News

Alumni Happenings

Nov 30- Dec 13, 2022

Congratulations to 2023 Grammy nominees Terrace Martin (1997 saxophone), Robert Glasper
(1997 piano), and Ambrose Akinmusire (2000 trumpet)! Martin’s Drones was nominated for
Best Progressive R&B Album; Glasper’s Black Radio III for Best R&B Album and for Best
Engineered Album, Non-Classical; and Akinmusire’s “Rounds (Live)” for Best Improvised Jazz
Solo. Akinmusire’s solo is from his guest appearance on drummer Terri Lyne Carrington’s new
Standards Vol. 1, which is also nominated for a Grammy, for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. The
65th Grammy Awards show will air on February 5, 2023 from LA’s Crypto.com Arena, so mark
your calendars and root for these VJW alumni!

Performances

Robert Glasper (see lead item, above) performs consecutive-night shows at City Winery in
Chicago on November 30, December 1, and December 2; then is joined by his 1997 Workshop
classmate Terrace Martin (saxophone) for a December 8 gig at The Novo in LA. And Ambrose
Akinmusire (see lead item, above) performs consecutive-night shows at the Blue Note in NYC
on December 2 and 3.

2008 trumpet alum Benny Benack III is on stage at Dizzy’s in NYC with the Ulysses Owens Jr. Big
Band November 30 and December 1, and again on December 4 after accompanying singer
Stella Cole in a holiday show at Chris’s Jazz Café in Philadelphia on December 2 and 3. Benack
also accompanies singer Dominique Bianco for an EP release show at Keystone Korner in
Baltimore on December 7. He does another holiday show at Joye of Jazz in Aiken SC on
December 9, and another – “From New York with Love” – at Straz Center in Tampa FL on
December 10.

Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (2007 saxophone) performs with trumpeter Chris Botti on November 30
at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville and on December 2 and 3 at the Birchmere
in Alexandria VA.

Holiday In, a swinging twist on holiday classics presented at the California Center for the Arts in
Escondido CA on December 1, features trumpeter Alphonso Horne (2004). Horne also appears at Drizzy’s (NYC) on December 7, with alum colleagues Bryan Carter (2007 drums) and Philip
Norris (2016 bass), in Carter’s band’s performance of A Swangin’ Christmas. Speaking of Carter,
the new musical “Some Like It Hot,” which he co-orchestrated, opens on Broadway (NYC) at the
Shubert Theatre on December 11.

Bassist Raviv Markovitz (2008) performs in the Sam Dillon Quartet on December 2 at Room 623
in NYC.

Pianist Sullivan Fortner (2002) performs in the Peter Bernstein Quartet at Birdland (NYC) on
December 2 and 3, and solo at The Menil Collection in Houston on December 5 and 6.

2002 piano alum Gerald Clayton gives a solo performance on December 3 at the Community
School of Music and Arts in Mountain View CA.

Saxophonist Grace Kelly (2008) has gigs with South African singer Jonathan Butler on December
3 at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor CA, on December 9 at the Buffalo State Performing Arts
Center in Buffalo NY, and on December 10 at the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts in New
Haven CT.

Trumpeter Anthony Hervey (2014) performs in the Eyal Vilner Big Band Holiday Concert on
December 4 and 5 in the Rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum in NYC.

2018 saxophone alum Coby Petricone-Berg performs with guitarist David Rourke and singer
Aayushi Karnik at Pianos in NYC on December 11.

Recordings 

Lauren Falls (2003 bass) has a new album out, A Little Louder Now. Listen to the title track.

2006 piano alum Noah Kellman’s debut single, “Back Cycles,” from a forthcoming album,
features fellow alumni Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (2007) on tenor saxophone and Corey Fonville
(2006) on drums; listen here.

Pianist Eddie Palmieri’s new ensemble, Sonido Solar, with brothers Luques Curtis (2000) on
bass and Zaccai Curtis (1999) on piano, has released its debut self-titled album. Check them out
here, on “Almendra.”

Vocalist Judy Niemack’s new album, What’s Love?, features pianist Sullivan Fortner (2002).
Listen to “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

Matt Brewer (2000) plays acoustic and electric bass on drummer Dafnis Prieto’s latest release,
Cantar. Listen to him here on “The Muse.”

Recognitions, Awards & Other Items of Note

Robert Glasper (see lead item, above) has been selected as Honoree for Music Artist of the Year
by Adcolor, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of professionals of color within creative
industries, in its just-announced 16th annual Adcolor Awards. Congratulations, Robert!

Chief Adjuah, aka Christian Scott (2001 trumpet), is the face of auto company BMW’s new XM
(it’s new vehicle model) campaign. Congratulations, Chief Adjuah!