Niece of Legendary Lena Horne to ‘Jazzup The Runway'

On May 29, The Jazz Alliance of Trinidad and Tobago (JATT) will stage its second Jazzup The Runway  (Swing, Step n’ Style) at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre Hall, from 6 pm. This year’s show features a star-studded cast of internationally acclaimed artiste, including  acclaimed jazz vocalist, performer & recording artiste Kimmie Horne and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. Jazz up the Runway is an event produced by Sean Thomas and JATT combining local fashion designers and jazz musicians simultaneously on one stage. In turn building stronger ties between international, regional, local jazz musicians and fashion designers to create and develop  a movement of sounds, fashion and colours that would reflect Trinidad and Tobago in its true essence. It would also provide a focal point in the tourism calendar for T&T and open opportunities for partnering with participating nations to showcase our local talents abroad.

Horne, the niece of the legendary jazz vocalist and actress Lena Horne, is a consummate entertainer. A native of Detroit, considered by many to be one of the most outstanding performers and recording artistes to emerge from this area in years. Her beautiful alto voice, coupled with her unmatched ability to perform and entertain, puts her in a category of her own. Billed occasionally as The Kimmie Horne Show, features classy blends of Jazz, Pop and Rhythm and Blues, the artiste takes her audiences on a journey through time and an electrifying ride through various musical styles. From Toronto to Japan, from London to Jamaica, including featured performances all over the United States, encompassing Atlantic City and Las Vegas, this tall, beautiful and dynamic young woman has the complete package. Having been compared to such legendary artistes as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne, Horne’s performance embraces their collective spirits. One of the top trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today, Marsalis, known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor…”

Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times, said he is, “…one of the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” In January 2011, Delfeayo and the Marsalis family (father Ellis and brothers Branford, Wynton and Jason) earned the nation’s highest jazz honour—a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Born in New Orleans on July 28, 1965, Marsalis was destined to a life in music. “I remember my dad (Ellis Marsalis) playing piano at the house, and me laying underneath the piano as a child, listening to him play. After briefly trying bass and drums, in sixth grade I gravitated towards the trombone, which was an extension of my personality. “Early on my influences and inspirations included JJ Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Al Grey, Tyree Glenn and Tommy Dorsey.” Marsalis attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts high school, was classically trained at the Eastern Music Festival and Tanglewood Institute, and majored in both performance and audio production at the Berklee College of Music. 

MORE INFO

On Kimmie Horne please visit www.kimmiehorne.com

On Delfeayo Marsalis visit www.delfeayomarsalis.com

Call: 632-3061 or 689-4298 or visit JATT’s Web site: www.jazzalliance.org