Susan von Seggern, Author at Susan von Seggern

Ei.Ventures Announce Engagement With Tioga Research to Develop Transdermal Patch for Psilocin Delivery

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Maui, Hawaii/San Diego, California – August 26, 2021 – Noted psychedelic medicine start-up Ei.Ventures is excited to announce their engagement with Tioga Research to develop a transdermal patch for sustained delivery of psilocin, the active ingredient in psilocybin mushrooms, for mental health applications.

David Nikzad, the CEO of Ei.Ventures notes, “we are over the moon to join with one of the top transdermal delivery research specialists, Tioga Research, to begin developing products that could potentially help millions of people manage their mental health issues – depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. with a patch. Additionally, with the increasing legality and popularity of psilocybin mushrooms, transdermal delivery could become a popular method for micro-dosing which helps with mental clarity and mood stabilization as well.”

John M. Newsam, CEO of Tioga Research adds, “By working with Ei.Ventures on a blue sky project of this nature, we will deploy our proprietary technologies and deep expertise to address key psilocin formulation issues, such as delivery and stability. A transdermal delivery route can circumvent issues with oral administration, such as nausea.”

EI.Ventures is focused on developing botanical active pharmaceutical ingredients for the psychedelic supply chain, novel psychedelic compounds for various indications, and unique delivery mechanisms and treatment protocols. In addition to their future regulated psychedelic line, Ei Ventures will release their MANA range of functional mushroom nutraceuticals for improving well-being and health in Q3 2021.

Tioga Research supports the research and early development of skin-applied products, offering formulation innovation, skin permeation screening, and GLP IVRT/IVPT services. In addition, the company has pioneered high throughput experimentation (“HTE”) technologies for screening skin delivery. Tioga Research was founded in 2011 to support innovations in skin-applied products, especially topical and transdermal drug products, including skincare products and cosmetics. With headquarters and laboratory operations in San Diego, CA, and a business presence in the UK to support clients in Europe, Tioga Research has become a preferred service provider for an impressive portfolio of clients across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Tioga Research has been a subsidiary of Encube Ethicals since early 2020, enabling clients to leverage the combined strengths of both organizations from early formulation innovation to commercial manufacturing.

Family Office Portal to Host Family Office/Venture Capital Mixer September 14 at Meat Market Steakhouse Palm Beach

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Palm Beach, FL – August 24, 2021 – Family Office Portal (aka FOPort) a recently launched hub of a community comprised of over 5000 ultra-high net worth individual, single, and multi-family offices, the asset managers they work with, service providers, early-stage companies and other members of this unique professional network geared to making the lives of its members easier, more profitable, and more enjoyable, is excited to host their first 2021 event, a family office/venture capital mixer at the Meat Market Steakhouse 191 Bradley Place, Palm Beach, FL 33480 on September 14 at 5:00 pm.

The event will be hosted by FOPort CEO, Peter Apostol, who has an extensive background working with family offices, alternative investments and lifestyle services. Peter worked with a South Florida based family office packaging and syndicating investments before he began to develop an international family office community.

Apostol notes, “we’re excited to hold our event at Meat Market as it’s long been a personal favorite and one of Palm Beach’s staple locations, I’ve held many successful events there and the team is one of the best in the hospitality business,” adding, “since launching we’ve gotten great interest in our platform from all over Palm Beach, South Florida, and globally, and it will be wonderful to get the network together in person and more importantly have them meet each other for discovery opportunities.”

Family Office Portal also partners with best-in-class technology solutions that help family offices in all that they do. Through a range of technologies from basic to incredibly dynamic and complex solutions, FOPort offers the convenience of aggregation and consolidation of these tools, discounted rates, streamlined account management and more. These technologies help family offices with everything from automated and compliant investment processes, and peer to peer due diligence, to enhanced lifestyle experiences, and much more.
Family Office Portal enables members to browse and connect with rare family office sponsored opportunities, the kind that are spoken for before they are public, including early-stage companies that are poised to disrupt industries, or otherwise grow through strategic value add partnerships, investments, etc.

Those interested in attending the event should email RSVP@FOPort.com to register.

