AUNTIE KAREN ARTPRENEUR

Artists In The Schools

For the 2022-23 school year, the Auntie Karen Foundation provided full-time artists and Summer Camps throughout South Carolina.

Auntie Karen artists provided arts education in areas such as Music, Dance, Visual Art, Media, and more.

Rural School Outreach

Locations include rural schools in Williamsburg, Marion, Marlboro and Colleton Counties.

LEGENDS OF..2022 HIGHLIGHTS

The Auntie Karen Foundation presented the 18th Legends of...Concert on Friday, February 25, 2022, at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia, South Carolina. The Legends of…2022 Concert featured two award winning artists Jeffrey Osborne & Lalah Hathaway.

The two-day event. featured a Youth Master Class, in partnership with Richland School District One at CA Johnson High School and the 18th Legends of...Concert. The Opening Act was The Auntie Karen All-Star Band featuring The 7-Sunday Band.

The Auntie Karen Foundation is a global, non-profit in South Carolina whose mission is to create and implement a series of reproducible community outreach programs to empower, enlighten and educate through the arts. The Legends of Concert series is the signature fundraiser for the Auntie Karen Foundation, which strives to keep the legacy of African-American music alive.

The Auntie Karen Legends of...Master Class is a one day event in partnership with Richland County School District One and The University of South Carolina School of Music, where students from across the State have an opportunity to spend time with Grammy Award Winning Music Legends who headline the annual Auntie Karen Legends of...Concert.

In 2006, The Legends of... Master Class Series began at The University of South Carolina School of Music with Al Jarreau. Al shared his knowledge in the first Master Class with students from area middle schools, high schools and colleges. These students also attended the concert the following night. For most of the students, this was their first exposure to Al Jarreau and his music. Since then, students have had the honor of attending master classes with Patti Austin, Joe Sample, Rachelle Ferrell, Ashford & Simpson, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Ramsey Lewis, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight, Kirk Whalum, Lalah Hathaway, Jonathan Butler, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau again in 2016, Sheila E, Morris Day & The Time, The Isley Brothers, Peabo Bryson, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Williams and Jeffrey Osborne

Imagine playing the drums with Sheila E, jamming with Ernie Isley, scatting with Al Jarreau or listening to Ashford and Simpson share the inspiration behind many of their Motown hits. EXCITING!!! Well, students from rural communities and other districts across of the State of South Carolina have had those experiences and more at The Auntie Karen Foundation Annual Legends of…Concert and Master Class. This year’s class took place at AC Flora High School in Columbia, South Carolina on February 23, 2023.

Special thanks to our 2023 Master Class Sponsors!

Rhonda

Rosa

Hosted by The Official Media Sponsor WACH FOX 57

Welcome & Acknowledgements

Karen Alexander-Banks, Auntie Karen Foundation

Dara Khaalid, WACH FOX 57

Auntie Karen Presentation

Opening Performance

Auntie Karen All-Star Band

Partly Cloudy Band

Music Coordinators: Byron Counts & Tre’ Tailor

Intermisssion

Please support The Auntie Karen Foundation Virtual Silent Auction (closes at 8:45 PM)

Give Aways

Introduction of “A Tribute To Al Jarreau” Show

Performance

Kirk Whalum, Regina Belle, Chris Walker & Bob James

Tonight’s performance pays tribute to Alwin “Al” Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940-February 12, 2017). Al was an American singer and musician. Mr. Jarreau was a trailblazer in the jazz music world, with a career spanning over five decades. He won seven Grammy Awards and is known for his unique style that fused jazz, pop, and R&B. Jarreau’s immeasurable impact on the industry continues to inspire and influence musicians to this day.

Al Jarreau was the featured performer for the 2006 and 2016 Auntie Karen Legends of...Concerts and led the inaugural Auntie Karen master class at The University of South Carolina School of Music.

Painting “Al’s Heavenly View” by Raymond Burton

Proceeds benefit The Auntie Karen Foundation

A Tribute to Al Jarreau with Kirk Whalum, Regina Belle, Chris Walker & Bob James

Kirk Whalum (saxophonist)

Soulful, passionate, stirring...these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis, (TN) gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The ’80s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene––especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first #1 album. As well, Kirk and Bob received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in-demand session player for top artists like Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones, and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit “I Will Always Love You.”

