What a wonderful musical evening  featuring the music of The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble with special guest Sharón Clark, and The Alexandria City High School Jazz Ensemble.

As concert attendees arrived, The Jazz Chamber Ensemble Combos, taught by Cristian Perez, performed inviting standards such as; Blue Bossa, Blue Monk, and Autum Leaves, among other phenomenal jazz works.

The Jazz Chamber Ensemble with Cristian Perez.

Once in the hall, our musicians joined the audience in enjoying the Alexandria City High School Jazz Ensemble!

What a wonderful group!  They began the set with Blue Bossa, Sprit Song, Just Friends, Recorda Me.

James Ambrose performing with The Alexandria City High School Jazz Ensemble

Nick Nilblock performing with the Alexandria City High School Jazz Ensemble.

The ensemble also performed Duet Neal by Neal Hefti, Ham Hocks and Cabbage by Christian McBride, Self Portrait in Three Colors by Charles Mingus.

Duncan McCall performing Duet Neal by

The final two works of  Wes Montgomery’s ‘Angel’ and Duke Ellington’s ‘Come Someday,’ perfectly filled the house!

The NOVA Nighthawks extraordinary first number of the evening featured a wonderful impassioned rendition of Dakota Staton’s Country Man sung by our featured guest artist, Washington D.C. standout, Sharón Clark.

Clark has brought festival and concert audiences to their feet across the U.S. and Europe. Her New York run drew raves from the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal, and she won New York’s Bistro Award for Best Vocalist.

Ms. Clark has made multiple international tours in recent years, making her debut in Israel and returning to Russia, where she has developed a major following. Her most recent release, “Do it Again – My Tribute to Shirley Horn,” is on its third printing and she grabs top honors wherever she goes.

Sharón appears regularly in DC at Blues Alley and Loews Madison Hotel.  A featured soloist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony, Clark has headlined the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, the Cape May Jazz Festival and the Savannah Music Festival.  Both the  Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra on the Ludacris Foundation chose Ms. Clark to perform for. their separate tributes to Quincy Jones.

The song also featured Jon MacGregor, on guitar, Jason Cardenas on bass and Kurt Steinbacher on drums.

Frank Foster’s famed, ‘Shiny Stockings,’ featuring the sounds of Marie Himel on Tenor Sax and Mike Leahy on Also Sax.

Composer Frank Foster was both a saxophonist and great jazz composer.  His song Shiny Stockings wonderfully swings between upbeat accents criss crossing with melodic solos above a unified brass based collective.  A beautifully written piece.

Mike Leahy on Alto Sax performing Shiny Stockings

Originally written by George Gershwin, Our Love is Here to Stay is a jazz standard famously sung by Billy Holiday among other greats.  Tonight our singer Bob Coyne expressively belted out a lyrical rendition that filled the hall.

Next up was the familiar melodic dance of Night and Day by Cole Porter, featuring Adonnis Colindres-Rosado.

This year’s 27 member NOVA Nighthawks is a powerhouse ensemble under the direction of Jazz Director and trombonist Shannon Gunn.

Back Bone, Just one of Thad Jone’s greatest hits power-grooved the hall with many opportunities to feature our Nighthawks members!

Mike “Fog” Horton on Alto Sax performing Back Bone with the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble

This was followed by a  wonderfully relaxing Thad Jones standard, Kid’s are Pretty People

Before we knew it, Regina Begliutti spiced up the hall with ‘Love Me or Leave Me.  Donaldson and Kahn’s song, was originally performed in 1928 in the broadway show Whoopee!

Love me or leave me

Tyrone Southerland performing with The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble

With one last relaxing song, Nice N’ Easy, was wonderfully crooned by Bob Coyne.

Before we knew it, another wonderful Jazz for Justice concert was coming to an end.  Our final piece, Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Tuning Up brought the hall to a festive closing.

Mike “Fog” Horton performing with the The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble

IF YOU LIKED THIS EVENING’S CONCERT, PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING US FOR OUR OTHER UPCOMING CONCERTS!

Upcoming Events & Performances

NOVA Alexandria Community Chorus Concert

October 18, 2022 | 7:30pm Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall

NOVA Alexandria Band 45th Anniversary Concert

October 27, 2022 | 8pm Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall

NOVA Symphony Orchestra

November 11, 2022 | 8pm Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall

Holiday Concert

featuring the NOVA Alexandria Community Chorus, the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble, and the NOVA Alexandria Band December 6, 2022 | 8pm
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall

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