“After listening to Quincy Jones’ 1981 studio album, The Dude, for yet another time, I was determined to find a group of musical humans who are as committed as I am, in bringing these magical songs from this era back to life. And through unlikely means, I crossed paths with most of The Vibe’s future band members. It’s in this unique assembly that we have all found a deeper joy in unearthing all these classics in one space. Please join us live for the musical journey that is well-crafted harmony, melody, lyric, and groove, as we explore the sound of The Vibe.” 

~~Elise 

Guitar & vocals: Elise Mendelsohn

Originally from Queens, NY, Elise is a music veteran who was discovered by Grammy-winning producer David Ivory, ultimately recording with him in 1999 under her own project, Peel, at Sigma Sound Studios.

As a prolific songwriter, she was the lead guitarist and songwriter with the Philly based trip-hop band, Sweetie, who gained national attention with regular airplay on local music stations like WMMR and regular appearances on NYC’s Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s (MNN) cable TV show.

She has shared the stage with many notable musicians over the years, including: The Strokes, Sneaker Pimps, Marc Almond, Ben Arnold, Amos Lee, and DJ Shadow.

Currently, she is songwriting with South Jersey legends, John Torres of The John Torres Band, and Phil Rizzo, bassist formerly of the 80s band, Smash Palace. She is also the lead singer and guitarist of the cover band, MonoPop.

Bassist: James Cooper

Bassist extraordinaire, James “Coop” Cooper, hails from the Germantown area of Philadelphia and has performed in countless bands and projects over the years. He’s a self taught multi-instrumentalist with true perfect pitch. James’ passion for all music genres has him currently performing with his upright in the Jazz project, Buddy Boy, while also lending his talents to The Vibe. 

Keyboardist & vocals: Irv Jean-Baptiste

Born and raised in Philadelphia, with deep roots in Haiti, Irv is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, rapper, producer, and songwriter. Mostly self taught, Irv took lessons for five years as a youngster in school and was in the Philadelphia Boys Choir for two years. Irv was also in his high school’s pep and jazz bands and  later in Temple University’s Diamond Marching band while studying broadcasting and audio production. 

Aired during 2024-2025, Irv tried out his acting chops and stared in a Chime commercial that aired nationally. Recent projects include Irv performing under the stage moniker of “Irv The Villain" releasing an EP and an album: "Fight The Good Fight: The EP" and “Trial By Fire". 

Currently, when Irv isn’t performing with his church group on Sundays or with The Vibe, he is working regularly with the production team, Fiyah Season Music, producing various artists. 

Fiyah Season Music (Publishing Company) is a Philadelphia-based music production and publishing company founded by local beatmaker and producer, R5 Fiyah Beats.  Irv is part of the creative team that works directly with vocalists and songwriters, and the local music community, frequently holding pop-up sessions and collaborative studio meetups across the city. 

Irv is a gifted keyboardist who lends his talents to The Vibe. 

Drummer: Mario Flamini

New Jersey native, Mario Flamini, began his career with the local cover band “Energized” in the 1970s, moving to the original hard rock band “Ivory Tower” in the 1980s.

In the 1990s, he worked with “Love Revolution,” opening for bands like Live and Queensryche.

Mario later played for the legendary “Soul Survivors” in the 2000s, opening for bands like Daryl Hall & John Oates, Kool & The Gang, and The Wailers. During this time, Mario also played for the high-end wedding band, Black Tie Orchestra.

Currently, he is the band leader and drummer of Ndichu, an original funk, soul, world project, while he continues to do session work with local artists.

Mario has played legendary NYC clubs like CBGB, The Bitter End, Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Grill, and The Cat Club as well as all prominent Philadelphia venues.

Percussionist: Ken Ditmars

New Jersey native, Ken Ditmars, is a percussionist and multi-instrumentalist. He studied congas, Afro Cuban and Latin percussion under internationally renowned drummer/composer Marlon Simon. Ken currently studies guitar and songwriting under Stephan Butler of the band Smashpalace. Along with congas and the guitar, Ken also plays the banjo, timbales, bongos, and anything that shakes, rattles, or rings.

During his 25+ years of stage experience, Ken has played in bands such as Rinse, Repeat., The Quixote Project, Suburban Sensi, and Hotlanta (Allman Brothers Tribute), playing multiple genres from rock to folk, reggae, jazz, R&B, country, bluegrass, blues, and EDM. Ken is always looking to expand his music vocabulary. He has shared the stage with Butch Trucks from the Allman Brothers, Angelo Moore of Fishbone, the Wu Tang Clan, and HR from Bad Bains. His projects have opened for 311, Little Big Town, The Skatalites, The Wailers, The Pietasters, Mephiskapheles, and Moe. He's performed at countless music festivals and venues in and around Philadelphia, New Jersey, and NYC, including The Kimmel Center, The Mann, TLA, Ardmore Music Hall, The Bitter End, Knitting Factory, NYC's Central Park, The House of Blues, Stone Pony, and multiple Atlantic City casinos. 

Ken always delivers a fun, funky vibe in his performances as he continues to play with Hotlanta, Acoustic Mayham, The Vibe and Suburban Sensi.

Saxophonist & vocals: Kaitlyn Oliveri

Kaitlyn Oliveri is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, saxophonist, and educator. A versatile multi-instrumentalist specializing in alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone, her work bridges the worlds of music performance, business, and technology. Kaitlyn holds a Bachelor’s in Music Performance and a PreK-12 music teacher certification from Temple University, as well as specialized training from the University of the Arts. When she isn't performing with The Vibe, she fronts the Philadelphia-based indie-pop band, Blush.