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The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee presents: Black Music: A Celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month
June 22 @ 7:30 pm
Come out for an evening of music and culture as The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee celebrates African American Music Month at The Ned! Saturday, June 22, at 7:30pm! Featuring Classical Music by the Black Cat Duo, Andrea Nicole and Dylan Griffith, and Jazz Music by The Stephen Lee Quartet!
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter designated June as Black Music Appreciation Month to celebrate African American musical influences that comprise an essential part of our nation’s tresured cultural heritage. This year The Jazz Foundation of West Tennessee focuses on classical music with The Black Cat Duo and jazz from Steven M. Lee.
Black Cat Duo: Dylan Griffith is a classically trained, multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer and music educator. With over 20 years of musical experience, Dylan has exercised her commitment to the arts, serving as a music professor and the musical director for the C.A.M.A. program at Tennessee State University . She has studied and performed in Paris, France and Grumo, Italy. She obtained her B.A. at Spelman College, her M.M. in music education at Belmont University and is currently working on her M.M. and D.M.A in piano performance at the Rudy Schiedt School of Music at the University of Memphis. Dylan is an assistant professor of music and collaborative piano at Lane College. Andrea Nicole excels in both jazz vocal and classical piano. In 2023, she embarked on her first jazz tour in the Los Angeles area. She performs extensively across the southern U.S. and is equally adept on the piano whether its gospel, jazz classical or Broadway tunes. Andrea is currently working on her new album in her hometown of Nashville.
Steven M. Lee: Is the Founder/Artistic and Executive Director of the Memphis Jazz Workshop, a nonprofit that provides music intensives and unparalleled guidance for middle and high school students. He has an undergraduate degree in Jazz Performance from City College University in New York City. A Masters in Education fro Freed Hardeman University and has been in the education sector in the city of Memphis since 2010. He has performed with Gregory Porter, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Kirk Whalum, Esperanza Spalding, Warren Wolf and many more. Lee has been nominated for a Stellar Award and a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellowship. He is the recipient of the Rhythm of Gospel Award, WC Handy Award, Jimmie Lunceford Award and most recently the Eddy Award , presented by the Circle of Friends and Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
