Jazz & Blues Florida August 2023 Issue

EKEP NKWELLE

The meaning of Ekep Nkwelle’s name (pronounced Eh-kep In-kweh-leh) perfectly describes her: a gift. Her rich, soulful voice soars to deliver timeless messages to audiences with power and confidence. To develop and master her talent, the Washington, DC-born, Cameroonian-American vocalist has trained at world-renowned institutes including Duke Ellington High School of the Arts, Howard University (BA) and The Juilliard School (MM).

At Howard, she trained with master jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut. With his guidance, Nkwelle tapped into the blues as an essential language for story-telling. The two would go on to perform together at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York and record a duet of the late DC saxophonist, Buck Hill’s “The Sad Ones” (with lyrics written by Nkwelle to Buck Hill’s tenor saxophone solo). She was the lead soloist for four years with Howard University’s premier vocal jazz ensemble Afro Blue. Honoring the legacy of Donny Hathaway, Afro Blue released his classic song “This Christmas” on December 9, 2020 – 50 years from the initial release date. In keeping with their signature “vocal big band” sound, Afro Blue sings a swinging a cappella version with the clever use of Hathaway’s instrumental riffs with vocal improvisations from Nkwelle and Tyree Austin. The group’s documentary Afro Blue: A Year In The Life was voted Best DC Film 2020 at the DC Black Film Festival. Nkwelle was also noted for her performances with the trio group The Soul Sistas, and collaborations continued after moving from the nation’s capital to New York City.

She has performed with such venerable artists as classical pianist Lang Lang at Radio City Music Hall, and The Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra as well as jazz masters Russell Malone and Peter Washington at The Library of Congress. She also plays and travels extensively with powerhouse jazz bassist and rising star Endea Owens. Ekep has graced the stages of The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Dizzy’s Jazz Club, The Carr Center, and The Strathmore, among others. She has appeared at multiple jazz festivals and events, including International Jazz Day, Hudson Jazz Festival, Jazz on the Narrows (opening for Cecile McLorin Salvant), and DC Jazz Fest (opening for Regina Carter). This month, she will be featured on Endea Owens and The Cookout’s set at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Her achievements include being one of only 15 students inducted into the highly selective 2023 Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship, bestowed through nomination by Wynton Marsalis and Juilliard Jazz assistant director Dr. Aaron Flagg. In 2022, she performed on NPR’s Music’s Tiny Desk concert series, singing her arrangement of Geri Allen’s “Timeless Portraits & Dreams.” That year, Nkwelle placed First Runner-Up in The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition, ahead of

NKWELLE

almost 300 contestants representing 27 countries. She has also secured a coveted spot in triple Grammy and Tony Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater’s The Woodshed Network artist residency program for Women in Jazz.

AUGUST 17

CORAL GABLES CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH CORAL GABLES

Nkwelle recently launched a gofundme to assist with recording her debut album for its release early next year. “With this album, I plan to unveil my sound to the world and make my strides into jazz history,” she says. “Having very few female, West African, jazz musicians to look up to, there is no better time than now to begin inspiring women and West African creatives to work hard, persevere, and believe in themselves.” She goes on to explain, “I hope to be a part of the promising future of jazz, and with my artistry, I strive to display my passion for Black music, history and culture to people all over the world.”

Nkwelle has become one of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s latest rising stars. Through her in-demand artistry, Nkwelle shares her passion for Black music, history and culture with listeners worldwide. For this CAP Summer Concert Series event, she’ll be joined by Luther Allison/piano, Jason Clotter/bass, Hank Allen-Barfield/drums. More at ekepnkwelle.com

Kenny Neal

One of the strongest modern proponents of Baton Rouge swamp blues, Kenny Neal is a second-generation southern Louisiana bluesman fully cognizant of the region’s venerable blues tradition, with the imagination to steer it in fresh directions. No less than Slim Harpo gave three-year-old Neal his first harmonica, and by age 17 he was playing bass for Buddy Guy. Neal recruited some of his talented siblings to form the Neal Brothers Blues Band in Toronto before returning stateside. In 1987, Neal cut his debut LP for Florida producer Bob Greenlee, initially released as Bio on the Bayou, then reissued the following year as Big News from Baton Rouge!! His sizzling guitar work, sturdy harp, and gravelly, aged-beyond-his-years vocals served him well, and he cut four albums between 1989 and 1994. An acclaimed 1991 Broadway stint in a production of Mule Bone found him performing acoustic versions of Langston Hughes’ poetry set to music by Taj Mahal. After another eight albums, Neal released Bloodline in 2016. It was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album and won 2017 Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album and for Best Contemporary Male Blues Artist. In 2019 Neal launched his new Booga Music label. The label’s flagship release was Brody Buster’s One Man Band, whom Neal signed and recorded after judging his performance at a recent International Blues Challenge. Neal continues to impress, as evidenced by his 2019 win and 2022 nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Male Artist BMA. More at kenny neal.net

