Album Notes

MARTIN G. REYNOLDS. This Berkeley, California native has been involved with music from a young age. HoFlow's first instrument was the trumpet, which he played throughout high school. He set down his horn to pick up a microphone, and has since emerged as one of the Bay Area's premier lyricists. HoFlow is a Chips Quinn Scholar and earned his degree in journalism from San Francisco State University, while balancing a full-time position in the young powerhouse group Jungle Biskit. HoFlow employs his literary skills as associate editor with The Oakland Tribune. "Being a journalist has helped me become a better songwriter, and being a lyricist has helped me become a better journalist," he said in an interview with L.A. Times.

He is an original member of Mingus Amungus and appears on both the group's CDs, "Live in Cuba" and "Isms." With Mingus, Jungle Biskit and Bop City, he has toured Cuba, Europe extensively, including shows in Istanbul, Turkey, Berlin, and Frankfurt, Germany, Brussels, and Gent, Belgium, Milan, and Bergamo, Italy, Rotterdam, Holland, Lustinaeu, Austria, Athens, Greece, Washington, D.C., New York City and St. Petersburg, Florida, to name a few cities. He has also performed alongside such artists as Joshua Redman, Wu Tang Klan, shared the stage with Carlos Santana, Christian McBride, Pete Escovedo, John Santos, The Coup, The Mingus Big Band and a host of other notable performers.

In 1997, HoFlow and Mic Blake came together when Mic joined Jungle Biskit. In 2002, they teamed up to create Bop City. Their contrasting vocal tones and styles give Bop City the distinctive sound that is their trademark.
MICHAEL BLAKE started out his professional music career in high school when he hooked up with Michael Marshall, who later formed the group Timex Social Club, known for their international hit "Rumors." With Timex, Mic toured with RunDMC and other prominent artists. His experience on the road inspired him. He returned with a vision to mix sampling and turntables with live instrumentation. Mic took this vision and applied it to the local hip-hop scene, throwing parties that included dancing, but with spoken word and live music, this at a time when few were combing all three genres. After high school he joined groups the Broun Fellinis and Daddy Goddus, later becoming a member of Alphabet Soup. With "Soup" Mic helped produce two albums "Layin Low in the Cut" and "Strivin." The album featured the single, and video "Take a Ride," which aired regularly on BET. While with Alphabet Soup, Mic had the opportunity to cross paths with artist who cross genre and generation and include: Angel, Guru, Brooklyn Funk Essential, Mingus Amungus, The Mo' Fessionals, Groove Collective, The Roots, Queen Latifa, Jru the Damaga, War, Primus, and Charlie Hunter, among others. Mic has a unique deep, rich vocal tone. It could best be compared to that of the great singer and composers, Barry White and Isaac Hayes. He brings a fire to the studio and stage that ignites a track and enflames a show.
In 1997, Blake joined Jungle Biskit and helped create the Bop City Project. As Bop City, the group had two European tours and released a six song self-titled EP. In 2002, Blake and HoFlow moved to take the music further. Working together, and with their extended music family, they set out to put the Bay sound back on the map.

CAITLIN CORNWELL, 33, was born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, Ca. Her singing career began at 4-years-old when she took the stage for the first time at the high school where her father taught. As a child, she performed at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley and with the Oakland Children's Chorus. She later joined with the Interfaith Gospel Choir, which enabled her to sing along side artists including Tramaine Hawkins, Linda Rondstat, Bobby McFerrin, The Neville Brothers, MC Hammer and others. With Interfaith for four years, Caitlin was then a member of the Bay Area funk sensation the Mo'Fessionals for three years, selling out every club across San Francisco. Afterward, she landed a record deal with Interscope/Bel Air Records. When that deal was complete, she departed the label and went on to sign with Atlantic/Big Beat Records along side long-time singing partner Zoe Ellis, and formed The Braids. The Braids released the album "Here We Come," which featured the hit Queen remake "Bohemian Rhapsody." The song hit No. 44 on the Billboard charts, was an even bigger hit overseas and was featured on the High School High movie soundtrack that went gold, selling more than 500,000 copies.

Caitlin also joined with Grateful Dead guitarist Phil Lesh and was featured on his album "Phil Lesh and Friends Live at the Warfield" which was recorded and released in 1999. After a hiatus following the birth of her son, she joined the accapella sensation SoVoSo in 2003 to-2004. She left the group to devote more time to Bop City. Caitlin is a polished pro and icon of the Bay Area music scene. She has performed at every major night club and performance venue in San Francisco and Oakland, including Slim's, Yoshi's, the Warfield, Great American Musical Hall, the Paramount Theater and many others.