Oscar Peterson

Billy Cobham is the acclaimed drummer who was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame in 2006. Billy was born in Panama but moved with his family to New York where he performed with his father as early as the age of 8. The long list of performers backed by Billy’s beat include Horace Silver, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson and the Saturday Night Live house band in the 1980s and Peter Gabriel for a tour in the 1990s. His smooth style can be heard on the Roberta Flack recording of “You’ve Got a Friend."

Kayoko Forrest was born in Japan and always felt drawn to music and in particular the piano. After moving with her mother to the United States, Kayoko played in the school music program. Interestingly, Richard Davenport, who would later become a mentor to Kayoko, was her teacher. While earning her music degree at California State University Northridge, she worked every other Saturday at David Abell’s famous piano store in Beverly Hills. It was a wonderful learning opportunity and David became a great inspiration for Kayoko and her developing career.

Jeff Sazant began working with his brother, Sheldon, at Steve’s Music in 1967. The Canadian-based music store has played a significant role in the industry and gained a reputation for its innovative and creative staff. For example, it's thought that Jeff came up with the now-famous Top Ten Songs Not to Play in the Store, which aimed to lessen the staff's frustration. The store was also known for providing the latest technology at its zenith during the MIDI boom of the 1980s. This brought a host of celebrities to the store including Joni Mitchell and Mike Myers.