Davey Yarborough Ensemble featuring Esther Williams
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Davey Yarborough, saxophonist, recording artist, and educator, represents a new generation of jazz innovators. While earning his bachelor and master degrees in education and performance, he studied flute with the virtuosic Frank Wess and saxophone with the legendary Sonny Stitt. As a performer, bandleader, composer and arranger, he worked with such jazz figures as Sir Roland Hanna, KeteR&Betts, Billy Eckstine, Buck Hill, Shirley Horn, Lena Horne, and Joe Williams. Mr. Yarborough has also collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, performing on Marsalis Making the Music series on National Public Radio (NPR). He joined Wycliffe Gordon, Herlin Riley, Bill Easley, and Reginald Veal to record Gordon new arrangement of the opening theme for NPR All Things Considered. From 1988 to 1991, Mr. Yarborough’s distinctive sax sound was part of the memorable background music for the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show. His composing and arranging talents are heard on the musical soundtrack for the movie Uptown Angel. In addition to performing at the East Coast, San R o, Italy, and Montreux jazz festivals, Mr. Yarborough has recorded several albums including: Collaboration with pianist Hilton Felton, It Time for Love, Covington, Seals and Yarborough, Beautiful Friendship, and Lovetones. He appears as a soloist on many recordings, including Ronnie Wells Live at Montpelier and harpist Jeff Majors New Age Soul and Sacred. Mr. Yarborough also collaborated with the legendary Sir Roland Hanna in a compilation of new compositions for JazzMont Records, as well as recordings of Duke Ellington music that coincided withemellington 100th birthday in April 1999, which led to the album Royal Essence, An Evening of Ellington. As an educator, Mr. Yarborough returned to his alma mater, the University of the District of Colombia, as music instructor and director of the Jazz Stage Band. In 1986, he was asked to create the jazz orchestra at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, and built what is now an internationally recognized jazz studies program and jazz orchestra – The New Washingtonians. It is at Ellington that Mr. Yarborough, as Dean of Instrumental Music, continues to nurture and mentor aspiring jazz performers, as ABC featured on 20/20 with Connie Chung. He is also artistic director and founder of The Washington Jazz Arts Institute. Mr. Yarborough conceived and presented the Smithsonian Institution Jazz Evenings for Young Professionals lecture series, which led to Journey Into Jazz, a format in which he covers the history of jazz through a combined lecture and performance. Awards include the 1998 Mayor Arts Award, a 2000 Special achievement Wammie, and the 2000 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Community Service Award from the Greater Washington Urban League. In 2001, he was honored with the D.C. ancipation Day Image Award, and in 2004, the Society, Inc. of D.C. honored Yarborough dedication to the education of young people. Yarborough last appeared on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage on May 31, 2005 with the Davey Yarborough Sextet.From 1988 to 1991, Mr. Yarborough’s distinctive sax sound was part of the memorable background music for the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show. His composing and arranging talents are heard on the musical soundtrack for the movie Uptown Angel. In addition to performing at the East Coast, San R o, Italy, and Montreux jazz festivals, Mr. Yarborough has recorded several albums including: Collaboration with pianist Hilton Felton, It’s Time for Love, Covington, Seals and Yarborough, Beautiful Friendship, and Lovetones. He appears as a soloist on many recordings, including Ronnie Wells’ Live at Montpelier and harpist Jeff Majors’ New Age Soul and Sacred. Mr. Yarborough also collaborated with the legendary Sir Roland Hanna in a compilation of new compositions for JazzMont Records, as well as recordings of Duke Ellington’s music that coincided withemellington’s 100th birthday in April 1999, which led to the album Royal Essence, An Evening of Ellington. As an educator, Mr. Yarborough returned to his alma mater, the University of the District of Colombia, as music instructor and director of the Jazz Stage Band. In 1986, he was asked to create the jazz orchestra at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, and built what is now an internationally recognized jazz studies program and jazz orchestra – The New Washingtonians. It is at Ellington that Mr. Yarborough, as Dean of Instrumental Music, continues to nurture and mentor aspiring jazz performers, as ABC featured on 20/20 with Connie Chung. He is also artistic director and founder of The Washington Jazz Arts Institute. Mr. Yarborough conceived and presented the Smithsonian Institution’s Jazz Evenings for Young Professionals lecture series, which led to Journey Into Jazz, a format in which he covers the history of jazz through a combined lecture and performance. Awards include the 1998 Mayor’s Arts Award, a 2000 Special achievement Wammie, and the 2000 Whitney M. Young, Jr. Community Service Award from the Greater Washington Urban League. In 2001, he was honored with the D.C. ancipation Day Image Award, and in 2004, the Society, Inc. of D.C. honored Yarborough dedication to the education of young people. Yarborough last appeared on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage on May 31, 2005 with the Davey Yarborough Sextet.
Esther Williams
Esther Williams is a name you’re sure to remember once you’ve seen this sensuous, talented entertainer. It is said that in just one set, Esther will take you from a whispered, heart-warming ballad to a swinging, jazzy standard right into something that gets into your spirit and makes you move.
Esther started her professional career in earnest as a vocalist when capturing the title of Miss Black DC. She toured Germany with the Miss Black America Tour and her many guest appearances included national and international venues and many guest appearances on national television and radio programs.
Musical theater was a natural transition including performances at Ford’s Theater in “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope.”, as well as “Tambourines to Glory” with the Black American Theater Club in D.C. and traveling productions of Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin”.
A diverse performer with an extensive repertoire in Jazz, R&B, Pop, Spiritual and Gospel, Esther carved her niche and enjoyed working and recording with many artists, including Davey Yarborough, Sir Roland Hanna, Bobby Felder, Buck Hill and Keter Betts.
Esther landed a recording contract with Friends and Company Records after a producer heard vocals she had recorded for others. She recorded two successful dance albums for Friends and another successful album for RCA records. “Beautiful Friendship”, was released in 2004 by Esther and saxophonist, Davey Yarborough to great reviews. She can be heard on the CD’s “Jazz at Peoples Church, a New Experience”, “Christmas Jazz at Peoples Church” and “Amazing Grace” with bandleader, Bobby Felder.
Esther has opened for the Temptations, at the Savoy in New York City, and Peaches and Herb at Baltimore’s Harbor Place. Esther performs regularly at the “East Coast Jazz Festival” and has performed for “The Chesapeake Jazz Society”, “Live Music Now” and the “Mid-Atlantic Jazz Showcase” in New York with Davey Yarborough. She has been a guest performer at the annual Kennedy Center Kwanzaa Celebration, and on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Esther sings with the Voices of Peoples Gospel choir at Peoples Church in DC, and is a regular performer in their Jazz Vesper series. Esther and her choir performed with gospel artist Larnelle James.
An engaging emcee, Esther produced and directed three successful musical variety shows, as well as emceed the Dumbarton Concert Series of Washington, DC.
Together, in 1998, Esther and Davey Yarborough created the Washington Jazz Arts Institute, a non-profit organization with community programs, dedicated to educating and mentoring young and aspiring musicians.