Kirk soon followed that career high point with his phenomenal hit album released on Warner Bros. Records, For You, perhaps the most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date; others include his eclectic and much-lauded Gospel According to Jazz series (Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4). In addition to his many solo projects, Kirk was also a member of the popular soul/jazz group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” of the group with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar)..Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgments for his musical excellence, including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and has won two Stellar Awards-Gospel music’s highest honor. A twelve-time Grammy nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy award (2011) for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do”––featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside life-long friend and gifted songwriter Jerry Peters.

Regina Belle (vocalist)

Regina Belle is an Academy Award-winning and Multi Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress. She has a string of hits, including Make It Like It Was, If I Could, Baby Come To Me, and This Is Love. Regina Belle has made a career following her heart and moving gracefully between the worlds of R&B, Gospel, and Jazz.

This New Jersey native has earned distinction as an international treasure. Her luminous vocals on the Peabo Bryson duet, A Whole New World, (Grammy’s Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1994) solidified her place as music royalty.

Belle’s vocal abilities were demonstrated at a young age, with her first solo at the age of 8, at Friendship Baptist Church in New Jersey church pastored by her uncle, the late Dr. Fred M. Belle, Jr.. In 1985 Belle left Rutgers University, her senior year, just 15 credits shy of completing her degree, to go on the road with the Grammy Award, World Renown Group, THE MANHATTANS. She remained with them for two years before being spring boarded into her own career. Thirty years after leaving Rutgers and 10 albums later, Belle earned her Bachelors Degree in Africana Studies and a Minor in Music from Rutgers.

After releasing her first Gospel album in 2008, Love Forever Shines, with the hit single God Is Good, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This devastating news came at the height of her gospel career. After two surgeries and 10 months of rehabilitation, Belle found herself back at the top of her game, ready to take on the world.

A Tribute to Al Jarreau with Kirk Whalum, Regina Belle, Chris Walker & Bob James

Chris Walker (vocalist, composer, producer, musician)

It is most appropriate if there was anyone to continue the legacy of Al Jarreau; it’s Chris Walker, who served as Al Jarreau’s Musical Director, co-vocalist, and bassist for more than twenty years. In the summer of 2019, Walker released his homage to Jarreau: We’re In This Love Together – Celebrating Al Jarreau, which continues to receive rave reviews from both critics and fans alike. Almost all the musicians on the record and performing in the live shows worked with Jarreau.

Chris Walker’s first release First Time produced two top-five singles; “Giving You All My Love” and “Take Time,” which crossed over to become top 30 on the pop charts. His second release, entitled Sincerely Yours, included the classic song, “How Do You Heal A Broken Heart,” written by Chris and Carole Bayer Sager. It has received over 60 million views on YouTube. His former teacher, Gil Goldstein brought to fruition a longtime dream of Walker’s to work with 7-time Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau and continued working with him as his Musical Director, bassist, and co-vocalist until Jarreau’s passing in 2017.

Among other highlights in Chris Walker’s varied and ever evolving musical career include: Co-Executive Producer for “Bossa Nova Noites,” which produced shows for the USOC, French, German and Japanese Houses during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, featuring Daniel Jobim and Alexandra Jackson, being part of “Joined at the Hip;” a group with Bob James and Kirk Whalum, and performing regularly on Dave Koz’s cruises.

Bob James (pianist)

Keyboardist Bob James is a man who has worn many musical hats. He began as a progressive jazz pianist in the early ‘60s; he even recorded for the famed underground avant-garde label ESP. By the ‘70s, however, he’d incorporated electric keyboards and become a star in the burgeoning jazz-funk and fusion genres, making records later to be sampled by countless hip-hop artists. Along the way, he was also involved in the soundtracks for everything from Serpico to the TV show Taxi and worked as an arranger and producer for Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, and others. Later in his career, James has done everything from joining the smooth jazz supergroup Fourplay to recording commercially successful classical titles.

