Bios
The Band
JJ Tong - Vocals, Trumpet
Growing up in a musical family, JJ learned to love music at a very early age. Her love of music continued as she sang with the church choir and toured internationally with a children's chorus. She has embraced all genres of music from country to pop, classical to hip hop.
In addition to singing, JJ also plays multiple instruments. She started with piano, French horn and guitar. She decided to pick up the trumpet later so that she could perform in a funk and soul dance band. JJ loves performing and has also had the opportunity to be on stage as an actor/singer/dancer with “Broadway by the Bay”.
When not performing, JJ can be found at the poker table, swinging the bat in softball games or training users on data loss prevention software.
Michelle Musgrove - Lead/Harmony Vocals, Piano
Michelle is a singer/pianist/songwriter and has been performing at various Bay Area venues such as fairs, festivals and parties, for 6 years. Her parents put her in piano lessons at 3 years of age and since then music has been a number one passion.
She loves to sing and belt out all musical styles. Her favorites are blues, soul, rock, and popular hits. Her favorite female vocalists to cover are Billy Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Sheryl Crow. At heart, she admits to being a “classic rock junkie”. Michelle admires the feeling and passion of artists such as Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Michelle is in her third year of college at Santa Clara University majoring in Political Science with a focus on Communication. When she is not playing music or performing she is usually studying, dirt biking, snowboarding, or traveling. She is incredibly enthusiastic about singing for OpenRoad and strives to put others in a feel-great mood through music. (Michelle is currently studying in England and will return in January, 2008).
Ed Vargas – Lead/Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar, Harmonica and Vocals
Ed began playing guitar in cover bands at county fairs at seventeen and paid college expenses with his band earnings. Ed has played corporate events, weddings, festivals, and rock and blues clubs as far away as Pa Markurell's in Stockholm, Sweden . He was asked to jam on lead guitar at his own Santa Clara University reunion with Papa Doo Run Run; the Beach Boys cover band. Guitar influences are Wes Montgomery, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. He enjoys playing bass and harmonica too. Ed started OpenRoad in the fall of 2003. He loves playing with experienced, easy-going musicians for audiences that enjoy and dance to the music.
Ed is experienced with marketing, special events and the media. He was a former Director of Marketing & Communications for the World Affairs Council and worked with KQED as Chairperson of their Community Advisory Panel. When he was in the publishing business, he was a Publisher/Editor for a trade magazine and developed international business conferences in the USA, Canada and Japan. Ed currently works for a major telecommunications company expanding their eCommerce Online capabilities.
Lou Ahtty - Bass and Vocals
Lou Ahtty is a San Francisco native that grew up watching and learning from the Bay Area musicians that created the unique “San Francisco” sound. Lou has over 30 years experience playing bass. His life journey as a musician started when his guitar playing friends "needed" a bass player in their group. He loved playing so much he decided to choose music as his college major. He quickly expanded his music knowledge and how to play bass to lay down a groove with the drummer and compliment the melody. Lou is also a seasoned sound production and recording technician.
Lou enjoys playing a variety of music styles: Rock, Soul, R&B, Jazz, Funk and even Country Music. His bassist influences include such notables as Jack Casady, from Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame, the inimitable Paul McCartney, Verdine White, Nathan East and James Jamerson, the great Funk Brothers bassist that established the “Motown Sound”.
Lou has played in venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He has played bass alongside top musicians including Latin percussionist great, Armando Peraza, (recorded with Carlos Santana) and blues legend, Elvin Bishop, (originally from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band).
Lou joined OpenRoad in January 2005 and maintains his easy going attitude by daily doses of watching "The Simpsons".
Bill Ciullo - Keyboards, Guitar and Vocals
Bill has been playing keyboards and guitar in various bands located in the Bay Area for the past 30 years. The styles of the bands covered Originals, Punk Rock, Disco, Top 40, and Classic Rock. His keyboard playing has been heard on some original songs on the Radio. Bill's influences for his keyboard styles focus more on the bands where Classical music influenced the Rock sound. These include bands such as: The Moody Blues, The Electric Light Orchestra, Renaissance, The Alan Parsons Project, Queen, and the most influential of them all, the Beatles.
Bill has combined his passion for music along with his Engineering career to pioneer the development of the physical modeling of instruments and sound. He holds patents in Karaoke technology and has been featured on Japanese Technology television programs.
Bill has completed one album of original music where he plays all of the instruments.
Michael Martinez - Sax and Vocals
Born in San Francisco, raised in the East Bay Area, Michael grew up listening to Jazz, Salsa, Classic R&B, and 80's Rock and Funk. Michael has developed an eclectic taste for different types of music. Although Michael has been playing sax since the age of 12, the two musicians he admires most are world renowned guitarists. "Both Prince and Brian Setzer (Stray Cats/Brian Setzer Orchestra) are not only GREAT showmen; they also both love and respect their instruments, song writing and performing". Other personal favorites include Earth Wind & Fire, along with the Bay Area's own Tower of Power and Sly & the Family Stone.
When performing live, Michael tries to emulate the styles and stage presence of such sax players as Emilio Castillo, ( Tower of Power ) and Johnny Colla, (Huey Lewis & The News). "Not only are they great saxophonists and vocalists, they are great veteran leaders within their groups as well".
