Music Ministry
The Genesis Music Ministry is one of the cornerstones of our
community. We understand the profound impact art has on the soul and that’s why you’ll find some of Seattle’s finest musicians at our Sunday services. Our musical family comes from many different genres including gospel, classical, jazz and contemporary rock, and the Genesis house band uplifts and inspires each week as we come together in song. Join us as we make a joyful noise unto the Spirit!
Becca Palm
Becca Palm is the founding artistic director at Genesis. She has served the SOM community for over 15 years and brings not only extensive musical training and expertise, but also the heart that surrounds and is apparent in the Genesis music ministry.
If you would like to contact our artistic director, please email Becca Palm at music@genesis-global.org Thank you!
Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body." - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Guest Musicians and Entertainers
Pete Kirkland www.pgwebpalace.com/petekirkland
Pete Kirkland is an accomplished vocalist and entertainer with over 30 years of experience in the music industry. His career started at zage 13 playing the drums on the lounge circuit for various rock bands in Germany. By the time Pete was 16 he was the lead vocalist in a touring Soul Band Revue. He has captivated audiences from all around the world by his powerful performance, dynamic personality and his natural God given talent.
Groove for Thought www.grooveforthought
Winners of the 2005 National Harmony Sweepstakes Competition and the 2006 Contemporary Acappella Recording Award for Best Jazz Song, the six men of GFT create their own sound while drawing on influences as diverse as Earth, Wind, & Fire and
The Count Basie Orchestra. Groove For Thought's self titled debut CD has been released to rave reviews and is receiving radio airplay from coast to coast.
Greta Matassa www.gretamatassa.com
Five times voted the northwest’s "best jazz vocalis" by Earshot Jazz, Greta Matassa has become one of the hottest tickets on the northwest jazz scene. With hints of Ella, Sarah, Billie and Carmen, Greta has released four CD’s from which she receives regular national airplay. As well as being one of the areas most familiar voices on television and radio advertising, Greta teaches privately and offers jazz workshops
Michael Powers www.michaelpowersmusic
Michael Powers is Seattle’s jazz guitarist. Though locally based,
Powers is a nationally recognized talent that has established himself
among a breed of guitarists and composers who, with each album and performance, redefines the guitars' role in the jazz context. He
graduated from Seattle’s prestigious Cornish College of the Arts Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Composition and Performance and has shared billings with piano giant Herbie Hancock, classic Jazz saxophonist Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson, the legendary Ray Charles, Afro-pop star King Sunny Ade, Grammy award-winning vocalist Diane Schuur, R&B greats Gladys Knight and the Pips and Atlantic Starr, contemporary Jazz artists Ronny Jordan, Tom Grant, David Benoit, the Yellowjackets, and the duo of Tuck & Patti.
Geoffrey Castle www.geoffreycastle.com
Seattle violinist Geoffrey Castle fearlessly brings the violin back to the center stage with groundbreaking, virtuoso, 21st century performances on acoustic and six-string electric violins. A unique voice on an unusual instrument, Castle's career includes time spent as a street musician in New York City, performing in the Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly with Tony Randall, playing with rock greats like Blues Traveler, Jimmy Buffet, Alan White, Buddy Miles, Roger Fisher, Mike Derosier, Ann & Nancy Wilson, and many more. Geoffrey has done extensive recording including his own CD's entitled "New World", "Mist on the Mountain" and a holiday CD, "Underhills Angel". For recordings from his back catalog, please visit www.twistedfiddlemusic.com
Stephan Plummer www.cdbaby.com/cd/splummer
Stephan Plummer is a singer/songwriter that has sung both as a street musician and at Benoroya Hall and at the McCall Hall in Seattle. Her 1st cd, Pattern of Love, is a dedication to her Mother who had 13 children so she wrote 13 songs for the cd.
Alice Stuart www.alicestuart.com
Alice Stuart blazed the trail for women in rock and roll as one of the only females in the country to write her own music, front a male band, and play lead guitar on national and international circuits. During the mid 60's and 70's Alice toured the US and Europe with her band Snake (and as tour support for Van Morrison) as well as touring and performing with many well know artists, such as Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Michael Bloomfield, Jerry Garcia, John Prine, and Albert King. Her Burnside release Can't Find No Heaven was nominated for both a Grammy and a Handy Award in 2003 and was chosen as "Best NW CD" by the Washington Blues Society in 2004. In 2005, Alice was awarded "Seattle's Best Guitarist," and she the Formerlys were chosen by the Seattle Weekly readers as Seattle's Best Blues Band in 2004 & 2006. Her most recent release (2007) was recorded in Memphis, TN and is entitled "Freedom".
Murl Allen Sanders www.murlallensanders.
Murl Allen Sanders is an independent, modern accordionist, pianist, composer, teacher and recording artist who plays pop, rock, zydeco, country, jazz, blues and various ethnic styles on piano and accordion. He has worked with such diverse national and international artists as: Chuck Berry, Etta James, Merrilee Rush, Theodore Bikel, Peter Duchin, Leslie Gore, The Von Trapp Children, Lee Oskar, OhNo, Underground Resistance, Leroy Bell, Clare Fischer, Todd Simon, and composer David Matthews.
Gail Pettis www.gailpettis.com
Three-time nominee and 2007 winner of Earshot Golden Ear Awards "Northwest Vocalist of the Year," Gail’s style is elegant, sultry and soulful. She was the 2006 First Place winner of the Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Audition and most recently was an artist-in-residence at the Amersfoort Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Her debut CD, "May I Come In?” released in August 2007, is receiving local and national airplay, and was recently nominated for Earshot Golden Ear "2007 Northwest Recording of the Year".