Noted Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Theresa Fossum Adds CogniCaps, a cognitive function supplement, to her Popular Line of Natural Animal Supplements

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Scottsdale, AZ – Noted veterinary surgeon Dr. Theresa Fossum DVM, MS, Ph.D., Diplomate ACVS, and author of the most referenced book on its topic, Small Animal Surgery, has added a new product to her popular line of natural animal supplements Dr. Fossum’s Pet Care, CogniCaps, to support healthy brain function in aging dogs.

Dr. Curtis Dewey, a veterinary neurologist with extensive knowledge of the brain concerns aging dogs often experience, collaborated on the development of CogniCaps with Dr. Fossum. The supplement, a combination of eastern and western modalities, was created in an easy to administer capsule format and contains a proprietary blend including our own BioCog formula (registration pending) plus vitamin E, zinc, naturally occurring phytochemicals such as curcumin, oral S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), and phosphatidylserine, a membrane phospholipid. In addition, the supplement contains a number of herbs from Traditional Chinese Medicine that have been shown to support cognitive function.
According to Dr. Dewey, the estimated prevalence of cognitive concerns in older dogs generally varies between 14% and 35% of the pet dog population; however, these numbers are likely an underestimation. As with people, cognitive decline in dogs can increase dramatically with age; as many as half of all dogs 11-12 years old are likely experiencing age-related decline, and nearly 70% of dogs over the age of 15 are affected. Importantly, dogs may show evidence of brain changes as early as 4-6 years of age.

Even mild or moderate changes in cognitive ability can make living with affected pets difficult. Dogs may become disoriented and frequently become “stuck” in a corner of a room, they may urinate or defecate in the house because they may be temporarily confused about where the appropriate place to go is. They may seem stressed, they may bark at inappropriate sounds or objects, and they may become less interactive with their owners. Affected dogs often develop sleep disturbances (they are active and may vocalize at night, but they sleep during the day). In a word, these pets show signs of senility.

Dogs affected with changes in cognitive ability typically respond well to intervention, especially if instituted early in the process. Precautionary measures such as dietary changes and environmental enrichment can both help, and slow the progression of cognitive decline due to aging. This suggests that simple changes including health supplements as provided in CogniCaps may be generally advisable in pet dogs as they approach middle age.

Because there are so many individual health supplements for cognitive decline, veterinarians and their clients are often faced with the prospect of recommending multiple separate supplements to produce a positive response. It is also common practice to separate the recommendation into the categories of western and eastern medicine. Again, this conceptualization leads to the necessity of multiple supplements-both western (conventional) and eastern (non-conventional, holistic, etc.). Although pet owners often will administer multiple supplements to their senior dogs, it can be challenging. Also, it is unlikely that the average pet owner will administer multiple supplements to a well seeming middle-aged dog. CogniCaps is a truly integrative health supplement, combining a mixture of both western and eastern ingredients in one small capsule, allowing for ease of use for pet guardians to support keeping dogs’ minds sharp as they age.

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Elliott Sharp & Jeff Parker + Muttdoggs with Petra Haden at the Lodge Room October 10

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Los Angeles, CA – September 9, 2021 – Angel City Arts ends the second weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with a highly anticipated premiere performance of Elliott Sharp & Jeff Parker as a duo, plus the Muttdoggs with Petra Haden October 10 at Highland Park venue, the Lodge Room, 104 N Ave 56 2nd floor Los Angeles, California 90042, at 8pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/muttdogs/.

American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer Elliott Sharp is a central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City and globally for over 30 years, Elliott Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from orchestral music to blues, jazz, noise, no wave rock, and techno music. He leads the projects Carbon and Orchestra Carbon, Tectonics, and Terraplane, and has pioneered ways of applying fractal geometry, chaos theory, and genetic metaphors to musical composition and interaction. http://www.elliottsharp.com

