August 12-13, 2022 Elmira & Horseheads, NY
350 East Fifth Street, Elmira NY 14901 (Ernie Davis Community Center) 607-737-7502 CFJPBistrO Tuesday-Thursday 9:00am-3:00pm Friday 9:00am-6:00pm Breakfast (all day!), Lunch, Fish Fry We’d love to cater your next special event! CFJPCulinaryArts Training Program Free10-weektraininginallaspects offoodpreparation NationalServSafeCertification Applicationsacceptedcontinuously Classes held year-round! Call 607-734-6174 2 15
Since its inception, EOP, Inc. has focused on partnering with other organizations to make it possible for the people in our community to live with dignity. We want to see them thrive and become productive and self sufficient. We cele brateeverysuccessstoryand know that those stories would not be told without the support of our media, business, and community partners.
The CFJP Bistro provides on the job training to CFJP parti cipants and provides a micro economic project. The CFJP Bistro is open to the public Tuesday Thursday from 9am to 3pm and on Fridays from 9am to 6pm. The CFJP Bistro also caters on site and off site and is located in the Ernie Davis Community Center.
I have the utmost gratitude for all who have contributed to making the 11th Annual FEJF a great success! To our generous sponsors, vendors, and musicians, wethankyou!I would like to recognize our event sponsors: Ferrario Auto Team, Arnot Health, Excellus BCBS, Five Star Bank, Guthrie Medical, IBM, and Gough Holding. Much gratitude to the FEJF Committee: Don and Robin Ferrario; Marcus Johnson, Denise Whitty, Bob Abbot, George Keith, Karen Cromer and Clemens Center team, Tom Brown, and our Chief Development Officer, Anita Lewis.
James C. Collins (BuilttoLast:SuccessfulHabitsofVisionaryCompanies) said, “The only truly reliable source of stability is a strong inner core and the willingness to change and adapt everything except that core.” Youare a vital part of our inner core, and we are excited to enjoy a weekend together that is filled with music,fun,andcommunity
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your generosity, passion, and dedication to our festival, organization, and community. Enjoy the 11th Annual Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival!
Andrea J. Ogunwumi Chief Executive Officer Economic Opportunity Program, Inc.
Economic Opportunity Program 650 Baldwin St. | Elmira NY 14901 607-734-6174
3
650 Baldwin Street, Elmira NY 14901 607 734 6174 | www.cseop www.facebook.com/EconomicOpportunityProgram
Welcome to the 11th Annual EOP Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival 2022! My name is Andrea Ogunwumi and I am the CEO of the Economic Opportunity Program, Inc. On behalf of the EOP, Inc. Board of Directors and staff, I want to thankyoufor joining us and for supporting EOP.
Community Food for Jobs Program offers a 10 week culinary arts training program to facilitate the creation of additional employment opportunities in our community by providing job training, education, and placement.
ROYAL CANIN® dry pet food packaging.
Feeding Program free meals twice daily for youth and their families.
Literacy Volunteers of Chemung & Schuyler Counties, an Accredited Affiliate of Literacy New York, and a volunteer based program, serves the adult population struggling with basic literacy skills and English as a Second Language.
Energy Services Bureau weatherizes income eligible homes in Chemung & Schuyler Counties. Services include attic/sidewall insulation, air sealing and draft reduction measures, heating system efficiency tests/service and replacement. Health & safety measures include carbon monoxide testing, gas leak detection, and installation of smoke/carbon monoxide detectors.
(Continued from page 4) 14 EOP earns CASH when
All brands of pens, markers, highlighters,watercolorpencils,mechanicalgluesticks,paintsets...
Just bag these items up and leave at our reception desk (and out of the landfill)!
Welcome to EOP’s Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival 2022!
All brands of toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, deodorant containers and caps, dental floss containers...
