Results for "Virginia"

Kathryn Hopkins

Born: May 6

Kathryn (also known as Kat) is an interntaional Jazz Singer/Songwriter from Down Under. Born into a musical family with 2 of her family members – her late father Tony Hopkins (one of New Zealand’s legendary drummers) and brother Tim Hopkins (saxophonist, composer, entertainer) being professional musicians, music has always been in her blood. Starting at school performing in musicals and plays, she studied classical flute and piano, before moving onto jazz and took part in the school concert bands. Her ‘official’ start in musical theatre was with the Twelfth Night Theatre Company in Brisbane, Australia run by Gail Wiltshire followed by the Queensland Theatre Company, where she worked under Director, Alan Edwards and Musical Conductor, Brian Stacey

Buster Willams' Quartet at the Perry Pavilion

by Mark Robbins
October 18, 2022

Bassist Buster Williams decided after 30 years as a side man to the greats to step up and present his own music and his own musical ideas. In 1990 he formed Something More and has traveled the world and the United States numerous times including the first international jazz festival in Moscow. The Virginia Arts Festival ...

Tierney Sutton with the Jae Sinnett Trio at Good Vibes

by Mark Robbins
June 15, 2022

No list of great female jazz vocalists would be complete without Tierney Sutton being on it. Whether she is interpreting the great American songbook, singing the beautiful songs of Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman, or paying homage to Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, and Sting, Sutton pulls the listener into her world of fast swing and tender ...

Gary Thomas with the John Toomey Trio at Robin Hixon Theater

by Mark Robbins
June 10, 2022

Saxophonist Gary Thomas has been called “one the most original saxophone voices of his generation" and not only is he in high demand in jazz but has worked with some of the top rap artists and orchestras performing today. More than just a first-call sideman, Thomas has recorded 11 albums as a leader. Two ...

Lori Williams and the John Toomey Trio at Old Dominion University

by Mark Robbins
May 7, 2022

Lori Williams, music educator, producer, song writer, actress, fabulous jazz and soul vocalist culminated a long weekend at Old Dominion University of master classes and performances with the jazz choir and jazz orchestra with a sold out Monday night show with the John Toomey Trio. Williams is making quite a name for herself in the soul-jazz ...

Pat Metheny Trio at the Ferguson Center for the Arts

by Mark Robbins
February 15, 2022

Pat Metheny arrived at Newport News' Ferguson Center for the Arts on a cold and rainy Friday night to an audience willing to brave both the weather and Covid to hear live music again. Traveling with Metheny to promote his new album, Side-Eye NYC (Modern Recordings, 2021), was pianist/keyboardist/organist James Francies (who accompanies Metheny on the ...

Sol Roots

The Sol Roots band performs a mix of raw funk, deep blues, heartfelt jazz and R&B, greasy soul, and hypnotic rhythms. Sol is a guitarist and vocalist who has toured around the world with many musical legends.

Sol's talent stretches from fiery rock to laid-back jazz, and from funky innovative grooves to soulful ballads, always drawing on a deep background in blues.

The Sol Roots band has shared the stage with acts such as Jon Cleary, Soulive, Booker T Jones, Cory Henry, Dumpstaphunk, The Wood Brothers, Sonny Landreth, Robert Randolph, Eric Lindell, Roosevelt Collier, Victor Wainwright, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Shemekia Copeland, Jackie Greene and many more.

Christian de Mesones

Born: July 11, 1961

Christian made his debut on the national stage in 2006 performing at the Capital Jazz Festival. His band, Groove Skool was chosen from 50 entries to compete against up and coming artists such as Ken Ford, Matt Marshak and Ragan Whiteside. Groove Skool went on to release "Limited Edition” which yielded a top 10 most requested song, "Latin Jive". The band also sold out the legendary Blues Alley Jazz and Supper CLub in Washington, DC, and played large outdoor events such as the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival in Mitchellville, Maryland, and the 2nd Street Festival in Richmond, Virginia, both with crowds of over six thousand in attendance

Victor Haskins

Born: September 21, 1992

Victor Haskins is an international performer, visionary, multi-instrumentalist, improviser, sound artist, composer, arranger, bandleader, interdisciplinary collaborator, and educator. Victor’s main performing projects are “Victor Haskins & Moving Sound Pictures" and “Victor Haskins’ Skein". Moving Sound Pictures is an innovative, one-man-band where Victor extemporaneously improvises intricate, interactive soundscapes and spontaneous compositions. Elements of existing artistic traditions from around the world are evoked, repurposed, and filtered through his imagination. Additionally, Victor frequently collaborates with dancers in this setting, improvising collectively across mediums to orchestrate a powerful, cinematic experience

Jared Sims

Born: August 30

JARED SIMS performs on all of the saxophones as well as clarinet and flute. He has toured throughout the United States and in Europe, South America, Asia and India. Sims has performed live with an array of artists that include Han Bennink, Cecil McBee, Bob Brookmeyer, Stefon Harris, Landau Eugene Murphy, Temptations, Four Tops, Melvin Sparks, Soulive, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers), DJ Logic, Kiddus I, Matisyahu, the 10,000 Maniacs, and Noel Gallagher (Oasis). Sims has also performed with large ensembles such as the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. He has been involved in jazz recording projects with Antonio Sanchez, Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Cecil McBee, and Matt Wilson. Sims has performed at Montreal Jazz Festival, Cleveland'sTri-C Jazz Festival, Flint (Michigan) Jazz Festival, Beantown Jazz Festival (Boston), New Haven (Connecticut) Jazz Festival, Quito Jazz Festival (Ecuador), Telluride (Colorado) Jazz Festival, and Northsea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Sims has appeared on more than 40 different recordings crossing multiple genres. His jazz recordings include Change of Address (2017 on Ropeadope Records) Layers (2016), The New Stablemates (2012 on Arabesque Records), Convergence (released in 2011), and Acoustic Shadow (released in 2009). He other recorded work includes music for theme parks, television commercials, and video games. Sims has performed on three recordings that were awarded four stars in DownBeat Magazine – Blueprint Project featuring Cecil McBee and Matt Wilson, People I Like with Han Bennink, and the Dead Cat Bounce recording Home Speaks to the Wandering. Sims has been an adjudicator and directed All State bands in several states. He has given clinics and master classes at the U.S. Navy International Saxophone Symposium, Cornell University, New Hampshire All State, Emerson College, the U.S. Navy Base in Norfolk, Universidad San Francisco De Quito (Ecuador), Boston Day and Evening Academy, Maine All-State Jazz Festival, and St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia, Canada).