Ebban & Ephraim Dorsey Ensemble
On Sunday, Feb 18, at 7:30pm, Ebban & Ephraim Dorsey Ensemble will play on the Oval Stage
Ebban and Ephraim Dorsey are 19 and 20-year-old saxophonists, composers, bandleaders, and rising stars in the contemporary jazz scene. The multi-talented siblings have been playing together since they were 9 and 10. Both have been members of Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz, Herbie Hancock Institute’s National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz, JAZZ HOUSE KiDS, and Peabody Jazz Ensembles between 2020-2023.
Natives of Baltimore, Maryland, the Dorsey siblings currently attend the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University as full scholarship recipients in the jazz program and they are both graduates of the Baltimore School for the Arts. To date, they have performed at premiere venues and events such as The Kennedy Center, Blue Note NYC, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Caton Castle, Keystone Korner, BRIC Jazz Festival, Montclair Jazz Festival and Havre de Grace Jazz and Blues Fest.
The Dorseys have flourished with the support of a brilliant village of musicians, and they continue to strive with their gifts as they travel and perform with some of the best local, national and international recording artists. The siblings have performed with and been mentored by industry giants including Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Kenny Garrett, Dontae Winslow, Carl Grubbs, Gary Thomas, Gary Bartz, José James, Melissa Walker, Christian McBride and many more.
Both siblings have recorded on NYO Jazz’s debut album “We’re Still Here” and the Dynamic Album Project – “Craig Alston: Live in Baltimore”. Ebban’s improvisational prowess is also featured extensively on José James’ album “On & On”, a jazz tribute to Erykah Badu, which resulted in being invited on her first international tour in 2023. Ephraim was also cast to play a young Kamasi Washington in his short film “As told to G/D thyself”, which was nominated for awards at the Sundance and La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festivals.
Destined for greatness, the Dorseys continue to blaze a trail forward with their trademark humility, melodic invention and forward thinking musical concepts. Their performances can be described as two different voices coming together to create a healing, ethereal, and emotional experience for listeners as well as themselves.