Leesa Richards

AUGUST 4

SANDRELL RIVERS THEATER MIAMI

As a part of Miami’s vibrant music scene, singer/songwriter Leesa Richards is helping to shape and define its evolving sound. She has performed with a slate of powerhouse artists including Faith Hill, The Bee Gees, Kelly Clarkson, Gloria Estefan, and Carole King, and recorded with Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz, among other artists. Her debut solo album, 2003’s Mother’s Child, tells a universal story of love and loss with a rich blend of soulful ballads, rock and R&B that showcases her gifts as a songwriter. Richards grew up in music-rich Detroit and started showing an inclination toward the arts at a very early age. “My parents listened to a lot of jazz and I would record myself over and over singing along to Nancy Wilson records,” she says. But when she saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she knew she wanted to be a dancer. She graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in dance and began her career on stage performing with a variety of dance companies. She began honing her vocal chops with soul greats Gerald Austin and Peabo Bryson and contemporary soul maverick Dionne Farris. Her first world tour was as a dancer with legendary singer Whitney Houston after which she earned the role of Mary Magdalene in a national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, earning critical acclaim which led to featured performances throughout the United States and Europe. Find her on Facebook

The Lee Boys

One of America’s finest African-American sacred steel ensembles, The Lee Boys grew up in the church where their father was a pastor and a steel player himself. Sacred steel is described as a unique and inspired musical genre rooted in gospel, but infused with a hard-driving blues beat and elements of jazz, R&B, rock, funk, and more. When The Lee Boys take the stage, audiences instantly recognize that this is not “sitting and listening” music: dancing, shouting out, and having fun are considered essential parts of their tradition.

The three Lee brothers – Alvin, Derrick and Keith – along with nephews Alvin Cordy Jr. and Earl Walker, founded the band in 2001. Another nephew, Roosevelt Collier was added to the mix on their 2005 debut recording, Say Yes. The band has since performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, and at more than 100 major festival performances, including headline stops at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. In December 2008, the band’s national television debut on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien had the host jumping out of his chair and raving about the band. While their last studio CD was 2012’s Testify, The Lee Boys – Live On The East Coast was released in 2019. The live disc was recorded at three shows, including one in their non-family member

Chris Johnson taking over the pedal steel chair for Collier. More at lee boys.com.

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AARON BESSANT AMPHITHEATER PANAMA CITY BEACH

Melvin Smith

A skilled artist and musician from his youth, jazz and gospel saxophonist Melvin Smith has played with many top acts in sacred and secular music including Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Oleta Adams and BeBe Winans. Smith performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival – as a thirteen-year-old – and later at Lincoln Center. Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Smith sang in the church choir in elementary school, and started playing instru ments at age 12. Short-lived stints with clarinet and flute led Smith to the saxophone, and his music-loving parents encouraged their son to pursue his musical talent. When his junior high school jazz band performed at Montreux, it changed the teen’s life. A scholarship to Berklee College of Music led to a BA in Professional Music. He continued his education at City of New York – Queens College, where he received his MA in Perfor mance – Jazz Studies. While in New York City, Smith recorded several solo projects, and upon returning to Jacksonville he stepped into the studio again. Initially, he was a featured guest on other artists’ recordings, but eventually debuted as a solo artist with 2007’s Portrait. His seventh and latest release Perseverance finds him alternating tenor and soprano horns, showcasing his talents on a charming mix of originals and creative covers. As a music educator, Smith has taught students at several schools in New York and Jacksonville, training the next generation of music leaders. More at melvinsmithsax.com

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NEFJA SUMMER

JAZZ FEST

DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE PALM COAST

Devon Allman

Singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and producer

Devon Allman spent his early years dividing time between his home state of Texas, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri. Raised by his mother, it wasn’t until he was 16 that he first met his famous father, Gregg. Gregg invited his musically-inclined son on the road with The Allman Brothers Band, during the group’s Dreams tour in the summer of 1989, where he first met fellow ABB progeny Berry Duane Oakley and Duane Betts. He would occasionally sit in with the Band, often performing “Midnight Rider” alongside his father. He founded Devon Allman’s Honeytribe in 1999, recording two albums and touring the world intermittently over the next decade. In 2011, Allman paired with Cyril Neville to form Royal Southern Brotherhood. The supergroup released a trio of albums, won a Blues Music Award, and culminated their world tour with an appearance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Concurrently, Allman was cultivating a prolific solo career, issuing Turquoise in 2013 and Ragged & Dirty in 2014, garnering critical acclaim and high-flying Billboard positions, including the top spot on the Blues chart for 2016’s Ride or Die. In 2017, Allman assembled the Devon Allman Project, commencing a 2018-19 world tour with Duane Betts as a special guest. He and Betts then formed the Allman Betts Band, reuniting with Oakley and releasing two CDs to date. Another current project is the Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter

See it All American Tour, where they will attempt an official world record of playing 50 shows in 50 states in less than 50 days. See history being made! More at allmanbettsband. com.

FROM A PHOTO BY KAELAN BAROWSKY

Negroni’s Trio

AUGUST 26

MIAMI DADE

After enjoying a phenomenal response to their previous album