Episode 82. This very special episode of the BAAS Entertainment Podcast highlights the amazing performers - Steven Kroon, Ty Stephens and Carla Cook - who will be part of the BAAS Entertainment Gala taking place on September 16, 2023. These three amazing performers are friends who share a love of crossing musical genres. They are planning an amazing evening of music to benefit two special charities, Chelsea's Charity and The Ana Grace Project.  The first annual BAAS Entertainment Benefit Gala will be held at Edmond Town Hall (45 Main Street, Newtown, CT) on Saturday, September 16. VIP tickets ($150) include upfront seating, plus a pre-show VIP reception with artist meet and greet, hors d'oeuvres, beverages, and an incredible swag bag full of goodies. Regular tickets are $50 each. This is a show you will remember for the rest of your life. Ty Stephens started as a dancer, which brought him to New York and gave him the opportunity to perform in back-to-back Broadway shows. Knowing that the career of a dancer is limited, he transitioned into a singer, helped by the legendary Gregory Hines, establishing a career as a performer that has taken him around the world. His style is uniquely his own, centered around 70’s R&B, with jazz, soul, funk, and Broadway, all mixed together. Steven Kroon got his start in Spanish Harlem in the early 1950s. His father was a musicologist who always played Spanish music in their home. Many of the legendary musicians he listened to, including Tito Puente, lived in the area. Later, they moved to Queens, and were immersed in the music of his neighborhood, which was filled with performers and producers. Count Basie lived four blocks away. All of the combinations of cultures and sounds created Kroon’s distinctive style. The break that changed his life was when he had an opportunity to audition for Luther Vandross. He got the gig and ended up working with Luther for 20 years. He learned so much working with all of the stellar musicians around Luther. Being around Luther, he learned so much about the industry since Luther was so hands-on with everything he did. He also earned the opportunity to work with legendary jazz double bassist Ron Carter. Working with Vandross and Carter exposed Kroon to the very top R&B and jazz artists in the world. After 20 years, he decided it was time to “do me,” left those groups to record on his own and blaze his own path. He created a masterpiece with many of the musicians he worked with. He is blessed, proud and happy now to be able to do what he wants to do. Carla Cook got her start in the church in Detroit, and always loved to sing in choirs. Her brother loved jazz, giving her an early exposure to the music. Being in Detroit, her high school years were filled with the sounds of Motown. She moved to Boston, and formed the first of several jazz ensembles, gigging at jazz clubs and private events. She moved to New York in 1990, where she began performing regularly on the jazz scene. Her debut album, “It’s All About Love,” earned an AFIM-Indie award and a Grammy nomination, and widespread critical acclaim for her two subsequent recordings, “Dem Bones,” and “Simply Natural”. She is currently a jazz vocal instructor at The Juilliard School. Listen and subscribe to the BAAS Entertainment Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn. “Hey, Alexa. Play the BAAS Entertainment Podcast.”