ART HOUSE SESSIONS GET INTO THE MIND OF THE ARTIST
Jessup Cellars invites you to our 2nd 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!
We also welcome our new Art House Sessions partner Hilton Garden Inn in Napa. In addition to hosting our guest artists in luxurious comfort, they are offering our Members and guests receive 20% off their best available rate. This offer is available 7 days a week with no blackout dates. Call the Hilton Garden Inn directly at 707-252-0444 or visit www.napahiltongardeninn.com today to book your stay in the beautiful Napa Valley!
CLICK HERE FOR TIX: VIP Experience $35 | VIP Member $25
Includes artist performance, table seating, 4 wine taste tickets and cheese plate
FINAL SHOW OF 2015 SUMMER SERIES
Saturday, September 12th: Meiko
Meiko’s artistic ambitions date back to 2007, when she began landing shows at the Hotel Cafe, the unofficial headquarters of young, up-and-coming songwriters on the West Coast. Things moved quickly from there. She signed with MySpace Records, reissued her self-titled debut record in 2008, and scored a hit on Triple A radio with “Boys with Girlfriends.” Pop, folk, and rock fans loved her; so did music supervisors, who placed Meiko’s songs in episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and other prime-time TV shows. After signing with Concord Records in 2011, she released “The Bright Side,” which climbed to No. 1 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Albums chart. Meiko hit the road again, selling out concerts from Los Angeles to Tokyo.
“The Bright Side” is a buoyant, optimistic record awash in the early phases of love. TV shows and commercials across the globe featured the album’s songs, and “Stuck on You” even became a No. 1 radio hit in Japan. Years after launching her songwriting career in the coffeehouses of Los Angeles, Meiko had officially found international recognition.
Her secret affinity for penning unsent letters to the various souls who have penetrated her life inspired her third studio album (and second for Fantasy/Concord) entitled “Dear You,” a decidedly deeper, darker record about the things that happen once a relationship’s honeymoon phase crashes to a halt. There’s heartbreak, betrayal, and longing enveloped in 11 new songs that mix Meiko’s voice—breathy and intimate—with electronic folk-pop, drum loops, acoustic guitars, keyboards and indelible melodies.
Meiko turned to producer Jimmy Messer, who also helmed a good chunk of “The Bright Side,” to help create “Dear You’s” sophisticated, stripped down sound. Together, the two recorded most of the songs without outside help, only turning to musicians Don Heffington (Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow) and the Grooveline Horns (Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band) for key cameos on a handful of tracks. The goal was to keep things simple, highlighting the album’s intimacy without adding too many bells and whistles. At Meiko’s request, though, Messer did sprinkle some synthesizers and electronic percussion into the mix; drawing a bridge between Meiko’s acoustic songwriting and her lifelong appreciation for electronic pioneers like Portishead.
PAST SHOWS
Saturday, August 22nd: Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song “Blue Eyes” on the Platinum-selling, Grammy-winning “Garden State” soundtrack. Brothers’ last two full-length records premiered at #1 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter Chart. He has become one of the most-licensed artists in film and television with over 90 songs featured in TV shows and movies like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and ”Easy A” in addition to appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Late Show.”
He is the co-creator of The Hotel Cafe Tour and has toured worldwide with artists such as Imogen Heap, Sara Bareilles, and The Fray. In the electronic dance music world, Brothers has found success with Tiësto on a club remix of his song “Ride” and an original song for Tiesto’s album “Kaleidoscope,” and he co-wrote and sang the title tracks for the Cosmic Gate releases “Wake Your Mind” and “Start to Feel.”
Saturday, August 8th: Jesse Thomas SOLD OUT!
Over the last few years, breakout artist, Jesse Thomas has 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, July 11th: Erin & The Project SOLD OUT!
Erin & The Project combines soul, r&b, blues, jazz, and alternative rock to create a unique SoulTernative genre. This dynamic act features powerhouse female vocals and driving rhythms that will leave you in the afterglow.
Erin and Paul first met in 2004. Within weeks they were writing and recording demos of their first songs together, and in 2008 they made their debut live performance for family and friends at their wedding in their hometown of Fairfax, California.
This past year they have recorded a new EP, titled THE WINDOW, with Track Shack Studios in Sacramento, CA. This exciting new project is in collaboration with, and being produced by Jeff Tamelier (guitarist from Tower of Power) and Peter de Leon (Petey Wunder). Look for it coming soon to iTunes.
Their first official music release was a 7 track EP titled, BIRTHDAY, recorded by Grammy award winning engineer/mixer, Oz Fritz (Tom Waits “Mule Variations”). After catching his attention at a small wine bar acoustic performance, he offered to schedule a recording session with them in their own living room. Shortly after the official release of BIRTHDAY, they put all their belongings into a storage unit and set out on the open road, playing their music to audiences all around the country.
In October 2013, they met up with Oz once again to record their third album, A LITTLE LOVE. This time they recorded at the world renowned Prairie Sun Recording Studios, featuring Eric McFadden (guitar), Matthew Charles Heulitt (guitar), Jason Langley (bass), Phil Bennett (organ), and Ram Kaundinya (tabla). Their single, PROMISES (released on Jan. 30th), was mixed in Wales by multi-Grammy winner, Tchad Blake (The Black Keys, Peter Gabriel, Sheryl Crow, etc.). The album was officially released on Valentines Day 2014.
They are still touring full time, and strive to become one of the hardest working acts in the business.