The Band

Amber Dirks – Vocals

Vocal powerhouse Amber Dirks was born in Holland and raised in New York City. While still in her teens, Amber decided to leave the bright lights of New York City and head out west in search of fame and fortune. It wasn’t long before her strong, “rip the roof off” vocal style whisked her through the door and the professional singing career she had always dreamed of had finally begun. See her complete bio here.

Travis Lee – Vocals

His musical journey has taken him on many roads. Born in Ohio to multicultural parents who enriched his life with the sounds of their heritage and youth. From this exposure, he has developed an appreciation for all styles of music. From the cool tone of Jazz and R&B, to Funk, Pop, and Reggae. Always striving to give his very best, Travis combines two parts soul, one part harmony and one part style to serve up a hearty and flavorful feast that will feed your soul.

Andy Voelkel – Bass

Andy studied jazz performance at Berklee School of Music but soon afterwards veered off into playing all sorts of groove music styles – funk, reggae, afropop and highlife, zouk and other latin and caribbean styles. Coming back home to old school funk and soul with this band has been a ton of fun.

Nick Tharp – Guitar

Proud recipricant of a music appreciation degree from a local community college with 30+ years of funk expression. Let the funk flow through you, it surrounds us and binds the galaxy together!

Alex Tharp – Sax

A recent graduate of Dobson High School, Saxophonist Alex Tharp is currently attending Arizona State University for a degree in Music Learning and Teaching with an emphasis in jazz saxophone. He loves to play all varieties of music, but especially likes gettin’ funky!!

Brent Donaldson – Keyboards

Brent was schooled in jazz and has been playing dance and soul music for decades too. He loves music with deep grooves and playing for an audience that moves with the music His particular love is the Hammond B3 Organ.

Wes Hawkins – Drums

A Phoenix native, Wes started playing percussion in 5th grade, and got his first drum set when he was a freshman in high school. Always striving to be well-rounded, Wes made himself comfortable in jazz, rock, orchestral, and world music settings. He has maintained that diversity in his professional career, and continues to excel in all areas of percussion. Currently, Wes teaches Jazz History & Percussion at Phoenix College and in his private studio, and he leads the Rhythm Is Life Steel Band.