rhythm section including Mario Mendivil, Dan Tomlinson, Adriel Perrault, and Eric Zang suppled more than the backbeat on the songs. The counter melody lines and harmonies from bass player Mario Mendivil are heard throughout the album. Mario Mendivil has had the opportunity and pleasure to perform with some of the world's most renown musicians such as: Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, Brian Simpson, Mindi Abair, Kim Waters, Gregg Karukus, Eric Darius, Alexander Zonjic, Marion Meadows, Nelson Rangell, Glen Cambell, Sam Moore, Billie Preston, Denise Williams, Brian Bromberg, Ray Obiedo, Steve Oliver and Jay Soto. For over 25 years, Mario has been making a name for himself as a solid live / studio bassist and Musical Director. He has also been called upon for his compositional, arranging and recording skills for artists such as Nelson Rangell, Marion Meadows, Jay Soto, Jaared, Cindy Bradley and Dominic Amato. Dan Tomlinson played drums and percussion on many of the tracks including "Eternal Passion", "The Rhythm Of Your Body", "The Rightness Of You" and the title cut, "Quintessence". Throughout his career, Dan has performed and recorded in a vast amount of musical settings. Tomlinson toured with Lyle Lovett for eleven years. He also recorded with Lovett as well as two albums with Acoustic Alchemy. Adriel Perrault played drums and percussion on a majority of the songs including the opening song "Mesmerized", "Noche De Verano", "May Sunshine", "When All Is Said and Done", "Same As I Would Do Again", "Night At Versailles", "Summer Afternoon", and "Beyond Your Dreams". Adriel's plays many genres including rock, metal, Latin, jazz and flamenco. Adriel's musical sensibility is well beyond his years. Ioannis (Yanni) Goudelis played piano, B-3 organ, keyboards and accordion on the album. Check out his piano solo on the title cut, "Quintessence" or his magical accordion playing on "Night At Versailles". Ioannis Goudelps is a pianist, accordionist, composer and arranger. His compositions and unique style on the piano, is a blending of classical music with his Greek heritage and Latin rhythms with gypsy and jazz bebop lines. He has performed at festivals, clubs and concert halls throughout the world: from Greece and Europe to Africa and the Middle East and, throughout the United States. Some of his worldwide appearances have included Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival with Cinco de Moio, Paxos Jazz Festival 2005 in Greece with his European ensemble, Scottsdale Center for the Arts with worldwide known artist Chris Spheeris and Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix with the flamenco music ensemble Mosaico. Jeff Leece added his great bass lines to, "When All Is Said and Done". Jeff came to Phoenix Arizona in Jan. 1999 with "Tongue N' Groove" to record a Cd for Atlantic Records. Jeff currently averages 240 live shows a year with "Western Fusion" and is the first call session bassist at Full Well Recording Studio in Phoenix, AZ. Mark Gosiewski brought his flugelhorn to the studio and recorded on, "The Rhythm Of Your Body", "Quintessence" and is featured on "Crescent Moon". Originally born and raised in Canton, Ohio, Mark received a degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance from Youngstown State University. Since graduating, Mark has toured nationally and internationally with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the touring Broadway production of The Color Purple, Cunard Cruise Lines, and P&O Cruise Lines. As both a trumpeter and horn arranger, notable recording credits include such artists as Walter Williams of the O' Jays, smooth jazz saxophonist Keith McKelley, and gospel singer Kimberly Strong Walker. Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, Mark continues to work as a freelance musician and arranger, playing styles ranging from jazz, gospel, R&B, Broadway, and classical. Allen Ames recorded violin on, "Noche De Verano" and "When All Is Said and Done". Allen Ames, a lifelong Phoenician, has played with orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Arizona Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Nouveau West Chamber Orchestra, the Phoenix String Quartet, and many others. He has twice performed in the Sedona Chamber Music Festival. Allen began playing jazz in high school on both violin and guitar, and has played with many fine jazz artists, most recently at Old Town Center for the Arts with Zazu, and at Studio Live with Vismaya Hagelberg. As one reviewer has said, "Allen Ames never met an instrument he couldn't play." On any given night you can find Allen playing virtuosic violin, guitar, percussion, bass, keyboards or his own innovation the violira - a six string violin-viola hybrid. In a recent concert at OTCA one audience member said, "Everyone in the Verde Valley has got to see this man play." Ruth Wenger plays on "Crescent Moon" and features her beautiful cello playing. Ruth Wenger, a Phoenix native, is principal cellist in the West Valley Symphony and a past member of the Herberger String Quartet. Committed to serving the local community through the arts, she co-founded CollabX, an organization created to develop community by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among Phoenix valley creative personalities. In its first two years, CollabX has helped produce over five events underlining the intersection of music, film, and poetry, resulting in the commissioning of several new works by local poets and musicians. Ruth is currently in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Arizona State University, where she received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under the instruction of Tom Landschoot. Charles Lewis plays keyboards on "Eternal Passion". Charles Lewis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1933. He began performing on piano at church functions when he was only 7 years old. Charles moved to Arizona in 1953 when he enrolled at Arizona State University. He began performing at the famous 7th Ave. Elks Club jams in 1954. He played with several bands before forming his own band, The Charles Lewis Quintet. He landed a gig at the Playboy Club in Phoenix in 1961. He performed “self awareness through music” seminars for the Bureau of Indian affairs, the Dept. of Corrections and many other organizations. He’s also done workshops on the relationship of music to colors, textures and linear shapes for the National Alliance for Arts Education. He has served on the Arizona Com. on the Arts, the Music advisory panel for the National endowment for the arts in Washington, DC and many other prestigious panels. He considers his crowning achievements to be the work he’s done doing musical workshops for children. He says he loves living in Arizona because of the peace he has found in the wide open spaces and the relatively slower pace of life in the desert.