Kinga Heming - Vocals
Jazz and pop chanteuse Kinga was born in Poland, then moved with her family to
Amsterdam before settling in Ottawa, Ontario. While being baptized at four months of
age, she screamed out, and the attending priest predicted that Kinga would become a
singer. Her parents gifted Kinga with appreciation for music, including and especially
jazz, at an early age: Her father played in a jazz cabaret while her mother constantly
played vocal pop and jazz records by The Platters, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and the
like.
Kinga attended Humber College in Toronto, studying voice and theory. In her last year
of study she won the Duke Ellington Honoree award.
Kinga has subsequently spread her vocal talents – as smooth, heady and sophisticated
as a well-matured brandy – throughout Canada: She has sung the American and
Canadian national anthems for the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs (in partial
French, for a sold-out contest against the Montreal Canadians), the Toronto Raptors,
and internationally-broadcast Hockey Night in Canada. Kinga has performed with pianist
Renee Rosnes, flugelhornist Guido Basso, and Don Thompson’s jazz ensemble, and
appeared at the National Jazz Awards, the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada’s Walk Of Fame.
Kinga has a new recording out "Forever In My Heart".
Sean Bray - Music Director/Electric guitar and vocals
Sean Bray is a well respected guitarist, composer and educator who has played with
various artists on many diverse projects. While in New York, Bray studied at the
prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Bray has played with and/or recorded with
George Garzone, Pat LaBarbera, Bob Mintzer, Jon Faddis, Liberty Silver, Matt “Guitar”
Murphy from the Blues Brothers, Mike Murley and Vincent Wolfe.
He has taught at The University of Guelph and The Toronto Film School. According to
jazz guitar legend John Abercrombie, “Sean Bray is a real treat to listen to”. Possessing
the ability to fit into many musical genres, while still retaining an unmistakably original
voice on his instrument, made him an in demand session player in Toronto. He has
displayed his guitar skills on a variety of sessions including Toyota, Tim Hortons, CTV
Sports, and even for an American Idol contestant.
Bray now resides in Kelowna BC where he is busy playing, recording and teaching. He
also leads the popular Sean Bray’s Peach Trio and is a member of the popular celtic/rock
band Cod Gone Wild, Americana band Dirt Road Opera and Stringers w/Gary Smyth.
Bray is endorsed by PRS Guitars, Planet Waves and D’Addario Strings.
CBC Radio also named Bray as one of Canada’s top 50 guitarists of all time.
Loni Moger - Acoustic guitar
Loni Moger is a talented and versatile musician who played his first professional gig at
the age of fourteen and began teaching at the age of sixteen. After spending four years
on the East Coast of the U.S. he received his bachelor’s degree from Boston’s
prestigious Berklee College of Music, studying Guitar, Voice and arranging. He returned
to Calgary where he worked with a variety of artists for almost two decades.
Loni has performed along side such international artists as “Bo Didley” and San
Francisco’s “Tuck and Patti“; "Senator Tommy Banks" as well as local Calgary favourites
“ The Swinging Bovines”, “Tim Tamashiro”, “Karl Roth” and Diva extraordinaire "Zoe
Theodorou".
He relocated to Kelowna, BC in September of 2008 and is already a sought-after
sideman. Loni shares, " I've played night clubs, concerts, weddings, political rallies,
live radio and television, bowling alleys, country clubs, street corners( otherwise known
as Busking), churches and living rooms, all of which were equally fun!" He enjoys
interpreting the works of others and performing his own material as well.
Loni is equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Blues to Jazz to
Funk, Rhythm and Blues, Pop and Country. He also harbors a secret passion for
Classical music, having had several opportunities to work with the Calgary Philharmonic
Orchestra , including Pops concerts and most recently on the Operatic work "Ainadamar,
Fountain of Tears" and The "Lord of the Rings Symphony".
He regularly acts as an adjudicator in the combo category at the BC Interior Jazz Festival.
David Mihal - Drums
Influenced by the many great drummers of the 70's, David began playing in his early teens and was soon working at a professional level. Some of his early work included Canadian blues artist Rita Chiarelli and RCA recording artist Shawne Jackson (Domenic Troiano).
While living in Toronto and studying with drummer and author Peter Magadini, David was asked to join Canadian jazz icon Oliver Jones and tour the US with Jamaican singer Kenny Hamilton. Living in New York City while touring with that project greatly influenced his musical development, providing the opportunity to meet many of the great artists and drummers of that period, including Elvin Jones. Upon returning to Canada, David spent the early 80's touring and recording with the "Refugee" forerunner "Michael Fury".
David currently records drum tracks for projects around the world from his private studio in Kelowna, BC, and as of 2014, is spending much of his time in Los Angeles and Nashville. David is also a member of the popular Celtic fusion band Cod Gone Wild.