At EOP, Inc., it has been an honor to serve Chemung and Schuyler Counties for the last 57 years. Your generosity is what makes us resilient and #Built2Last, and it is why we are able to serve our communities in the areas of Childcare, Youth Care, and Family and Community Economic Development. Each year, we offer our services to more than 5,000 residents to provide much needed support to individuals, children, and families.
Libertad Veteran and Family Support Program provides permanent supportive housing to displaced Veterans and their families in Elmira’s newest housing community. Services include secure community based housing, nutritional meals, basic physical health care, counseling and empowerment. you recycle these items with us:
Over the last year, your contributions allowed us to serve our local communities through the ACCEL (Arnot Chemung County EOP and LECOM) Health Screening Clinic for children and families, facilitate EOP@Curbside to serve more than 38,000 meals, and continue to provide the services that our community has come to depend on. Without you, we could not serve the families, children, and veterans that rely on us to be there for them during the most challenging seasons of their lives.
Perry & Carroll Terp's Enterprises, Inc. Friend HollyGuyStricklandVickers Thank you to the Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival Committee Robert Abbot Tom Brown Karen Cromer Don & Robin Ferrario George Keith Marcus Johnson Anita Lewis Andrea Ogunwumi Denise Whitty13 Gough Holding Special Thanks to… Connors Mercantile EOP LiquidFulkersonStaffWineryJazz90.1ShoesBrewingMultiMediaServicesPureDesign Seven Mountains Media Soulful WagnerVitrixTowerSpectrumCupReachBroadcastingHotGlassStudioVineyardsEstateWineryWBGHWENYWETMWIVT WKKR
About EOP
Ernie Davis Community Center, which serves Elmira City School District and Chemung County youth ages 13 18 with an afterschool program that allows them to engage in culturally enriching and physical/social/educational experiential learning activities.
Elmira Neighborhood House corner of Fifth and Dickinson Streets ca. 1930.
Current programming at EOP includes:
The Economic Opportunity Program, Inc. of Chemung County (EOP) is a not for profit 501(c)(3) agency that envisions a future where all people of our community live with dignity and have the opportunity and ability to live economically productive and satisfying lives. To achieve this vision, EOP provides services that create positive change in individuals, families and our community; and encourages and facilitates participation by all people who can help make our vision a reality.
EOP was established in 1965 as the legislatively designated Community Action Agency to define and design programs that best meet the needs of low income people in Chemung and Schuyler counties in the Southern Tier of New York State. Annually, more than 5,000 children, youth, and families benefit in some way from the agency’s services. The agency’s operating budget of $8.6 Million has come primarily from local, state, and federal government grants.
The site of EOP’s current home at Fifth and Baldwin Streets is the site of the original ElmiraNeighborhoodHouseand is adjacent to the Ernie Davis Community Center (which had evolved from the Elmira Neighborhood House a.k.a. “The Nabe”). The Community Center and the main office building, the “Ernie Davis Family Center,” are both named for beloved local hero, Ernie Davis, the first African American Heisman Trophy winner.
Emerging Food Care Program provides nutrition education and food support through: the Snack Pack program for toddlers and preschoolers to ensure weekend nutrition needs are met; daily nutritious snacks for PreK through age 12, daily dinners and a snack for ages 13 through high school; and a weekly food giveaway to elderly and families in need. Additionally, EOP runs a Summer
PVH - Tommy Hilfiger Foundation Wegmans Hutchings Anchor Group
Birth to Five School Readiness Program (Early Head Start and Head Start), which builds real and lasting foundations that support children and families toward gaining interdependence. Social, physical, cognitive, and language development provide positive and healthy experiences for birth 5 year olds. Medical, dental, and mental health services are provided, along with nutri tious snacks and meals. Center based and Home based options.
Five
Guthrie
(Continued on page 14)
Gough Holding Bronze Chemung Canal Trust Company Hilliard
Family Support Services, which provides advocacy and support services for individuals aged 21 and under with disabilities, including recreational outlets.
