On Saturday, August 14 the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland presents jazz vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell in an outdoor concert from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
The show takes place under a powerful and deeply moving mural of Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad. It is part of an ongoing series of varietal events created by Program Director Linda Harris to draw attention to the site and the historic figure who inspired it. Attendees are welcome and encouraged to arrive early to tour the museum in advance of the show.
Hazel Mitchell-Bell
Washington, D.C. jazz star Hazel Mitchell-Bell will share music from her new album Sack Full of Dreams. Already garnering great reviews, the recording celebrates the singer’s versatility with unique renderings of jazz, blues, R&B and showtunes. In a relaxed and green setting, listeners will be treated to live versions of new album tracks along with select favorites from Mitchell-Bell’s high charting 2018 album Stronger Than Ever.
Working closely with pianist and music director Vince Evans since 2016, the stunning vocalist has performed and recorded with orchestras and smaller ensembles, stoking the fires of the D.C. jazz scene. She has enjoyed one sellout after another, appearing in festivals, concerts and clubs such as the Kennedy Center, City Winery, the Preservation Jazz Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Sheldon Cultural Center in St. Louis. Her vocal stylings have been compared to jazz giants Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan and Phyllis Hyman.
The new album has been receiving high praise from critics at home and abroad since its official release in May. George W. Harris of Jazz Weekly writes “Classy and uptown soft swing and soul is delivered by vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell as she gives tribute to all of the right inspirations.” Susan Frances of Jazz2love writes “Her blend of jazz, soul, R&B, and bossa nova feel like home, surrounding the listener in comfort and bliss.” Enjoy classics such as the title track “Sack Full of Dreams” by Gary McFarland and Louis Savary and Buddy Johnson’s 1955 jazz ballad “Save Your Love for Me.” Hear favorites from her earlier album Stronger Than Ever, which peaked at #12 overall on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Jazz Chart.
Music director and pianist Vince Evans has earned enormous respect from peers and fans in his extensive career as a musician, producer and educator. He has worked with celebrities such as Phyllis Hyman, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Eddie Murphy, MC Hammer and Prince.
Trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse is a former member of The United States Army Band, The U.S.Army Blues, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with stars such as Lou Rawls, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Hubert Laws, Kurt Elling, Jimmy Heath and Freddy Cole. He also leads The Kenny Rittenhouse Ensemble. Drummer JC Jefferson, Jr. works regularly with Evans and Rittenhouse in various groups and has performed with jazz greats Benny Golson, Buck Hill, Barry Harris and Larry Willis.
Bassist Herman Burney studied with legendary bassist Keter Betts. He has performed with Wynton,Ellis and Branford Marsalis, Freddy Cole, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, René Marie, Monty Alexander, Etta Jones, Natalie Cole and Cedar Walton. He has played the Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Birdland, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center and toured North and South America, Australia, Europe and the Far East.
The suggested donation for the concert is $20 and reservations are strongly suggested. To reserve your place, visit instantseats.com and select “Jazz at the Mural.” (The short ticket link is: https://tinyurl.com/8k3dxxc ) Proceeds fund future programs. Additional donations are welcome.
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