Let's Talk Baseball and Funky, Jazzy, Soulful Music

It Matters Radio

Vernon Fuller on guitar and vocals started out playing with reggae and funk bands in London, performing upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. Vernon has also played at Birmingham Jazz Festival with the Bean Machine. He has played regularly in several bands; Afro Blue, Twin Frets, So What Now, Funkus Monkus, T-razz and as a solo artist, most notably was a featured artist for Jazz FM. Vernon loves to deliver a heady cocktail of smooth jazz with a hard edge and has released several albums to date, mostly cover versions of songs. His most recent venture is a CD and digital release, in 2013 of “What Will You Do?” which is an album of completely self-penned songs ranging from Latin Funk to Reggae to Jazz to Soul. Joseph Sutton went to the University of Oregon in 1960 on a football scholarship. It was at college that he decided he was going to be a writer. After graduating with degrees in philosophy and history he joined the Coast Guard Reserve. After completing six months of active duty Sutton earned a secondary teaching credential at Cal State Los Angeles. Five years later, he quit the teaching profession to follow his dream of becoming a writer. In 1977 Sutton moved to San Francisco and within four years met Joan Branstein, married her and they had a son Raymond. His latest release is The Years the Giants Won the Series. According to Barry Gifford author of Wild at Heart, Sutton’s writing is in the tradition of Pulitzer Prize winning author William Saroyan. Two National Book Award winners have also endorsed his work. He was recently a featured speaker at A Baseball Salon: Memories of the Game, inspired by America’s favorite pastime and emceed by sports radio host Marty Lurie. His next book will focus on how he lost 50 pounds and learned how to maintain that weight-loss.