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ABOUT OUR FESTIVAL SCHOLAR AND GUEST ARTISTS:  

 

Dr. Carlos D. Altagracia Espada, Director and Researcher, is Professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo and a lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at the same university. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and Letters with a concentration in History from the University of Puerto Rico. In addition, he has a diploma in the History of Western Mexico from the Colegio de Jalisco. He is the author of the books: The Body of the Homeland: Intellectuals, Geographic Imagination and Landscape of the Border in the Dominican Republic during the Era of Trujillo and The Utopia of a Perfectly Governed Territory: Fear and Power in the Time of Miguel de La Torre, Puerto Rico 1822-1837. He has given lectures at universities in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. His interests revolve around the Hispanic Caribbean, the geographic-historical imagination, biopolitics, and practices of exclusion.

Described as a “national pride” (Dominican Republic Jazz Festival), as “vibrant, passionate music” (JAZZIZ), and as “full of creative energy and the joy of musical discovery” (All About Jazz), the Dominican Jazz ProjectDesde Lejos CD won two awards at the 2023 Premios Indie Dominicanos (Dominican Indie Awards) in the categories of Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song (Fuera de la Oscuridad).  The Desde Lejos CD represented Summit Records on the 64th Grammy and 21st Latin Grammy Awards ballots, and the self-titled Dominican Jazz Project debut CD likewise represented the label on the 59th Annual Grammy and 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards ballots. Un Cambio de Ritmo, from the Desde Lejos CD, was recognized on the All About Jazz “Popular Jazz Songs: 2021” list of most downloaded songs.  In May 2022, pianist and composer, Stephen Anderson was formally distinguished by the Ministra de Cultura, Señora Milagros Germán, on behalf of the government in the Dominican Republic “for his research and contributions to the national musical heritage” whose compositions and rhythms “have traveled with [their] seal of identity.”  In April 2022, the DJP was invited to the Palacio Nacional for the condecoración (e.g., formal “decoration”) ceremony of bandmate, Guillo Carias, by President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Jazz Project began when Dominican-born jazz artist, Guillo Carias, invited American jazz pianist and composer, Stephen Anderson, to perform with him and jazz artists living in the Dominican Republic for the 2014 Jazzomania Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic that was hosted by Tony Dominguez and Carlos Francisco Elías.  The concert and associated clinic went beautifully, and the drummer, Guy Frómeta, invited Anderson to return to Santo Domingo to perform with him in his group for the Casa de Teatro Jazz Festival a few months later.  It was there that Anderson met Sandy Gabriel, a nationally renowned tenor saxophonist.  Their collective friendship grew further with that experience, and following the festival, they agreed to record together.  The result was their 2016 self-titled CD release, The Dominican Jazz Project, that was recorded in the days following the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop where the artists served as guest faculty and where Anderson serves as director.  Soon after, renowned Dominican percussionist, David Almengod, joined the group.

While Dominican musicians are very much at home playing Afro-Cuban/clave-based music, their traditional music has a variety of other lesser-known grooves that are not commonly played in Latin jazz today outside of the Dominican Republic.  Dominican piano tumbao patterns may sound similar to Cuban montuno patterns, yet they are constructed differently harmonically and rhythmically.  The Dominican Jazz Project performs original music composed by the band members that seek to fuse music of their folkloric traditions (Mangulina, Pambiche, Ga-Ga, and the Palo) as well as more recent music from the island such as Merengue and Bachata.

The Dominican Jazz Project CD, Desde Lejos, was recorded remotely during the 2020-21 pandemic with members of the band living in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and North and South Carolina. Tragically, the longtime bassist for the DJP, Jeffry Eckels, unexpectedly passed away on July 3, 2020, right as the band was preparing to record.  The band then experienced hospitalization or death of close family members during the pandemic, and the recording demonstrates how the group worked together (from “far away”) daily using different home or professional studios to produce a new CD during that challenging time.  Renowned Caribbean bassist, Ramon Vázquez, joined the group in 2020, soon after Jeffry’s passing, and he has contributed a wealth of knowledge and experience to the band.

BAND MEMBERS: 

Keith L. Brown is an accomplished composer, educator, and pianist, who has established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists in contemporary jazz. He was born in Memphis, TN, and raised in Knoxville, TN, where he began playing piano and bass at a young age. Keith grew up in a musically inclined family, where both his parents were musicians, and many of his aunts and uncles possessed exceptional musical talent. His father, Donald Brown, is a world-renowned jazz pianist, composer, and educator who was a part of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and has performed with many greats. His mother Dorothy is also a pianist who plays various woodwind instruments. Keith is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Piano at The University of Oregon.

Keith’s musical journey began by learning to play the songs of R&B artists like Stevie Wonder by ear. He then started taking classical piano lessons at the age of eight. His father played a pivotal role in nurturing Keith’s musical ambitions by teaching him how to play his original compositions and jazz standards. Keith and his brothers, Kenneth and Donald Jr., were deeply into hip-hop music during their formative years. However, Keith began to study jazz seriously after graduating from high school. It was during this time that he was significantly influenced by other great Memphis pianists such as Phineas Newborn Jr., James Williams, and Mulgrew Miller.

Since he began seriously playing at the age of 18, Brown has performed and recorded with a who’s-who of jazz luminaries.  He currently tours as the pianist for Kenny Garrett. His tours and performances with artists such as Stefon Harris, Russell Gunn, Jazzmeia Horn, George Coleman, Greg Tardy, Camille Thurman, Terreon Gully, Willie Jones III, Endea Owens, Charles Tolliver, Buster Williams, Lenny White, Steve Turre, John Clayton, and more have captivated audiences worldwide. Drawing on his roots in R&B, Funk, Classical, Jazz, and Hip-Hop, Brown’s unique composition and piano style seamlessly integrates these influences. He possesses an exceptional understanding of the language of jazz piano masters and can effortlessly transition between hard swing, funk, and free styles, while also showcasing his own distinct voice. With his innovative approach to jazz piano and his ability to seamlessly blend different musical styles, Keith L. Brown is a true standout in the world of contemporary jazz.


Learn more about the North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Festival
2025 Registration Information Here!

 

UNC FACULTY 

Dr. Stephen Anderson, Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Piano, Composition
Dr. Rahsaan Barber, Director of the UNC Jazz Band, Saxophone, Improvisation
JC Martin, Lecturer, Jazz Guitar
Jason Foureman, Lecturer, Jazz Bass
Dan Davis, Lecturer, Drumset
Dr. Juan Álamo, Associate Professor of Percussion, Jazz Studies