Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ronnie Foster was born in Buffalo, New York on May 12, 1950. Attracted to music at the age of four, he attended Public School 8, Woodlawn Jr. High for a year, McKinley Vocational High School for two years, and then spent his final year at Lafayette High School. The only formal musical instruction he received was a month of accordion lessons. Taking music more seriously from his early teens, he had his first professional gig aged fifteen, playing in a strip club.
He initially performed with other local musicians. Moving to New York City with his own band, he acquired a publishing company. Foster performed as a sideman with a wide range of musicians, frequently working with guitarist George Benson, including playing on the guitarist’s album Breezin’.
Ronnie has played organ with Grant Green, Grover Washington, Jr., Stanley Turrentine, Roberta Flack, Earl Klugh, Harvey Mason, Jimmy Smith, and Stevie Wonder.
He is also a record producer and his song Mystic Brew was sampled in Electric Relaxation by A Tribe Called Quest and in J. Cole’s song Forbidden Fruit, where it was reversed, pitched, and slowed down in the song Neighbors as well as the instrumental of Forbidden Fruit.
Funk and soul jazz organist Ronnie Foster continues to perform, record, tour and produce.
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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