Cassandre McKinley with the Mark Shilansky Trio

Experience an evening of exceptional music, delicious food, and fine wine in our intimate and relaxed setting

• Complimentary Wine Tasting at 5:30 to 6:00.
• Doors Open and Dinner Served at 6:00
• Dinner Service Closes & Show starts at 7:00 PM (Drinks & Dessert served during show).

About the show:

• Cassandre McKinley – Vocals
• Mark Shilansky – Piano
• Eric Byers – Guitar
• Keala Kaumeheiwa – Bass

Cassandre McKinley is a magnetic musical artist—singer, composer, producer, and vocal shapeshifter—who effortlessly blurs the lines between soul, jazz, R&B, blues, and country. With a voice that’s both velvet and fire, McKinley transforms every performance into a visceral, emotionally charged experience.

McKinley has carved a distinct path all her own, known for her genre-defying sound and fearless interpretations. She made waves nationally with her 2006 MAXJAZZ release ‘Til Tomorrow – Remembering Marvin Gaye, which JazzTimes hailed as “a rich, sensual salute,” cementing her international presence.

Her career has included standout collaborations with music legends like J. Geils, Bernard Purdie, Dave Mattacks, Herb Pomeroy, Peter Eldridge, and Duke Levine, and she’s received industry awards for both her recorded work and live performances. With five albums under her belt and streaming across global platforms like Spotify, Pandora, and XM, her reach continues to grow. She is currently in the studio working on her next album, a duo project with world-class pianist Tim Ray. A seasoned live performer, McKinley has appeared on renowned stages across the country—and continues to captivate audiences nationwide with her electric blend of vocal power and raw authenticity.

McKinley is also a respected Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and Berklee Online, where she mentors the next generation of vocalists with the same passion and artistic integrity that defines her own journey.

Mark Shilansky

“Inventive, modern mainstream jazz pianist” (Jon Garelick, Boston Globe) Mark Shilansky provides melodic improvisation and infectious compositions on his own and to a host of jazz luminaries, as well as to the classroom, as a professor at Berklee College of Music and the University of New Hampshire. Shilansky’s six recordings as a leader include 2007’s “Join the Club,” a mostly Latin Jazz affair featuring David Bowie saxist Donny McCaslin, and 2013’s “Fugue Mill,” the eponymous debut of his Jazz/Bluegrass/Celtic project featuring violin phenom Sara Caswell, and he is featured on over 60 recordings as a keyboardist, vocalist, composer/arranger, or producer, and in performance as band member for such artists as the New York Voices, Luciana Souza, and David Thorne Scott. As an artist he embraces the history of the styles in which he works, while seeking connections between them as a way of expressing a personal musical vision, characterized by lush harmonies, the exploration of the line between composition and improvisation, and an ever-present sense of humor. His works have been recorded by Robin McKelle, Kim Nazarian, and by Jazz All-State and College ensembles around the world. http://www.markshilansky.com

Eric Byers’ extraordinary proficiency and versatility as a guitarist and composer/arranger have been heard on recordings and in concert halls (including at Berklee College of Music where he serves as a professor of Harmony and Jazz Composition) and clubs around the world, with artists like Dave and Maureen Budway, George Russell, Jr, The Fifth Dimension, Lydia Harrell, No Static (New England’s Premier Steely Dan tribute band), Adrian Sicam, and Andrea Capozzoli.

Bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa was born in Oswego, New York and was raised in Marquette, Michigan. He received a Bachelor’s of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied both jazz and classical music with renowned bassist Richard Davis. From Wisconsin, Keala moved to New York City, where he performed with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. After moving to the Boston area, Keala studied jazz bass and improvisation with legendary bassist Ron Carter as part of the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at New England Conservatory. Meanwhile, he continued his classical bass studies with virtuoso bassist Donald Palma. While at the Monk Institute, Keala performed with Jimmy Heath, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Harry “Sweets” Edison, and James Moody. Since 2001, Keala has been an Affiliated Artist at MIT, teaching Jazz Combo Ensembles. He has performed throughout Italy, at the Havana Jazz Festival as well as freelancing around Boston, frequently performing at Sculler’s Jazz Club, Ryles, Wally’s Jazz Cafe and the Regattabar.

A Listening Room Experience

Hermit Woods is excited to bring talented artists from New England and beyond to perform for you. Each performance will provide you with an intimate, up-close, and personal experience with the performing artists. We ask our audience please refrain from talking during the featured show. Your silence will allow the artists and the audience to immerse themselves in the experience, which is not otherwise possible in larger, noisier environments.

Doors open at 5:30 pm for a complimentary wine tasting. The Loft Doors open at 6:00. We encourage you to arrive early for our wine tasting and enjoy food and wine before the show. The kitchen will close at 7:00 pm. When the featured artists takes the stage we will ask that the audience remain quiet during the performance. After the show, we invite you to interact with the artists and purchase any music or merchandise offerings if available.