Tonight Steve Davis Quintet Feat. Vocalist Jazz-Blues Abena Koomson-Davis & 7pm Wed Nov 26 @LaZing

Give them a watch here:

Get Tix Here: https://bit.ly/481er04

Abena Koomson-Davis is a performer, educator and wordsmith. Abena originated the role of Fela’s mother in the Off Broadway musical FELA! and reprised her role in the Broadway production which earned 3 Tony awards. She has performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Angelique Kidjo and many other luminaries. Abena can be heard on Natalie Merchant’s most recent album ‘Keep Your Courage' where she is featured on two duets, “Come on Aphrodite” and “Big Girls.”

For over 15 years, Abena has been the lead vocalist of the funk rock band Van Davis. She is the musical director for the Resistance Revival Chorus, and her song “Joy in Resistance” is featured on their debut album, entitled “This Joy.”
Abena’s debut jazz album on WJ3 Records, entitled “Where is Love” features time-honored standards and original compositions co-written with her husband, acclaimed jazz trombonist Steve Davis.

She is a member and featured collaborator of Scapegoat Garden, a New England based creative engine whose most recent project, Liturgy | Order | Bridge conceived by Deborah Goffe, was the recipient of the Creative Capital grant.

Abena currently serves as Ethics Chair of the middle school division at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where she teaches ethics and social justice to middle & upper school students. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where she earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts, and also of Teachers College, Columbia University where she earned a Masters in Education Leadership.

Steve Davis - Trombone is widely regarded as one of today's leading voices on the trombone. After graduating from The Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz ('89), Davis first gained widespread recognition in 1990 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. As the last to join the Jazz Messengers, Steve’s first record dates would be Blakey's last, including the composition One For All (A&M), penned by Davis.

Over the years since, Davis has worked with a broad range of jazz luminaries such as his first mentor Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Cecil Payne, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Freddie Hubbard & The New Jazz Composers Octet, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove & Willie Jones III. Raised in Binghamton, New York, Steve has performed at major venues around the world including appearances on The Jimmy Fallon Show with Stevie Wonder and at The White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS). Davis appears on over 150 recordings, including 20 as a leader. Davis' 2019 release, Correlations (Smoke Sessions) features rising stars Joshua Bruneau & Jonathan Barber, as well as renowned veteran, stars Xavier Davis, Wayne Escoffery & Dezron Douglas. Correlations have garnered rave reviews and spent months atop the JazzWeek Radio Charts. The CD features an exciting collection of original compositions and time-honored classics. Other notable releases include Think Ahead & Say When: Celebrating J.J. Johnson (Smoke Sessions), For Real, and Gettin’ It Done (Positone). In 2019, in addition to performing with his own Correlations Band, Steve appears on Chick Corea's My Spanish Heart Band CD, "Antidote" and toured Europe with the group in July. Davis also continues to work regularly with the collectively-led sextet One For All (feat. Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber & Joe Farnsworth), bassist Nat Reeves' Quintet, as well as playing with John Lee's Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, and Christian McBride big bands. Steve’s original composition, “Optimism” appears on the McBride Big Band’s Grammy Award-winning release Bringin' It (2018). Davis plans to record with both his son, guitarist Tony Davis and his wife, vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. As always, Steve maintains an active presence on the vibrant local CT jazz scene & appears on bassist Matt Dwonzsyk's Wonderful World CD. A long-time educator, Steve has guided a broad range of emerging musicians at the Hartt School's Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division, University of Hartford, CT where he was recently honored for over 25 years of service. Other ongoing prestigious educational endeavors include joining the San Francisco Conservatory's RJAM faculty, Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops, Skidmore Jazz Workshop, Jazz.