ART HOUSE SESSIONS ONCE AGAIN GETS INTO THE HEARTS & MINDS OF THE ARTIST AT NAPA VALLEY’S MOST INTIMATE MUSICAL SERIES

Jessup Cellars invites you to our Third Annual Art House Sessions this July, August and September. Set in our Yountville Tasting Gallery with café-style seating, our intimate summer music series, in partnership with Hollywood’s famed Hotel Cafe, features the absolute best in established and emerging singer-songwriters sharing their stories through song and conversation.

 The evening includes wine tasting, artist meet-and-greet, and light nosh. Ten percent of each evening’s wine sales will be allocated to support local youth music programs. Scroll down for artist bios and links!

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Each show ticket includes artist performance and meet-and-greet, table seating, 4 wine taste tickets and communal cheese plates

2016 SUMMER SERIES FEATURED ARTISTS

 

Season Finale Saturday, September 10th > > > Chi McClean

Chi McClean was born and raised in New York before heading out to California in a beat up truck looking for a change. Settling in San Francisco, he began to develop an honest, introspective approach to his songwriting that ultimately formed the building blocks for his debut release, ‘Something Out There’, his second, solo-acoustic release, ‘A Thing Or Three’, and his brand new, full-band album, ‘Let Me In’, released on January 22nd, 2016 at The Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA with an official, industry showcase and live-broadcast performance for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

Currently based in Nashville, Tennessee, Chi writes acoustic rock songs marked by a haunting southern style. Many of his songs take a straightforward look at love, loss, and in the end, opportunity. Influenced by Jimi Hendrix, The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Free, The Faces, The Allman Brothers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chi’s music borrows from the timeless tones and song structures that formed the pillars of the classic rock scene while presenting listeners with a contemporary and wholly unique perspective.  ‘Something Out There’, Chi’s debut album released in 2009, was recorded in San Francisco, CA at Flying Kitchen and in Sausalito, CA at Studio D by Boone Spooner, mixed in Los Angeles, CA by Kevin Shirley (The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa) at The Document Room, and mastered in New York, NY by Ryan Smith (James Taylor, Joe Bonamassa, O.A.R.) at Sterling Sound. Chi’s second release, ‘A Thing Or Three’, is a live, in-studio, solo-acoustic recording that delivers the feeling of an intimate, living room performance.

Chi’s brand new, full-band release, ‘Let Me In’, which is now available online via all major retailers, is the fully realized sound that Chi has been chasing since he first picked up a guitar. The album features eight original tracks recorded by Grammy nominated engineer Andrija Tokic (The Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff).

Chi is actively playing shows to promote ‘Something Out There’, ‘A Thing Or Three’, and his newest release, ‘Let Me In’, and has performed live on several television and radio broadcasts including a live, in-studio performance on the nationally televised CBS program The Early Show. In addition, Chi’s music is currently featured on Virgin America’s in-flight entertainment system for all national flights throughout the United States and is available on Amazon Music, iTunes, CD Baby, Spotify, and Pandora internet radio.

Chi has also enjoyed several recent placements of three of his songs, co-written with friend, songwriter, and producer, Adam Zelkind, on the hit television series from The CW, ‘Hart of Dixie’. In between an average of 150 to 200 performances each year, Chi is already hard at work compiling a new collection of songs for an upcoming project scheduled for release later in 2016.

PAST SHOWS

Saturday, August 27th > > > Jordie Lane

Australia’s Storytelling Troubadour Jordie Lane has just come off the back of an epic two year world tour of his critically acclaimed Nashville recorded EP, ‘Not Built To Last’, and is not showing any signs of stopping with the release of his brand new single, ‘Frederick Steele McNeil Ferguson’. Renowned for both his relentless international touring schedule and comedic storytelling (which is as much ramble as it is insight), it’s Lane’s unique guitar style and the unmistakable character of his voice that is, simply otherworldly.

Accompanied by the multi-talented singer/songwriter Clare Reynolds on among other things, a Guitar Case Drum, they’ve been sharing their immensely powerful harmonies and unique instrumentation right across the globe with coveted appearances at Philadelphia Folk Festival (US), Edmonton, Calgary & Winnipeg Folk Festivals (Canada) and Celtic Connections (Scot-land). And appearances on NPR’s ‘Folk Alley’ and ‘Mountain Stage’.

