THE SHOWROOM SESSIONS: Streaming LIVE from Piedmont Piano Company
The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol & Her Trio
With Special Guests Avotcja and Vocal Rush
Celebrating Black LGBTQ+ Pioneers
The Bay Area's Queen Songstress presents the premiere of her new musical suite celebrating Black LGBTQ+ pioneers in music. Miss Faye and her slammin' trio will showcase her own inimitable renditions drawing from the work of these pioneers in music from the last 100 years from Billy Strayhorn to Little Richard to Sylvester, and more. This evening will feature a special guest appearance from celebrated poet and multidisciplinary artist Avotcja and the debut of a new collaborative video with Miss Faye and Oakland School for the Arts' award-winning youth a cappella ensemble Vocal Rush.
This project is supported by the East Bay Fund for Artists at the East Bay Community Foundation.
Watch the LIVE STREAM on youtube or facebook
Donations/tips accepted via paypal.me/fayecarol, Venmo: Faye-Carol, Cashapp: $lovetomissfaye
"Steeped in jazz, blues, and R&B, Faye Carol turns every performance into a triumph." –San Francisco Chronicle, 2018
"(Faye) Carol can croon soul and standards, scat hurtling bebop lines and deliver torch songs with scorching intensity, and everything she does is steeped in the blues." –Berkeleyside, 2018
"Every Faye Carol performance is a master class - a deep dive into the soul-steeped marrow of jazz and blues. A Bay Area institution, the Berkeley vocalist needs only one set to leave an indelible impression on her listeners who know just what to expect if they pay attention to her billing as The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol." - Bay Area News Group, 2016
"She's capable of manhandling a crowd like no other Bay Area singer, and can make any local jazz club feel like Carnegie Hall." - East Bay Express, 2008
The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol is one of the premier vocalists of her time. Her unique style and gift for connecting with her audience is astonishing. After beginning her career with gospel music, Faye Carol made her name singing with Oakland blues and funk legend Johnny Talbot & De Thangs before forming her own trio and gaining fame in San Francisco's jazz, blues, and cabaret clubs of the 1970s and 80s. She has shared the stage with Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Pharaoh Sanders, Joan Baez, Albert King, Bobby Hutcherson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Buster Williams, Azar Lawrence, Steve Turre, Henry Butler, Charles Brown, and Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, among others. Miss Faye is also a dedicated educator and founder of School of the Getdown. She has been honored with the proclamation of a city-wide “Faye Carol Day” in the City of Berkeley and inducted into the Oakland Walk of Fame, the Meridian Mississippi Walk of Fame, and the Pittsburg Entertainment and Arts Hall of Fame, and has received countless awards including the 2016 Bay Area Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Hero Award, Jefferson Award for Public Service, four Cabaret Gold Awards, and Top Star Awards Entertainer of the Year. fayecarol.com @thedynamicmiss
Pianist Joe Warner is one of the Bay Area’s brightest young talents, quickly gaining recognition for his compelling style and exceptional performances. He has performed as Pianist and Musical Director for The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol for over eight years and also leads his own trio and performs as a featured solo pianist. He has recorded or performed with Marcus Shelby Orchestra, Johnny Talbot & De Thangs, Oakland Symphony, Mary Stallings, Stephanie Crawford, Buster Williams, Azar Lawrence, John Handy, Paula West, John Santos, and California Honeydrops. He has performed at venues such as Yoshi’s, The SFJAZZ Center, Paramount Theatre, Freight & Salvage, Fox Theater, Zellerbach Hall, KPFA Radio, and Davies Symphony Hall. joewarnermusic.com @pianojoewarner
Drummer Larry Vann has made an impressive mark on the Bay Area music scene over the years with his authentic, piercing, all-encompassing musical technique. A professional performer since age 15, he draws from a deep well of musical influence, including gospel, blues, funk, jazz and soul. These various styles have collectively shaped his unique sound which is on full display in his invigorating recordings and performances. One listen to his compelling, penetrating, and intoxicating grooves clearly demonstrates why he has been in such huge demand for sessions and international tours with the likes of The Whispers, The Marvelettes, Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions, Randy Crawford, Rufus Thomas, Jules Broussard, Brian Auger, Charles Brown, and Martha Reeves. larryvann.com @larry_e_vann
James Wiley is a young & up and coming bassist based in Oakland, CA. A classically trained pianist and graduate of Oakland School for the Arts, he received dual musical training as a bassist within the Black church and has a professional career of over 4 years, performing with such legendary artists as The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol. @jameswiley93
Poet, playwright, multi-percussionist, bandleader, radio personality, photographer, and teacher Avotcja has been published in English and Spanish in the USA, Mexico, and Europe, and in more anthologies than she remembers. This award-winning artist has opened for Betty Carter and Susana Baca and performed with with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, John Handy, Bobi & Luis Cespedes, Cuba's Gema y Pavel, Dwight Trible, and The Bay Area Blues Society. She leads her group Avotcja & Modupue, teaches creative writing and storytelling in public schools, and is a popular Bay Area DJ and Radio Personality, hosting weekly shows on KPOO 89.5FM and KPFA 94.1FM. She has appeared at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, AfroSolo Arts Festival, Yoshi's San Francisco, Yoshi's Oakland, Oakland Scottish Rite Center, Stanford University, Club Le Monmarte in Copenhagen, New York's Henry Street Settlement Theater, and San Francisco's Brava Theater for the Arts. avotcja.org
Oakland School for the Arts' Vocal Rush is a five-time national champion a cappella ensemble based out of Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) and comprised of singers ages 15-18. Combining passion, talent and dedication, along with the vision of director/founder Lisa Forkish, Vocal Rush has become one of the most respected high school a cappella groups in the U.S. since their inception in March, 2011. Vocal Rush has received numerous accolades, including national championship titles in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and perhaps most notably, a third place win on NBC's hit a cappella competition show, “The Sing-Off" in 2013. They have performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Beacon Theater, Town Hall, House of Blues, Great American Music Hall, Fox Theater, Yoshi's, The SFJAZZ Center, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and Paramount Theater. Vocal Rush has released four albums and received numerous Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards and nominations, including two nods for Best High School Album. The ensemble has the soulful stage presence that reflects all that is unique to OSA and sets them apart in the a cappella scene. Vocal Rush brings to life the heart and soul of Oakland School for the Arts, putting their all into every performance. oakarts.org/ARTS/Vocal-Music/Vocal-Rush @osavocalrush