Day 2 of the Omaha Jazz Festival began with Grammy nominated singer/pianist Karrin Allyson, an Omaha native. Karrin has released 13 albums and is known for her extraordinary range, and moves from the Great American Songbook of Gershwin and Porter to the jazz numbers by Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie. Karrin has backed up Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, and Jimmy Webb. I had the pleasure of seeing Karrin downtown at the Folly Theater here in Kansas City last month. She's pretty incredible.
Closing the festival Saturday night was Soul of Summer featuring Jonathan Butler, Maysa, and Eric Darius. Eric was the main reason I traveled to Omaha and he didn't disappoint. Eric was raised and lives in Tampa, Florida. At age 11 Eric was chosen to be in America's Youngest Jazz Band made up of musicians aged 5-12. They toured the United States and even played the Montreux Jazz Festival. Still in his 20's, Eric has shared the stage with Prince, Santana, Marsalis, George Benson, and Brian McKnight.
Maysa was born and raised in Baltimore. While a member of the internationally renowned Morgan State University Choir, she met Stevie Wonder and toured and recorded with him. Maysa then joined the British jazz/funk/R&B band Incognito as lead singer. She began recording solo in the mid-1990's.
Jonathan Butler, a native of South Africa, was raised during Apartheid. He began singing and playing guitar as a child. His music has a strong social conscience. His debut single was the first by a black artist to be played by white radio stations. Jonathan began touring at age 7, and became a local teen idol in Africa.
Other featured acts at the Omaha Jazz Festival were the Whispers, Dani Cleveland, BGT Academy of the Arts Jazz Band and Mike Guricullo and his Las Vegas Lab Band.
