Each member of luz gruv brings his or her own varied musical experiences to the group with a desire to craft a sound that both entices and challenges.
Singer Kristin Jerger hails from the Windy City where she grew up in a musical household. She studied trumpet for 10 years and learned to play keyboard on her own fleshing out the parts by singing them first. Her piano instructor at Stanford noticed this habit and suggested she focus her musical energy on singing. Heeding this advice, Kristin sang jazz standards for several San Francisco bay area clubs before heading to Charleston, South Carolina, where she became the lead singer for a rock band called Sweet Jane. After relocating to Washington, D.C., Kristin sang for the trio Tiny Ranches, an all-original funk and folk-influenced trio that performed at the 2002 Adams Morgan Community Festival. luz gruv represents the first group Kristin has co-founded.
Guitarist and back-up singer Frank Alexander began his musical journey playing bass in various rock and funk bands throughout high school in suburban Maryland. After performing with the Montgomery College Big Band and the local jazz trio Turnaround, he began to explore the local music scene and its often eclectic mix of folk, rock, jazz & blues. Along the way he has recorded with various East Coast rock and R&B projects that have included Into The World Screaming and the Kemp Harris project.
Percussionist Linette Tobin has studied conga both locally and in Cuba where she has traveled several times to learn percussion (conga & bata), song, and dance. She organizes educational music programs for both youth and adults in schools and community centers, and served as the Education Coordinator of the Latin American Folk Institute from 2000 – 2003. She also sings and plays with Coral Cantigas, the area’s only choir performing Latin American and Spanish choir music, and plays locally with various Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz, and salsa groups.
To hear basic tracks from the group's debut CD Single Moment , visit the music samples page.
For booking or further information please contact:
[email protected] or [email protected]
© 2002-2003 luz gruv