Her current group includes her music
director and principal arrangement
collaborator, bassist Donald Ramsey, plus
June Yamagishi (guitar), Nick Mercadel
(drums),
Jason Hodge Sr. (keys) and
background singers Raion Ramsey
(Donald’s daughter) and Tracci
Lee.
“They are amazing.
The
whole unit is
phenomenal,” Erica
raved.
Commenting on
the genre
her style
is becoming
largely
s y n o n y m o
u s
with, Erica drew
a distinction
between “neo-soul”
and “vintage soul,”
both of which factor
significantly into her
repertoire. “Neo-soul
is more of the
new sound
of soul,” she
said. “Vintage
soul is putting
a little bit of
the old with
the new. That’s
what sets the
two of them
apart, but I
love doing
both.”
S e l w y n
Miller, who
came out of
retirement to
manage Erica
f o l l o w i n g
a 50-plus
year career
as an artist
manager and
tour organizer
for dozens
of musical
l u m i n a r i e s ,
said he was
“totally blown away” after hearing her
for the first time shortly after this year’s
JazzFest.
“She had just won a Big Easy Award
and I was there with my dear friend,
Sharon Martin,” Miller recalled. “Sharon,
whose judgment I trust, said to me, ‘That
lady is fantastic. You ought to go see her’
and so I did.
“Apart from being exceptionally
talented, I felt she should be making it
on a national and international level,”
Miller added. “I also thought she was a
very nice person. That, to me, is ultraimportant.”
So, is she ready for the higher level
of success her new management
arrangement holds forth? Erica quickly
answers, “Yes. I am ready. I’ve gotten
my feet a little bit wet on my own
internationally but not on the scale that
I aspire to ascend to. I’m really looking
forward to this.”
To book Erica Falls
for your event or venue
contact Selwyn Miller
WEN at (310) 430-0333 or
email miller.selwyn@gmail.com
To view her website go to http://www.
ericafalls.com
18 | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | breakthrumediamagazine.breakthrum
com J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 1 8
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PHOTO BY DEAN M. SHAPIRO
Erica Falls with Selwyn Miller
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERICA FALLS
Erica Falls and Trombone Shorty
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERICA FALLS
Erica Falls with her mom
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUS BENNETT
COVER STORY
/www
/ericafalls.com
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