VOCALIST KRISTIN CALLAHAN BRINGS “SPRING FEVER” TO BALTIMORE

In the flush of Maryland spring, a vibrant young vocalist brings her talents to one of Baltimore’s premier jazz venues. “Her music is often hypnotic and thus compelling,” says Rob Lester, of Talkin’ Broadway. Don Wolff, of I Love Jazz radio says, “Kristin Callahan is a talented, new, young, fresh and beautiful voice in jazz.” And Marianne Matheny-Katz, writing for the Baltimore Jazz Alliance, says Callahan’s voice is somewhat “reminiscent of Astrud Gilberto, but she has her own distinct voice and point of view.” Callahan will perform at An die Musik Live on Friday, April 29, 2016. Accompanying Ms. Callahan will be Thad Wilson (trumpet), Shawn Purcell (guitar), Jeff Reed (bass), and Dante Pope (drums). All four boast glittering musical resumes and bring impressive talents to the performance.

Trumpeter Thad Wilson has played with many renowned jazz artists; he has toured the world and performed in numerous jazz festivals. Building his career in his native New Jersey, then New York City and Atlanta, Wilson finally landed in DC, where he has formed the Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra and teaches at George Washington University. He has become a major figure in the D.C. jazz scene as an innovative artist, educator, composer and bandleader.

Guitarist Shawn Purcell has likewise shared the stage with many of the world’s top jazz artists, and toured the world (1996-2004) with the Airmen of Note. In 2013, he became guitarist with the U.S. Navy Band’s Commodores jazz ensemble based in Washington D.C A number of jazz orchestras have commissioned him to write original works. He has taught at several universities in the eastern United States. He currently teaches at George Mason University in Northern Virginia.

Baltimore bassist Jeff Reed has played in almost every major venue in Washington, D.C. Baltimore, throughout the East Coast, internationally in 30 countries. He plays often with the Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra, which performed in the Cairo Jazz Festival last October. Reed teaches acoustic and electric bass at Towson University and Howard Community College.

Chicago native Dante’ Pope is a multi-genre drummer and vocalist who blends his gospel roots with a soulful swing that has been showcased all around the country. He teaches music at Two Rivers Public Charter School, in Washington, D.C. and is an artist in resident at Bloombars, an arts- based non-profit.

The program includes “The Summer Knows” (Bergman and Legrand) which became popular in the 1971 coming-of-age film, Summer of ’42. (Callahan likes the way that the tune flows from a minor key to a major.) Also on the program is “Peel Me a Grape, “ a sassy 1962 David Frishberg tune stating a hard-to-please woman’s demands to her lover. Callahan will also deliver her own rendition of the poignant 1936 Rogers and Hart tune “Glad to Be Unhappy,” reminding us that, regardless of the season, love isn’t always easy.