TOMI BERRY
Nights Over Egypt: A Jazz/R&B Oasis!
Wherever Tomi Berry sings, she spreads joy. Whether singing smooth R&B, swinging jazz, or sultry ballads, she holds an audience in rapt attention. A spiritual song-stylist, she engages her listeners in musical conversation. The 2016 42nd Annual Lawrence Award Winner for “Best Seasoned Performer” and the runner up for the 2016’s inaugural Atlanta’s Top Vocalist competition, Susan “Tomi” Berry has an extensive background in performing and public speaking.
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, NJ. 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. Tomi continues to perform at clubs in the Atlanta metro area like Riley’s on the Square, church and community events and frequents the local jam sessions including Venkman’s and The Velvet Note Acoustic Living Room.
Also performing live is Indigokat Soul, Dance Grooves by DJ Lane.
Attire: Sophisticated, Black with Bling and Dressy
Admission/Secure Reservation : $IndigoKat58 via CashApp by 8.25.23
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EUGENIE JONES JAZZ QUARTET
2nd Annual Jazz Black & White Party | Black and/or White Attire Suggested
Through inspiration and an inexhaustible work ethic Eugenie Jones has transformed herself into a jazz vocalist of impeccable quality, with a respect for the jazz tradition and the courage to try something she had never imagined.
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The Jazz Voyager
Dashing off to the West Coast this Jazz Voyager is returning to one of his favorite night spots in Northern California called Yoshi’s. One of the world’s most respected jazz venues, earning a reputation as the Bay Area’s premier location for great Japanese cuisine and jazz.
What started as a humble idea amongst a trio of friends has become a true testament of the American dream. The dreamers were journalist and carpenter, Kaz Kajimura, painter and cook, Hugh “Hiro” Hori and artist Yoshie Akiba. In 1972 they set out to create a culinary experience introducing fresh seasonal Japanese cuisine to the Berkeley community. The friends decided to name the business after Yoshie. The menu of Chef Hiro cemented the Japanese cuisine into the DNA of the business making the 27-seat restaurant a popular dining destination for East Bay residents. In 1979, Yoshi’s moved to Oakland’s Claremont Avenue.
Two-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, composer and arranger Carmen Lundy is performing at my next stop. Hailing from Miami, she received her music degree from the University of Miami and after an early career in Miami, she moved to New York City. In 1978 she released her debut solo album Good Morning Kiss. She has recorded sixteen albums all while wearing hats as an actress and a mixed media artist and painter.
The venue is located 510 Embarcadero West Oakland, CA 94607. More information can be obtained by calling 212-581-3080 or go to birdlandjazz.com.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeannie Cheatham was born Jean E. Evans on August 14, 1927 and grew up in Akron, Ohio. At the age of five, she started having lessons on her aunt’s newly-acquired piano, which was soon moved to her home when it transpired that she had a talent for music her aunt lacked. Not long after, she began playing for services at the church her family attended. Throughout her school years, her piano teacher also took her to play at weddings and social events, as well as giving recitals
She first played jazz music at age 14 when she was requested to join a local 15-piece rehearsal orchestra. Still in high school Jeannie began playing in smaller groups and found herself in demand professionally as most younger male musicians were drafted into the US Army during World War II. In 1944, she was accepted as a student at the University of Akron but was unable to complete more than one year for financial reasons.
She met and married Jimmy Cheatham, with whom she formed the Sweet Baby Blues Band in 1984. Her autobiography, Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On: My Life In Music, was published in 2006, the same year they received a lifetime achievement award at the San Diego Music Awards, and in 2022, were inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame.
It was noted by Los Angeles Times contributor Dirk Sutro that Jeannie Cheatham remains one of the under-appreciated greats of jazz and blues, both for her spare, tasteful piano playing, which ranges from boogie-woogie to Monk‑ish surprises, and for her earthy but sensuous voice.
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The Jazz Voyager
Departing Atlanta for a quick hop up to the Big Apple to Charlie Parker’s namesake club, Birdland. A revered nightclub that opened in Manhattan on December 15, 1949, originally located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street. It closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but re-opened for one night in 1979. A revival began in 1986 with the opening of the second nightclub by the same name located in the Theater District, not far from the original location. The current location is in the same building as the previous headquarters of The New York Observer.
This week I’ll be enjoying the vocal talents of my friend Vanessa Rubin. Revered as a torchbearer and a storyteller, she possesses a voice with crystalline clarity, hearth-like warmth and playful lioness sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father.
The venue is located 315 W 44th Street, #5402, New York City, NY 10036. More information can be obtained by calling 212-581-3080 or go to birdlandjazz.com.
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