info@lakeannajazz.org
Everleigh Vineyards & Brewing Co. – Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet
Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet
Everleigh Vineyards and Lake Anna Jazz are thrilled to welcome the world-famous touring and recording artists known as Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet. This group, established in Richmond Virginia in the 1980s and reconstituted in the Washington D.C. area, consists of four remarkable vocalists backed by a trio of accomplished instrumentalists. They are Holly Shockey, Robert McBride, Roger Reynolds, and the group’s leader and arranger, Ginny Carr Goldberg.
Saxophonist Richie Cole, who worked extensively with The Manhattan Transfer and had been featured on their Grammy-winning albums, declared UVJQ “My new discovery, the whole package.” A fan of jazz vocal harmonies and a prolific songwriter himself, Cole invited Carr to arrange his own songs for UVJQ and work with him on a recording featuring their collective original songs. Their collaborative release “Vocal Madness” was a high-flying, original songbook performed by the power ensemble of Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet and their rhythm section, with guest Richie Cole on sax.
The group performs a variety of styles for this event, focusing on songs from their award-winning Christmas-themed album, “Fools for Yule.”
The Band
Alan Blackman – Piano
Alan is a Baltimore-based pianist and award-winning composer. Recent performances have been with Donny McCaslin, Joe Locke, Ferenc Nemeth, Mike Pope, Warren Wolf, Tim Green, Alex Norris, and Sunna Gunnlaugs among others. Arrangements and performances of his music have been featured on NBC’s Parenthood, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, as well as Stephen King’s movie, 1408.
Max Muray – Bass
Max Murray is a bassist and composer who has played with many jazz artists, such as Tulio Araujo, Kate Wyatt, Miguel Zenón, and Bruce Barth. Max lives in Annapolis, Maryland, but spends much of the year touring, performing at clubs all along the Atlantic Coast, or working as an in-demand bassist for major theatrical productions.
Frank Russo – Drums
Frank Russo joyfully paints colorful soundscapes with his highly skilled, passionate, musical drumming. He’s an in-demand performer, recording artist and educator who currently resides in Maryland and teaches at Towson University. He is also an artist/educator for Bosphorus Cymbals, MD Drums and The Vic Firth Education Team. Raised in the NYC area, Frank was steeped in the rich musical heritage of the jazz legends at an early age and carriers on the legacy of a musical family.
