ABOUT US
Chris Olsen
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Chris Olsen is a consummate professional musician whose prolific career includes success in Nashville as a pro guitarist and music publisher.
As bandleader and manager for country stars Len Snow and Jessica Hawthorne, he was instrumental in the success of their Number 1 Billboard-chart-topping single, "Country's What I Choose." Radio airplay and personal appearances soon followed. Touring extensively to support the hit, his expert guitar skills delivered him through performances all over California, the USA, and beyond, including Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and even Antarctica!
Chris' pro attitude maintains the belief that he is there to serve every song. Over the years, he has performed music for acting on TV, theatre, studio, and radio. He has performed for or shared the stage with such greats as Jerry Garcia; country chart-toppers Little Big Town, Neil Young, Tommy Castro, Elvin Bishop, and Lydia Pense with Cold Blood. He also collaborated with Nashville producer Robert Metzger from Platinum Plus Records, Capitol Management, and many others. He was a regional judge in the nationwide talent search, the "Colgate Country Challenge" at the county fair in Madera, California.
Chris is a talented multi-instrumentalist and has mastered everything from 6- and 12-string acoustic and electric guitars to tenor, baritone, dobro, and lap steel guitars. His knowledge of acoustic and electric slide guitar styles such as dobro, bottleneck, and lap steel combines western swing, blues, country, rock, and Americana genres, including R & B, gospel, civil war-era songs, and bluegrass. He plays mandolin and has even done some keyboards, all of which have kept him busy for over 30+ years.
Chris brings a wealth of expertise to this latest project, including his creative songwriting skills and advanced production techniques, making Monterey County Line one of his most exciting and dynamic projects to date!
JANIS CERESI
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‘You have to know the rules before you can break the rules” is an old adage in music, and Janis Ceresi learned those rules while attending parochial grammar school and learning to sing in the choir. Being a team player was instilled early on, as she naturally gravitated more to harmony singing than taking the lead melody.
Her lifelong passion for music and art led her through a flourishing business career in graphic arts, design, and creative studio management in San Francisco and New York. This master graphic artist has designed album covers and advertising for Frank Zappa, Janet Jackson, and other big names in Los Angeles while continuing to learn the rules and hone her singing styles.
1990 found her back in her hometown of Stamford, Connecticut, performing as a singer and percussionist with troubadour Parker Coleman touring the east coast from New York to Charleston, including a long-running residency at the historic Jefferson Davis Inn in Lexington, Kentucky.
Throughout her thriving dual careers, Janis enjoyed countless hours harmonizing and recording with various San Francisco Bay Area artists, and in 1997, she moved to Northern California, where she avidly pursued her singing and artistic careers simultaneously. She happily made her home in the bohemian coastal West Marin town of Point Reyes Station for many years before moving to Monterey and Carmel Valley in 2018.
When the pandemic lockdown paralyzed the world in March 2020, Janis turned inward, relying on her musical and artistic talents to sustain and nourish her through the challenge. In Fall 2020, she teamed up with guitarist James Frederickson in the “Rodney James Project,” a popular rock duo, inspiring her to concentrate on music full time as she had always craved throughout her design career.
Now a journeyman musician, Janis can unleash her dynamic singing style and master-level musical craftsmanship by blending vocals and harmonies, elevating Monterey County Line to new heights.
