BETTY SHIRLEY & THE WILL THOMPSON TRIO

Betty Shirley – vocals  | Will Thompson – piano | Mark Kravanick – bass | Simon Lott – drums

Longtime New Orleans jazz vocalist, visual artist and educator Betty Shirley has come full circle in her life and is now reaping the benefits of her hard-earned endeavors. The Times-Picayune declares Shirley’s a voice that should be heard round the world.

Tonight, Ms. Shirley presents one of her acclaimed concerts in Tribute to Bessie Smith and Nina Simone, alongside some beloved jazz, blues and juke joint favorites. Arranger of the material for tonight’s show is her musical director, pianist Will Thompson.

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LEZLIE HARRISON QUINTET

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NICOLE HENRY & LEESA RICHARDS

Nicole Henry’s versatile and emotionally driven performances have wowed audiences in 20 countries, earning her numerous accolades including a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance” and “Best New Jazz Artist” by HMV Japan. Her latest album “Time to Love Again” reached #4 on the U.S. jazz radio chart, and she completed a 35-city U.S. national tour.

Leesa Richards, a Detroit native now based in Miami, began her career as a professional dancer and gained critical acclaim for her role as Mary Magdalene in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. She has performed with artists like Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, and Gloria Estefan, and recorded with Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz.

Limited number of free tickets for students.

After concert jam session, musicians bring your instrument

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TATIANA EVA~MARIE & THE AVALON JAZZ BAND

Tatiana Eva-Marie – Vocals | Gabe Terracciano – Violin | Dion Berardo – Guitar | Max O’Rourke – Guitar | Wallace Stelzer – Bass

Nicknamed the Gypsy-jazz Warbler by the New York Times, Tatiana Eva-Marie is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, author, and actress based in Brooklyn. She plays French pop derived from the Django tradition with Balkan Gypsy and folk influences.

Accruing over 70 million views on YouTube, Tatiana Eva-Marie was acclaimed as a millennial shaking up the jazz scene by magazine Vanity Fair. She performs regularly in New York at various clubs (Blue Note, Dizzy’s, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Birdland, Joe’s Pub…), across the USA (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Freight and Salvage, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Tucson Jazz Festival…) and around the world.

Though her interests have led her to explore a wide range of musical styles, Tatiana Eva-Marie’s craft is always inspired by her own French and Balkan heritage; a love for the Parisian art scene era spanning the 1920s to the 60s; a passion for traditional Gypsy songs; a fascination for New Orleans music; and a deep connection to the Great American Songbook.

Born into a family of musicians, painters, and poets, Tatiana began her career at age four, immersed in the world of show business. Before her twenties, she had already recorded many albums, established herself as an actress on the Paris stage, written and directed two musicals, while pursuing a Master’s Degree in medieval studies at the Sorbonne University. Completely dedicated to an interdisciplinary approach to artistic creation, she developed a fascination for the Renaissance Man archetype and began to travel the world collaborating with artists of various spheres. She soon chose New York as her home base, where she quickly built up a reputation as a singer, and started the Avalon Jazz Band, which became overnight the number one reference for French swing around the world. With her musicians, she performed on some of the most important American stages and became the international ambassador of “1930s Paris”.

In the past few years, incapable of abandoning herself to a pandemic-induced lethargy, Tatiana released four albums, starred as guest singer in various projects, wrote the libretto of an opera by Swiss composer Gérard Massini, and started an online arts and culture publication – Shrine Magazine. She was recently onscreen in the cinemas of France in Gérome Barry’s first feature film Swing Rendez-Vous, loosely based on her New York lifestyle – her first role as a leading lady!

Tatiana’s latest project Djangology is a reinvention of the music composed by Parisian guitarist Django Reinhardt – the father of Gypsy jazz – through the addition of her own original lyrics and arrangements.

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LORI WILLIAMS

Acclaimed international Jazz vocalist Lori Williams has a most impressive resume as a performing artist, music educator, songwriter, producer, musical theater actress, radio host, business owner of PositiveMusicPM.org, and artist-in-residence with over 30 years of experience. Her annual vocal jazz tour and performance at music festivals have taken her to Europe  to perform in Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Ukraine, Japan, The Caribbean in Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, and across the USA. Her vocal jazz artist residencies have allowed her to work with and mentor students on college campuses in the United States and abroad.

As a veteran vocal music educator and private vocal coach, Lori’s received many honors for her contributions to the arts, including recognition from President Biden. With a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University, she hosts a weekly radio program and produces/host events at St. James Live! Jazz club in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the years, Lori has collaborated with a multitude of notable artists and has released multiple CDs, along with singles like “Too Late (It’s My Time)” and “Take My Wings.”

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