Events

Stunning songstress Hazel Mitchell-Bell is one of D.C.’s first ladies of jazz. Working closely with pianist and music director Vince Evans, she performs and records with orchestras, big bands, and smaller ensembles, stoking the fires of the D.C. jazz scene. Mitchell-Bell’s vocal influences include Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, and Phyllis Hyman.

Accomplished singer/songwriter and master guitarist John Emil has performed across the U.S. and UK, equally adept with the acoustic Hawaiian lap steel guitar and Dobro. Fans hear haunting, subtle hints of Delta bluesmen Son House and Blind Willie Johnson, but Emil creates a unique style by integrating country blues, folk, and bluegrass sounds into his repertoire.

Philadelphia’s Ernesto’s Club brings a lively, improvisational sensibility to the Brazilian roots genres of choro and samba. Inspired by the work of Ernesto Nazareth, who could be considered Brazil’s Scott Joplin, the group explores classic 20th-century Brazilian repertoire with piano, drums, bass, and percussion. It features vocalist Fernanda Bravo, who hails from Rio de Janeiro.

Prepare for an unforgettable night of soul-stirring music and timeless classics as vocalist Renée Georges and pianist Vince Evans reunite to honor the legendary Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. Experience the magic of “Tryin’ Times,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Compared to What,” “The Closer I Get to You,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” and more.

“Jazz Group of the Year” nominee The Lao Tizer Band returns to support their latest album, Amplify. Boulder native keyboardist and bandleader Lao Tizer embraces musical diversity; Amplify features flavors of jazz, R&B, funk, and world music. Enjoy a high-energy musical ride through a variety of tastes and styles with an all-star cast of musicians in this wonderfully intimate setting.

Christmastime is here! Montpelier Arts Center and The Eric Byrd Trio celebrate the season with an afternoon filled with festive music from the Peanuts’ special. Comprised of pianist/vocalist Eric Byrd, bassist Bhagwan Khalsa, and drummer Alphonso Young, Jr., the Trio has traveled the world as enthusiastic ambassadors of jazz. Bringing fresh arrangements to these familiar songs, they are sure to put you in a holiday mood. “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!”

This riveting, narrated recital takes audience members back to America’s colonial period to explore the music, instruments, voices, and lives of enslaved Africans and forgotten patriots. The music will include period instruments, traditional folk songs, patriotic selections, and Negro spirituals performed by Black musicians. Produced by the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA).

Grammy nominee Jazzmeia Horn released her fourth album, Messages, in 2024. The New York Times raves, “Horn is among the most exciting young vocalists in jazz, with a proud traditionalism that keeps her tightly linked to the sound of classic figures like Nancy Wilson and Betty Carter, but a vivacity of spirit and conviction that places her firmly in the present.”

Jazz artist Halley Shoenberg has been a dynamic presence in the D.C. area for decades, composing, arranging, and performing on saxophone and clarinet. This captivating concert features Shoenberg’s compositions and original arrangements of standards covering 100 years of jazz. The sounds of Chick Corea, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, and Branford Marsalis influence several of her originals.

Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual is an internationally recognized guitarist and “flamenco phenom” (The Boston Globe). The Trio creates a sound that seamlessly merges flamenco with elements of jazz, world music, rock, pop, and soul. This performance features exciting new music, including arrangements of Jimi Hendrix and other pop and jazz icons.

Pianist, composer, arranger, and author Sharp Radway is a protégé of jazz legend Dr. Randy Weston. With deep roots in the church, his debut album of gospel jazz is Hymns and Things. His latest endeavor, Black Woman—A Conversation, combines Latin jazz, spoken word, ensemble pieces, pocket grooves, and more in tribute to Black women.

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music, following the thread of African American history in traditional music forms. As a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and later Rhiannon Giddens’ band, he has performed worldwide, earning both Grammy and Americana award nominations.

Husband-and-wife duo Davey Yarborough and Esther Williams thrill audiences with their soulful jazz and original songwriting. Esther (vocals) has an extensive repertoire in jazz, R&B, pop, and gospel; Davey (saxophone) is an accomplished performer, bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. They have performed together for decades and co-founded the Washington Jazz Arts Institute.