Performances
Carly HarveyFriday, April 9, 2021, 7 pm Based in Washington, D.C., Carly Harvey combines blues, jazz, soul, and Americana roots styles to create a unique sound that calls to mind Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Nina Simone, with a little Ella Fitzgerald thrown in for good measure. In July 2018, Harvey was featured in Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine as one of the youngest blues artists to watch. She has had the privilege to share the stage with iconic musicians, including Annika Chambers, Ron Holloway, Kebbie Williams, Ephraim Owens, Cory Henry, Kofi Burbridge, Junior Marvin, and Susan Tedeschi (another artist whose work has been foundational to her musical evolution). Join us for an off-the-hook performance that is sure to entertain! | |
Hot Club of BaltimoreFriday, April 23, 2021, 7 pm Hot Club of Baltimore is excited to celebrate the release of their 2020 self-titled album. Led by guitarist and composer Michael Joseph Harris, the group is best known for performing from the Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli songbook - with incredible virtuosity and uncanny authenticity. In recent years their sound and Gypsy jazz repertoire have broadened to encompass elements of jazz, swing, Dixieland, blues, and bebop. WTMD’s Sam Sessa says the group, “breathes new life into jazz” and NPR’s Tom Cole says, “These musicians can handle the complexities and breakneck speeds of Roma Swing.” A respected ambassador of both traditional and contemporary Gypsy jazz, Harris tours extensively in North America and Europe. He has appeared at Festival Django Reinhardt in France, Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival in England, Django by the Sea in Maine, and the D.C. Jazz Festival. Harris is the founder and artistic director of the Charm City Django Jazz Festival. Enjoy a fun night in with Hot Club of Baltimore! | |
Akua AllrichFriday, May 7, 2021, 7 pm Born and raised in Washington, D.C., musician, vocalist, percussionist, and composer, Akua Allrich attended Howard University where she received a BA in jazz studies. Inspired by artists such as Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba, Allrich often infuses her work with elements of African genres and American soul. She sings in the many languages of contemporary jazz, including Zulu, Xhosa, Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English. Experience the wide variety Allrich has to offer! | |
Harold LittleSunday, May 16, 2021, 4 pm Harold Little is a proven, seasoned, and dynamic musician who has been playing the trumpet for over three decades. A Washington, D.C. native and graduate from the famous Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the jazz studies program at the University of the District of Columbia, Harold Little is also a songwriter and producer. In his music, Little incorporates funk undertones with a hint of go-go swing. This winning formula enables Little to assemble the best musicians from multiple music genres, and together they produce soulful sounds unmatched by any other band. We know you will enjoy this virtual performance! | |
Phil WigginsFriday, May 21, 2021, 7 pm Join harmonica player, singer, and song maker Phil Wiggins and the Chesapeake Sheiks, Matt Kelley, Ian Walters, Marc Childs Moore, Steve Wolf, and Baakari Wilder, as we celebrate his new book, Sweet Bitter Blues, with an evening of wonderful music. This non-fiction book, co-authored with Frank Matheis, tells his story and discusses the African American blues scene in Washington, D.C. Phil Wiggins is arguably America's foremost blues harmonica virtuoso. While rooted in the melodic Piedmont or "Tidewater" blues of the Chesapeake region, his mastery of the instrument now transcends stylistic boundaries. Born in Washington D.C. in 1954, Phil Wiggins achieved worldwide acclaim over three decades as one-half of the premier Piedmont blues duo of Cephas & Wiggins. Since the death of guitarist and singer John Cephas in 2009, Phil brought his harmonica wizardry to bear in a variety of musical collaborations. Join us for a night of beautiful music and visit Wiggins’ website to purchase a copy of Sweet Bitter Blues. | |
Allyn JohnsonFriday, June 4, 2021, 7 pm Native Washingtonian, Allyn is a multitalented musician, composer, arranger, and producer whose trademark sound gives brilliance and fortitude to the art of jazz improvisation. Mentored by the late great jazz legend Calvin Jones, Johnson hopes to continue Jones’s rich legacy of service, musicianship, and academic excellence in his teaching. Enjoy beautiful piano music from the comfort of your home! |