The Working Artist Project

Max Moran
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid

https://www.maxmoranmusic.com/

Max Moran is a Louisiana born musician and composer who has become a first-call bassist across several genres in New Orleans' thriving music scene. He composes in various styles for TV & Film and for his bands Neospectric and The Bridge Trio.

Lakecia Benjamin
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid

https://www.lakeciabenjamin.com/


A charismatic and dynamic saxophonist and bandleader, Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of Jazz, HipHop, and Soul. Benjamin's electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, and Macy Gray. As the bandleader of Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad, she melds the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone, and the Meters with soaring, dance-floor worthy rhythms. Benjamin's grooves take the classic vibe to a whole new level with sultry alto saxophone creating something special on every cut - be it a smoldering late-night ambiance, or a forceful jazz intensity, or even the tight funk multi-horn harmony sections.

Gingis Don
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid

Gengis Don graduated at the top of the class from the School of Hip Hop. Wearing many hats as a drummer, producer, song writer, & engineer, Gengis combines his deep knowledge of Hip Hop and his study of jazz/improvisational music to create his music.

Endea Owens
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid


LINCOLN CENTER’S EMERGING ARTIST OF 2019 AND DETROIT NATIVE ENDEA OWENS, IS A VIBRANT UP AND COMING BASSIST. SHE HAS BEEN MENTORED BY THE LIKES OF MARCUS BELGRAVE, RODNEY WHITAKER, AND RON CARTER. SHE HAS TOURED AND PERFORMED WITH JENNIFER HOLLIDAY, RHONDA AND DIANA ROSS, JAZZMEIA HORN, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, STEVE TURRE, AND LEA DELARIA FROM THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.’ ENDEA HAS DONE MUSIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN CUBA AND TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AND HAS PERFORMED IN LONDON, INDIA, AUSTRALIA, UKRAINE, SOUTH KOREA, AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.
ENDEA IS THE BASSIST JON BATISTE’S STAY HUMAN AND THE HOUSE BASSIST FOR THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. SHE HAS BEEN FEATURED ON ABC7 NEWS (NEW YORK) WITH SANDY KENYON, AS WELL AS ABC7 “HERE AND NOW”. THESE EPISODES AIRED IN OVER 6,500 TAXIS IN THE NEW YORK AREA. SHE HAS ALSO BEEN FEATURED ON “THE INDIE BEAT” WITH THE MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK. THIS YEAR ENDEA GRACED THE COVER OF JAPAN’S “THE WALKER’S” MAGAZINE AND WAS FEATURED IN THE WALLSTREET JOURNAL AND BILLBOARD MAGAZINE. ENDEA IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL.

Sasha Masakowski
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid

https://www.sashamasakowski.com/

“There is a rare musical triple point where talent, vision, and a wicked sense-of-humor meet.
Damn few artists ever make it there. I believe that it must be the address of one Sasha Masakowski.” - All About JazzSasha Masakowski, daughter of jazz guitar luminary Steve Masakowski, was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and has been a leading artist on the New Orleans music scene for many years as a vocalist, composer and producer.
Sasha was listed as one of 12 jazz artists to watch in 2019 by Paste Magazine, Offbeat Magazine calls her “One of the brightest young talents in the Big Easy,” Vanity Fair Magazine recently listed Sasha as one of the top jazz musicians in the world and December 2015 issue of Downbeat Magazine named Sasha among the most innovative musicians coming out of New Orleans to date.
Between 2017 and 2019, Sasha has headlined major clubs and festivals across the United States and abroad, such as the legendary Blue Note (NYC), Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Cotton Club Tokyo, Jazz Standard (NYC), Detroit Jazz Festival, SF Jazz Center (San Francisco), Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Bird’s Basement (Melbourne) San Jose Jazz Festival, Phoenix Musical Instrument Museum, and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, among others.

Quiana Lynell
Darrian Douglas
Gregory Agid

http://www.quianalynell.com/

With a smile that will entrance you and a voice that helps your troubles disappear, Lynell’s vocal dexterity allows her to perform a limitless repertoire. Infusing her classical training with her gospel upbringing she approaches jazz as a storyteller.

Graduating from Louisiana State University’s music department Lynell is able to harness her voice as a true instrument and perform various genres of music with precision and validity. Lynell frequents the stage as a clinician, performer, arranger, bandleader and songwriter. As she has made her way through the music scene Lynell has shared the stage with headline jazz artists such as Herlin Riley, Roderick Paulin, Don Vappie, Mitchell Player and countless local artists and bands. Collaborating and creating lifelong experiences is a passion of Lynell’s, she has been a featured vocalist on various artist recordings. Lynell has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra as the principle Soprano using the classical side of her voice and has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival presenting traditional jazz music. She has performed in several musicals throughout New Orleans and Baton Rouge receiving rave reviews.

Saxophonist and Educator, Allen Dejan Jr, joins us for a conversation about Covid and New Orleans music education.

Music By: The Session

Love is something that we all have in common. Charles understands this and eloquently expresses this understanding on his sophomore album, Single & in Love. The title of this album is provocative and thought-provoking. It makes the listener feel and respond to the vibrations on a high level. Charles explains that love of oneself is, in fact, the most important component of love. Through his music, he helps us to understand that without a complete understanding of yourself, it is almost impossible to extend the gift of love to another. In today's episode of The Working Artist Project, we explore the sounds of Charles Turner's music and get a bird's-eye view into his life as a working artist.

