TOMI BERRY

An accomplished, classically trained singer, Tomi has performed most of her life in multiple music genres, starting formally in gospel and spiritual church choirs in her hometown of Montclair, New Jersey. She continued to perform throughout college in classical and madrigal choirs, chorale and was the first soloist to sing with the college jazz band.  She also performed with a campus band that did pop and R&B tunes for campus events and private functions.

In Atlanta, she performed with the Hillside Chapel and Truth Center Choir and Jubilee Singers and was a member of the “neo-spiritual” group I Am Unlimited. She has been a member and briefly  served on the board of Southeastern Organization for Jazz Arts (SOJA) where she performed a two-woman show with vocalist Nina Carl, with support from Terry Harper on piano, Danny Harper on trumpet and Delbert Felix on contrabass.


​She also had the opportunity to perform with jazz pianist/songwriter, Donald Brown during an in-home performance in the Atlanta area and has been supported by jazz pianist/musician/songwriter Takana Miyamoto on multiple projects as well as by pianist Rodney Martino Avery.

She was the featured performer at The Velvet Note Acoustic Living Room in 2013 where she performed two shows featuring GRAMMY Award winning, Atlanta-based producer/keyboardist, Phil Davis, bassist. Trey Gilbert, and drummer, Joey Williams.

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MYRNA CLAYTON

America’s Songbird, Myrna Clayton, captivates audiences worldwide with her unforgettable, classy, and soul-filled jazzy style. From the United States to five continents abroad, her performances leave audiences in awe. Alabama-born and Atlanta-raised, Myrna is a highly respected singer renowned for her versatility, particularly her mastery of Jazz: Standards, Straight Ahead, Bebop, Contemporary, and Smooth.

Commissioned by the U.S. State Department, she has represented American music at U.S. Embassies across the globe, including performances in France, Germany, Russia, Namibia, Guatemala, Nigeria, the Baltics, Switzerland, and most recently, Ghana’s 2024 Jazz in January Festival. A Jazz orchestra conductor in Kazan, Russia, even tagged her “The Maynard Ferguson of Jazz vocals,” highlighting her mesmerizing musical presence. Locally in Atlanta, Myrna graces stages at venues like the High Museum’s Friday Night Jazz and City Winery.

Beyond her vocal prowess, Myrna is a passionate advocate for accessibility for performing artists across the disability spectrum. She is deeply committed to highlighting their talents and improving their career trajectories and life possibilities. This dedication led her to found SHOWAbility, a non-profit organization serving artists and audiences across the disability spectrum. SHOWAbility creates accessibility and visibility for these artists, focusing on their unique talents and abilities rather than their challenges.

Jazz Brunch Tickets: $20.00 ~ $35.00 | $25.00 Food & Beverage Per Person

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DASHILL SMITH & NAME THAT FEELING BAND

Multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, producer, performer and actor Dashill Smith performs an eclectic array of genres including hip-hop, free jazz, funk, soul, blues, afro-beat. and more. He puts together freestyle rhymes, plays the trumpet, and improvises with the same mind frame as he does when I rhyme.

Smith performs with quite a few bands in town with his small unit, The Omega Level Squad, as well as The Biological Misfits, a band he co-Lead with actor, poet, and musician Malcom-Jamal Warner, and  Mausiki Scales’ The Common Ground Collective. He also performed regularly for a few years with the legendary Jazz-Funk pioneer; vibraphonist Roy Ayers.

Tickets: $10.00 ~ $20.00 + $2.51 fee

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CHANDA LEIGH

Vocalist and pianist Chanda Leigh brings her quartet to the Cafe I Am Lounge for a night of jazz.

The Band: Chanda Leigh ~ Piano | Joe Jennings ~ Saxophone | Anthony Daniel ~ Bass | Bernard Linnette

Tickets: $35.00

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Requisites

The Song Book ~ Booker Ervin | By Eddie Carter

In February 1964, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin recorded an album of standards. The Song Book (Prestige PRLP7318/PRST 7318) is a quartet session featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums. My copy is the 2023 Analogue Productions stereo audiophile reissue matching the original catalog number. The album opener, The Lamp Is Low by Peter de Rose, Mitchell Parish, Maurice Ravel, and Bert Shefter, kicks off the quartet’s melody at a fast gallop. Booker wails with remarkable energy, then Tommy rips down the road next. Richard follows suit with a brisk walk, and Alan goes to work last, preceding the ending theme and fadeout.

The quartet brings a profound emotional depth to Duke Ellington’s Come Sunday. Tommy’s gentle introduction sets the mood for Ervin’s warm tone, tenderly embracing the theme. Flanagan shines as the song’s lone soloist, delivering sweet moments of beauty matched by the rhythm section’s serene accompaniment, leading up to the leader’s soft conclusion. All The Things You Are by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern picks up the beat for the quartet’s lively melody. Booker goes right to work on the opening statement and is consistently inventive and entertaining. Tommy swings effortlessly into the spotlight next with a spirited solo before the theme’s restatement dissolves gradually.

Just Friends by John Klenner and Sam M. Lewis begins the second side on an upbeat note, with Flanagan’s introduction leading to the quartet’s opening theme. Ervin blazes the trail with a commanding performance, then Flanagan delivers the song’s second message with authority. Davis completes the proceedings with a concise comment leading to a charming conclusion. Yesterdays by Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern opens with a tender piano introduction ahead of the saxophonist’s beautiful melody. Tommy takes the first turn with an emotionally rich, heartfelt interpretation, then Booker blends nostalgia and sentiment flawlessly until the theme’s gentle reprise and serene ending.

Our Love Is Here To Stay by George and Ira Gershwin picks up the pace one final time for the foursome’s lively melody. Ervin takes hold of the first spot swiftly, then Flanagan swings effortlessly into the following reading. Davis provides the exclamation point propelled by the rhythm section’s brisk supplement, ahead of the group’s upbeat exit.

Don Schlitten produced The Song Book, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Kevin Gray mastered the audiophile reissue, and the album’s sound quality is mesmerizing, placing the musicians in front of the sweet spot. The record was pressed on 180 grams of audiophile vinyl and is quiet as a church mouse until the music starts.

Booker and the rhythm section bring each track to life with genuine emotion, and approach each song with heartfelt affection, showcasing a profound admiration for the melodies of these cherished standards. If you’re a fan of hard bop and haven’t acquired an earlier pressing yet, please make a note to add The Song Book by Booker Ervin to your list on your next record hunt. This Analogue Productions reissue beautifully celebrates the timeless treasures of The Great American Songbook and undoubtedly deserves a place in every jazz fan’s library!

~ All The Things You Are, Come Sunday, Just Friends, Love Is Here To Stay – Source: JazzStandards.com

~ The Lamp Is Low, Yesterdays – Source: Wikipedia.org

© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter

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