Jeff Parker is recognized as one of contemporary music’s most versatile and innovative electric guitarists and composers. With a prolific output characterized by musical ideas of angularity and logic, he works in a wide variety of mediums – from pop, rock and jazz to new music – using ideas informed by innovations and trends in both popular and experimental forms. He creates works that explore and exploit the contrary relationships between tradition and technology, improvisation and composition, and the familiar and the abstract. His sonic palette may employ techniques from sample-based technologies, analog and digital synthesis, and conventional and extended techniques from over 40 years of playing the guitar. An integral part of what has become known as “The Modern Chicago Sound,” he is a longtime member of the influential indie band Tortoise, and is also a founding member of Isotope 217˚, and Chicago Underground. https://www.jeffparkersounds.com/

Muttdoggs are an experimental project put together by fest favorite Motoko Honda, eclectic drummer and circuit bender Joe Berardi, and legendary SoCal bass player Mike Watt. They’ll be joined on this gig by noted vocalist and violinist Petra Haden.

Mike Watt co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen, Dos, and Firehose. He is also the frontman for the supergroup Big Walnuts Yonder, a member of the art rock group Banyan and is involved with many other musical projects. From 2003 until 2013, he was the bass guitarist for The Stooges. Watt has been called “one of the greatest bassists on the planet.” CMJ New Music called Watt a “seminal post-punk bass player.” Readers of NME voted Mike Watt one of the “40 Greatest Bassists of All Time” and LA Weekly awarded him the number six spot in “The 20 Best Bassists of All Time.” http://www.hootpage.com

Motoko Honda is a concert pianist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist who has created a distinctive sound through her holistic approach to music, and her exceptional sensitivity in relating to other art forms and technologies. Employing a “virtuoso technique paired with her intensely imaginative mind” (LA Splash Magazine), and with stylistic influences ranging from jazz to Indonesian music to contemporary prepared piano with electronics, Motoko’s compositions and structured improvisations are intended to affect the skin, organs and minds of the listener rather than simple recitations of rhythmic and harmonic themes. Called both a “keyboard alchemist” (LA Times), and the “embodiment of a muse” (Metaljazz), Motoko’s performances transport audiences on sonic adventures that transcend the boundaries and conventions of contemporary music. https://www.motokohonda.com

Joe Berardi has a long history in the Los Angeles experimental underground music scene, both as composer and performer. Mainly known as a drummer/percussionist, he also plays a variety of instruments, from keyboards to marimba to the occasional cello and viola, along with homemade instruments, sound objects, samplers, synths and toys. His side business, F Hole, provides an outlet for his work in electronics. He creates, builds and sells circuit bent instruments, effects pedals and other sound-making devices, and uses these instruments in his improvisations and recordings. Since first coming into prominence as a member of the groundbreaking avant-rock band The Fibonaccis, Berardi has been involved in a wide assortment of musical ventures, from rock and pop to experimental and free improvisiation. His unique style and use of percussive objects and found sounds within the traditional drum kit have made him a highly sought collaborator. http://www.noncredo.com

As a singer, instrumentalist and composer, Petra Haden has built an impressively varied and accomplished discography. She has released a number of albums which often showcase her unique talent for constructing complex, evocative A-cappella arrangements by inventively layering multiple tracks of her own voice. She is a former member of the alt-rock quartet That Dog and since has collaborated with a broad array of artists including Bill Frisell, the Foo Fighters, the Decemberists, and Susannah Hoffs. As one of the triplet daughters of the late, legendary jazz bassist and composer Charlie Haden, Petra grew up around music and learned about harmony at a very young age Her early fascination with the violin and other instruments led her to develop an uncanny ability to use her voice to recreate the sounds of the instruments she heard, and to develop elaborate pop, jazz, blues and classical arrangements based on those sounds. http://www.petrahaden.com

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Five Band Orenda Records Fest within a fest at 2220 Arts + Archives October 9

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Los Angeles, CA – September 8, 2021 – Angel City Arts continues the second weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with the Orenda Records Fest Saturday, October 9 at Echo Park area venue, 2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (formerly the beloved Bootleg Theater) at 8 pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/orenda-records-fest/.

Since 2014, Orenda Records has been a catalyst for creativity and expression in the Los Angeles music scene and beyond. Beginning with a group of core artists, the label has grown quickly, encompassing a huge range of stylistic approaches to inventive music-making from across the US and Europe, and is fast approaching its 100th release! For this special performance at the 2021 Angel City Jazz Festival, Orenda Records presents a lineup of artists that represent both the original core and new horizons of the label and the Los Angeles music scene with Jon Hatamiya’s Big Band, the Bridge to Everywhere project directed by composer Derrick Skye, the Cathlene Pineda Quartet, Alexander Noice’s NOICE, and label founder and artistic director Dan Rosenboom’s Quartet.

