Beem Records, the indie label is a division of the well established production company Bianca Morales Productions Oy based in Helsinki Finland.
Since the main artist: a performing jazz vocalist and composer Bianca Morales is now focusing on launching an international jazz- and latin music career, the company is in the process of expanding the business to USA.
Here's Bianca's bio:
Recording and performing Jazz vocalist and composer Bianca Morales was born in Helsinki Finland in 1966. At the age of 14, she had already started her jazz career, both singing and recording with Grani Big Band. Bianca was well-established by the age of 18 after winning MTV 3's (one of Finland's main national TV channels) Spring Tune Contest in 1984 with an original composition that she co-wrote, a reggae tune titled "Our Party."
Bianca continues to be a full-time jazz performer continuing a busy performance schedule, both in Finland and many other countries around the world including the U.S. As she spends increasingly more time in her second home in Los Angeles, her local fan base is growing rapidly.
The highlight of 2007 was the official debut and release party of Bianca's new CD "When in Rome", recorded with Europe's premier jazz orchestra, UMO Jazz Orchestra and the Beem Jazz Combo. The UMO Jazz Orchestra is nowadays regarded as one of the Europe's leading big bands. It has made numerous concert tours including a great European tour with Natalie Cole and The Manhattan Transfer. They've performed with conductors and soloists such as legendary jazz artists Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Joe Williams and Michael Brecker. The Beem Jazz Combo features leading Finnish jazz musicians and from the USA composer, saxophonist Larry Price.
A love letter to Rome, "When in Rome" is full of swinging, rhythmic, romantic and whimsical original compositions by Bianca and her writing partner, Maria Parr, with some music composed by American composer/musician Larry Price and by Finnish composer/musician Klaus Roos. The English lyrics, based on Maria's original Finnish lyrics, are written by Judy Lamppu, a native Los Angelino. This CD is a tribute to the great jazz classics of the fifties and sixties, with wonderful arrangements by Sven Nygård. The Finnish version of the second track on the album "Yleislakko" ("General Strike") was a finalist in the jazz category in the International Songwriting Competition 2004. Branford Marsalis and Macy Gray were among the distinguished judges. "Yleislakko" got an Honorable Mention.
Visit the site:
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners
In 2005, from the same CD, "Via Veneto" made it to the Top Ten in the Latin category in the USA Songwriting Competition.
Bianca played "Lorraine" (and was also the understudy for Motormouth) in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical HAIRSPRAY. The Finnish production of Hairspray run to rave reviews in Helsinki, Finland from the 13th of August 2005 to April the 1st 2006 at the Helsinki City Theatre (Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri). Visit the website: http://www.hkt.fi.
Bianca has been a featured artist at most of the important jazz festivals in Finland including the world famous Pori Jazz Festival. Starting 2005 for the 40th anniversary of Pori Jazz, Bianca produced the first ever Pori Jazz Kids Festival (children's program portion of the Pori Jazz Festival) and she will continue in that role also in 2010.
Visit the Pori Jazz website at http://www.porijazz.fi.
In 2007 after Pori Jazz, Bianca, Ted Curson & Pori Jazz All Stars headed to Rome, Italy to perform two nights at the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival with her "When in Rome"-project and in 2008 Bianca, Ted and Jyrki Kangas performed in Trápani and Palermo (Sicily) and Pescara (east coast of Italy).
For more detailed information about Bianca Morales, go to: http://www.biancamorales.com.
Judy Lamppu - Producer, Writer, Singer - For the past few years, Judy has been writing and producing a CD/book project entitled “Grief Rhymes with Thief” dealing with the loss of loved ones, and the struggle faced by those of us who remain, to return, rebuild and renew. She is also working on her Sci-Fi Pop/Rock Opera entitled “Real,” with plans for a film and a Broadway musical
In 1993, Judy began working with a Finnish recording star, Bianca Morales, whose label, Beem Records International, hired her to create an all-English-language pop/jazz CD entitled “I’ve Been Dreamin’.” Subsequently, Judy wrote the English lyrics for the 13 songs on the recently released homage to “Roman Holiday” entitled “When in Rome,” which can best be described as swinging, rhythmic, romantic and whimsical original compositions. One of the cuts made the finals of the 2004 ISC competition.
In the late ‘80s Judy began seriously writing screenplays. She (under her nom-de-plume Sonia Wolf) and her partner, Patricia Ford made their first sale to Peter Falk and Universal Studios – a 2-hour ‘91 season opening "Columbo” entitled “Caution, Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health."
Judy’s film credits include a 3 feature deal with Chako Productions in which she wrote the title song or featured tracks for “Forever And Beyond,” distributor, Toho worldwide; “ The Survival Game,” distributor, Toho/Embassy; Bouncin’ Back,” distributor, Toho worldwide. For TV she’s co-written songs for “Last of the American Hobos” for Public Broadcasting and cable syndication; “Rape of The Environment” (Theme song) for KTLA, Los Angeles and syndication TV; an after school dramatic special, “Antonio and the Mayor” (Theme song, “A Miracle” with composer, Morton Stevens) for CBS Network TV. Judy also co-wrote and performed songs for the TV pilot for the “Minnie Pearl Show” (under the direction of Lionel Newman) for 20th Century Fox/April Blackwood Music. She was also Co-executive producer/music supervisor for “The Youth in Film Awards,” an independent pilot for Rogers Television Syndication.
A few of her song credits include “Situation” for Jobete/Motown, released on London Records by artists Hodges, James & Smith, “Lulu” by the Jackson 5 (available on the collection “SoulSation”), “Nobody,” a Capitol Records release by Nancy Wilson, and more.
As a performer, Judy’s career began while still in high school and continues on today with recent performances at the Catalina Bar & Grill and the MBar in Hollywood, the TEN20 Club of the Bel Age Hotel and the Masquers Cabaret Dinner Theatre in West Hollywood, and many others.
Memberships: WGA west; NARAS (the Recording Academy); ASCAP; Society of Composers and Lyricists; NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), CSA (California Songwriters Association), Songsalive!, Teosto and NCB in Scandinavia, and she is a board member of L.A. WoMen in Music.
Stephen Scott
Corporate and Production Executive:
Currently President and Chief Executive Officer of a new global resource company, he has overseen the business formation and corporate strategy of this firm with a portfolio of various projects including financing and natural resources.
Previous associations have included: The Aladdin Theatre for Performing Arts, Las Vegas, as Head of Production, supervising the creative, production and business affairs of all television and live events.
Cinetrust Corporation, Los Angeles, as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, guiding the financial and business activities of the company.
Claverhouse International, as financial and business consultant, representing this British merchant bank in London, negotiating a multiple film financing involving EMI Entertainment and British clearing banks, Lloyd’s and National Westminster, and utilizing the then U.K. government sanctioned sale/lease-back method.
Sed-Bar Productions, Burbank, (formerly The Smothers Brothers Company) as Administrative Director for production and business affairs. Company projects included the annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards for NBC primetime and Movie-of-the-week development deals with CBS and NBC.
Mr. Scott holds a BFA degree in Film from Art Center College of Design and a BSL from Valley University School of Law. Organizational affiliations include, IFP West and The Entertainment Coalition (ECO*USA.) As well, Mr. Scott serves on the board of Los Angeles Women in Music and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company. He is currently U.S. Division President of Beem Records USA.