Family Support also provides the Parent Run Autism Playgroup, providing quality choice based community activities for the child with ASD and the parent. This program promotes and encourages not only community integration and socialization skills with the enrolled participants, but funding for choice based activities which include swimming, gym play, bowling, train rides, and trips to museums.
Excellus
4
Ferrario
Fifth).ErnieDavis
Thank you to our sponsors: Health Ford Auto Team Gold BlueCross BlueShield Star IBMBank
Event Arnot
Ernie Davis Family Center Fifth Street (Dickinson now stops at
Family Center Corner of Baldwin and Fifth Streets.
The Center of Excellence Program (a.k.a. New Day), which is a licensed School Aged Child Care program operating in two area schools and the Ernie Davis Family Center where children ages 5 12 receive homework assistance, academic enhancement opportunities, prevention education, and cultural enrichment, plus recreation and a snack. COE also provides a summer program for ages 4 12.
Silver
Patron Kiehl
Here’s what’s happening at the Ernie CommunityDavisCenter! Fashion Club STELA Robotics Horse Education Animal Assisted Education Hip Hop Dance Workshops STEM Garden Club ArtTutoringClasses Kid’s Café ...and more! 12 5 FridayAugust12,2022 TheClemensCenterElmiraNYProgram Welcome from EOP and our Community Partners EDCC Music Consortium Marcus Johnson Don GreggFerrarioKarukas Paul Brown *MarcusJohnson&HollyStrickland Emcees* Catering provided by EOP CFJP Bistro
The program is open to all youth and meets on Tuesdays at 4:30pm at EOP.
S
ocal favorite band, Top Shelf, originated as a trio in 1983 with Jim DePaul on keyboard plus a bass player and drummer. Band members have changed through the years, but up until last year, Jim was the anchor from the start. Current drummer Joel Carberry joined the group in 2002, vocalist Anita Lewis in 2004, and bass player Steve Webb joined in 2019. Jim decided to retire from tinkling the ivories and the band welcomed keyboardist Zach Hamilton in 2021.
Top Shelf is:
In 2016, EOP introduced the EDCC Music Consortium to help participants develop their vocal, instrumental, writing, and technical skills, culminating in the opportunity to perform in public. The program also has a small recording studio and offers training in recording, writing, producing, and marketing music.
For more information, or to book the EDCC Music Consortium for your event, please contact:
Music influences vary from member to member. Says Anita Lewis, “Anita Baker is my biggest one, but I’m also a fan of Maysa, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire... I love contemporary jazz on the R&B side.”
Tina Brown tinabrown@cseop.org
Joel Carberry drums/percussion
ince 2010, EOP’s Ernie Davis Community Center (EDCC) has offered numerous youth musical projects including “Beat in the Streets” and “Digital Audio Workshop” as part of the Arts & Culture sector of the Centers for Excellence model, which also focuses on Academic Enrichment and Health & Wellness.
reat melodies the essential quality that has defined Grammy winning keyboardist / composer / producer Gregg Karukas’ 12 solo CDs over a three decade career, with many #1 radio hits, both sophisticated and accessible. Serenata, his first ever solo piano project (2021), offers romantic impressions of classic songs from iconic Brazilian artists Milton Nascimento and Dori Caymmi as well as new and re imagined Karukas originals. Coming out of a four year hiatus, following the loss of his wife Yvonne from brain cancer, Gregg found the challenges of both the COVID isolation and developing his solo piano voice to be the perfect catalyst for reclaiming beauty, hope and, most importantly, new original music.
Gregg honed his multi keyboard, synth programming,
11
Top Shelf plays everything from the jazz genre as well as 70s pop to current pop and funk.
Chalanda Graham cgraham@cseop.org 607 734 6174
www.karukas.com
Gregg's very first LP session was for naturalist/author Euell Gibbons, adding background Moog Synthesizer textures along with Tim Eyermann's echoing woodwinds for Gibbons' readings of the work of Henry David Thoreau, a collector's item that can occasionally be found on eBay.
