Biography
CARI HUTSON
Now, here’s a young lady who can wail! An Austin native, Cari Hutson traveled the country as a child of a military family, then returned to her home in the 90’s to pursue Musical Theatre at Texas State University. While studying, she fronted her first band Remedy, that rocked stages all around the Austin area. After a few years, she moved on to sing for Blue Funk Junction, a powerhouse rock/horn band. It didn’t take long before Cari decided what she really wanted was her “own” band to showcase her original ,distinct style, as well her own material, so The Cari Hutson Band was formed. For over ten years, her group has played many stages across Texas and is currently involved in producing a new CD release. But, Cari loves the classic pop/dance tunes, and after a stint with Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes, she has joined Party Posse where she gets to “belt out the hits” for party-goers all around the state. Cari Hutson electrifies every party with her interpretation of the best dance music, backed by the terrific players of “the Posse”!
Paul Hollis began with piano lessons as a child and added trombone in grade school. He picked up guitar in high-school and began “cutting his teeth” on classic rock ‘n’ roll in local bands. In college he extended his Electrical Engineering studies to pick up several courses in music theory and composition. Merging dual disciplines has been a recurring theme throughout Paul’s career. During and after the first degree Paul played in several bands that primarily toured the mid-west. The culmination of that period was a regional group based in central Florida that performed originals, album-cut rock and pop, and often served as the opening act for groups such as Blood Sweat and Tears, Edgar Winters, Mitch Ryder, Berlin, Richie Havens, After completing more schooling, Paul took an engineering position in Austin. He co-founded the local group Java Jazz that has quietly become an Austin “fixture” playing restaurants, coffeehouses, weddings and parties.
Matt has been involved in the central Texas music scene for over twelve years as a bassist and trombonist, and has toured Europe on three occasions, including performances in the Montreaux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, as well as other dates in Scot-land, England, Italy and Ireland. Initially self-taught, his first full-length studio album engagement came before his senior year in high school. Since then he has performed with national jazz greats such as Bill Waltrous, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Ernie Watts, Carmen Bradford and Butch Miles. Matt is also a founding member of successful Austin bands, Overflow, Blu Funk Junction, Soul Food and Indagroove, while he also enjoyed membership in others such as Mr. Fabulous & Casino Royale, The BIG TIME, Dario y su Comborican, Mashea, The Sideman Syndicate, The Brent Adair Band, The Tombstone Bullies and Revenance. Holding degrees in Sound Recording and in Music Education from Texas State University, he is a founding member of The Austin Jazz Project, a successful jazz improvisation camp geared towards lade middle school and early high school students. Currently he teaches music for the Austin Independent School District.
David White, also known as The Swami, is well known in Austin's music community as one of the best all around keyboardists in the state. David’s keyboard stylings are reminiscent of George Duke and Stevie Winwood, with hits of 70’s R&B classic stylings and vintage sounds from the worlds of disco, fusion and jazz. A native of Indianapolis, David studied music at Indiana University with the great jazz educator David Baker, later moving to Texas and playing with groups like Ernie Sky and The K-Tels, The Austin All Stars, The Little Big Band, The Heroes and Hot Wax. During his long career, David has shared the stage with greats like The Spinners, Mary Wells, and Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame. David spent two years with Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes, performing all over Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, as well as in Las Vegas, New York City and Washington DC. He has also appeared with Austin favorites The BIG TIME, The Atlantics, Memphis Train Review and has performed in smaller settings with vocalists Laura Benedict, Courtney Sanchez and Suzy Remeny.
Mike Rieman is a native Austinite and grew up on the banks of Shoal Creek. At age 12, he bought a World War II vintage drum set with paper route money and quickly mastered a few beats to those
messy psychedelic bands topping the charts back then. What really turned Mike’s young head was witnessing his first rock concert at Palmer Auditorium during the turbulent summer of ‘68. On the bill was Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, and Strawberry Alarm Clock, In the early ’80’s, Rieman took up the Fender bass, and since then he’s been laying down his “Big Tasty Bottom” on drums or bass across the Lower 48 in countless bands, performing for royalty and riffraff alike - presidential balls and rough-and-tumble road houses. Along with Paul Hollis, Mike is a regular in the jazz ensemble Java Jazz.
