Drummer Jesse Hameen II is a musician with a mission. He is dedicated to entertaining and inspiring others to attain a higher level of spiritual consciousness. He is driven by his desire to encourage others to know that life's conditions can be changed and improved. Born in New Haven, CT, Hameen's family upbringing and his background in gospel, afro-Cuban, R&B and jazz prepared him to begin successful road tours in 1963. He has since traveled and per­formed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. He has been leading his own group, Elevation, since 1976. "Cheese", as he is called by many of his peers and friends because of his spirited smile, has performed, recorded and / or appeared on national TV with many of the following artists: Ruth Brown, Charles Brown, Grover Washington Jr., George Benson, Lena Home, Ms. Irene Reid, Gloria Lynne, Freddie Cole, Stanley Turrentine, Curtis Mayfield, & The Impressions, Ru­by & The Romantics, Charles Earland, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Witherspoon, Hank Crawford, Lou Donaldson, Etta Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Rodney Jones, Leon Thomas, Pharaoh Sanders, Little Jimmy Scott, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Burrell, Brook Benton, Arthur Prysock, Jimmy Pon­der, Melvin "Sparks" Hasan, Major Holly, Doug Carn, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Watson, Harold Vick, Freddie Hubbard, Jamil Nasser, Dr. Lonnie Smith, David "Fathead" Newman, Kenny Baron, George Adams, Benny Powell, Curtis Fuller, Rueben Wilson, George Adams, Talibe Kibwe, Paul Brown, Christian Sands, Donald Smith and others.