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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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Monica Lewis was born May Lewis in Chicago, Illinois on May 5, 1922, the youngest of three children. Her father was a pianist, composer and musical director for CBS, while her mother was a singer with the Chicago Opera Company. She studied voice with her mother and when she was eleven the family moved to New York City due to The Great Depression.
She began singing on radio after a successful audition with WMCA in New York City, which led to her own program. At age seventeen she started working as a singer for a radio show titled Gloom Dodgers in order to support her family while studying at Hunter College. Shortly afterwards Lewis had a radio show titled Monica Makes Music and went on to co-star on The Chesterfield Supper Club radio show.
Winning a part as a singing cigarette girl in the Broadway show Johnny 2X4, her work on Broadway led to performing at the Stork Club. She dropped out of school, changed her name from May to Monica because she thought it was sexier. In 1943 at an audition in Times Square with hundreds of women participating, she earned the part as a singer.
She started singing on Hotel Astor’s roof with Goodman’s orchestra and established her career through nationally broadcast shows. Lewis went on to record for Signature Records, MGM Records, Decca Records, Capitol Records, and Verve Records.
She went on to sing in commercials, became the voice of Miss Chiquita Banana, and appeared on the Toast of the Town which would become the Ed Sullivan Show. It was created and produced by her brother Marlo Lewis.
By 1950 she was signed to a contract with MGM and movies were added to her trades. Over the next three decades she appeared in romantic comedies and disaster films along with television action, crime and western series. Resuming her singing career in the 1980’s and 1990s, she performed at popular clubs in Los Angeles and New York City.
Vocalist Monica Lewis died ten days after an interview with The New Yorker, on June 12, 2015. The article was posthumously published in the September 7, 2015 edition.
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ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 48th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will take place in Piedmont Park, Midtown Atlanta, on Memorial Day Weekend from May 24th ~ 26th. The festival is free and open to the public, offering a celebration of jazz music, culture, and art.
1:00pm ~ Brandon Woody | Trumpet
3:00pm ~ Tyreek McDole | Vocal
5:00pm ~ Charles McPherson | Saxophone
7:00pm ~ Dianne Reeves | Vocal
9:00pm ~ Joe Gransden Big Band | Trumpet
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ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 48th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will take place in Piedmont Park, Midtown Atlanta, on Memorial Day Weekend from May 24th ~ 26th. The festival is free and open to the public, offering a celebration of jazz music, culture, and art.
1:00pm ~ Kenny Banks Jr. | Piano
3:00pm ~ Jarrod Lawson | Vocal, Piano
5:00pm ~ Ravi Coltrane | Tenor & Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet
7:00pm ~ Andromeda Turre | Vocal
9:00pm ~ Russell Gunn & Blackhawk | Trumpet
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