DC JazzPrix Finals

Sun Sep 05 2021 at 02:00 pm

Union Stage | Washington D.C.

DC Jazz Festival
Publisher/HostDC Jazz Festival
DC JazzPrix Finals
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DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ & HABANA ENTRANCÉ:
Dayramir González & Habana enTRANCé is a project created in 2004 in Havana, Cuba with the vision of bringing Afro-Cuban jazz to the forefront of popular music by making music that’s intellectual, yet accessible.
This project is a dynamic force of piano, bass, drums, percussion, with only one goal on the stage: to create an engaging and unforgettable musical experience. Habana enTRANCé’s leader and visionary Dayramir Gonzalez is a showman; he lives for the audience, an internationally praised pianist and composer that has been hailed for his “monster technique” and prolific creativity range which melds rock, classical, jazz and Afro-Cuban stylings.
CAMILLA GEORGE:
Born in Eket, Nigeria, Camilla has been interested in music from an early age and particularly in the fusion of African and Western music. She grew up listening to Fela alongside Jackie McLean and Charlie Parker. She began playing the saxophone when she was 11 years old when she won a music contest and as a result won saxophone lessons. Camilla went on to study with many jazz greats such as saxophone giant, Jean Toussaint (of Art Blakey fame), Julian Siegal and Martin Speake at Trinity College of Music where she gained a Masters in Jazz Performance as well as in 2011 being awarded The Archer Scholarship for Outstanding Performance. In 2009 she joined award winning band, Jazz Jamaica and performed with special guest, Ernest Ranglin at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. In 2013 they were nominated for a MOBO award for Jazz Performance. They continue to perform extensively all over the world. In 2014 Camilla formed her own critically acclaimed project showcasing the stars of the new UK Jazz Scene. Dubbed “The Golden Girl of Jazz” by The Evening Standard, Camilla’s debut album, ‘Isang’ (pronounced E-SANG which means journey in Ibibio her native language) received huge critical acclaim. Her follow up album, “The People Could Fly” which was released in September 2018, featuring special guest Omar as well as in demand guitarist of the moment, Shirley Tetteh, has already gained substantial critical acclaim with 4 star reviews from the Financial Times and Jazzwise to name a few. The album and Camilla have been featured on several key playlists such as State of Jazz and Camilla is the poster girl for Tidal’s British Jazz playlist. Camilla’s love of fusing African and Western Music to make her own unique style is a key reason why she is a firm fixture on the new London Jazz scene alongside peers such as Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings and Zara McFarlane. Her music is a hypnotizing blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz. Camilla’s music is politically minded and heavily linked with African history and slavery in particular.
SARAH TANDY is an inspiring bandleader and keyboard player whose compositions are steeped in the rich traditions of jazz whilst enthusiastically rupturing the confines of the genre. Infection in the Sentence, Sarah’s debut album was released on the Jazz re:freshed label. Guitarist Shirley Tetteh began her journey into jazz with Tomorrow’s Warriors. In demand as a player, she currently features in Jazz Jamaica, Groundation, female collective Nérija (Jazz FM Awards nominee for Breakthrough Act of the Year), Maisha, Huw Marc Bennett Quintet and many more. Tetteh has publishing and record deals with Lucky Number Music and is keen to explore the ways of combining jazz and left field pop, while forging ahead with bands Nerija and Maisha, who present high-quality original improvised music to a younger, wider audience. Described to have won the Young Jazz Musician Award “with great mix of communicativeness, simplicity and sass”, Daniel Casimir is proving to be an up and coming bassist and composer. Since finishing the formal aspect of his musical training, Daniel has had the opportunity of performing with the following artists; Julian Joseph, Jason Rebello, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chihiro Yamanaka, Jean Toussaint, and David Lyttle. In addition to performing with an array of musicians, Daniel has recorded with Nubya Garcia (We Out Here, Nubya’s 5IVE), Binker Golding (abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers) Camilla George (Isang) Blue Lab Beats, Oscar Jerome and Ashley Henry (Beautifull Vinyl Haunter).
In 2017 Daniel released his first recording as a bandleader Escapee, which was released under Jazz Re:freshed followed by the critically acclaimed album “These Days” in 2019.
