L  E  S  L  I  E

M  A  N  D  O  K  I 

and SOULMATES

in collaboration with

IAN ANDERSON of Jethro Tull

Penn a powerful new song entitled

"#WeSayThankYou" 

In appreciation for the heroes who have emerged

in this global crisis

In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola became founding members of Leslie Mandoki’s band project ManDoki Soulmates, and for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who” of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and jazzrock in the Mandoki Soulmates band.

The remarkable lineups in the band’s recordings and performances over the years has included singers and players including Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, David Clayton-Thomas, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Bobby Kimball, Steve Lukather, Eric Burdon, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, Peter Frampton, and Jon Lord.

The Soulmates concerts are marked by the musical synergy of all these musical icons united in one supergroup of Grammy award winning legends, where everyone’s egos come second. Original Soulmates compositions and collective improvisations on highest levels are just as much part of the concerts as world-renowned hits of the individual Soulmates members. “One stage – one band!”

With his Soulmates Leslie Mandoki raises Jazz-Rock back to socio-political relevance, to quote him in his own words: “Even in times of Twitter, social media and short news on the smartphone, when mental laziness often blocks the perception, music for us is still like a love letter to our audience – handwritten with ink on paper.”

This band is pure sophisticated JazzRock, or as Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) put it: “One of the best bands you will ever hear!”

 As the world continues to be consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson sings and plays flute with Mandoki Soulmates mastermind and leader Leslie Mandoki.  Mandoki has found inspiration and a new spark of hope amidst the chaos. He has penned a powerful new song in appreciation for the heroes who have emerged in this global crisis, the nurses, doctors, and other health care providers as well as the grocery store clerks and food delivery personnel who have stepped up to serve their communities. The new song, entitled simply “#WeSayThankYou,” expresses so clearly the feelings of gratitude many of us have felt in these troubled times.

The duet is available through the Purple Pyramid imprint of indie giant Cleopatra Records, Inc. and is Mandoki Soulmate’s first release in the recently inked partnership with the L.A.-based label. Additional Mandoki releases are set to follow later this year.

Leslie will be donating the royalties from the sales, syncs, and airplay of “#WeSayThankYou“ to a To-Be-Announced Charity. 

“#WeSayThankYou” was written in the context of Leslie’s own isolation in Germany, where his doctor wife, Eva, is a first contact physician. 

Ian and Leslie have worked together for over 20 years on various collaborations with his jazz-rock band Soulmates featuring the good and great of classic rock and jazz. Mandoki’s Soulmates toured North America in 2018.

Purchase the new double album

 by Mandoki Soulmates

Living In The Gap + Hungarian Pictures

at iTunes Store, Apple Music and Amazon Music

For more information about Leslie Mandoki

and Soulmates

visit

https://twitter.com/lesliemandoki

https://www.instagram.com/themandokisoulmates/

https://www.facebook.com/mandoki.soulmates

Mandoki Soulmates with Ian Anderson

https://orcd.co/mandoki-soulmates-with-ian-anderson

Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull website

http://jethrotull.com/

Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., (USMC-Ret.) was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He began his duties as head of the agency on July 17, 2009. As Administrator, Bolden leads a nationwide NASA team to advance the missions and goals of the U.S. space program.

At NASA, Bolden has overseen the safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station and space and aeronautics technology development. He has led the agency in developing a Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to deep space destinations, such as an asteroid and Mars. He also established a new Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop cutting-edge technologies for the missions of tomorrow. During Bolden's tenure, the agency's support of commercial space transportation systems for reaching low-Earth orbit have enabled successful commercial cargo resupply of the space station and significant progress toward returning the capability for American companies to launch astronauts from American soil by 2017. Bolden has also supported NASA's contributions toward development of developing cleaner, faster, and quieter airplanes. The agency's dynamic science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosity rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, enhancing the nation's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Bolden's 34-year career with the Marine Corps also included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others. His flights included deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.

