Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka is an influential American poet, dramatist and music critic. Known for his outspoken political activism, he may be best remembered for his controversial tenure as Poet Laureate of New Jersey. Important writings include Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note (1961) and Blues People: Negro Music in White America (1963), which remains one of the most influential volumes of jazz criticism. Baraka's website is http://www.amiribaraka.com/.
Marcel Khalife
Marcel Khalifé (Arabic: مرسيل خليفة) was born in 1950 in Amchit, Mount-Lebanon. He studied the oud (the Arabic lute) at the Beirut National conservatory. His music works around the classical Arabic oud but also includes jazz piano and many other influences. His playing techniques expand far outside those of classical oud playing, however, and he is attributed for having greatly expanded the horizons of this traditional Arabic instrument.
Felix Dennis
Felix Dennis is one of Britain's best known entrepreneurs. He was born in Kingston-upon-Thames in 1947. After leaving Harrow College of Art, Dennis wasted a great deal of his youth playing in R&B bands. In 1971 he was imprisoned by the British government as a co-editor of OZ magazine at the culmination of the longest conspiracy trial in English history. Dennis recorded a single with John Lennon to raise money for a legal defence fund.
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (October 18, 1926–November 23, 1991) was a German actor of Polish descent, in the second half of the 20th century. He was notorious for his explosive temperament. After World War II, he began acting and changed his name to Klaus Kinski. He started on stage in Germany, became a legend as a monologist (presenting the prose and verse of William Shakespeare and Francois Villon, among others), and soon moved, pragmatically, to film, where the money was better.
Aidan John Moffat
Aidan John Moffat (born 10 April 1973 in Falkirk, Scotland) is a Scottish vocalist and musician, best known for his work with Malcolm Middleton in the post-folk band, Arab Strap. He also composes a sex and love advice column, "I'm No Expert; with Aidan Moffat" for online magazine The Quietus Moffat was born and raised in Falkirk, Scotland. The first album he bought was Elvis Sings For Kids by Elvis Presley. Whilst at Falkirk High School, he listened to such bands as The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Slint His first ever gig was at age 16, and was David Byrne at the Glasgow Barrowlands in 1989.
Anthony Joseph
The Stan Tracey Quartet
Kate Westbrook
Kate Westbrook's musical career began in the mid '70's when she joined the Mike Westbrook Brass Band. She has toured widely and has recorded more than 20 albums. Kate's vocal range embraces Contemporary Music, Opera, Music Hall, as well as Jazz and Popular Song. She sang the role of Anna in The Seven Deadly Sins by Brecht and Weill with the London Symphony Orchestra, arias by Rossini with the Mike Westbrook Orchestra in Big Band Rossini at the Proms, and songs by the Beatles with the Westbrook Band in Off Abbey Road.
Povl Dissing
Povl Dissing is a renowned Danish singer born 27th January 1938 - with a recording career spanning five decades - his breakthrough into a public consciousness in Denmark came in the midsixties, with a couple of unique takes on some classic folk ballads that had the audience bewildered and polarised. In the late sixties and early seventies he played an important - if short - part on the danish "beat scene" (ie rock, blues and progressive rock) - releasing his eponymous rock debut in 1969 - a psychedelic folkrock album in danish - and recording with Beefeaters and Burnin´ Red Ivanhoe.