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100: APOLLO CELEBRATES ELLA!

Featuring Patti Austin, Andra Day & Lizz Wright

Saturday, October 22 at 8PM

Performing with the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra; Directed by Scotty Barnhart AND Introducing Afro Blue

In honor of Apollo Legend Ella Fitzgerald’s centennial birthday, The Apollo Theater presents this blockbuster concert featuring performances by some of the greatest vocalists in jazz and R&B including Patti Austin, Andra Day and Lizz Wright.  Patti Austin is best known for her classic R&B duet with James Ingram, “Baby Come to Me.” Andra Day is considered soul music’s brightest new star having been nominated for two Grammy Awards this year, for her debut album and her hit single, “Rise Up.” Known for her vocal blend of R&B, jazz, blues and gospel, The New York Times calls Lizz Wright “a smoky-voiced goddess.”  They’ll be joined by the Count Basie Orchestra and a special performance by Howard University’s Afro Blue.

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Patti Austin’s been a bonafide entertainer since she stepped onto the stage of the Apollo Theater in Harlem at the age of four at the urging of music legend Dinah Washington. During the 70s Patti was the undisputed “queen” of the New York session scene, her voice was heard behind everyone from Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, and James Brown to Bette Midler and Diana Ross. She signed with her godfather Quincy Jones’ Qwest label and achieved mainstream success on an international level thanks to the GRAMMY®-nominated hit “Baby Come To Me,” and Oscar-nominated “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” The GRAMMY®-nominated For Ella album opened up new doors for Patti as a performer and her embrace by the jazz world was sealed with her Grammy winning classic Avant Gershwin. For more information about Patti Austin visit: http://pattiaustin.com/ 

Andra Day uses her songwriting and voice as vessels to freedom and redemption. The lyrics on her debut album Cheers to the Fall highlight the lessons learned through trial and error while rising to the occasion in the wake of those setbacks.  For this woman with a throwback voice in a modern era, it’s her truth that may set you free. The singer/songwriter has been nominated for “Best R&B Performance” (“Rise Up”) and “Best R&B Album” (Cheers to the Fall) at the 58^th Annual Grammy Awards, as well as “Outstanding New Artist” for the 47^th NAACP Image Awards.  She also ignited the stage during a duet with Ellie Goulding, pairing “Rise Up” with the latter’s “Love Me Like You Do” for one of the evening’s standout performances. She describes her 13-song debut as “a biography told in the form of music” with themes centered on truth, fearlessness, vulnerability, forgiveness and love following the heartbreak she caused and subsequently endured.  Andra hopes the lessons learned from the aftermath of these decisions will empower others to find strength and redemption in their Truth. For more information about Andra Day visit http://andraday.com/CheersToTheFall 

Lizz Wright

Lizz Wright has been the recipient of nonstop critical acclaim and ever-increasing audiences ever since her Verve debut. Like so many vocal greats, Lizz began her singing in the church. For her it was a small church in Hahira, Georgia where her father served as musical director and where she soaked up the sounds of songs of faith. She was also surrounded by varied types of secular music at home especially jazz and soul. Wright moved to Atlanta in the late 90s to attend Georgia State University and began singing classical repertoire under Dr. Dwight Coleman. She also began singing jazz, both solo and as part of the popular local group In The Spirit. She made a name for herself in other parts of the country in 2002 as part of a touring concert tribute to Billie Holiday, where her poised, emotive performance stole the show. For more information about Lizz Wright visit http://lizzwright.net/

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra

Scotty Barnhart is an internationally acclaimed Jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, author and Director of The Count Basie Orchestra. Prior to his being selected Director of the Basie orchestra in September 2013, he was its featured trumpet soloist for 20 years, and is also a two-time Grammy Award winner with the orchestra. He appears on three critically acclaimed recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts and over fifteen others with artists as diverse as Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente. Scotty is Professor of Jazz Trumpet/Jazz Studies at Florida State University where two of his former students won First Place in the National Jazz Trumpet Competition. Acknowledged as an authority on the history of Jazz trumpet, he gives lecture-demonstrations on the history of jazz trumpet at schools and universities all over the United States as well as in South America, Japan, China, Europe, and South Africa. Hal Leonard published his groundbreaking book, The World of Jazz Trumpet – a Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy worldwide in December 2005 to rave reviews. For more information about the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra visit http://www.thecountbasieorchestra.com/ 

Afro Blue

Afro Blue, was founded in the spring of 2002 by Connaitre Miller, Jazz Voice Coordinator at Howard University.  Singing music similar to the styles of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, The Manhattan Transfer, and Take 6, while adding their own unique sound, this dynamic “vocal big band” has performed to wide critical acclaim.  Afro Blue has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered ; reached the top four on The Sing-Off, NBC-TV’s a cappella group competition; and joined the legendary Bobby McFerrin in selections from his Grammy - nominated VOCAbuLarieS album during the 2011 D.C. Jazz Festival in what the City Paper penned “the finest concert in D.C. Jazz Festival history.”  In December 2013, Afro Blue appeared at a Christmas party given for employees at The White House and was honored to perform for President and Mrs. Obama.  Following that performance, the group was honored to record an hour long Christmas special for NPR, titled An Afro Blue Christmas, hosted by Michele Norris, which aired nationally during the 2014 & 2015 holiday seasons.  For more information about Afro Blue visit http://www.afrobluehu.com/