6
"People say my music sounds romantic and uplifting and I look so happy on stage," he says. "It's totally true. For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness. I always try to stay faithful to that original inspiration, because that is where the true 'sound of emotion' comes from."
A prolific, genre crossing veteran of Smooth Jazz, Brazilian, New Age, and R&B/Pop, Gregg won the Best New Age Album Grammy in 2013 for producing, composing, playing piano/keyboards, arranging and engineering the EchoesofLoveCD, a collaboration with Omar Akram, and has also worked with pianist David Lanz, arranging and producing two successful crossover CDs. He was a founding member of The Rippingtons and since then has been in the company of the top acts in the Smooth Jazz, World and R&B pop genres, touring with Boney James, Peter White, Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Melissa Manchester, Larry Carlton, Sergio Mendes, Brenda Russell, Jeffrey Osborne and featured with various Allstar groups in recent years. He has had a diverse career in music with a long list of credits on CDs and all media; Gregg arranged and played all keyboards on the theme songs to Disney's Ducktales and Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers and is a veteran of lots of TV/Film music sessions (Cheers, Stand and Deliver, Life Goes On, Mr. Wrong).
Top Shelf is available to complement your wedding, corporate function or other social event. Top Shelf would like to thank their families and loyal fans who support and inspire all their music endeavors!
The youth have performed at Juneteenth, EOP’s Annual Meeting & Celebration and Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival, Christmas Magic, the annual Together We Dine Free Community Dinner, NAACP events, Corning Inc. BTN Celebration, Monumental Baptist Church’s Black History Month Celebration, and Shine the Light on Domestic Violence event (just to name a few!).
Gregg Karukas
G
For booking, contact: Anita Lewis 607 738 abrookslewis@stny.rr.com4882
Always in demand as a musical director and keyboardist, Gregg has received multiple Best Keyboardist nominations at the Oasis and National Smooth Jazz Awards. His best known songs, "Elegant Nights (#1), "Rio Drive"(#1), "Girl in the Red Dress" (#4) "Nightshift" (#1), and Jessy J.'s #1 hit "Tropical Rain" showcase Gregg's funky, melodic compositional style familiar to his fans.
Gregg's contagious smile and positive attitude shows in his concerts, as he has emerged over the years as one of the genre's most dynamic and inspiring live performers.
Gregg grew up in Bowie, MD and although he began noodling on the piano at age six, he did not start studying music seriously until he was a teenager. Trivia: Gregg lost the tip of his right middle finger at age 12 and kept practicing piano with four fingers for the next two years until it healed enough to take the impact.
Our team of professional musical engineers, instructors, and mentors work with students in the areas of music that interest them, including working with the production and technical area to record other students and to work collectively. The EDCC Music Consortium program operates weekly to strengthen the arts in our youth and give them the opportunity to express their passion and artistic ability.
Steve Webb bass
songwriting and album production skills in the studios and clubs of Washington DC, paying dues through the late 70's with Jazz/Fusion groups Tim Eyermann and East Coast Offering and Natural Bridge. Moving to Los Angeles in 1982, Gregg's focus was not on developing a solo career, but with a goal to play as many different styles as possible. His first gig in LA was on his 12th day in town with singer/songwriter Shelby Flint (“Angel on my Shoulder,” “Mercury”), whose band included former Wings drummer Denny Seiwell and other top studio players. He soon found himself touring with Melissa Manchester, producing demos and collabora ting with songwriters, working on TV/film music and contributing to over 100 CDs from all genres. By the mid 80's he was playing his own, stylistically diverse, original songs at local gigs with top session players and leading the studio house band for It's Garry Shandling's Show on Showtime. One bandmate suggested he knew a small "new adult contemporary" label that was looking for artists. Gregg sent in his songs (1987's TheNightowl) and began a three decade solo career of chart topping melodies that has perfectly paralleled the growth of the Smooth Jazz genre
Anita Lewis vocals
Zach Hamilton keyboards,vocals
Antoine (with whom he recorded the 2009 album ForeignExchange). And yet, as he releases OneWayBack, his third collection on Woodward Avenue Records after The FunkyJoint(2012) and TruthBTold(2014), Brown freely admits he is still trying to find himself as an artist.