Trombonist, composer, and B.A.C. Endorsing Artist Jon Hatamiya (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Michael Bublé, Kyle Athayde Dance Party) is one of the most promising trombonists to come out of the Sacramento area and is rapidly making a name for himself on both the New York and California music scenes. He was recognized in Jet Magazine as the only trombonist on Wynton Marsalis’s list of “Who’s Got Next”, which highlighted the next generation of emerging jazz artists. Jon recently released his debut album as a leader More Than Anything on Orenda Records in early 2020, as well as an electronic EP Some Might Say (Revisited) in December 2020.

Jon Hatamiya’s Big Band will premiere a new piece commissioned by the Los Angeles Jazz Society for their Jeff Clayton Memorial New Note Award. The Big Band players are Jon Hatamiya – trombone/composer/arranger; Saxes: Alex Hahn, Albert Baliwas, Devin Daniels, Chris Sullivan, Nicole McCabe; Trombones: Steven Robinson, Lemar Guillary, Ido Meshulam, Jake Kraft; Trumpets: Ryan DeWeese, Rigo Velez, Harry Ostrander, Aidan Lombard; Rhythm: Adam Hersh – piano/synths, Colin Cook – guitar, Yunus Iyriboz – guitar, Logan Kane – bass, and Colin McDaniel – drums.

Bridge to Everywhere celebrates cultural diversity by bringing people together to experience interwoven musical traditions to foster a more inclusive society. Bridge to Everywhere is a Los Angeles-based classical chamber ensemble and arts organization dedicated to supporting composers, performers, and educators who celebrate cultural diversity through interwoven musical traditions. Through collaborations, performances, and education programs, the organization strives to build bridges between instruments, genres, cultures, and people. Founded in 2015 by artistic director Derrick Skye, Bridge to Everywhere has been presented by Boston Court Pasadena, Brand Library & Art Center, Compose LA, Miles Memorial Playhouse, Eagle Rock Music Festival, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, and has worked with Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, American Composer’s Forum, Salastina Music Society, and Bridge Projects. The ensemble has premiered and performed works by Derrick Skye, Reena Esmail, Juan Pablo Contreras, Philip Graulty, James Waterman, Anna Kouchnerov, and Poovalur Srinivasan.

The Orenda Records Fest Bridge to Everywhere group includes Rachel Iba – Violin, Nikki Shorts – Viola, Chris Votek – Cello, Rachel Mellis – Flute, Mark Gutierrez – Bass, Philip Graulty – Guitar, James Waterman – Percussion, and Saili Oak –Voice

Cathlene Pineda is a highly sought pianist and composer in the Los Angeles area. In June 2020, Orenda Records released Cathlene’s third album of original music, Rainbow Baby, which chronicles her progression through motherhood, birth, and loss. It was hailed by Jazz Times as “beautifully articulated.” DownBeat said, “The majority of Rainbow Baby comes off as a blue exploration of Pineda’s psyche; the music’s no less gorgeous or entrancing. The emotional backing of California pianist Cathlene Pineda’s Rainbow Baby is startling…the courage to write music about such a personal experience should be recognized.”

In addition to Pineda, her Quartet on the Orenda Records Fest are Kris Tiner – Trumpet, David Tranchina – Bass, and Tina Raymond – Drums.

Alexander Noice is a composer, guitarist, producer, and bandleader based in Los Angeles. Known for his highly personalized style of composition and playing, best displayed by his ensembles NOICE and Falsetto Teeth, Alexander has been a highly sought musician in the creative music scene in Los Angeles and abroad for the past decade. Noice has performed and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, and South America performing with many notable artists such as Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Vincent Gallo, Art Ensembles of Chicago’s Famoudou Don Moye, Vinny Golia, and Dan Rosenboom to name a few. His newest project, simply called NOICE, is a Los Angeles-based ensemble that seamlessly melds art rock, electronica, post minimalism, and jazz into a singular, mesmerizing sound. The ensemble is celebrated for its electrifying live performances – acrobatic in its execution and cinematic in scope. They released their debut NOICE album in 2019 to critical acclaim.

