Results for "Washington"

Kristin Callahan

Kristin has been singing and performing since she was 8 years old. She began studying jazz and piano in 2009 and performs at festivals and venues such as the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival, SOUTH, Montpelier Arts Center, Wine in the Woods, Woodmere Art Museum, Rockwood Music Hall, Twins Jazz, and Rams Head On Stage with the Chuck Redd Quintet. In 2015, Kristin recorded “Poor Butterfly” with bassist, Blake Meister for the Maryland Public Television show, “Artworks.” In November 2017, she sang for the NBC Executive’s Event with guitarist, Rich Barry and pianist, Pascal Le Boeuf and a month later was featured in the Melting Pot Big Band at the Havre De Grace Opera House

The Airmen of Note

The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., it is one of six musical ensembles that comprise The U.S. Air Force Band. Created in 1950 to continue the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Forces dance band, the current band consists of 18 active duty Airmen musicians including one vocalist. Through the years, the Airmen of Note has presented its own brand of big band jazz as well as more contemporary forms of jazz to audiences via annual tours across the United States, deployments around the world and local performances throughout metropolitan Washington, D.C

Bob Gibson Big Band

The Bob Gibson Big Band was formed in 2006 to explore the full dimension of Big Band Jazz. Members come from all walks of life and varied musical backgrounds with a shared love for free artistic expression in the jazz idiom. Music professionals and dedicated amateurs, teachers and former service band players bring a wealth of experience to their craft.

Russwin Francisco

Born: April 4, 1966

Russwin Francisco is an accomplished jazz vocalist, he has performed at prominent DC venues and regional festivals, and previously co-founded and co-owned Black Fox Lounge, a jazz venue respected for its live music programming. He is a seasoned actor, singer, and producer with more than 30 years of performance experience across stage, film, and live music. He produced and appeared as Manny in The Girl Who Left Home, a musical film that won Best Picture at the 2021 DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, and was an accredited investor in the Broadway production Here Lies Love.

Reginald Cyntje Music

Born: January 27, 1976

REGINALD CYNTJE (born in Roseau, Dominica and raised on St. Thomas, USVI) is a trombonist, educator, producer, and composer. He has created and performed an eclectic range of music. When you listen to Cyntje perform, you hear a passion for life and love in his sound. Growing up in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), he was steeped in the rich cultural music known as Quelbe (the official music of the USVI). Quelbe was Reginald’s introduction to improvised music. With cultural heritage at the forefront and social justice as the message, he has “a deep-seated knowledge of Caribbean music and culture which has settled into his jazz trombone playing” (NPR Music). To date, Cyntje has recorded six albums as a leader

Bhagwan Khalsa

Born: January 24

Bassist Bhagwan Khalsa, one of the most sought-after acoustic bassists in the DC area, is currently a member of the Eric Byrd Trio. His original arrangements are essential to shaping the sound of the trio, and he has recorded on all of the trio’s albums. With the Eric Byrd Trio, Khalsa has traveled extensively around the globe, performing and teaching music, and in 2001, the trio had the opportunity to travel under the auspices of the US State Department as Jazz Ambassadors. Since 2001, they’ve returned to Peru twice and Bolivia five times; they have performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival and have toured in Estonia and the United Arab Emirates

Emy Tseng

Born: August 19

Those seeking superlative jazz music must experience Emy Tseng, through her rejuvenated and incisive interpretations of authentic modern and Brazilian jazz, delightfully complemented by her elegant voice and delicate delivery. Collaborating with the finest Brazilian jazz musicians in Washington DC, Tseng showcases an exquisite fusion of the genre and eclectic arrangements of standards. With a tranquil and wistful performance, Tseng leaves an inimitable, personal impression on an exciting collection of tunes, exploring the works of Brazil’s most sophisticated composers. Performing in Portuguese and English, she thrives on her precise intonation and phrasing aboard her music's peacefully fashioned ambiance

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.