Even with years of experience performing with Bay Area bands, Michael strives to be a leader, a mentor, and a still learn as a student. Along with the work and dedication to a music project, Michael enjoys the friendships and the joy of making music.
Steve Molinari - Drums and Vocals
Steve began playing drums when he was 8 years old. He learned his drum set skills from his father, who has played drums for over 50 years. Steve played in high school and university bands, as well as independent alternative rock bands as he got older. Steve has toured in many of the western US states and as far away as Nice, France. Most recently, Steve was in an alternative rock band in Southern California which regularly gigged on the Sunset Strip.
As a native of the East Bay, Steve's early influences included the funk/punk scene in San Francisco with bands like Primus, Jane's Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Currently, Steve is inspired by the drumming skills of Josh Freese, of the Vandals, Guns N' Roses, Matt Chamberlain, one of the most widely heard session drummers, Zigaboo Modeliste, a founding member of the Meters and Dino Campanella of Northern California's Dredg.
Steve enjoys the challenges of handling many musical genres in OpenRoad. His favorite styles of music to play include Funk, R&B, and Rock. Steve looks forward to sharing his passion for drumming with his son.
Guest Musicians
Cyrise Beatty - Vocals, Keyboards
Cyrise Beatty has been entertaining and uplifting audiences in the S.F. Bay Area for over 15 years. Cyrise is a vocalist, pianist, songwriter and performs an array of musical styles ranging from Jazz, Classic Rock, Funk, and Motown, to Sacred and World Music.
Cyrise has been featured on numerous recording projects including the 2004 release “Women of the Bay” a CD featuring some of the hottest up and coming female vocalists of the San Francisco Bay Area. Cyrise composes and records her own original music featuring piano and voice. She performs with her husband singing a jazz set with the Saul Kaye Quartet. Cyrise also performs with a Women's vocal ensemble, Ya Elah, and with contemporary world music artist, Rebbe Soul.
Cyrise is also a poet, with an MA in Creative writing from San Francisco State University and teaches voice, piano, and creative writing.
R. Bhakti Klein - Vocals, Guitar, Sax
Bhakti grew up in Florida before coming to the Bay Area. He loves music and learned to play saxophone, guitar and sing in school programs. He started in cover bands primarily playing guitar and sax. He has traveled the world singing a wide range of music. He toured Bulgaria in 1995 singing Bulgarian folk songs and toured Finland summer of 2005.
When OpenRoad was looking for another male lead vocal at the end of 2006, we found the right fit with Bhakti. He loves Motown/R&B, Classic Rock and can do all styles and current artists. He is professional with extensive vocal harmony, cover band experience at dozens of weddings and private events and is easy-going. Bhakti's natural enthusiasm, ability to generate positive energy and get people dancing have audiences saying everything from, “he's cool” to “he sounds just like the original artist”. Ten million Bhakti fans can't be wrong!
He is in a jazz vocal group, (think Take 6 or Manhattan Transfer), at the JAZZSCHOOL in Berkeley. The JAZZSCHOOL is an innovative music school dedicated to the study and performance of Jazz and related styles of music around the world. He also sings with a ten piece wedding band called Funky Little Shack and teaches part-time.
Steve Vargas - Percussion
Born and raised in San Jose, his debut performance was at the Santa Clara County Fair in an eight piece R&B group with horns as a freshman in high school. Steve's early influences were Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Peter Erskine of Weather Report and David Garibaldi of Tower of Power.
Steve and his brother, Ed, played together in local San Jose bands for several years. One of their groups was Elliot Fox. They played colleges, class reunions, corporate events, weddings, boat cruises and festivals throughout the Bay Area.
Steve is well known by Bay Area musicians for his range of drumming styles. He has performed in local clubs from JJ's in San Jose to Lou's Pier in San Francisco . He has played drums with local recording artists including Lydia Pense of Cold Blood, and Tommy Castro of the Tommy Castro Band. He plays electrifying rhythms on timbales, congas and bongos. He sits in on percussion for larger, festival OpenRoad venues or as a back-up drummer.
Ron Gray – Drums, Percussion
Ron started playing drums at the age of nine and bought his first drum set at the age of twelve. He was active in three high school music programs. He was the drummer for the Jazz Band and a percussionist in the Symphonic Band. He was Marching Band Snare Drum Section Leader when his high school performed in Oakland Raider halftime shows. Ron played in rock groups while at Chico State. In his twenties, Ron was in several Bay Area bands. These groups recorded their original songs and played them in local clubs.
Ron's early influences were Buddy Rich, the great jazz, Big Band drummer; Danny Seraphine, the original drummer for Chicago and Steve Gadd. If you follow pro musicians you see Steve Gadd performing with top artists from Eric Clapton and Paul Simon to Steely Dan. Currently, Ron appreciates the drumming style of Carter Beauford, drummer for the Dave Matthews Band. Ron enjoys sharpening his skills. He recently studied under Karl Wilcox, the drummer for the British Rock Group “Diamond Head”.
Before joining Open Road, Ron played drums for fifteen years in an East Bay cover band, Direct Access. His favorite music styles are Rock, Funk, Jazz and R&B. He works for a major energy company and enjoys spending time with his family in Danville.