Since I Fell For You by Bob James and David Sanborn featuring the vocals from Al Jarreau, taken from the classic 1986 album ‘Double Vision’. The album spent 63 weeks on the Billboard charts, won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Jazz Fusion Performance’, and went on to sell a million copies. His latest release, Feel Like Making LIVE is a celebration of Bob’s unique artistry and reflects a storied career that stretches back 59 years. James is reunited with the piano trio format, which was how the Grammy-winning Missouri-born musician began his professional music career back in 1963.

Partly Cloudy

#PartlyCloudy Live Band Entertainment is comprised of three (3) outstanding ensembles: Christi Joy Band, #PartlyCloudy Band, and #PartlyCloudy Brass Band. The immense talents of the ensemble’s membership allows the group to wear many hats in every ensemble while covering a wide variety of music genres. Founder, lead vocalist, arranger and musician (MD) Clyde Frazier Ill, is a graduate of South Carolina State University (SCSU) with a BA in Music. This Orangeburg, SC native is the creative mind behind the magic of #PartlyCloudy. The soul singing diva Christi Joy (Sumter, SC) is the featured lead singer of the ensembles. A graduate in music from Charleston Southern University (CSU), her vocals are trained yet deeply rooted in soulful & southern gospel. Keyboardist Aaron Blaine (Lake City, SC) graduated with a music degree from SCSU, is the music arranger for the brass band ensemble. Desmond Scott (Columbia, SC) plays percussion for the stage ensembles and his talents in spoken word gives the group an added dimension. Scott also performs with the brass band and attended SCSU. Sousaphonist Garrick Rivers (Atlanta, GA), is a graduate of SCSU in music, and gives the ensembles a unique prescence. Deven Jenkins (Orangeburg, SC) is the groove behind the machine, playing drums and marching percussion with the ensembles.

For booking, call 803-747-2496 or email clydefrazier3@yahoo.com.

Allen University Jazz Ensemble

The Allen University Jazz Ensemble is comprised of a group of the University’s most skilled and talented students. Led by Dr. Joel Collier, the Allen University Jazz Ensemble performs a variety of jazz styles with specialties in funk and R&B.

For booking, please contact Angela Blalock Ablalock@allenuniversity.edu.

Brittany Turnipseed

For Brittany Turnipseed, music is more than an art form – it is life! Music is the portal through which Brittany explores her purpose and the world around her. You can find Brittany sharing her soulful, musical wonderland as a reoccurring featured artist at the Chayz Lounge in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. Most recently, Brittany has opened for Broadway great Melba Moore, and the R&B sensation Eric Roberson. As an experienced recording artist, Brittany has worked with several local artists and is completing her own musical project. Hearing Brittany sing is not just good listening, it’s an adventure through melody. Time spent under Brittany’s voice and musical stylings can best be described as a captivating journey through graceful melodies and entrancing storytelling.

For booking, call 803-201-7799 or email Batentertainmentllc@gmail.com.

Akiliah Renee

Akiliah Renee is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and inspirational artist whose distinctive style, confidence, and peaceful vibes attract all walks of life. She is known for her superpower to enchant diverse audiences with a fusion of neo-soul infused in jazz blended with a touch of gospel roots. The hypnotizing and pacifying sounds of her voice, merged with endless melodic tones, create a frequency of vibrations transforming the listener’s mind to a place of placidity.

At the tender age of five years old, the trajectory of her life changed when her parents enrolled her in piano lessons at Faith Cultural Academy under the instruction of the late Mrs. Barbara Hood. She earned several awards, performed numerous recitals, and became an accomplished classically-trained pianist.

Akiliah Renee composed, musically arranged, and released her first music single in the winter of 2020. Currently, she has four songs obtainable on all streaming platforms. Her mission is to create music that motivates listeners, provokes self-reflection, and cultivates positive change.

Akiliah Renee often says, “I’m not your average woman,” and she visibly lives up to this truism. On and off the stage, she empowers generations of women with the possibility to live a life anchored in truth. She is an example of a lady who walks in authenticity and wisdom. Her music career will be the pathway to influencing the world.