Rod Youngs is a London based musician, composer and educator whose percussive skills personify diversity, authenticity, and distinctiveness. A native of Washington D.C., he was selected to study post-graduate jazz performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, under the tutelage of Keith Copeland. Rod’s consummate musicianship has garnered him a wide variety of work from concerts to recording sessions for radio, TV and film.
GIVETON GELIN:
Since 10 years old, Gelin taught himself to play the trumpet simply by emulating his favorite records. After years of self-tutelage, Adrian D’Aguilar, bass player, began to mentor him; thereby, providing him the tools to play jazz. Later on, the Nassau-born trumpeter would study with Dr. Eddie Henderson at the Oberlin Conservatory. The same year, he received recognition at the Young Arts Foundation and Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program. Thereafter, he continued his studies at the Juilliard School– expecting to graduate in 2021.
In the span of three years, Gelin has played with pioneers of the NY jazz scene such as Curtis Lundy, Bobby Watson, Roy Hargrove, Sullivan Fortner, Wynton Marsalis, Ben Wolfe, and Jon Batiste. Additionally, the 21-year-old trumpeter has received tutelage from some of the world’s greatest including Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Ralph Peterson, and is the protege of the late, Roy Hargrove. Earlier this year, the Bahamas-native was awarded the 2020 LetterOne Rising Star Jazz Award, and ASCAP’s Herb Alpert Award. Ultimately, Gelin’s artistic vision is to pay tribute to his ancestors, and unify others by incorporating universal human experiences into sound. Through his quintet, the young trumpeter brings forth a new narrative to jazz music.
Immanuel Wilkins:
Immanuel Wilkins is a saxophonist, composer, educator, and bandleader from the greater Philadelphia area. While growing up, Wilkins honed his skills in the church and studied in programs dedicated to teaching jazz music like the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. After moving to New York in 2015, he proceeded to earn his bachelor’s degree in Music at Juilliard (studying with the saxophonists Bruce Williams and the late, great Joe Temperley) while simultaneously establishing himself as an in-demand sideperson, touring in Japan, Europe, South America, The United Arab Emirates, and the United States and working and/or recording with artists like Jason Moran, the Count Basie Orchestra, Delfeayo Marsalis, Joel Ross, Aaron Parks, Gerald Clayton, Gretchen Parlato, Lalah Hathaway, Solange Knowles, Bob Dylan, and Wynton Marsalis to name just a few. It was also during this same period that he formed his quartet featuring his long-time bandmates: Micah Thomas(piano), Daryl Johns(bass), and Kweku Sumbry(drums).
Being a bandleader with a working group for over four years has allowed Wilkins to grow both as a composer and as an arranger — and has led to him receiving a number of commissions including, most recently, from The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, The Jazz Gallery Artist Residency Commission Program (A collaboration with Sidra Bell Dance NY, 2020 ) and The Kimmel Center Artist in Residence for 2020 ( a collaboration with photographer Rog Walker and videographer David Dempewolf). Being emerged in the scene at a young age and sharing the stage with various jazz masters has inspired Wilkins to pursue his goal of being a positive force in both music and in society. This includes quite an impressive resumé as an educator. In addition to teaching at NYU and the New School, he has taught and given master classes and clinics at schools/venues like Oberlin, Yale, and the Kimmel Center. Ultimately, Wilkins’ mission is to create music and to develop a voice that has a profound spiritual and emotional impact.
By studying the humanity and the cultural specificity of jazz, Wilkins aspires to bring people together through his art. His debut recording, Omega —produced by Jason Moran— was released by Blue Note Records in 2020 and has received uniformly rave reviews. In addition to being voted “Best New Jazz Artist” in the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll and “Best New Talent of 2020” by Musica Jazz, Wilkins’ Omega has appeared on numerous “Best of 2020” lists — most notably,” it was named NPR Music’s “Best Debut Jazz Recording of 2020” and the New York Times number one Jazz Recording of 2020. Wilkins began 2021 on a very positive note. He was nominated for a NAACP Image Award (Best Jazz Instrumental album) and won the prestigious LetterOne Rising Stars Jazz Award.
