From the start of his performing career in the mid 90s Maurice "Mo" Egeston has made a mark in the St. Louis region as a leader of innovative and popular bands. His early study of classical piano brought him to graduate work at SIU-E. It was while completing his Master's that Mo began exploring styles of music beyond the classical tradition. Since then, all of his projects, including Vargas Swing, the Soul Alliance featuring CocoSoul, Urban Jazz Naturals and Mo & Dawn have seen Mo combine his musical talent and formal training with an ability to lead and run successful groups.

In 2010 Mo Egeston is returning to his roots as a pianist fronting his own group, the Mo E Trio. The Trio combines influences from all the projects Mo currently performs in (UG Project, the Soul Alliance, and Brothers Lazaroff) with his own interest in soul, jazz and electronic influences. The resulting sound is a groove based experience that seeks to redefine traditional expectations.

Drummer, Grover Stewart and bassist, Teddy Brookins join Mo on this journey. Styles referenced include soul, jazz, bossa, r & b, organic house grooves and drum and bass; however no genre is considered off limits! Originals, jazz standards, pop music and neo-soul melodies will all be a part of the Mo E Trio sound. A sound which easily slides from deep lounge ambiance to center stage funk grooves.

At times guest artists join the experience complimenting the sounds of Mo, Grover and Ted. Mo E Trio is always diverse and improvisational with a definite focus on the tap of the toe and the nod of the head.

Mo E Trio- A Journey in Sound, Soul and Groove.

Mo Egeston- Keyboards, Programming

Grover Stewart- Drums

Ted Brookins- Bass

The Second Line is a long standing tradition in New Orleans, or should we say N'Orleans. Groups of partiers, spectators, and dancers follow the musicians in the brass band parades around the streets celebrating life. The Funky Butt Brass Band was formed in 2008 by six talented musicians who respect and revere the New Orleans brass band tradition. The FBBB takes classic New Orleans brass tunes and gives them a twist, in the style of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth and Bonerama. But don’t be surprised if you also hear some Motown, Southern rock, Memphis soul, Chicago blues and St. Louis R&B in the mix.

Richie is an introspective and old soul, dynamic vocalist, emotionally driven songwriter, and multifaceted instrumentalist transitioning proficiently amidst piano, guitar, drums and the occasional bout of harmonica. As a performer, he brings an undeniable energy and authentic sound to both his solo shows and his adventures fusing with fellow musicians in the Richie Kihlken Band. Striving to make his unyielding passion for music be his lifelong career, he continues to devote his time to making and performing his music and constantly evolving as an artist. 

Richie leads the band with his timeless voice, groovy piano riffs, and charismatic honest-to-goodness personality. After years of flying solo, Mr. Kihlken chose to seek out a brood of like-minded musicians with extraordinary talent and instrumental expertise and found exactly that in Martha Mehring (vocals), Nate Gilberg (bass), Matt Rowland (guitar), John Lum (drums), Ryan Marquez (organ/keys), and Charlie Cerpa (saxophone). Together they blend blues, jazz, and funk to create modern soul music that brings people to the dance floor.

Combining the happy swinging feel of the Kansas City Jazz scene with the hard, soulful groove of St. Louis Funk, Soul, and Blues, The People’s Key blends these Mid- Western styles into one cohesive sound. They swing in the traditional style of jazz, but provide listeners the opportunity to ride along as they relive the sounds of their lifetimes, with tunes by modern artists from Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder to Green Day, Jay-Z and Bruno Mars. This band puts the classic organ group sound of the ‘50s & ‘60s on all your favorites from the ‘70s and beyond.

The People’s Key is designed to connect the jazz vernacular with a modernized songbook. The People’s Key performs material from popular artists, genres, songs, and themes to engage in the maximum connection possible with their audiences. Debuting in 2013, the group has had the opportunity to open for national acts such as The Jeff Coffin Mu’tet and Fareed Haque’s Math Games.

The band has released 4 albums: The People’s Key (2013) The Sean Carter Jazz Suite with Lamar Harris (2014) and Heal The World (2015). The band’s current release “Within You” (Fall 2016) features music of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, 90’s grunge and more.

Led by Ryan Marquez on Organ/Keybass, the group currently features Matt Rowland on Guitar, Charlie Cerpa on Saxophone and Mike Murano on Drums. 

The Usual Suspects formed in 1998 as a jazz trio and have transformed into a broad spectrum jazz group. The group has been known to perform in the traditional jazz trio format playing jazz and pop standards around the Midwest area; however the Suspects can also take on the form of smooth jazz or become an R&B group, featuring vocalists and horns. The Usual Suspects always stay true to its core members and the essence of the music it plays. The group performs in nightclubs, restaurants, and private venues for special events. The Usual Suspects are available as a jazz duo (bass, piano), jazz trio or jazz quartet.

As a solo artist and as frontman of Guerrilla Swing, Tommy Halloran performs over 300 shows per year, playing everywhere from airports and smokey clubs to historic theaters and grand outdoor festivals.  His music is a gumbo of jazz, blues, bossa nova, folk, and rock n' roll.  Tommy Halloran performs old-timey music anyone would appreciate... He is to jazz as Uncle Tupelo was to country-western or Steve Earle to bluegrass. He possesses the schooling (both formal and hard-knocks) as well as the "chops" of a great jazzman... The basic truths of Delta-blues, swing, Gospel, and Bohemia are deeply rooted in Tommy's songwriting psyche. Like Randy Newman or Tom Waits (who seldom appear in the same sentence), his cooking belies his ingredients.