The Palm Wine Boys (bios)

	Matthew Lax--guitar, vocals: Matt began playing guitar at age nine, and spent his teen years between Los Angeles, Houston, and Austin playing electric blues, country and jazz amongst his many musically-inclined siblings. In '83 Matt moved to the Bay Area, was smitten by the sound of African guitar, and joined the South African world beat group Zulu Spear. He spent a decade of touring and recording (Matt penned the title track for Zulu Spear’s 1991 Capital Nashville release “Welcome to the USA” ). Matt has released two albums of original music with Matt Lax and Nearly Beloved: the 1998 “ Wanderer's Dream”, and the 2003 release “Hurricane and a Tumbleweed” which explores the “Afro-Billy” side of Matt’s country jazz-meets-Soweto-jive guitar style.
	Richard Linley--guitar/vocals: Born and raised in the heartland of the U.S.A., Richard's musical tastes were eclectic from and early age. At age 10, he wanted to play the sax like Charlie Parker, and by age 15 he wanted to write songs like Bob Dylan. His lifelong musical journey led him through many phases, and included playing in numerous folk and country bands, rock bands and world beat bands. He studied Indian classical music for 5 years, composed film scores, played in a middle eastern dance group, performed as a singer/songwriter, was co-director of the South African choir Vukani Mawethu, and tried to learn the shakuhachi (Japanese flute). He even went through an avant-garde phase, and composed unlistenable "new" music. But it was folk and African music that he loved the most, and that seemed at odds with each other until he met and played with the late, great S.E. Rogie, who introduced him to palm wine music. It was this music that fused his favorite styles in a perfect, organic way. Richard was finally at peace.
	QB Williams--percussion, vocals: QB is a self-taught musician who continually studies music styles and theory to broaden his musical skills. He has written music for seven stage plays, a PacBell training film, The Oakland Film Commission's promotional video, The Vukani Mawethu Choir of which he was musical director for five years, and his own group, The QB Experience. Recently, he has completed a CD entitled, The Songs Of Kwanzaa, which highlights each of the seven principles of the Kwanzaa holiday. He was a founding member of the popular a cappella group, Street Sounds, led by Sweet Honey In The Rock founding member, Louise Robinson who has recently rejoined Sweet Honey. QB has been a music instructor at Peralta Elementary School for the last four years and also gives private vocal lessons. Along with his songwriting partner, Thomas McKennie, he has created a school song for Merritt College in Oakland to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Currently, he and Thomas are in the process of forming a youth choir.
	Eliyahu Sills, bass, flute, vocals: Eliyahu has been deeply loving music since his birth (if not before), when on the way home from the hospital, his father lovingly sang to the newborn "No Dylan No Cry," thus introducing the young musician to the lyricism of Bob Marley. Since then, Eliyahu has studied upright bass, piano, electric bass, voice, guitar, and flute. He attended the New School of Jazz, in New York City, where he learned at the feet of three masters of the music: Reggie Workman, Arnie Lawrence, and the late Makanda Ken McIntyre. He has also become passionate about music education, finding fault in the western music conservatories with their over emphasis on the left brain, leaving out the original reasons for musical creation, such as the spiritual, the dance, the communication. Eliyahu has performed through out the U.S.A. and the Near East, in jazz ensembles, world music bands, and hip-hop groups. He loves to move people with the music: physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. He currently performs and teaches music in Oakland and San Francisco.