dewberry jazz

“Mixing Big Band Jazz with James Brown Soul” (The Observer), eight-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist Christian McBride joins Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on October 28 at the Center for the Arts. Met Jazz will be led by founder, artistic director, and virtuoso saxophonist Jim Carroll, in an unforgettable night of bravado, improvisation, and jazz swagger. McBride will participate in a pre-performance discussion on Monson Grand Tier 45 minutes prior to curtain. Following the concert, audience members are invited to enjoy the sounds of Mason Jazz students over drinks in the Center’s lobby for the first installment of Jazz Club at the Center. 

Jazz bassist Ben Thomas hails from Connecticut and currently resides in Washington D.C. He has performed with Melissa Aldana, Ted Nash, Sean Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Tony Malaby, Till Brönner, Ari Honeig, The New York Ballet, and Ryan Truesdell in notable venues including The Kennedy Center, The White House, The Midwest Clinic, The Jazz Education Network, Umbria Jazz Festival, Smalls, and Birdland.

Originally from Miami, Florida Xavier has performed in 13 countries and 48 states with a wide range of artists in the jazz and Latin music worlds. Xavier was the only U.S representative selected to perform in the final elimination round at an international saxophone competition where he placed 2nd place out of hundreds of applicants from more than 20 countries.

Juan Megna is a drummer/percussionist from Argentina who has lived for 12 years in Brazil where, in 2008, got his degree in Brazilian Popular Music at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, Campinas, SP).

Jazz Times magazine writes: “Breedlove has chops…and is the leader of a tight, forceful band”. AllAboutJazz.com has called Graham Breedlove “A trumpet player with an exquisite tone and provocative harmonic ideas…Breedlove exhibits great control and cranks out some head-turning melodic ideas”.

Saxophonist, composer, and educator John Kocur is Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at George Mason University. He previously taught at Northern Virginia Community College where he directed the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble. He serves as a saxophonist with the 257th Army Band of the D.C. National Guard, “the Band of the Nation’s Capital.”

Aaron Eckert, originally from Belleville, IL, is a trombonist with the U.S. Army Blues, the premier jazz ensemble of the Army.

Kevin C. McDonald, Ph.D. is a passionate musicologist and an acclaimed jazz drummer. His performance credits include Dave Liebman, Mark Turner, Paquito D’Rivera, Miguel Zenon, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, and Lee Konitz in international venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The White House, The U.S. Library of Congress, The Midwest Clinic, the Jazz Education Network, and Bimhuis.

Shawn Purcell, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, educator, arranger, and composer in the Washington DC region. Purcell has shared the stage, recorded with, and/or toured with top jazz artists including: Terell Stafford, Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Sean Jones, Brian Charette, Steve Fidyk, Dana Hall, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Jeannie Bryson, Eddie Daniels, Chris Potter, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Allee and many others.

Darden Purcell, jazz vocalist, is a featured soloist with symphony orchestras, big bands and small ensembles, as well as a band leader and vocal instructor.  She has collaborated with many of the world’s top jazz artists, and is a former Washington, D.C. Air Force Band vocalist as part of the pop/rock group High Flight.