NOICE on the Orenda Records Fest includes Argenta Walther – Voice, Karina Kallas – Voice, Gavin Templeton – Alto Saxophone, Miller Wrenn – Bass, and Andrew Lessman – Drums.

Dan Rosenboom is an internationally recognized trumpet player, composer, and producer. He is known as a prolific member of the Los Angeles creative music scene, having released more than 25 albums of original music as a solo artist and bandleader, and has supported over 60 artists across nearly 100 releases on his label, Orenda Records. Rosenboom frequently performs on major film and television soundtracks, highlighted by the latest Star Wars trilogy, with such notable composers as John Williams, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, and Alexandre Desplat. He has also performed often with such elite ensembles as the LA Philharmonic, the LA Chamber Orchestra, and the LA Opera. His own music eschews genre distinctions and draws from such disparate influences as jazz and Black American music, metal and experimental rock, contemporary classical music, folk music from around the globe, and a broad range of progressive music from the avant-garde. He studied music at the Eastman School of Music, CalArts, and UCLA, earning advanced degrees. The Los Angeles Times has called Rosenboom “a musician dedicated to exploration and expression, regardless of anyone’s imagined boundaries,” and “a phenomenon.”

Players in the Dan Rosendboom Quartet for the Orenda Records Fest are Joshua White – Piano, Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr – Bass, and Mark Ferber – Drums.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/. For the Angel City Jazz Festival COVID safety policy, please see https://angelcityjazz.com/safety-policy/.

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents FREE Event with the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra at LACMA October 8

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Los Angeles, CA – September 7, 2021 – The second weekend of Angel City Arts 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival kicks off with their popular FREE event in partnership with Jazz at LACMA, bringing Los Angeles’ legacy African-American big band, the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra to the museum’s outdoor stage Friday, October 8 at 6 pm. This concert is a special celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, which was founded by revered pianist Horace Tapscott in 1961. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Jazz at LACMA concert series. Info on the free, walk-up event is available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/papa/.

The Arkestra (Ark or PAPA for short) started as a collective of jazz musicians and other artists who were fired up like no other. The Ark was also formed as a response to the racial inequality in the US. Artists subjected to prejudice who saw opportunities denied to them found an outlet to express themselves via the Ark (perhaps influencing later groups like the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music and the Art Ensemble of Chicago). The ensemble began with a few people rehearsing in Horace’s garage, and they were soon doing free shows at parks and churches, workshops at schools, and other public events. Since its inception, the Ark has been performing with an ever-expanding roster of talented artists. Some notable members include: Kamasi Washington, Phil Ranelin, Sonija “Maia” Harper, Arthur Blythe, Adele Sebastian, Kamau Daaood, and Dwight Trible just to name a few. The Ark is currently mixed with veteran members as well as young musicians, all led by Mekala Session, with the help of Jamael Dean, both second-generation Arksters, and the elders of the group. It’s quite likely that Ark members who have led Los Angeles’ recent Black Jazz Renaissance will be playing on the gig.

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Corey Fogel Group, and Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones at 2220 Arts + Archives October 2

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Los Angeles, CA – September 2, 2021 – Angel City Arts first weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival hosts the Corey Fogel Group, and Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones Saturday October 2 at Echo Park area venue, 2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (formerly the beloved Bootleg Theater) at 8pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/coreyfogelamirthakidambi.