Prior to his nomination as NASA administrator, Bolden was Chief Executive Officer of JACKandPANTHER LLC, a small business enterprise providing leadership, military, and aerospace consulting, as well as motivational speaking.

Born Aug. 19, 1946, in Columbia, S.C., Bolden graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in 1964 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical science in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. After completing flight training in 1970, he became a Naval Aviator. Bolden flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while stationed in Namphong, Thailand between 1972 - 1973.

Bolden earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977. In 1978, he was assigned to the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., and completed his training in 1979. While working at the Naval Air Test Center's Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft Test Directorates, he tested a variety of ground attack aircraft until his selection as an astronaut candidate in 1980.

Bolden's NASA astronaut career included technical assignments as the Astronaut Office Safety Officer; Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew Operations; Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston; Chief of the Safety Division at Johnson (where he oversaw efforts to return the shuttle to flight safely after the 1986 Challenger accident); lead astronaut for vehicle test and checkout at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Assistant Deputy Administrator at NASA Headquarters. After his final shuttle flight in 1994, he left NASA and returned to active duty with Marine Corps operating forces as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.

In 1997, Bolden was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific. During the first half of 1998, he served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. He was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Japan. He later served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., from 2000 - 2002. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2003. Bolden's many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006.

Bolden is married to the former Alexis (Jackie) Walker of Columbia, S.C. The couple has two children -- Anthony Chè, a colonel in the Marine Corps, who is married to the former Penelope McDougal of Sydney, Australia, and Kelly Michelle, a plastic surgeon at the Howard University Hospital in Washington.

Stephane and Shalee Schafeitel

Early in 2010, Stéphane & Shalee Schafeitel co-founded Success Training Co., a high-performance coaching and consulting company. Stéphane left his highly decorated career in Corporate America and Shalee moved on from her own successful marketing & branding business to begin the company. They made this transition because they were (and are!) extremely motivated to make a positive impact on the lives of others and help them be the best version of themselves. 

They went on to do just that. Success Training Co. is the market leader in Mindpower Coaching™ and Mental Toughness Training™. They help executives and entrepreneurs resolve mental and emotional barriers through a series of impactful coaching sessions that will maximize your clarity, mental toughness, and success. They believe the individuals who have clarity and mental toughness are the most successful people in the world.

With over a decade of experience and thousands of clients, Success Training Co. is committed to helping individuals and businesses thrive through whatever circumstances life may bring. By empowering you with the ultimate success tool—mental toughness—they are here to guide you to your inner resilience to make it through anything.

STEVE TAYLOR

With a sound steeped in the sunlit tones of Laurel Canyon, the mid 60’s pop and R&B of the Brill Building, and the lo-fi synths of early prog rock, Los Angeles resident Steve Taylor makes cinematic, impressionistic psych-folk that pushes the envelope of the singer/songwriter genre. A multi-instrumentalist with a remarkably diverse background, he’s been tapped to play with everyone from LA electro soul group Rhye to bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld. He’s steadily recorded his new opus, “The Land of Milk and Honey”, in between international tours and recording gigs. A sparse, moody, and soulful record, it is full of ruminations on the search for an idyllic paradise amidst the chaos and loneliness of modern day life. Sonically, you will find layers of vintage organs, pianos, analog synthesizers, and dead drums, creating a sound that’s both modern and thoroughly informed by 70’s AM rock.

​Influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Nick Drake, and Joni Mitchell, his last album “Has the Size of the Road Got the Better of You?” was recorded at home and at the venerable Tiny Telephone Studio in San Francisco. The record showed the expanded influence of gospel music, something he explored while he was a guitarist and organist at a number of prominent African American congregations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

​Performing solo and with his band, Steve has played hundreds of shows, including headlining slots at The Independent and The Chapel in San Francisco, The Echo and The Hotel Café in LA, and The Hope & Anchor in London. An avid busker, he has made many fans the old fashioned way, through singing his heart out and pounding out his songs on his portable Helpinstill piano, an electrified acoustic remnant from the 70’s.