1:00pm Marcus Johnson
The release of PoeticallyJustified(2009) and ThisisHowI Rock (2011), which were Top 20 Contemporary Jazz CDs, solidified Marcus Johnson as the heir apparent to the funky urban groove music style and sound made famous by legendary jazz greats, George Duke and Herbie Hancock.www.marcusjohnson360.com
*MarcusJohnson&HollyStrickland Emcees*
Please visit our vendors!
ChemungBlackisBeautifulCountyHealthDepartmentColdRushItalianIceDionDesignsEOPCFJPBistroHandPaintedFlowerpotsbyJan
The Los Angeles born and raised guitarist’s R&B driven sound has been a foundational element in urban jazz since the early 90s, when he produced saxophonist Boney James’ breakout debut Trust. He has since worked with many of the genre’s most influential artists, including Carlton, White, Euge Groove, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Golub, Al Jarreau and Jessy J. “Winelight,” the second single from Brown’s sophomore album The City, was ranked by Mediabase as the genre’s most spun track of that year. Radio & Records and Mediabase declared “The Rhythm Method,” the first single from Brown’s third release WhiteSand, the most played song of 2007. The title track from Jessy J’s Brown produced debut Tequila Moon earned the same distinction for 2008.
www.paulbrownjazz.com 7
TasteofJamaica
12:00pm Welcome
Alltimesareapproximate.
hile pursuing his JD and MBA at Georgetown, he independently produced and distributed his first CD (Lessons in Love), which sold more than 40,000 units; a phenomenal success for an unknown independent artist’s debut release. This album helped him launch his career as a renowned jazz keyboardist/pianist, and later, he released his second CD (InterAlia), with staggering success.
As head of Three Keys Music, Johnson produced and released on the Three Keys Music label national jazz artists: Michael Lington, Jaared Arosemena, Bobby Lyle, Nick Colionne, R&B singer, Alyson Williams, neo soul songstress, Zahzarah; and smooth jazz Saxophonists Phillip Martin and Brian Lenair.
1:45pm Ragan Whiteside
“Even after all these years,” he says, “I truly feel that I’m continuing to evolve as a guitarist, and I’m glad the way the genre is right now allows artists to follow the deeper passions of their musical hearts more than ever before. With each album, I feel like I’ve grown as a musician and artist, and I’m a far different player than I was when I recorded UpFront. When that came out, I had never performed a live show as a guitarist. You can practice an instrument in a room all you want, but until you play live, you don’t acquire a full level of skills. All of that gigging has helped me grow technically, and playing what I have imagined in my head is a lot easier than it used to be. The freedom and confidence I have gained from those translates to my personal development and allows me to bring fresh new ideas into the studio.”
StrategicO'sThrowsDesigns
10
W
To date, Marcus has released more than 15 Billboard charted CDs, and has the distinction of having his ground breaking 2008 Billboard Top 20 Contemporary Jazz FLO (For theLoveOf)Anthology, which consisted of three distinct CDs FLOChill, FLORomanceand FLOStandards all chart Top 10 on Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts simultaneously.
SaturdayAugust13,2022ThorneStreetParkHorseheadsNYProgram
While keeping his trademark deep funk and cool urban vibes flowing, Brown taps deeper than ever before into his lifelong blues influences, which includes a foundational passion for greats like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Little Feat and B.B. King. This edge is immediately apparent on the album’s lead single, a bold and fiery re imagining of The Crusaders’ soul jazz classic “Put It Where You Want It,” which he describes as a “combination of Wes Montgomery and Larry Carlton,” the latter who played on the original recording of the tune.
