Lisa Star - Passion Star Records, Lisa Star(BMI) & Passion Star(ASCAP) Publishing and Licensing
Lisa Star, head of Passion Star Music, has formed her own record label and publishing companies. In addition, she is an emerging singer/songwriter.
Lisa Star has been working within the entertainment business for over 13 years. Her business acumen was honed during her tenure at LucasArts Entertainment Company as the manager of international business and operations for the dynamic videogames division owned by George Lucas. She is passionate and unrelenting in her support for up-and-coming artists. She brings a professional yet joyful approach to the projects at hand and has a ever present enthusiasm for forward momentum and expansion. Ms. Star and Ray Cooper share a dynamic and collaborative approach involving their own projects as well as those of the clients they represent.
Ray Cooper - Producer, award-winning composer/arranger and phenomenal multi-instrument player.
Ray Cooper heads up CoStar Studios among other businesses he is currently involved with. He is working on his second album, Akeru, which follows his solo piano release, Tabernacle.
Ray Cooper hails from Canada where he has produced albums and special projects - including work for the Make a Wish Foundation. Cooper is an award-winning composer with an Emmy presented for his work in television. He has a passion for artistic collaboration. His 25+ years of studio experience & musicianship brings an exciting and dynamic level of excellence to his arranging, producing, recording and compositions. Ray has a special talent for concept comprehension which enables the songwriters/musicians he works with to realize as well as exceed their project visions. His focus is always one of forward motion and expansion. This brings a very unique and positive flow to all of the projects he is involved with.View Ray Cooper's EPK
Edo Castro - Bassist/Composer
Edo Castro has just signed with Passion Star Records. Castro is a SF Bay Area Native who grew up in the Haight-Ashbury during the 60’s. “ I was influenced by Sly Stone, Tower of Power, Cold Blood and Santana. There was so much music going on, it was practically oozing out into the neighborhood. You couldn’t help not being affected," Castro recalls.
He initially was a self-taught bassist but later attended the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. “ My Teachers were not only schooling me, they’d recommend me for gigs," Castro marveled. During his stay in Chicago he played with some of the finest young bloods of the music scene at that time, Jim Trumpeter, Fareed Haque, Mark Walker and Hassan Khan. Of course there were the jazz icons, Miles Davis Guitarist Pete Cosey and drummer Roy Haynes that Edo was fortunate enough to play with. Castro recalls," After playing a set with Roy Haynes, there was a bunch of us standing around talking to him and out of the blue, Roy handed me his card and said, ‘Man when you’re ready, come to New York and give me a call.' That was the greatest stamp of approval in front of all my peers. I’ve yet to get to New York and collect on that call.”
He completed his studies earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1987 and continued to hone his craft in Chicago.
Phoenix, Castro's latest CD, released on May 26, 2006 to a cheering crowd at the Larkspur Cafe Theatre. Phoenix was produced by Ray Cooper on the new label, Passion Star Records. “The name Phoenix is not only a beautiful name, it's also the mythical representation of change or transformation. Phoenix is about transforming personal moments," Castro explains. Many wonderful musicians are featured on this album including Mark Egan, former bassist with Pat Metheny, who has played on over 100 albums and is a guest artist on Phoenix.
In December 2003, Edo released his first solo effort of original music entitled “Edo.” It was produced by Drew Youngs and released under the fledgeling Mill Valley Label Earthwire Records. Seven of the 10 pieces were songs written using his myriad of 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 String fretted,fretless and Midi basses, later adding some percussion, keyboards and guitar for “Color.” “ The last 3 tunes were written on pieces of paper and handed out to whomever would play them. Luckily for me I got some of the finest players in the Bay Area to interpret my music,” Castro enthuses.
Since his return to the Bay Area, Edo Castro has put his signature on over 18 albums:
Songs Inspired By Literature Chapter 2 (Track 6 with Deborah Pardes)
A Blessing or a Curse by Deborah Pardes
Party of one by Matt Donner of Donner Party
Life Copies Movies by The Earthlings
A Pleasant Fiction by Percy Howard and Meridiem
Addicus Finch by Addicus Finch
Dark Comes Light by Crowsong
Times Present, Times Past by Coale Johnson
The Adventures of Franz and Benoventure by Michael La Macchia
Rockets to the New World by David Sobel
Imaginary Line by Jill Knight
So Far Gone by Eva Jay Fortune
Suspiciously Blue by Eva Jay Fortune
Louisiana Grail by Enna Deer
Butterfly Blue by Emma King
Shiver
The Earthlings 2
Ilene Adar
Chase Michaels
Edo Castro has performed with David Amram, Mark Walker, Hassan Kahn, Pete Cosey, Roy Haynes, Fareed Haque, David Onderdonk, Nick Kitsos, Ed Thigpen, Johnny Griffin, Joel Harrison, Jim Trumpeter, Ian Doogle, Deborah Winters, Jill Knight, Eva Jay Fortune, Paul Van Wageningen, Drew Youngs, Caroline Aiken, Dan Zinn, Bethany Pickins, Michael La Macchia, Armando Peraza, Caren Armstrong, Percy Howard, Mike Molenda, Deborah Pardes, Joe Sonnefeldt, Stu Greenspan, David Sobel, Stu Hamm, Lorn Leber, George Brooks and many others.