The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager has taken a couple of days to drive thirteen hundred miles from Detroit to Denver having never seen Iowa and Nebraska first hand with a stop in Chi-town for a little jazz on the way. The destination is Dazzle, an intimate 140 seat that can be expanded to another hundred. Located in the Denver Arts Complex, the venue has hopefully reached its final location.
This week I get to see one of my favorite vocalists who has taken the torch and soared to prominence on the jazz scene, Jazzmeia Horn. She won the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition before being signed to Concord Records and releasing her Grammy nominated debut album, A Social Call.
Dazzle’s address is 1080 14th Street, Denver, CO 80202. For more information visit https://www.rudysjazzroom.com.
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JAZZMEIA HORN
Named by her jazz loving grandmother, Jazzmeia Horn was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1991. She grew up in a close church-going family singing gospel music.
Ms. Horn graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which was attended by other great artists such as Roy Hargrove, Norah Jones, and Erykah Badu. In 2009, she enrolled at The School of Jazz at The New School in New York City.
Ms. Horn won the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition and, shortly after, was signed by Concord Records. In 2017, she released her debut album, A Social Call, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Ms. Horn continued to tour nationally and internationally, honing her vocal, performance and writing skills, to get across her message about the global need for love and social change in the world. In 2019, she released Love and Liberation which also received a Grammy nomination. The following year, she published her book, Strive From Within: The Jazzmeia Horn Approach, while recording her big band album, Dear Love.
Dear Love, an album of encouragement through poetry and spoken word addressing the aspects of her community, her love and herself, was released in September 2021.
All while performing, writing, and preparing for a fall 2023 release of her new album, Ms. Horn is teaching students and conducting outreach programs across the globe through The Jazz Horn International Vocal Initiative.
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OLATUJA
Acclaimed vocalist Alicia Olatuja and bassist Michael Olatuja come together for this groove-heavy mix of Afro-Beat, jazz, funk, and soul, as heard on their new self-titled album. “A singer with a strong, lustrous tone and an amiably regal presence onstage” (The New York Times), Alicia Olatuja has been held up by no less than Dianne Reeves as one of the finest singers on the scene today.
The St. Louis native first gained national attention as a featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at Barack Obama’s 2013 presidential inauguration ceremony.
But in the past few years she’s created a powerful buzz in jazz circles through her work with GRAMMY Award-winning pianist/arranger Billy Childs and the late legendary Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith. Increasingly visible as a bandleader, Olatuja led three increasingly accomplished sessions including her most recent project celebrating women composers, Intuition: Songs From the Minds of Women.
Born in London and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Michael Olatuja is a first-call bassist on the New York scene who has lent his inventive musicianship to Stevie Wonder, Terence Blanchard, José James, Kurt Elling, and Shakira. His newest solo release, Lagos Pepper Soup, features guests Angelique Kidjo, Brandee Younger, Joe Lovano, and Dianne Reeves, among others.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Deborah Winters was born on September 15, 1966 in San Francisco, California and her childhood was immersed in music and dance with first influences from her drummer father, and a ballet dancer mother with the Oakland Metropolitan Ballet Company. Developing a passion for music, dance and theatre at a very early age, big band sounds rang through the house.
Moving around the country with her family as an adolescent, Deborah studied voice and guitar. She became influenced by singer/songwriters James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones. Her desire to sing and play the guitar led her to playing clubs and into the studio to record a few of her own compositions before graduating.
Her musical palate expanded to include jazz standards and contemporary musical forms. Performing around San Francisco she would go on to work with Tony Williams, Bobby McFerrin and his Voicestra group, Frank Martin, and Jose Neto. She released her debut recording, live “in session” on her Pure Passion Productions label. Her sophomore release Inspired, exhibits her introspective side. Her third release centers on big bands, traversing the expanse of jazz history.
Vocalist Deborah Winters continues to search for new ways to express her music in her evolution as a singer, guitarist and songwriter.
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is flying out of Detroit and heading to where the home of country music is located, Tennessee. However, most don’t know that the very same city is vibrant with jazz. To that end, the venue to be visited this week is Rudy’s Jazz Room. The club, intimate and eclectic, is a listening room built with great attention to acoustics, combined with a beautiful Steinway Model B grand piano.
On tap for the entertainment is Cliff Richmond and the CliffNotes will be performing his unique blend of soulful, swinging & funky jazz. He incorporates a wide range of styles from mainstream jazz, to rhythm & blues, Latin to reggae. Founded by the guitarist & vocalist, the CliffNotes always features some of Nashville’s most accomplished and versatile musicians and vocalists.
Rudy’s Jazz Room is located at 809 Gleaves Street, Nashville, 37203. For more information visit https://www.rudysjazzroom.com.
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