Amirtha Kidambi is invested in the creation and performance of Creative Music, from free improvisation and avant-jazz, to experimental bands, Carnatic voice and new music. She is a composer, vocalist, scholar, educator, activist and organizer, informed by anti-racism, decolonization and anti-capitalism and is the co-organizer of Musicians Against Police Brutality and co-founder of South Asian Artists in Diaspora (SAAID). As a bandleader, she is the creative force behind the protest infused band Elder Ones and vocal group Lines of Light, receiving critical praise from such publications as The New York Times, Pitchfork, Downbeat and The Wire Magazine. Kidambi topped the categories of “Rising Star Vocalist”, “Rising Star Composer” and “Rising Star Jazz Group” in the Downbeat Critics Poll for 2019 and “Female Vocalist” in El Intruso’s International Critics Poll. Kidambi is a key collaborator in Mary Halvorson’s latest sextet Code Girl, Angels & Demons with Darius Jones, duos with Luke Stewart, Maria Grand and Matteo Liberatore, and several projects with William Parker. Kidambi had the opportunity to collaborate with and receive mentorship from Muhal Richard Abrams and Robert Ashley before their passing. She has released records as a leader and collaborator on Northern Spy and Astral Spirits. http://www.amirthakidambi.com.

Amirtha plays the harmonium, synthesizer, and sings with her group The Elder One who include Max Jaffe (Normal Love, Leverage Models, Unnatural Ways) on drums, Matt Nelson (tUnE-yArDs, Battle Trance, GRID) on soprano sax and electronics, and Eva Lawitts (Stimmerman, Sister Helen, Three Body Problem) on bass.

Corey Fogel is a percussionist, composer, and visual artist living and working in Los Angeles. He is active in many genres such as rock, jazz, noise, folk, and chamber music, and creative contexts including performance art and video. Recent collaborations include: Julia Holter, Tashi Wada, Yoshi Wada, Patty Waters, Abigail Levine, Simone Forti, Odeya Nini, Archie Carey, Raven Chacon, Michael Winter, Maya Dunietz, John Butcher, John Russell, Misha Marks, Brian Allen, Alexander Bruck, Patrick Shiroishi, Liz Glynn, Jennifer Levonian, Chris Speed, Mark Dresser, Ezra Buchla, Tony Malaby, Devin Hoff, John Dieterich, and Carlin Wing. Fogel’s works have been presented at The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Human Resources LA, Redling Fine Art, Los Angeles; The Wulf, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca, REDCAT, and New Music for Strings Festival: Reykjavik. His performance work was also included in the J. Paul Getty Museum’s Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival. Corey was awarded The California Community Foundation 2014 Fellowship in Visual Arts, and is currently finishing his PhD in UC Irvine’s Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) program. He was recently Time, Space, Money Artist-in-residence at Human Resources LA, where he installed a new body of graphic score murals for improvising musicians. https://www.coreyfogel.com

The balance of the Corey Fogel Group includes Beth Schenck (Eivind Opsvik + Jeff Davis, Kelly Watson, Phil Rodriguez Group (Underbelly)) on alto sax, Blue Note recording artist Judith Berkson (Kronos Quartet, Wet Ink, Yarn/Wire) on piano and vocals, and Mattie Barbier (RAGE Thormbones, gnarwhallaby, wasteLAnd music) on trombone and electronics.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Opening Night Takes Place at REDCAT October 1 with the Mark Dresser 5 and the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Los Angeles, CA – September 1, 2021 – Angel City Arts kicks off the 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival October 1 at Downtown Los Angeles’ home for avant garde performance, REDCAT at Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 at 8pm with the Mark Dresser 5, followed by the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio at 9:30pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/mark-dresser-5-jeremy-ledbetter-trio/.

Mark Dresser is a Grammy nominated, internationally renowned bass player, improviser, and composer. At the core of his music is an obsession and commitment to expanding the sonic, musical, and expressive possibilities of the contrabass. He has recorded over 150 CDs including ten CDs as composer/bandleader, five solo recordings, a DVD, and his most recent solo album Modicana (2017). From 1985 to 1994, he was a member of Anthony Braxton’s Quartet. He has also performed and recorded music with Ray Anderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Tim Berne, Anthony Davis, Dave Douglas, Osvaldo Golijov, Gerry Hemingway, Lei Liang, Bob Ostertag, Joe Lovano, Roger Reynolds, Henry Threadgill, Dawn Upshaw, and John Zorn. Since 2007 he has been deeply involved in telematic music performance and education. He was awarded the Shifting Foundation Award in 2015 and 2018, and the 2015 Doris Duke Impact Award. He is Distinguished Professor of Music at University of California, San Diego.

