Jazz Houston Kicks Off Their 2024-2025 Season September 7, 2024

…Event will celebrate the 100th Birthday of renowned songstress Sarah Vaughn

Jazz Houston will kick off their 2024-2025 season celebrating the 100th Birthday of the renowned songstress Sarah Vaughn, featuring Dianne Reeves and her Trio, and The Jazz Houston Orchestra featuring vocalist Ekep Nkwelle. Dianne Reeves is one of the most versatile singers in the United States. Her shows feature anthems, scat, improvised works, pop, and originals. Alongside her peers Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diana Krall, and Cassandra Wilson she is considered one of the most influential female jazz singers of our time.

Dianne Reeves comes from a very musical family. Both her parents were musicians, and her cousin, George Duke, was a well-known piano and keyboard player and producer. Her uncle, Charles Burell, a bass player with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, introduced her to the music of jazz singers, from Ella Fitzgerald to Billie Holiday. She was influenced especially by the singing style of Sarah Vaughn.

Ekep Nkwelle

Opening for Dianne Reeves is a new jazz rising star Ekep Nkwelle, a 25-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist, who has carved her musical path from the vibrant streets of Washington, DC, to the heart of New York City’s jazz scene. Her journey has been extraordinary beginning with the esteemed Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Howard University, and The Juilliard School of Music. The power of her voice has resonated with jazz luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Her performances have graced iconic, internationally renowned venues, from the illustrious Radio City Music Hall, where she shared the stage with classical virtuoso Lang Lang in collaboration with Disney, to The Library of Congress, Marian’s Jazzroom, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. Her presence has also illuminated major festivals, including Newport, Montclair, Hudson, and DC jazz festivals.

Jazz Houston under the leadership of Artistic Director Vincent Gardner. Jazz Houston is a vibrant organization that explores the entirety of jazz while preserving and promoting the music for the greater Houston community and beyond. Our organization programs jazz concerts and educational programs annually. Education is a pillar of Jazz Houston.

Its orchestra members and teaching artists regularly lead community educational opportunities for children and adults including workshops, public school programs, and educational residencies. These engaging, lively educational experiences foster personal relationships with the music for people of all ages while cultivating new audiences for the art form.