Connect with Charles Here: http://charlesturnermusic.com/

Bio
Charles Turner has taken the jazz scene by storm. Charles relocated to New York in 2011, and has performed in venues such as Smoke Jazz and Super Club, Birdland, Ginny's Supper Club, Smalls, and Mintons in Harlem. Also performing with Renown Jazz and Swing Pianist Gordon Websters bringing swing around the world from Beijing to London, New York and back!
The Charles Turner Quartet has performed at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center for the Generations in Jazz festival  for 2 consecutive years. He also Released his Debut Album " Dreamers" Produced by Grammy Award winning Drummer Ulysses Owens  at Jazz at Lincoln Center March 2014. Appearing next  at Jazz at Lincoln Center, he will be a part of the 2015-16 Season at is Debut concert in the Appel Room in May 2016. Turner graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Ma on a full scholarship. During his time there Charles had the wonderful opportunity to study and perform with Grammy Award–winning drummer and educator Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Samuels, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Joanne Brackeen. 
In 2013 Charles was invited to participate in the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program, where he worked with Jason Moran, Craig Handy, Marc Cary, and performed at the Kennedy Center. He also won Best Jazz Vocalist awards at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and was a finalist at the esteemed Shure Montruex jazz festival Vocal Competition. Charles also performed with Bobby Mcferrin along with other young talents in a Improvisation Workshop Concert at Carnegie Hall. Featured on Ulysses Owens latest album which is receiving rave reviews from the  New York Times and other publication. Charles has collaborated with many young up and coming artist as well as veterans in out music today. He has performed in Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain and Russia. Charles will continue to spread his love for music for years and years to come.

Henry Conerway iii is an outstanding musician with a unique skill set that sets him apart from most. His commitment to excellence is apparent in his debut album, aptly entitled "With Pride for Dignity". Henry and I explored the ideas of legacy, creativity, confidence and how they relate to the black american experience. His message is strong yet subtle much like the sounds of his music.

Connect with Henry Here: http://www.thehc3.com/

Bio-
Henry Conerway iii has become a leading presence on the modern jazz scene since moving to New York in 2015, as evidenced by his ongoing work with such global touring artists as; the iconic Freddy Cole; the stalwart Jazz at Lincoln Center trumpeter, Marcus Printup; 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition Winner, Jazzmeia Horn; Grammy nominated trumpeter, Russell Gunn; and several residencies with Jazz at Lincoln Center in Doha, Qatar.

His notable performances include such esteemed venues as: The Atlanta Jazz Festival; Jacksonville Jazz Festival; Savannah Jazz Festival; National Black Arts Festival; Toronto Jazz Festival; The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; The United Trombone Summit (Indiana University) featuring Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Curtis Fuller and Bill Watrous; Birmingham Jazz Festival; The Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Festival; performed at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA in A Tribute To Ray Charles; the Mount Vernon Jazz Series in Golden, CO with jazz masters Nicholas Payton and Russell Malone; and notable NYC jazz clubs as Minton’s, Birdland, Smalls, Smoke; Jazz at Lincoln Center and its Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.

Conerway, a proud Detroit native, made extraordinary use of the many educational and cultural opportunities of that formidable city, performing as a high school student on The Detroit Jazz Festival stages and spending several years studying under the tutelage of the late, great trumpeter, Marcus Belgrave as a member of the Detroit Symphony’s Civic Jazz Orchestra. His thirst for the jazz idiom was nurtured there by his mother, a lover of music, who made sure he experienced live performances of all types; and his father, a brilliant classical violinist, who also shared a deep and abiding love for jazz music in all its incarnations.

While matriculating at Atlanta’s historic and prestigious Morehouse College (B.A. in Music Composition), Henry co-founded the group, Jaspects, which quickly became a staple in that city's music scene and successfully sold thousands of their own recordings, while booking their own tours and forming creative collaborations with such luminaries as Maroon 5’s P.J. Morton; Grammy nominated Janelle Monáe; Tyler Perry’s Tony Hightower, and Chantae Cann; who can each be heard on Jaspects' recordings. Henry has also composed original works for film and performed in theatre settings including the Tony Award nominated Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, on Broadway.

Breaking Free is not only the name of Flavio's most recent release, it's also an ideology that most creatives live by. Musicians, artists, actors, and performers are always attempting to rid themselves of the conscious mind to harness the sweet spot of creativity. Flavio and I also explore the idea of identity and how it effects the work he creates. Let us know what you think about this weeks episode of The Working Artist Project.

Connect with Flavio Here: http://www.flaviosilva.mus.br/

Bio:
Flavio Silva is one of the many Brazilian composers and instrumentalists that has been breaking
through a variety of music scenes, such as that of Brazil, The Netherlands and most recently,
New York. The guitarist has studied with some of the best musicians in Brazil and all over the
world, including Michel Leme, Alexandre Mihanovich, Djalma Lima, Mike Moreno, Adam Rogers
and Antonio Hart, who became his mentor since his arrival in New York. Flavio has shared the
stage with some highly skilled musicians such as Antonio Hart, Seamus Blake, Victor Wooten,
Munir Hossn, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, Marcus Gilmore, Ben Williams, Louis Cato, Reggie
Washington, Alex Han, Cuca Teixeira, Sandro Haick, Thiago Espirito Santo, Nicolas Viccaro and
Etienne Mbappe, among others. Flavio has also performed at some of the biggest festivals in
Europe including the North Sea Jazz Festival (The Netherlands), Langnau Jazz Nights
(Switzerland), Koektebel Jazz Party (Ukraine), Gronau Jazz Festival (Germany) and Delft Jazz
Festival (The Netherlands) alongside performances at US venues including The Kennedy Center
(Washington D.C), Smalls Jazz Club (NYC) and Smoke (NYC), among others. Flavio endorses
Mono Bags, D'Orazio Strings, Free The Tone Effects and Reference Laboratory Cables.