His band for this gig includes Chris Speed (John Zorn, Tim Berne, John Hollenbeck) on clarinet and tenor, Michael Dessen (Nicole Mitchell, Myra Melford, Geri Allen) on trombone, Joshua White (Alex Cline, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dwight Trible) on piano and Mark Ferber (Lee Konitz, Norah Jones, Billy Childs) on drums.

Forged in a cauldron of raging, inspiring contemporary jazz, the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio pushes the boundaries of jazz and world music, providing an undiluted display of rampaging energy and captivating musicianship. Audiences must exercise caution. People who see this band are rarely the same again. If the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio were an inanimate object, it would be a runaway train. Jeremy Ledbetter has been creating genre-bending original music since forming the Caribbean Latin jazz outfit CaneFire in 2004. Since then, he has worked closely with an international array of artists that includes David Rudder, Eliana Cuevas, the Larnell Lewis Band, Aquiles Baez, Alexis Baro, OKAN, Rinse the Algorithm, Patricia Cano, and more.

The Jeremy Ledbetter Trio sees Jeremy joined by Juno award nominated drummer Sarah Thawer (George Watsky, Jon Batiste, Sheila E.) and renowned electric bassist Rich Brown (James Blood Ulmer, Vernon Reid, Dapp Theory, Steve Coleman), who offer the perfect counterpart to Ledbetter’s iconoclastic energy at the piano. The Trio’s debut album Got a Light?, released in 2018, has been described as “a controlled explosion of big ideas and compelling musical storytelling.”

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

LAcarGUY Opens Lucky 13th Dealership, and 6th Santa Monica Location – Genesis Santa Monica Today

08/09/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Genesis Santa Monica Rendering Santa Monica, CA –July 13, 2021 – The LAcarGUY family of dealerships owned by noted Heal the Bay executive board member and environmental enthusiast Mike Sullivan, are excited to continue and expand their long and fruitful relationship with Santa Monica to officially open their newest dealership, Genesis Santa Monica in that popular seaside burg today. Once this new dealership is fully staffed the LAcarGUY’s locations in Santa Monica will have brought 300 quality jobs and numerous car shoppers from across Los Angeles to the city.

With the opening of their sixth dealership there, LAcarGUY cements their business leadership in Santa Monica. As a responsible business, and active community member LAcarGUY not only supports the city with taxes, but also buoys several civic organizations including Heal the Bay, Meals on Wheels West, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. The dealerships also put hundreds of staffers on the sand for beach cleanups annually.

LAcarGUY’s CEO Mike Sullivan notes, “After a lifetime in Santa Monica I am very pleased to add our sixth dealership to the community. We are three generations here, and proud to be an integral part of the city. I think Genesis will be a great and natural addition, and we are especially excited about their upcoming EV lineup.”

The LAcarGUY family of dealerships has a long history in Santa Monica. This dealer group started when Mike’s father Wilfred H. “Sully” Sullivan opened its first dealership, Volkswagen Santa Monica, in 1964. Mike began his automotive career in 1976 at VW Santa Monica, working his way up through the ranks and eventually expanded in 1989 when he opened Lexus Santa Monica. LAcarGUY was then formed with a focus on treating customers with respect, supporting local communities, and contributing to environmental causes.

In their short history, Genesis has caught the attention of automotive media and has taken home some of their most prestigious awards. Now the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the entire 2021 Genesis model lineup a 2021 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+. It’s a genuine honor, and a reflection of Genesis’ driver-first approach to vehicles and the ownership experience. Later in the year the dealership, one of the first stand-alone Genesis locations in America, will debut Genesis’ first fully-electric model: the Electrified G80.

“Genesis is pleased to be expanding our reach in Southern California with the opening of a new location in Santa Monica,” said Tedros Mengiste, Executive Director of Sales Operations, Genesis Motor America. “At Genesis, we put the customer at the core of everything we do. We are delighted to be partnering with the LAcarGUY family of dealerships in serving one of Greater Los Angeles’ most vibrant communities.”

