Leyeux is musician and expresser, Jack Snyder. Jack was raised in central Vermont: a tranquil environment which provides a continuous source of inspiration in his music. His first call to music was on the drum set, beginning at age 8. He began performing as a singer and guitarist in high school, playing drums in school jazz band and external professional gigs. From 2013-2015, Jack attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. During the time at Berklee, he joined Berklee’s a cappella group Pitch Slapped, which competed and won the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella in the Spring of 2014. His musical awareness as a vocalist and performer grew appreciably during the year and a half in Berklee’s immersive environment. In the Spring of 2015, Jack left Berklee to begin writing and recording with producer Adrian Harpham (NYC), which would develop into the debut LP, Day Is Calling. During the creative process they created the name Leyeux – a permutation of the french word les yeux, meaning the eye. During this time, Leyeux (Jack) began performing shows in Boston and NYC. He self- released four of the songs as “singles” with accompanying music videos. In December of 2015, Jack returned to Vermont to reroot and perform. During the year in VT, additions were made to the Day Is Calling album, namely Tribe of Light, Aftermath, and Day Is Calling ft. Erwan (Remix). In March of 2017, Jack transplanted to Los Angeles to further cultivate his artistry.
The Countdown 2017 | Sidewalk Chalk
Chicago Jazz Soul Hip-Hop outfit Sidewalk Chalk hit us with their next studio album this year, this time with Robert 'Sput' Searight in the producer's chair. Their experience with Sput led the band deeper into themselves, with stunning results. Split into three movements - The Hope, The Loss, and The Birth - An Orchid Is Born shows the band’s remarkable capacity for growth. They see that we cannot be reborn until we lose what we have, first treading in the well of despair that is a loss preceded by hope. In these three movements, Sidewalk Chalk has realized the best version of their band and, in the process, created their most important body of work.The hard fought project encapsulates the latest chapter of the band’s growth as a unit -- a period somehow beautified by a series of deep wounds that might have derailed a less focused collective. Little more than a year removed from the debut of their live album Shoulder Season, a seismic shift rocked the foundations of Sidewalk Chalk, refined their aesthetic and inspired a body of work that is as cathartic as it is the catapult necessary to push the rarefied groove at the foundation of their sound past its Chicago stomping grounds, to points across the globe.
The Countdown 2017 | Adam Ben Ezra
Israeli double-bassist Adam Ben Ezra is a phenomenon who redefines the term 'one man band'. A multi-instrumentalist, Adam brings the bass to the front and weaves influences from Bach to Sting into a live show like no other. His new recording - Pin Drop - captures the full experience as it was recorded live in an intimate studio setting. From Adam's original compositions to a miraculous version of The Beatles 'Dear Prudence', Pin Drop is a delightful journey. Adam recently toured the US and performed live with a Marimba playing robot, as if to further demonstrate that he is pioneering our future. See Adam Ben Ezra in his element right here.