ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

As a 16 year old, Willingboro, New Jersey native Kne-O'chaw Hampton has been developing her gifts and talents in the jazz arena since she was a 8 years old. Her story begins in the early 1990's when the Scorpio, like many others, was birthed into a challenged family dynamic. Prayerfully her paternal grandparents Lenny and Roslyn White stepped in to assist. We wanted her to have a better quality of life, recalls her part time bass player/drummer, producer and grandfather, Lenny, a musician playing for 40 years. The White's joyfully and officially began raising Kne-O'chaw at the age of 4. Kne-O'chaw is influenced by the music around her home.

Whether it was Miles Davis, Theloneous Monk, Nina Simone, The Temptations or gospel, the young pianist absorbs all the sounds around her. Kne-O'Chaw's grandparents purchased her first keyboard at the urging of Lenny's mother when she was 8. Kne-O'chaw began to bloom past her instructors and she began to write songs at an advanced and accelerated level. While her grandfather learned by ear, Kne-O' chaw's gift began to shine bright as she broke down, dissected and improvised dramatic jazz chords and scales to interpret musical theory. Kne-O' Chaw, at the age of 10 completed her first CD, The Other Side of Town, categorized as smooth jazz, wrote and arranged all pieces on the project. She then made an investment and began construction on a home studio. From Deep in My Soul followed as her next CD release at age 11. As she continues to perform and maintain Honor Student grades in her first year in High School, Kne-O Chaw has now performed in over 70 shows.

In promoting her 4th project Reaching For The Sky, Kne-O'chaw donated all the proceeds from the CD to All About Hope, an HIV /AIDS support outreach organization for patients and their families. Having recently completed After Dark, a new more mature sound has emerged from Kne-O'chaw. Simultaneously, Kne-O chaw is looking toward the future with her music and with Kne-O'chaw Sound Productions, her independent label. Musically, with her classical and jazz training, she knows the fundamentals and theories of music. Although she's been influenced by the greats of a few generations removed, she's still a teenager at heart, listening to Usher, Alicia Keys and Chris Brown. And while the aspiring jazz concert pianist and music teacher looks toward her future, you can be sure that she is working diligently to attain her audacious goals.