DMV Women of Jazz
DMV Women’s Jazz Society feat. Washington Women in Jazz Festival Founder Pianist Amy Bormet
Bios:
Amy K. Bormet is an in-demand pianist, vocalist, and composer. The quintet from her debut album, Striking, was featured as part of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center. As an advocate for women in music, Amy created the Washington Women in Jazz Festival in 2011 and continues to serve as executive director. She is an alumna of the Kennedy Center’s residency program for composer/performers, Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead, the inaugural Mary Lou Williams Emerging Artist Workshop, and the Jazz Composer’s Orchestral Institute (American Composer’s Orchestra). She received her bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies/Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Ellen Rowe and Geri Allen, and her master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Howard University.
Charmaine Michelle walks in the tradition of Miles Davis while bringing her own style of cool jazz to the band stand. Raised in Northern Virginia, she studied jazz at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory, as a recipient of the Noble Levi Jolly Sr. Jazz Scholarship. She has played with the Dale Corn Big Band, The Go Go Symphony, Grammy Award nominated Vocalist Carolyn Malachi, New World Outreach Jazz Orchestra, Artists against War, Shannon Gunn and the Bullets, The Fruition Experience, Musicians of Mercy and recently released her own EP “Love Takes Time” which is now playing on radio.
Hailed by the Washington City Paper as “D.C.’s Best Trombonist 2015” and the District Now Blog as “Best Trombonist 2017,” DC based Shannon Gunn is known for her exceptional tone and her grandiose project-du-jour. She is currently the artist in residence on Tuesday nights at Columbia Station in Adams Morgan as leader of the “Firebird Organ Trio,” named “DC’s Best Small Ensemble 2016” by the Washington City Paper. She also runs DC’s premiere all-women jazz orchestra, “Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes,” She earned her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and also attended James Madison University and Michigan State University for her music studies. http://www.bullettesjazz.com/
Bassist and Clinician Tiffany Lloyd is one of the newest artists who endorses Elrick Bass Guitars. She is the first black female bass guitarist to be featured on the Elrick artist website as well.On stage, she has been privileged to work with National and International Recording Artists Gladys Knight, Yolanda Adams, Kenny Lattimore, Lisa Raye, Todd Dulaney, KeKe Wyatt, Lynn Whitfield, Maysa Leak, Avery Sunshine and more. She currently has a music single published called “Viscosity” and will be releasing her EP project soon.
Rachel Winder, a native of Baltimore, is an up-and-coming saxophonist, flutist and vocalist in multiple genres of music. She studied saxophone at the Baltimore School for the Arts and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where she was awarded the Noble Levi Jolley, Sr. Jazz Studies Scholarship. She regularly performs with musicians in Baltimore, as well as with her quintet at An Die Musik in Baltimore. She features as the lead alto saxophonist in the New World Outreach Jazz Orchestra, Benny Russell Jazz Orchestra, David Murray Baltimore Big Band, and many more. Rachel is dedicated to the education of young people and musicians in Baltimore City.
Drummer and vocalist Sheritta Harris is graduate of Dunbar High School, where she studied with the legendary jazz educator Charles Funn. She also studied at University of the District of Columbia under famed big band director Calvin Jones.