Genesis Santa Monica will feature the full line of Genesis’ luxury vehicles including the redesigned sport sedan the G70, the G80 – the “Most Dependable Midsize Premium Car, 2 Years in a Row by J.D. Power,* the full-sized luxury flagship the G90, the G70 performance SUV, and the all-road capable yet luxurious G80 SUV (SUVs have limited availability). In addition to new car sales, Genesis Santa Monica will offer pre-owned sales, financing, and Genesis Concierge Service, where they pick up and drop off the customer’s car from their doorstep, while leaving them a loaner

Community involvement and sustainability have always been important to Mike Sullivan. LAcarGUY is one of the most environmentally concerned car dealership groups globally and have won a number of awards for their efforts. They have been passionate advocates for bringing hybrid and electric vehicles to their locations and with Genesis’ EV will now offer seven hybrids and electrics across their brands. Additionally, their Audi Pacific dealership in Torrance is the only LEED Gold certified Audi dealership in the US.

Growing up an avid surfer, Mike was inspired early on to do what he could to change an “environmentally challenged” automotive industry. Mike currently serves on the board of Heal the Bay, including supporting the Santa Monica Aquarium, and the Environmental Media Association. Over twenty years of dedication to the environmental community has helped LAcarGUY become one of the top hybrid/electric dealers in the country.
Genesis Santa Monica is currently located in a temporary location at 1100 Santa Monica Blvd., but will relocate to a purpose-built state-of-the-art dealership next to VW Santa Monica at 2450 Santa Monica Blvd. later in the year.

Family Office Portal Launches as Community Hub for over 5000 Family and UHNWI Investment Offices

08/09/2021 by Susan von Seggern

Hosting Family Office/Venture Capital Mixer September 14 at Meat Market Steakhouse Palm Beach

Palm Beach, Florida – July 29, 2021 – Launching today, Family Office Portal (aka FOPort) sits at the hub of a community comprised of over 5000 ultra-high net worth individual, single, and multi-family offices, the asset managers they work with, service providers, early-stage companies and other members of this unique professional network geared to making the lives of its members easier, more profitable, and more enjoyable.

Family Office Portal curates a network of investors and issuers to connect investors with investment opportunities that match their personal mandates and preferences. Family Offices and UHNWI’s that choose to join this exclusive community are able to view or be directly connected with vetted issuers.
Family Office Portal also partners with best-in-class technology solutions that help family offices in all that they do. Through a range of technologies from basic to incredibly dynamic and complex solutions, FOPort offers the convenience of aggregation and consolidation of these tools, discounted rates, streamlined account management and more. These technologies help family offices with everything from automated and compliant investment processes, and peer to peer due diligence, to enhanced lifestyle experiences, and much more.

Family Office Portal enables members to browse and connect with rare family office sponsored opportunities, the kind that are spoken for before they are public, including early-stage companies that are poised to disrupt industries, or otherwise grow through strategic value add partnerships, investments, etc.

The founders of Family Office Portal are CEO Peter Apostol who has an extensive background working with family offices, alternative investments and lifestyle services. Peter worked with a South Florida based family office packaging and syndicating investments before he began to develop an international family office community. Cecil Robles, FOPort’s VP of Strategy, is an entrepreneur with 17+ years of corporate strategy and global brand-building experience. He has also served as a CMO and CEO and has built and sold multiple businesses in various industries. They are joined by legal advisor Nate Sumbot, who prior to FOPort, was a lawyer with Ballard Spahr LLP, has an extensive background as a securities attorney, and worked as general counsel for the governor’s office of Utah.

Apostol notes, “I founded Family Office Portal as a place to centralize this network with an emphasis on deal flow and other unique opportunities. We are excited to work with families and individuals to access early-stage companies, and to help them invest to fit their personal priorities whether it’s ESG investing, future-proofing their funds, or enabling them to live their passions. And we’re equally excited to bring investment to well vetted young companies that will continue to grow family wealth.”

With events returning, Family Office Portal is excited to host their first 2021 event, a family office/venture capital mixer at the Meat Market Steakhouse 191 Bradley Place, Palm Beach, FL 33480 on September 14 at 5:30 pm. Future events will take place in Miami, Orlando, and Houston, with more to be announced soon. Potential invitees can sign up at https://foport.com/events/.