​In addition to being an active solo artist, Steve has played as a singer, keyboardist and guitarist with an incredibly diverse range of collaborators, including Rhye, Skylar Grey, Lauren Ruth Ward, Duane Betts, Rogue Wave, Nicki Bluhm, and members of the Grateful Dead, CAN, Guns n Roses, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Deathcab for Cutie, and The Dirty Projectors. 

“Steve Taylor’s dreamy, folky, solo songs recall a long lost time… resonate with sun-flared AM radio gold of the early 1970s as vintage tones warble from an old Wurlitzer while acoustic six-strings intertwine with the watery notes of a lazy electric slide guitar under Taylor crooning like a young Graham Nash.” – iTunes

THE WATERS (KRYSTAL BAKER and STURGIS WATERS)

Where love and music collide, you will find The Waters. An acoustic duo whose core consists of singer/songwriter Krystal Baker and guitarist Sturgis Waters based out of Phoenix AZ, they bring a minimalist approach to progressive folk-rock music.

Her haunting vocals combined with his colorful guitar melodies blend to create a fabric of intimate conversation. The modest and dynamic aspects of the duo create an authentic experience. Once compared to a more multidimensional yet similar vocal sound to that of Natalie Merchant, coupled by his guitar stylings reminiscent of Tim Reynolds, you will find a great combination of distinctive yet familiar sounds.

Playing both their original songs as well as unique arrangements of other artists, their love of music is something we can all connect with

ALEXANDRA EISNER

Alexandra Eisner is a Supervisor on the Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, and is also the Founder and Creator of a Suicide Prevention Company called LiveLong Movement. 

Alexandra’s connection with suicide started at age 17 when she first had a thought to kill herself. For nine years she battled and toyed with the thoughts, until ultimately she came to planning and attempting her death by overdosing at a music festival at age 26. The death ended up in an awakening so powerful she promised the Universe she’d dedicate her life to learning about exactly what it is she had just experienced. 

She has since turned to meditation and energy healing to continue the new journey. A year after the attempt she felt strong enough to support others heal from their suicide ideations. In June 2018 Alex started volunteering on the Suicide Prevention Hotline, while working as the Global Security Senior Coordinator for Sony Pictures Entertainment; where she had worked for over 7 years. Shortly later in January 2019, Alex was offered a position as the Security and Secrecy Assessor for Apple TV+. Alex made the move and traveled 50% of the time within the next year around the world managing Apples Studio Productions making sure nothing was pirated or leaked. 

As amazing as the opportunity was at Apple, Alex was once again not feeling strong enough to be on the Hotline and often was having to miss volunteer shifts. Something was out of alignment and she had to make a decision.

Alex has since quite Apple TV+ and became a Supervisor on the Suicide Prevention Hotline in February 2020. 

Every Monday through Friday on the graveyard shift Alex answers emergency calls on the Hotline, which include crisis’s related to mainly suicide and homicide. These calls can range from informational calls to tragic deaths. Alex has answered the phone nearly 500 times and in March, while still as a Supervisor in Training, she managed the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Teen Line, and the Disaster Distress Hotline on her own because nearly 40 counselors were quarantined due to a positive COVID testing in an employee. 

On her own time, Alex has also been hand-making bracelets and giving them to people for free as part of the LiveLong Movement since November 2018. Over 700 bracelets have been sent around the world to people who’ve reached out to her directly in need of support. The bracelets are red to help alleviate self-mutaliation desires and have the words “Live Long” hand-stamped to represent the motivation to ‘live longer’.

From ages 17- 23, Alex struggled with anxiety attacks and used self-mutiliation as a coping skill. During a panic attack while driving one day at 23, Alex drove to a tattoo shop and got the worlds “Live Long” tattooed on her wrist next to her scars as a reminder to live long and not kill herself. She hopes these bracelets have helped others in ways like the tattoo does for her. 