Larry Murante http://www.larrymurante.com/
Murante is a singer/songwriter with a voice smooth as Irish whiskey. Larry’s two CD releases, Kiss Me One More Time (1994) and Water’s Edge (2000) have garnered critical acclaim from all over the country and parts of Europe. In the past few years he’s racked up a string of national and regional songwriting awards and honors including first place winner of the 1999 Wildflower Songwriting Contest in Richardson, Texas, and was a showcase finalist at the 1999 Falcon Ridge Festival in Hillsdale, NY. Larry tours nationally, performing at concerts, festivals, radio interviews and house concerts.
Charles Holt myspace.com/charlesholtmusic
Charles has starred in some of the most celebrated and spectacular productions in American theatre history including Jesus Christ Superstar, Smokey Joe’s Café, an the Lion King. He was the first African-American to play the role of ‘Rocky’ in the European tour of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Susan Pascal www.susanpascal.com
Jazz vibraphonist Susan Pascal is one of Seattle’s finest. Both spontaneous and imaginative, Susan has fluid stick work, coherent and compact solos and blazing 4-mallet technique. This vibraphonist is a delight.
Darren Motamedy www.darrenmotamedy.com
Darren Motamedy is a soulful, passionate and smooth jazz sax player. As leader, writer and performer of "Mottoretti", his first two CD's achieved national success, landing spots on the "AC" charts and the "Jazz" charts as well. In 1995, his third album "Dangerously Close", won the "Best Jazz Album" of the year category with Seattle Based KUBE radio station, and soon after, Motamedy was on the road opening for such acts as "Ce Ce Penniston", "Deneice Williams", and "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy". "Peace" was Motamedy's follow up recording of Holiday Classics, and then in 1999 Motamedy released "It's All Good". This CD also won the 1999 "Jazz Album" of the year with the extra bonus of taking home the trophy over jazz greats "Dianne Shuur and Kenny G". 2005 ventured Motamedy into the "Best of Darren Motamedy" CD collection which continues to be a top seller for him and 2007 found Motamedy releasing "Don't Cha" Know", which is available for sale and is already receiving excellent review.
Brad Warren www.bradwarren.net
A prize-winning playwright turned songwriter; Seattle's Brad Warren grew up in a musical family and was steeped in 1960s protest and pop songs, jazz, and classical music. At 19, he worked as a cub reporter for a struggling newspaper in Washington's San Juan Islands, moonlighting in a local R & B group. By 1982, he was performing in cabaret, theater and music groups in France, and financed a theater education by freelancing for fishing magazines and working as a deckhand in Alaska; experiences that led to his first play, "Short Season" which won a national literary prize and launched Brad's career as a playwright and director. But an irresistible habit of writing songs and interludes for every production revealed that songwriting was his path. Brad tours widely, offering concerts and workshops in schools, festivals, churches, community centers, theaters and homes around the country.
Daniel Barry www.barrymusic.com
Daniel Barry is a composer, arranger, publisher and trumpet player currently living in Seattle. Although Daniel's work as a composer falls primarily into the jazz category, his music contains elements garnered from advanced classical music studies along with residencies and festival performances throughout the world, in particular the Caribbean, Central America, Peru, Brazil and Southeast Asia. Recently he has served as guest Composer/Performer in Residence for the Banda Amazonas in Manaus, Brazil, the Conservatoire de Tatui in Sao Paulo Brazil, and as a featured composer at the 2007 Lima Jazz Festival in Peru. He is the owner/operator of Marina Music Service and Daniel Barry Publications, and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Josephine Howell www.josephinehowell
Josephine Howell was born in Chicago, IL on October 6, 1965 and has always been fascinated with music and the arts, captivating family and friends at an early age with her amazing gifts. As an actress, singer, and community activist, “Josie” attributes her success to her mother, Alberta Tucker, for instilling in her a spiritual foundation based on a personal relationship with God. But she recognizes God as her ultimate reason for her gifts, her will and her determination.
Jami Lula www.jamilula.com
As a vocalist, musician and teacher Jami Lula is striving to perform music that is uplifting, healing, heart opening and inspiring and that spreads a powerful message of love and positive intention. In 1987, Detroit native Jami Lula moved to Los Angeles and attended Musicians Institute (MI) in Southern California. By the spring of 1989, Jami joined the staff of MI where he continues teaching voice, songwriting, stage movement, creativity workshops and performance.
Steve Kim http://kimpossibilities.net/biography.php
Steve Kim has played the bass since 1969 and has been teaching for over 30 years. In 1987 he served as a cultural ambassador representing the City of Seattle in Kobe, Japan and in 1989 was chosen by the State of Washington as a Centennial Artist during the year long Washington State Centennial Celebration. In 2007 Steve toured Japan with guitarist Brian Nova & Vibraphonist Kiyoko Ami. Steve has taught at Pacific Lutheran University, The National Guitar Workshop, The Experience Music Project, and currently is associate faculty in the music department at Shoreline Community College, and is adjunct faculty at South Seattle Community College.
Jerin Falkner www.myspace.com/jerinfa
Jerin is a female version of Damien Rice with a voice comparable to Jewel or Fiona Apple. She enjoys listening to jazz, alternative rock, and any songwriter that can sweetly break her heart.
Clayton Brainerd www.claytonbrainerd.com
Bass baritone Clayton Brainerd has performed in both concert and opera with the leading conductors of the world including Seiji Ozawa, Micheal Tilson Thomas, Charles Dutoit, Zdenek Macal, Jeffery Tate, and Jesus Lopez-Cobos.The New York Times wrote, “He was magnificent. Mr. Brainerd, with his soft vocal textures, strong but gentle demeanor and expressive intelligence.