While extending his long history of collaborations with the
EDCC Fashion Club Showcase
genre’s top saxophonists with “Sexy Thang” featuring Darren Rahn, OneWayBack’s deeper musical core is a series of dynamic collaborations with top genre guitarists Chris Standring, Peter White, Marc Antoine and Chuck Loeb. While Brown’s electric is front and center as the lead melodic voice, he lets each of his peers bring his own sonic aesthetic to the mix as he “interprets inside of it.” Other highlights are the powerhouse, brass fired Memphis soul influenced “Well Alright” featuring vocalist (and former Hi Records songwriter Don Bryant) and the rich blues drenched closer “Heaven” featuring vocals by Brown and simmering Rhodes and Hammond B 3 textures by his blues keyboardist friend with the same name known as “Brother Paul Brown.”
Ja’BoaJewelry
12:15pm Top Shelf
3:00pm Julian Vaughn
This success caught the attention of Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and businessman Robert L. Johnson, who invested and partnered with Marcus to establish Marimelj Entertainment Group. Under their partnership, MEG’s label, Three Keys Music, housed Studio 8121, a full service recording studio, and two music publishing companies: Marimelj Music Publishing and Three Keys Music Publishing.
Sat, Aug 13 Elmira, New York
Sun, Sep 4 Pensacola, Florida
Sun, Oct 16 Rehoboth, Delaware
Influenced by such diverse flute masters as jazz classical player Hubert Laws, the late Latin jazz artist Dave Valentin, and the French classical flautist Jean Pierre Rampal, Whiteside’s rigorous musical training prepared her to play in the most prestigious symphony orchestras in the world. Yet, after gradua tion, Whiteside admits she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Back home in Mount Vernon, she attended a show at a local jazz club where keyboardist, producer, and composer Bob Baldwin was headlining. While watching, Whiteside says she had an epiphany: “I was sitting up front and I said, ‘Oh my God. This is what I want to do.’”
Whiteside explains.
Fri, Oct 7 Durham, North Carolina
Sun, Oct 2 Seal Beach, California
9
In late 2020, Whiteside added another title to her list of accomplishments: Radio personality. Whiteside now holds down the popular Saturday morning time slot on Atlanta’s Jazz Station WCLK 91.9, another role she has grown to enjoy. “I like learning about the other side of radio that musicians typically don’t see or know about. And it’s cool. I dig it,” she says.
t takes skill, creativity, sheer musical ability, and a charismatic presence to electrify the music scene. And that’s just what flautist Ragan Whiteside has done in the world of instrumental soul within a few short years. The Atlanta based musician, songwriter, and vocalist has consistently delighted fans and critics alike with her unique brand of engaging upbeat melodies and exhilarating flute playing. Tunes like the May 2021 single release “Off The Cuff,” as well as “JJ’s Strut,” “Reminiscing,” “Jam It,” “Early Arrival,” “See You At The Get Down,” and the Billboard No. 1 “Corey’s Bop,” have burnished her reputation. Whiteside has garnered six consecutive Top Ten Billboard airplay singles. And she’s done it as an independent, releasing projects on Randis Music, the label she founded with her husband, producer, and composer Dennis Johnson.
Vaughn racked up four Billboard Number One hits between his albums and eight Number Ones overall as a feature on various artists' songs. Vaughn has toured across the United States, playing at some of the largest jazz festivals. In addition, he has performed abroad in places like Dubai, South Africa, Nigeria, Nairobi, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Vaughn takes pride in writing and producing almost all his music, saying, "I want to be known as a great writer and producer just as much as an artist."
