Brett Dennen

Born in 1979 in the small town of Oakdale, Calif., Brett Dennen has evolved from a home-schooled kid to a nationally recognized singer-songwriter. Echoing folk-legends like Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Taj Mahal, BD's music blends folk, afro-beats and reggae with campy melodies, shimmering vocals and unfeigned lyrics. His eponymous debut, released in 2004, remained undiscovered until his 2006 breakthrough album, So Much More , gained attention from heavyweights like John Mayer and Dave Matthews. Backed by drummer Randy Schwartz and ALO guitarist Dan "Chops" Lebowitz and bassist Steve Adams, BD opened for John Mayer for his 2007 summer tour with Sheryl Crow. He's also played shows with Xavier Rudd, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Brown and Ziggy Marley.