Eddie is a pianist / singer / songwriter from Pittsburgh, PA.
Eddie began his musical journey at age five when he got his first piano.
He was so inspired by the innovative sound of Harry Connick Jr. that at age
12 he sent a demo to Connick's agent in hopes of receiving some feedback,
but he never expected to receive a phone call from Harry, personally
inviting him to his concert in Pittsburgh, PA. During the performance, Harry,
who was intrigued by the demo, invited Eddie on stage to perform a duet. Eddie
was inspired greatly on both a personal and a musical level. Eddie went on to
perform on stage with Harry Connick, Jr. on four occasions in Pittsburgh and
Chicago.
By age 13, Eddie played his first professional gig and continued to
fine tune his piano skills with private lessons. At age 16, Harry Connick, Jr.
arranged for Eddie to study privately with his mentor, Ellis Marsalis, in New Orleans, LA.,
and between his junior and senior years in high school, Eddie received a scholarship
to study at the summer program of the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Joanne B
rackeen, a professor at Berklee and an extraordinary pianist, heard Eddie play
at the Mellon Jazz Festival in Pittsburgh and recommended him for the scholarship.
At age 19, Eddie competed in Best New Talent and finished in the top three in both
the male singer and instrumentalist categories. As a result of BNT, Eddie received
valuable direction from BNT 2003 Judge, Susan Slamer (American Idol Music Supervisor)
and went on to record a demo CD at Capitol Records in L.A. After graduation, Eddie
entered Duquesne Universitys Jazz Studies program on a full scholarhip. The focus
on music theory, musicianship, piano technique and performing in ensembles only
intensified Eddies love for music.
During college, Eddie played hundreds of gigs with
the Eddie Wiernik Jazz Quartet and even had the distinction of playing at Lincoln Center
in New York City. Eddie studied voice with Kim Nazarian of New York Voices and has
had the opportunity to work with numerous distinguished jazz musicians including Sean
Jones, Bob Mintzer, Gregg Fields, Joey DeFrancesco, Capt Jack McDuff, Dave Budway,
Roger Humphries and Dwayne Dolphin. He has also been greatly influence by pianist Oscar
Peterson. Eddie graduated from Duquesne University in May 2006 with a degree in music
education and has been living in Los Angeles pursuing his dream ever since.
Saxophonist and songwriter; Kevin Deal's inherent drive to express himself musically
became evident when he picked up the saxophone at age 11. The saxophone
became a focus of his intellect and passion, with music being a perfect medium for his mixture of knowledge and creativity.
By age 13, Kevin won "Most Outstanding Soloist"
for jazz at the North American Music Festival in Toronto, Ontario. At 16, he won "Most Outstanding
Soloist" for Jazz, as well as "Most Outstanding Soloist" in the classical division, at the All-American
Music Festival in Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida. A key player in several quartets, musical shows,
and local bands at home, Kevin continued to hone his chops with internationally acclaimed jazz
performer, Dave Shaivone, whose repertoire includes playing with notable celebrities such as Harry
Connick, Jr. and Natalie Cole, and outstanding bands such as Tommy Dorsey and Doc Severinsen.
After receiving a scholarship to The Berklee School of music in Boston, Massachusetts, Kevin was
chosen in his freshman year as the lead alto saxophonist for the Disney All-Star Collegiate Band.
The summer stint afforded him the opportunity to perform with several leading studio recording
artists, including acclaimed west coast jazz musician and former Rippington’s saxophonist, Jeff
Kashiwa. Kevin’s tenure at Disney ended with a Capitol Records recording, which further fueled his
desire to write and record a solo CD.
While completing a dual-degree in music performance and music production engineering at Berklee,
Kevin played in hundreds of performances around the New England area. During this time, he was
afforded countless opportunities to work, learn, and perform alongside some of the most distinguished
individuals in the music industry including Gregg Fields, Steve Houghton, Rick Baptist, Sal Lozano, Wayne Bergeron,
Shelly Berg, Matt Harris and Abraham Laboriel.
Kevin has been influenced by a wide variety of musicians spanning all genres, with his main influence being Michael Brecker.
Upon graduation, Kevin chose to pursue his musical career on the West Coast. A native of Niagara
Falls, New York, he currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where he has been and continues to perform at venues
and events throughout Greater Los Angeles.