Malachi Whitson Something With Soul

Malachi Whitson Something With Soul
Saturday, March 25 at 6 PM PT
Livestreaming from The World Stage in Leimert Park

TUNE IN

Something With Soul is the BrainChild collective created and led by artist, composer, and educator Malachi Whitson. This fairly recent ensemble offers a hybrid sound that combines a multitude of genres with its  primary influences being Jazz, Funk and Rock. The quintet consisting of Drums (Malachi Whitson), Bass (Marlon Spencer), Saxophone (David Michael Otis), Guitar (Spencer Geer), and Voice (Mikaela Elson) communicates songs of peace, adversity, and the trials of growing and living in this world for various walks of life.

Performing live to a small audience at The World Stage in Leimert Park, we encourage you to tune in to the free livestream on Saturday, March 25 at 6 PM PT for a performance like no other. 

Whitson’s residency at 18th Street Arts Center is generously sponsored by the Herb Alpert Foundation.

About Something With Soul

Marlon Spears
A professional bassist since 2006, Marlon Spears has played for a variety of artists across various genres ranging from SiR to Lonnie Liston Smith. Marlon has performed at some of the country’s great stages and events, including SXSW, Coachella, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, N.Y.E.L.A., and the Staples Center, as well as abroad, on tour with Kamaal Williams. In addition to live performances, Marlon has also recorded for numerous projects, albums, and singles ranging from Pop and Rock to Gospel and Jazz. He is a current member of the Inglewood based collective, Katalyst, and can be heard on their debut album “Nine Lives” and Jazz is Dead’s “Katalyst JID013”.

Spencer Geer
Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Spencer Geer grew up playing guitar and went on to attend Duquesne University for jazz guitar performance. He spent his formative years as an active member of the Pittsburgh music scene playing RnB, jazz, and rock with a variety of local and national artists, as well as his own creative projects. In May of 2021 he moved to Los Angeles. You can find him playing at a semi weekly residency at Bacari in Silverlake on Thursdays and Fridays.

Mikaela Elson
Mikaela Elson is a Los Angeles based vocal artist. A versatile vocalist, she focuses on dynamism in the art of the voice. Mikaela enjoys performing contemporary classical and particularly original productions with opera companies such as The Industry, Long Beach Opera, and Open Gate Theatre. Outside of classical singing, Mikaela has a deep love for jazz and vocal improvisation using analog or digital hardware incorporating extended techniques and various vocal styles. She has also released her first EP, “I’m Okay” in 2022 and enjoys teaching when she’s not performing. Mikaela is currently finishing her final semester at California Institute of the Arts with an MFA in VoiceArts ‘23.

David Otis
David Otis from Downey, California, is one of the upcoming saxophonists of today. A graduate from Cal State Northridge with a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies, David also has a Masters degree from the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute (which is currently named the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz from UCLA). Through the Institute, David has performed, toured, and studied with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Stefon Harris, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and more.

Outside of the institute, David is a founding member of the Inglewood based band, Katalyst. Katalyst has two albums out named Nine Lives, and Jazz Is Dead 13. David has also performed with shows with recording artists such as Usher, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, SiR, Theo Croker, Anderson Paak, Shafiq Husayn, and many more. David can be heard on recordings for artists such as Jhene’ Aiko, RZA, Maxo, Mndsgn, Shafiq Husayn, & Liv.e to name a few. He has also been on a number of TV shows such as Americas Got Talent