Liner Notes

Deborah Smith, a trombonist, performer, composer/arranger, educator, student, and bandleader, hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, discovered her passion for the trombone at age 13 in her middle school band program. Immersed…

Shanelle Gabriel is a spoken word poet, singer, lupus warrior, and educator from Brooklyn, NY who has toured the globe. Widely known for featuring on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, she…

KAVITA SHAH - POETRY Kavita Shah is an award-winning vocalist, composer, researcher, and educator who makes work in deep engagement with the jazz tradition, while also addressing and advancing its…

One of jazz music’s best-kept secrets and least-appreciated performers, Andy Bey made his musical debut as a teenager in New York and Paris, proving himself a talented instrumentalist with a…

A Philadelphia native, Bethlehem has been singing since she was a child – singing by herself and vocalizing with her musical cousins. Performing around the region for over 15 years,…

PAT METHENY Born in Kansas City on August 12, 1954 into a musical family. Starting on trumpet at the age of 8, Metheny switched to guitar at age 12. By…

Toni Washingtin Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Producer is a native of Pittsburgh PA who has made Philly her home for many years. Toni is a giver who believes in working to…

Wayne Shorter is a jazz saxophonist and composer who has played with some of the most important jazz musicians of the past half century, including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and…

Michel Petrucciani was a celebrated jazz pianist who was born on December 28, 1962, in Orange, France. Petrucciani was born with osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease which caused him…

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March…