Micah Thomas:
Pianist, composer and educator Micah Thomas grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He started playing songs on the piano by ear at the age of 2, and shortly afterwards he started private piano training. From his sophomore year of high school onwards, Micah began gigging regularly with violinist Christian Howes, and was a regular faculty member at his annual Creative Strings Workshop from 2015-2018. He also has appeared with Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra as a guest artist, performing with John Clayton and Joshua Redman for their 45th-anniversary concert series in 2017. He has also performed throughout Ohio with many other distinguished musicians including JD Allen, Billy Contreras, Eddie Bayard, George Delancey, Cedric Easton, and Bobby Floyd.
In 2015, Micah Thomas received the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship from the Juilliard School and received his Master of Music (M.M.) degree in 2020. He is now performing in venues throughout the city both as a leader of his own groups and as a sideman for such luminaries as Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Lage Lund, Giveton Gelin, Melissa Aldana, Etienne Charles, Gabe Schnider, Harish Raghavan, Stacy Dillard, and Jure Pukl. He also appeared as a guest with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2017 alongside Sullivan Fortner, Aaron Diehl, and Joel Wenhardt, and as a solo performer at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival.
In June 2020, Micah Thomas released his first album, “Tide”, which received positive reviews from the New York Journal, The New York Times, JazzTimes, and Financial Times, among others. He also has appeared on several albums as a sideman for Immanuel Wilkins, Giveton Gelin, Walter Smith III, Matt Stevens Harish Raghavan, and Gabe Schnider.
“Micah is a special one. His playing has a restlessly inventive and futuristic tilt while simultaneously remaining deeply rooted in the history of the music – all delivered with curiosity, patience, humor, and care. I make a point to hear him as often as I can, as he always inspires and is constantly evolving. To me, Micah is one of the most exciting musicians of his generation.” – Aaron Parks
“I randomly saw a live feed of Micah playing solo, and for the second time ever – Sullivan Fortner being the first – I heard a pianist a generation or so younger than me who instantly became one of my favorite musicians. I think he was playing ‘Gone with the Wind,’ or a similar standard, in a fully formed, original voice, so clear and refreshing. We ended up getting together for a duo rehearsal, and I felt that I had finally found something – something I hadn’t even realized that I had been waiting for.” – Lage Lund
“I am already tagging him as one who has a unique style as well as all the tools needed to make a major contribution to the world of jazz piano.” – Fred Hersch
Philip Norris:
Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Philip Norris currently resides in New York City pursuing his degree in Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School. Philip first began his path in music on the Piano and Horn before his passion developed for the bass at the age of 13. Growing up in North Carolina he was a part of The Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble and received The Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Soloist Award at the Essentially Ellington Competition in 2016. Other accolades include the NAfME All-National Jazz ensemble, Jazz Band of America, and a YoungArts National Finalist in 2016. Since moving to New York, Philip has played in various parts of the world including Switzerland, Bolivia, and Russia. He has also played with artists such as: Wynton Marsalis, Ulysses Owens Jr., Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth, Eric Alexander, Jeff Hamilton, Helen Sung, Catherine Russell, Kenny Washington, Elio Vilafranca, Igor Butman, and many more. Philip is currently playing in New York City and abroad with many of these artists as he continues his studies at The Juilliard School.
Kyle Benford: Kyle moved to NYC at the age of 19 after participating in the internationally acclaimed Essentially Ellington Jazz Competition. It was there where Wynton Marsalis and Jeff Hamilton told Benford that he was the best drummer they had heard throughout the entire festival. Benford proceeded to receive the “Most Outstanding Drummer award”. The likes of Louis Hayes, Roy Hargrove, Johnny Oneal, and Donald Harrison have heard and praised Benford’s musicianship. Master drummer Louis Hayes (Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, etc) describes the young Benford’s concept as “Absolutely wonderful and swinging”. Currently, Kyle can be seen at some of New York’s most renowned jazz venues such as Jazz At Lincoln Center, Small’s, Smoke, The Blue Note, and Zinc with artists of all generations- Johnny Oneal, Sullivan Fortner, Micah Thomas Roy Hargrove, Josh Evans, Giveton Gelin, Seamus Blake, Immanuel Wilkins to name a few. Kyle continues to share his gift and looks forward to doing so around the world.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Union Stage, 740 Water Street SW, Washington D.C., United States

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