Beyond Jazz - Part II- PAD Showcase SESSION
Welcome to Week Six (6) of the PAD Showcase SESSIONS! Together, we celebrate jazz—a music born from innovation, resilience, and a deep desire for self-expression.
Blending African rhythms, spirituals, blues, and ragtime, jazz created something entirely new—a music that gave voice to life’s joys, struggles, and everything in between. What set jazz apart from the start was improvisation—the ability for musicians to reinvent melodies in real time, making each performance unique.
—Drew Tucker
Meet the host: Drew Tucker
Photo courtesy of the artist
Drew Tucker is a Vibraphonist, studio musician, clinician, and Director of the Jazz Road program at South Arts. He's recorded and performed with renowned artists such as Shaun Martin, Norah Jones, Victor Wooten, Cory Wong, and Diana Krall, as well as classical and contemporary giants worldwide. Drew has contributed to the growth and development of numerous youths nationally, and has composed, arranged, and taught for competitive academic and professional groups, including Bands Of America and Drum Corps International World Championships finalists. He is a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, tours with regional hip hop and jazz artists, and leads several of his own musical projects.
Meet the Artists
Jamison Ross
Photo credit: Catherine Hancock
Jamison Ross is a GRAMMY-nominated Soul artist whose music emanates from the intersection of R&B, gospel, and blues supported by modern production – contemporary Soul. Jamison’s most recent project is his first Affective Music release and is influenced by some of history’s greatest Soul singers, including Marvin Gaye, Rance Allen, and Al Green.
A native of Jacksonville, FL, Jamison honed his talent studying at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, before attending Florida State University and then on to the University of New Orleans, where he earned a Master of Music. Shortly after graduating, Jamison released his debut album, Jamison (2015), earning his first GRAMMY nomination.
In 2019, Jamison and business partner, David S. Hargrett founded Affective Music, a Soul music-focused record label and management company dedicated to defining the sound of Soul for this era. Later that year, the label released Mykal Kilgore’s debut single, Let Me Go, produced by Jamison, earning his second GRAMMY nomination.
Delbert Anderson Quartet
Photo credit: Nouveau Productions
Delbert Anderson Quartet is led by Navajo(Diné) Jazz Trumpeter and Composer, Delbert Anderson. He is both a leader and innovator in today's contemporary Jazz scene and a Diné culture bearer. His work brings forth traditional Diné songs once sung in Diné social circles called "spinning songs," and captures their voice in the language of jazz and funk. Through the support of visionary multi-cultural Jazz fusion drummer Khalill Brown, pianist Robert Muller and bassist Mike McCluhan, Anderson builds safe havens for Diné melodies to converse with various styles and pathways for expression. In all their forms, compositions are guided by the time-immemorial Diné principles of Hózhó-harmony, beauty and balance with self, other and nature and K’é or kinship. In this way, Anderson connects across genre and culture, all the while, remaining steadfast in a signature sound that is as strong as the centuries of traditions it was built upon.
Rini
Photo credit: Mukesh Babu
Chennai born, New Jersey Based Harini ‘Rini’ Raghavan brings strains of ancient Southern India to the clubs of modern day metropolis with a powerful electronic fusion sound creating her own version of ‘Indian Electronica’. Rini draws from her formal training in Carnatic music and work at Berklee College of Music, to create epic music that sways a heroic overture, a catchy bhangra riff transposed to trip-hop, knifes-edge Middle Eastern themes, a menacing, wah-driven psychedelia and a galloping mini-raga. Backed by a dynamic band, she has released 3 albums and 2 EPs that have won an Independent Award nomination and a feature in Rolling Stone India. Rini is also a part of the Grammy nominated album 'Shuruaat' by The Berklee Indian Ensemble.
Jalen Baker
Photo courtesy of the artist
Jalen Baker, born in Washington DC and raised in Houston, Tx, is a vibraphonist, percussionist, educator, and composer whose early training involved both classical and jazz genres. He decided early on to focus on Jazz and in May 2017 received his BA in Jazz Studies from Columbia College Chicago. While matriculating at Columbia College Jalen studied with percussionist Jarrett Hicks. He distinguished himself as a jazz vibraphonist and received several accolades including outstanding soloist at both the Notre Dame and Elmhurst Jazz Festivals and was one of two students chosen to represent Columbia at the Arcevia Jazz Festival in Arcevia, Italy. While in Chicago Jalen was also an active musician playing in various venues around town with the Jarrard Harris Quartet, The Dod Kalm Quartet, as well as leading his own group at venues such as The Jazz Showcase. He was also chosen to be a member of the Chicago Next Gen All-stars by the Chicago Jazz Institute.
Gayelynn McKinney
Photo courtesy of the artist
Michela Marino Lerman is a celebrated tap dance artist, musician, improviser, choreographer, and educator, celebrated for her dynamic performances and innovative approach to the art of tap dance. Her work primarily explores the intersection of tap and music, particularly jazz, positioning tap not only as dance but also as a significant form of music . Recognized by Downbeat Magazine as “jazz’s premier tap dancer” and described by The New York Times as “an outstanding jazz musician,” she has garnered widespread acclaim for her contributions to both fields.
The Huffington Post has referred to her as a “hurricane of rhythm.” She has been highlighted multiple times in The New York Times, including being featured in T Magazine alongside her mentor and dear friend Anna Deavere Smith who recognized her as her artistic heir. Quincy Jones has also praised her as an “absolute tap dancing star who knows her roots.”
American Patchwork Quartet
Photo credit: Jack Randall
NYC-based American Patchwork Quartet (APQ) is on a mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music. Grammy-winning vocalist Falu Shah, two-time Grammy-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, three-time Grammy-winning drummer Clarence Penn, and Grammy-nominated bassist Yasushi Nakamura showcase the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America’s past. APQ draws on a repertoire of centuries-old American folk songs that highlight America’s immigrant roots. They showcase America’s dynamic present by combining the diverse talents of four U.S. citizens, each with a unique cultural background. In this quartet, old songs are made new through creative arrangements that highlight the exceptional and well-honed skills of each band member.