Mason Pond Lawn topper Like the other 2 MPL books - no donor updates – no HPAC ads except the two we left in the first 2 MASON JAZZ FACULTY Tribute to Sonny Rollins Featuring special guest vocalist Dr. Darden Purcell, Director of Jazz Studies Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 3 p.m. Program will be announced from the stage. OUR BAND DR. DARDEN PURCELL (Voice) is an active featured soloist with symphony orchestras, big bands, and small ensembles, and a band leader and vocal instructor. She has shared the stage with top jazz artists such as Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Dana Hall, Alan Baylock, Glenn Wilson, Stockton Helbing, Byron Stripling, Bobby Floyd, Joel Spencer, Darmon Meader, Lisanne Lyons, Jim Carroll, Charlie Young, and Chris Vadala, and top groups such as the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, the U.S. Navy Commodores, the U.S. Naval Academy big band ensemble Next Wave, The U.S. Airmen of Note, the U.S. Army Blues, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra (Tony Maiello). Darden has performed at concert halls and clubs nationally and internationally, including Blues Alley, Club Bonafide in New York City, Pops for Champagne, The Jazz Kitchen, The Blue Wisp, The Kitchen Cafe, The Bop Stop, JazzB in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Sandler Center (back-up vocals for Ben Folds), Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Wolf Trap National Park with the National Symphony Orchestra, and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson, Sara Bareilles, and Caroline Shaw). She is the Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice Instructor, and Director of the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at George Mason University. She is a former Washington, D.C. Air Force Band vocalist with the groups High Flight and the Airmen of Note, performing nationally and internationally, including in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. She has performed back-up vocals for nationally renowned recording artists Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, Bryan White, Lari White, Janie Frickie, Freda Payne, Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore, and Rita Coolidge, as well as for a televised performance behind Darlene Love on The Late Show with David Letterman.