Army Captain Deshauna Barber, the current Chief Executive Officer of Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), is Miss USA 2016, an award-winning international speaker, coach, and entrepreneur. Deshauna uses her experience as an Army officer, former Miss USA, and STEM graduate to impact the lives of people all over the world. Deshauna is a top-rated speaker who is widely requested as a speaker at Fortune 500 companies. She was born in Columbus, Georgia, the daughter of two soldiers. Serving in the military is a family tradition. In 2016, Deshauna was crowned the first soldier to the win the prestigious title of Miss USA. She spent her year-long reign as Miss USA advocating for men and women in uniform and continues her work advocating for service members suffering from post-traumatic stress. She is dedicated to ensuring that service members and veterans receive the support and assistance that they need. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Virginia State University, a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and Services from University of Maryland and she is currently pursuing a Diversity, Social Justice and Inclusion Certification at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Website:  https://www.servicewomen.org/

J O R M A

K A U K O N E N

LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER-GUITARIST

WITH

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE

AND

H  O  T   T  U  N  A

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In a career that has already spanned a half-century, Jorma Kaukonen has been one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and rock. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy recipient, Jorma was at the forefront of popular rock and roll, one of the founders of the San Francisco sound and a progenitor of Psychedelic Rock. He is a founding member of two legendary bands, Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. Jorma Kaukonen is a music legend and one of the finest singer-songwriters in his field. He continues to tour the world bringing his unique styling to old blues tunes while presenting new songs of weight and dimension. His secret is in playing spontaneous and unfiltered music, with an individual expression of personality. In 2016, Jorma, Jack Casady and the other members of Jefferson Airplane were awarded The GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to American music.

In 1965, met Paul Kantner and was invited to join a new not-yet-named rock band Kantner was forming with Marty Balin. As a self-described blues purist, Kaukonen was initially reluctant, but found his imagination excited by the arsenal of effects available to electric guitar, later remarking that he was "sucked in by technology." With the group still looking for a name, Kaukonen suggested Jefferson Airplane, inspired by an eccentric friend who had given his dog the name "Blind Lemon Jefferson Airplane." Jorma invited his old musical partner Jack Casady to come out to San Francisco and play electric bass for the new band, and together they created much of Jefferson Airplane’s signature sound.

A pioneer of counterculture-era psychedelic rock, the group was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve international mainstream success. Their 1967 record Surrealistic Pillow is regarded as one of the key recordings of the "Summer of Love."

Jorma and Jack would jam whenever they could and would sometimes perform sets within sets at Airplane concerts. The two would often play clubs following Airplane performances. Making a name for themselves as a duo, they struck a record deal, and Hot Tuna was born. Jorma left Jefferson Airplane after the band’s most productive five years, pursuing his full-time job with Hot Tuna. Over the past five decades Hot Tuna has performed thousands of concerts and released more than two-dozen records. The musicians who have performed with them are many and widely varied, as are their styles — from acoustic to long and loud electric jams, but never straying far from their musical roots. What is remarkable is that they have never coasted. Hot Tuna today sounds better than ever.

Purchase Jorma’s latest solo recording

Ain’t In No Hurry on Red House Records.

It has received wonderful critical acclaim:

at amazon.com

Purchase Jorma’s memoirs

Been So Long: My Life and Music

at amazon.com

For more information about Jorma Kaukonen

 and Hot Tuna visit

Jorma blogs consistently.

 Cracks in the Finish:

 http://jormakaukonen.com/cracksinthefinish

BreakDownWay.com Online Guitar Lesson Workshop: Jorma Kaukonen & Friends Online Guitar Lesson Workshop, brought to you by the good folks at the Award-winning Fur Peace Ranch. Learn American Roots, Blues, Folk, Finger-picking and more, with enough to occupy all ranges of skills from beginner to advanced.  http://breakdownway.com/

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