Sat, Oct 1 Carson, California
“And two days later, I went to a studio in Yonkers, and it was my first non classical studio session.” Whiteside performed a Stevie Wonder tune for Baldwin and studio owner Dennis Johnson, who later became her husband. “That’s how we met,” Whiteside adds. “I played a Stevie Wonder tune, and they were like, ‘Hey, we need some flute on this jingle for [New York smooth jazz station] CD 101.9.’ And I did that, and from there Bob was teaching me how to make that transition from classical to jazz, and Dennis taught me all about audio engineering and making music with computers.” Since then, Johnson and Baldwin have become Whiteside’s frequent songwriting collaborators.
Whiteside gained her musical acumen by training as a classical flautist. Originally from Mt. Vernon, New York, Whiteside got her first taste of music in elementary school, playing drums, piano, and violin before a desire to be in the marching band put the flute in her hand at age eight. “I did not want to play the flute. And it took me about a week to get a sound out of it,” she says. But once young Ragan locked onto the instrument, she got good and got serious.
Sat, Aug 27 Lockport, Illinois
his solo career in 2010 with his album The Purpose Project, which springboarded him into his jazz career. In 2012 he put out the album Breakthrough, featuring the single "On Your Feet," which peaked at #1 on the Billboard chart. He later would release albums Limitless (2015), Bona Fide (2017), Supreme (2019), and Chapters of Love (2021).
In 2020, Vaughn was the Number Two Artist of the Year and had the Number Two and Number Seventeen Billboard songs of the year, “Afro Calypso” and “Afternoon Delight.” His latest independent release, titled SOLOis slated to be his best work to date. As Vaughn's recording catalog continues to grow, he hopes to continue to redefine the lead bassist role in the smooth jazz genre.
8
Julian Vaughn Tour Dates:
B
After the show, she introduced herself to Baldwin. “I told him, ‘Look I’m a classical musician but I want to make the transition to jazz. Will you help me? And he pretty much took me under his wing, right then and there,”
She participated in Mount Vernon High School’s HBCU influenced marching bands, entered multiple musical competi tions and won. She was mentored by members of the National Association of Negro Musicians, many of whom held positions as opera singers, music directors, and instrumentalists in classical music at a time when African Americans were still not often included. She also participated in the NAACP’s ACT SO (Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics) competitions for young people, where she won both regional and national titles in two different years. Whiteside went on to the Cleveland Institute of Music but soon found that it was not a good fit. Instead, she transferred to the highly competitive HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, where she was the only African American in her class. The pressure to perform well was intense. “I realized that to endure that type of pressure, your heart has to be in it … and my heart was someplace else. I wasn’t sure where, but I was determined to find out.”
Sat, Sep 3 DALLAS, Texas
Vaughnrecordings.launched
Sat, Oct 8 Charlotte, North Carolina
Whiteside soon began her successful foray into the contem porary soul jazz sphere. After launching the Randis Music label in 2007 with her husband Johnson, she collaborated with Johnson and Baldwin again on her 2007 release Class Axe, 2012’s Evolve, 2014’s QuantumDrive, 2017’s Treblemaker, and 2020’s five track EP FiveUpTop. She also teamed with popular saxophonist Kim Waters for the 2017 release Early Arrival. She has collaborated on tracks with Marion Meadows, Patrice Rushen, Tom Browne, Melba Moore, Chieli Minucci, Frank McComb, and others.
orn and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Julian Vaughn was primarily a drummer when he picked up the bass guitar. Vaughn developed his playing style while growing up in the church where his grandfather pastored until turning over the reins to Vaughn's father. A few years later, he became good enough to start playing at concerts and live gospel
Sat, Sep 17 Andover, Kansas
www.raganwhiteside.com
www.julianvaughnmusic.com
Thu, Sep 1 Atlanta, Georgia
Fri, Aug 19 Denver, Colorado
Sun, Aug 21 Richmond, Virginia
Though the COVID 19 pandemic slowed down or halted live performing for a while, more opportunities loomed. Whiteside has stayed busy recording and being a mom to two young children as well as putting the finishing touches on her newest album, ThrillRide.
Sat, Nov 26 Louisville, Kentucky
I