Album Notes

Oklahoma native Cami Stinson grew up in Sulphur, Oklahoma, a small town with about 5,000 people. She spent hours in her room, singing, working on harmony lines and playing her keyboard she bought with her allowance. She began writing poetry and stories as a young child, and later developed her writing and music skills to compose many works. As a teen, Cami sang classical music in school competitions, winning coveted spots in All-State Choruses, the highly-acclaimed Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, while beginning her love for jazz and swing. She studied swing fiddle with Texas Playboy Benny Kubiak, who taught her how to build harmony parts on the spot, play improvizationally, and gave her a fantastic foundation with many western swing songs. Cami worked with grammy-award-winning producer and musician Tommy Allsup, beginning an album that jolted her career and spawned her solo project. Cami studied commercial music at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, alma mater to Natalie Maines, LeAnn Womack, and countless studio musicians. There, she studied with Carrie Banks and Joe Carr, professional touring musicians. Joe Carr helped give Cami the confidence to pursue her interest in jazz and swing. Joe writes instructional guitar books for Mel Bay, and has played guitar and mandolin professionally for more than 30 years. Cami left South Plains to complete a public relations degree (Journalism and Broadcasting) at the Oklahoma State University Paul Miller School of Journalism. While there, she worked as a reporter for KOSU, Oklahoma Public Radio. Cami won an Edward R. Murrow award for her work as a feature reporter, an Oklahoma Associated Press Award, had numerous articles published in the Daily O'Collegian, served as a member of the Entertainment Committee for the Student Union Activities Board, and was a finalist in the Miss OSU pageant.
Cami began performing at age 5, but truly began her professional career while in college with bandmate Johnathan Wade Cross, who also attended South Plains College. They have been on a musical journey, initially leading a swing band, but have grown together into various styles and musical interests. Cami's current band, Cami and the Riot, plays original music with essence of pop jazz, blues, funk, Motown, and rock. This 6-8 piece band plays the hottest clubs, upscale private parties, festivals and special events. Cami and the Riot can uniquely get any age group dancing, whether it's college students at clubs or 40-somethings at upscale parties.
Cami released her debut album March 28, 2009, and is working on the next project, which she says will be "more mainstream and rockin'".