While relatively new to US audiences, Australia’s leading folk/roots outlet Rhythms Magazine have called Lane “one of Australia’s brightest new roots music stars” and Rolling Stone Magazine said his debut album Sleeping Patterns “may come to be regarded as one of the most assured ever by a local artist”.

Born to a comedian and a clown, Lane spent his early years in a traveling circus. His nomadic touring lifestyle and knack for comedic storytelling confirm the theory one is a product of their upbringing, yet when you watch Lane perform it is his incredible voice and rhythmic guitar playing that seem like they come from another place and another time.   It is a voice that has taken him around the world, performing with the likes of Billy Bragg, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Old Crow Medicine Show, Neko Case, Cat Power, Ruthie Foster and The Moody Blues.

 

Saturday, August 13th > > > Jesse Thomas

Jesse Thomas returns for her third consecutive year as a fan favorite! Over the past few years, she’s developed a dedicated fanbase around the country, and around the world through her YouTube channel, TV placements, SXSW appearances on the Hotel Cafe stage, her iTunes “free single download” with over 120K downloads, and her week-long stint as Starbucks’ “Pick of the Week” artist with free download cards in all U.S. and Canadian locations.

 She released her first full-length album, entitled “War Dancer,” on Valentine’s Day (February 14th) 2012, which peaked at number four on iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts and charted on Billboard at No.25 on “Heatseekers” and No.16 on the folk charts. Her follow up Burn The Boats, released in May of 2014 was featured on top Spotify playlists, with her song “Leather Jacket” getting over 100k plays in the first week, as well as topping the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. She is currently touring and gearing up to start the next record.

 

Saturday, July23rd > > > Keaton Simons

 The Los Angeles Times described the voice of their native son as having a “lived-in quality that will echo in our minds and hearts for years to come.” Keaton Simons has enjoyed international recognition for his role in the singer/songwriter/pop world while on major labels Maverick and CBS Records. The blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter released his debut full-length album, Can You Hear Me, in 2008 and his follow up, Beautiful Pain, in 2013.

He’s performed his original music on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Last Call with Carson Daly, and The Ellen DeGenereres Show. Keaton’s music is also regularly placed in feature films and TV shows including Sons of Anarchy, Private Practice, and NCIS. Most recently, his latest single, “When I Go,” was featured in both the 2015 Summer Finale and 2016 Winter Mid Season Premiere of SUITS.

In 2015, Keaton supported Chris Cornell on his new album promo tour, playing guitar and singing background vocals on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America and more. A video accompanying Cornell on “Nothing Compares 2 U” at SiriusXM Lithium XM surpassed 2 million views and Keaton’s solo was named 1 of 5 Top Guitar Solos of 2015 by Baeble Music. Not surprisingly, Premier Guitar magazine has welcomed Keaton as a guest guitar teacher on their website and says, “Simons can play.”

In addition to being the face of Advanced Guitar for Ubisoft’s Rocksmith video game, Keaton shines on guitar and vocals at pop-up jam sessions with legendary musicians like drummer Robin DiMaggio (Paul Simon, David Bowie), bassist Alex Al (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder), and percussionist Lenny Castro (Boz Scaggs, Fleetwood Mac).  Proving that genres are just a state of mind, Keaton has even had success in the hop hop world as a writer, musical director, singer, guitarist and bassist with notable acts like Snoop Dogg, Gnarls Barkley, Tre Hardson of The Pharcyde, and underground hip hop legend Medusa.

Saturday, July 9th > > > Mike Gibbons

Much like the art he creates, Mike Gibbons can be difficult to pin down. As a singer songwriter, he has released four full-length albums, toured throughout the United States, and shared the stage with many successful modern Americana/Folk artists including Gregory Alan Isakov, The White Buffalo, and Jonathan Coulton. Since making the unconventional decision in 2012 to integrate his music with a long-held passion for landscape photography and filmmaking, Gibbons has released three short films with the Waterlust, a filmmaking collective of water enthusiasts whose films have been viewed over a million times online.

His San Francisco inspired single “Swells and Storms” and it’s Waterlust music video were featured in the 2013 San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival and launched two international film expeditions in Cuba and in Peru in the years since. Gibbons has also featured his landscape and seascape photography at exhibitions around the greater San Francisco Bay Area, just having wrapped up a month-long exhibition at Jessup Cellars in the Napa Valley town of Yountville. You can visit Gibbons photography on exhibit in San Francisco throughout July at MAFIA Bags showroom headquarters at 1122 Howard Street. Go to www.mikegibbons.net for more information on upcoming performances and exhibitions.

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