Results for "Washington"

Oren Levine

Oren Levine grew up with a love of music, especially jazz, inherited from his father. He started piano lessons as an eight-year-old in Washington, DC, and continued to play while earning two engineering degrees and building a career as an engineer and technology manager. He wrote his first song at age 45 in a summer jazz workshop in Vermont and released his first album of original songs, “Making Up For Lost Time,” in 2018.

His song “Let’s Wander” from the album won him the 2023 ASCAP Foundation Alan and Marilyn Bergman Lyric Award. The title track won a Finalist award in the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.

Leigh Pilzer

“A force of nature on the baritone.” –Adam Narimatsu, CapitalBop

Washington, DC native Leigh Pilzer is a baritone saxophone specialist, composer, arranger, and educator. Her performance resume includes appearances with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore’s Soulful Symphony, and more. She is also a bandleader in her own right, leading the Leigh Pilzer Startet, her all-star quartet/quintet; organ group Leigh Pilzer’s Low Standards; and her latest project, Leigh Pilzer’s Seven Pointed Star. She also co-leads PALS, a duo with bassist Amy Shook and JLQ, the Jen Krupa-Leigh Pilzer Quintet. Pilzer has presented her groups to enthusiastic audience response at top venues including Blues Alley, Keystone Korner, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, and the Atlas Performing Arts Center, to name a few. 

Kris Funn

Born: January 7

Kristopher Funn was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He began playing the trumpet at age four and took up the double bass at age 14 upon entering high school. Through the instruction of his father, Charles Funn, Kristopher performed his first professional bass gig the same year he began learning the instrument. Other early accomplishments included winning the “unsung hero” at the Fish Middleton jazz competition at the East Coast Jazz festival also in the first year of instruction. At age 18, Kristopher attended Howard University to study Computer Science while also performing in the Howard University Jazz Ensemble for two years

Chris Grasso

Chris Grasso is a Washington, D.C.-based jazz pianist who specializes in working with vocalists. He has performed with Gene Bertoncini, Keter Betts, Carmen Bradford, Lea DeLaria, Kenny Garrett, Allan Harris, Nicole Henry, Buck Hill, Marlon and Stephanie Jordan, Lewis Nash, Nicki Parrott, Ken Peplowski, Houston Person, Bucky Pizzarelli, Chuck Redd, Joshua Redman, Avery Sharpe, Janis Siegel, Suede, Denise Thimes, Frank Vignola, Bobby Watson, Cassandra Wilson, Matt Wilson and more. Chris has appeared at leading venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, the Iridium, and the Music Center at Strathmore, as well as festivals in the U.S. and overseas. 

Sweet Honey In The Rock

Challenge and change are the themes underlying the 40-plus-year career of the revered female African-American a cappella ensemble, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK. In the course of creating its adventurous and diverse mixture of blues, African, jazz, gospel and R&B music, with excursions into symphonic and dance theater, 23 vocalists have passed through the group, formed as a quartet in 1973 at a workshop at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company in Washington. Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, and Mie drew their name from the first song they learned, “Sweet Honey in the Rock,” based on a Biblical psalm

Tom Newman

Born: March 14

Tom Newman is a real, true musician. Boiling in his veins is the talent of a true musical icon. With modesty, diligence and passion, Tom Newman works in every performance to create a musical atmosphere so fierce each audience member is left breathless and inspired. Tom Newman is a native Washingtonian who started formally studying guitar at age 15 and turned professional before his 16th birthday. “I can remember traveling to Northern Virginia from Northwest DC by myself when I was 15 to practice for performances I had with guys three times my age.” His independence and maturity landed him many performance and learning opportunities at a young age

Phaze II Jazz

Active since: 1997

Over the years, Washingtonians have been fortunate to witness with pride the extraordinary number of outstanding jazz groups that have sprung forth from our area. We have another bright star to get excited about, PHAZE II.” Bob Jenkins, Smooth Jazz 105.9. Since 1997, PHAZE II has been providing Smooth and Funky Jazz sounds on the local music scene in the Washington, DC area, by honing its craft of delivering quality music to their listeners. PHAZE II has embarked on a journey to show the world the many talents that this jazz band has to offer. Determined to broaden their vision, PHAZE II entered the 13th Annual Capital Jazz Festival2005 Capital Jazz Challenge Competition

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.

Darden Purcell

Born: March 21

DARDEN PURCELL, a Washington D.C. based jazz vocalist, is an active featured soloist with symphony orchestras, big bands and small ensembles, band leader and vocal instructor. Ms. Purcell has shared the stage with many top jazz artists including Maria Schneider, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Chuchito Valdes, Dana Hall, Alan Baylock, Glenn Wilson, Chip Stephens, Stockton Helbing, Byron Stripling, Bobby Floyd, Joel Spencer, Darmon Meader, Lisanne Lyons, Jim Carroll, Charlie Young, Chris Vadala, Shawn Purcell, Matt Niess, Dave Detwiler, Joe McCarthy, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, US Navy Commodores, Naval Academy Big Band, Next Wave, The Airmen of Note, US Army Blues and the American Festival Pops Orchestra (Tony Maiello) performing at concert halls and clubs nationally and internationally, including Blues Alley, Pops for Champagne, The Jazz Kitchen, The Blue Wisp, The Kitchen Cafe, The Bop Stop, Con Alma, JazzB (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Sandler Center (back-up vocals for Ben Folds) Meyerhoff Center (BSO), Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts (NSO) and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson, Sara Bareilles and Caroline Shaw). Dr. Purcell is the Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice Instructor and Director of the Downbeat Award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at George Mason University.

Ms. Purcell is a former Washington DC Air Force Band vocalist, with the groups High Flight and the Airmen of Note, performing nationally and internationally, including Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Purcell performed back-up vocals for nationally renowned recording artists, Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, Bryan White, Lari White, Janie Frickie, Freda Payne, Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore and Rita Coolidge as well as a televised performance behind Darlene Love on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

In addition to her active performing schedule, Dr. Purcell is a sought-after jazz vocal educator and clinician. Dr. Purcell was the Jazz Voice Instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and founder/director of the University of Illinois Jazz Vocal Ensemble. She is now the founder/director of the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble. Her groups have been invited to perform at the New York Voices Jazz Festival, Western Michigan’s Gold Company Jazz Vocal Invitational, the 2012, 2018 Jazz Education Network (JEN) conference, Kansas City Jazz Summit and Tiffin Vocal Festival. Dr. Purcell has served on the faculty of the W.O. Smith Music School camp (Nashville), Illinois Summer Youth Music, George Mason Summer Jazz Workshop, National Jazz Workshop and Mason Jazz Camp to name a few.

Victor Provost

Victor Provost is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on the unique, and often misunderstood, steel pan (or steel drum). Through appearances at concert halls, clubs, and stages throughout the world, he has been meticulously developing a reputation as a “dazzling” soloist, crafting an improvisational voice and style to be reckoned with. With a strong foundation in Bebop, a contemporary sensibility, and deep roots in Caribbean music, he works in countless genres and musical styles. The Washington D.C. City Paper’s “Jazz Percussionist of the Year” five years running, his freshmen release “Her Favorite Shade of Yellow” was named one of the top five albums of 2011, and the publications named him “Jazz Artist of the Year” in 2012. In addition to leading his own group, Victor tours with NEA Jazz Master, Paquito D’Rivera, is a member of the GRAMMY award-winning Afro Bop Alliance, and works with several of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most lauded musical collectives (including Dion Parson’s 21st Century Band, the Reginald Cyntje Group, and Michael Bowie’s Sine Qua Non)