For booking, call 803-422-7900 or email Johnsonar57@yahoo.com.

Lady Marauder

Lady Marauder is not just a DJ, but a music enthusiast who believes music has the power to heal and bring immense joy in the darkest times. She began her journey in music growing up in the record shop her mother founded, The World Famous Pyramid Music, which is the oldest Black owned record store in the south. There, she witnessed her father host his daily radio show inside the shop and her mother expand the shop’s inventory beyond vinyl with various black cultural staples, which sparked her interest in vinyl records, the turntables and sharing her love for music at a young age.

She continues sharing her passion for the music through DJ-ing, plus honoring her mother & late father’s legacy, by keeping The World Famous Pyramid Music’s name alive through her unique pop up shops.

Her biggest accomplishments to date include DJ-ing the “James Brown Birthday Bash” and “Par 3 Party” for the Masters Golf Tournament, Augusta, GA, participating in the “Celebration Of Legends” (Chaka Khan/directed by Phillis Iller), pop ups for The National Hip Hop Museum (Washington, DC/ Induction Ceremony Atlanta, GA) & Rock The Bells “Remember The Rhyme Hip Hop History Month Celebration”.

You can currently find Lady Marauder at her monthly residence for “Dining In The Crates Atlanta”. She also serves as a resident DJ & Music Director for “Slow Drag”, a 70’s Soul Slow Jam Party based in Atlanta, GA and a resident DJ for various events at The Columbia Music of Arts in Columbia, SC.

For booking, call 404-593-4073 or email morevinyl4less@gmail.com.

19 Years of Showcasing Great South Carolina Talent

2004

Terence Young Musical Director 2005-2020

2013

Cheri Maree, Eric Glenn, Jeff Elmore, Antoine

Terence Young, Tyrone Mack, Edris Deago &

Brewer, Joe Jackson, Byron Counts,Sr, Jeremy

Terence Young, Regina Skeeters, Fred Burrell,

2011

Terence Young, Shameka Dwight, Tim Smalls, Superior Edwards, Rod King, John Hobbs & Jesse “JJ” Hinnant

2012

Terence Young, Jenna McSwain, Reggie Sullivan, Jermaine Jackson, Roderick Thomas & Chris Andrews

2022

7Sunday, Nouveau Riche, Jon Rooks

2023

Brittany Turnipseed, Akiliah Renee, Partly Cloudy, Lady Marauder, Allen University Jazz Ensemble

Musical Directors: Byron Counts, Sr. & Tre Tailor

Tremontenia Morgan - Gye Nyame Dance Ensemble

Vanessa English - European Wax Center

JEWELRY & ATTIRE

John Elliott & John Elliott Salon & Spa

Sergio Hudson - Clothing Designer

Elite Island Resorts

Antigua - Saint James Club

Pineapple Beach Club - Adults Only

Hammock Cove Resort & Spa - Adults Only

Panama - Los Establos Boutique Resort

Sports Memorabilia

A’Ja Wilson - WNBA Pro Basketball Player

*Alex English - NBA Pro Basketball Player & Coach

*Dawn Staley - WNBA Pro Basketball Player & USC Coach

Leo Mott Evans - NFL Pro Player & Announcer

* Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Auntie Karen Glam Squad Reunion

of stylish and affordable pieces that incorporated Hudson's signature aesthetic.

One of Hudson's most significant accomplishments is his appearance on the 2021 Presidential Inauguration Day. Former First Lady Michelle Obama wore a stunning purple coat and dress designed by Hudson, which gained widespread attention and praise for its elegance and timeless style. Hudson has also been a fixture at New York Fashion Week, presenting his collections to critical acclaim. His shows are known for their high energy, striking visuals, and impeccable craftsmanship. In short, Sergio Hudson is a fashion designer who has made a name for himself through his unique blend of sophistication, glamour, and attention to detail. With a client list that includes some of the most powerful and influential women in the world, a growing presence in the retail market, and support from foundations like The Auntie Karen Foundation, Hudson's star is sure to continue rising in the years to come.