BRATTLEBORO-Each year, the Vermont Jazz Center presents its Emerging Artist Festival, to celebrate the impact of youth in jazz. On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1 and 2, those influences will be on full display as the VJC will present 11 student groups, plus a clinic and concert, with one of today's most dynamic young singers, Ekep Nkwelle.
The public is encouraged to attend and support the presentations of young talent, along with Nkwelle's headliner concert.
The 24-year-old Cameroonian American jazz vocalist has carved her musical path along the vibrant streets of Washington, D.C. to the heart of New York City's jazz scene - from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts to Howard University and Juilliard's graduate program in jazz.
Nkwelle has performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a featured artist and sung for audiences in iconic venues nationwide including Radio City Music Hall, the Library of Congress, Blues Alley Jazz, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Strathmore.
She has performed at the Newport, Montclair, Hudson, and DC jazz festivals as well. A handful of jazz luminaries with whom she has sung include Russell Malone, Cyrus Chestnut, Emmet Cohen, and Endea Owens.
In 2023, Nkwelle was nominated by Wynton Marsalis to receive the Juilliard Career Advancement Grant; this recognition was soon followed by her performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. Nkwelle was chosen by Dee Dee Bridgewater to participate in her exclusive, all-women artistic residency, the Woodshed Network. As one of Jazz at Lincoln Center's newest rising stars, Ekep Nkwelle is poised to shape the future of Jazz.
Students will come from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont to participate in the event, which begins on Nov. 1, with youth jazz ensembles performing at the 118 Elliot gallery and continuing at the Vermont Jazz Center on Nov. 2, with student groups starting at 11 a.m. Student events are open to the public by donation (free to youth attendees).
Come and support young musicians; their excitement for performing together is palpable.
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Here's the tentative schedule of student performances:
• Friday, Nov. 1: Keene State College, 5:15 p.m.; Northfield Mount Hermon Honors Ensemble, 6 p.m.; VJC Young Lions Trio (Archer Parks, Bella Hartmann, Sam Lazzaro), 6:45 p.m.; Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School Jazz, Pop, R&B Ensemble, 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 2: UMass Jazz Ensemble 1, 11 to 11:30 a.m.; UMass Jazz Ensemble 2, 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; Northfield Mount Hermon Jazz Trio, 12:30 to 1 p.m., Amherst College - Hypatia Ensemble, 1:15 to 1:45 p.m.; VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.; Brattleboro Union High School Madrigals (jazz vocal group), 2:30 to 3 p.m.; Brattleboro Union High School Instrumental Jazz Band, 3:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Nkwelle and her quartet (Luther Allison, piano; Liany Mateo, bass; Anwar Marshall, drums) will present a master class at 4 p.m. on Saturday followed by a 7:30 p.m. concert.
The master class is for all musicians and community members interested in how a jazz quartet functions, especially with a vocalist as a leader. Nkwelle will discuss the power of listening and how the interactions of each musician in her quartet affect the overall essence of the performance. These clinics often include the participation of the young area musicians who have just performed.
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In-person tickets for the Nov. 2 featured artist concert are offered on a sliding-fee scale from $25 to $60 per person; all seating is general admission. Participating students may attend for free.
In-person tickets are available at vtjazz.org or by calling the Vermont Jazz Center ticket line at 802-254-9088, ext. 1. Contact Eugene Uman, director, at [email protected] for educational group discounts.
Access is available for people with mobility needs. Call 802-254-9088, ext. 2, and leave a message with your phone number and estimated time of arrival.
The online streaming of Nkwelle's concert is open to the public. We ask those tuning in to donate to support the costs of providing world-class music and educational programs at the VJC. Access to the livestream can be found on our website and our Facebook page.
The VJC thanks sponsors Julian Gerstin and Carlene Raper for their years of support and friendship. Gerstin is the board president and is one of the fundamental members of the VJC team. Raper is a fabric artist whose work is featured at the VJC performance venue.
Eugene Uman is director of the Vermont Jazz Center. The Commons' Deeper Dive column gives artists, arts organizations, and other nonprofits elbow room to write in first person and/or be unabashedly opinionated, passionate and analytical about their own creative work and events.
This Arts column was submitted to The Commons.