Celebrating the Centennial Birthday of Saxophonist Gigi Gryce

Vocalist Alexis Cole Trio Performs with Narration by Jazz Historian and Author Noal Cohen

Saturday, November 8, 2–4pm

Alexis Cole has been compared to classic jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. A Top Winner of the Jazzmobile Vocal Competition judged by jazz icons TS Monk, Catherine Russell, Grady Tate, and Dr. Billy Taylor, 3rd prize winner in the Montreux Jazz Vocal Competition, and a finalist in the Sarah Vaughan Competition, Alexis has a dozen albums to her credit on Motéma, Chesky, Venus Records, and Zoho. She has recorded with such artists as Fred Hersch, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Don Braden. She’s been a soloist with the Boston Pops, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has headlined at clubs around the US and Asia.

As an educator, Alexis was the head of vocal jazz at the conservatory at SUNY Purchase and counts Grammy-winning Samara Joy and rising star Anaïs Reno as her students. She is the founder and director of JazzVoice.com (https://www.jazzvoice.com/), an online educational community featuring singing classes, professional development sessions, and private lessons from a roster of renowned jazz vocalists and educators. And she is co-founder of the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit (https://www.vocaljazzsummit.org/). Her most recent release, “Jazz Republic: Taiwan, The United States and the Freedom of Swing,” features original arrangements for big band and orchestra, performed by Alexis with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra.

Noal Cohen, jazz historian and co-author of Rat Race Blues, the story of Gigi Gryce, will narrate the program and share his knowledge of Gigi Gryce, a highly appreciated jazz saxophonist who had a surprising career. Come and learn all about it!