HHM Digital invites you to join us for the return of live streaming sessions of Conversations about Jazz & Other Distractions hosted by former jazz radio host and founder of Notorious Jazz, Carl Anthony. On Thursday, April 8 at 7:30 pm (EST), Carl’s special guests will be original members of Jaspects, the innovative band famous for blending hip-hop and jazz and creatively “redefining all aspects of jazz.” This virtual event via Zoom is free for Hammonds House Museum members and $5 for non-members. Register today at hammondshouse.org.
Atlanta-based Jaspects was founded while many of the members were attending Morehouse College. The band quickly became a staple in the city’s music scene and successfully sold thousands of recordings, while booking their own tours and forming creative collaborations with such luminaries as Maroon 5’s P.J. Morton; Grammy-nominated Janelle Monáe; vocalist and Tyler Perry featured actor Tony Hightower, and songstress Chantae Cann; who can each be heard on Jaspects’ recordings. Group members were Henry C. Conerway, III on drums, Terrence Brown on keys, Jaye Price on alto saxophone, Dwayne R. Dugger, Jr. on tenor saxophone, Jimmy King on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Jon-Christopher Sowells on bass.
Henry Conerway III (HC3) has become a leading presence on the modern jazz scene since moving to New York in 2015, as evidenced by his work with global touring artists like the iconic Freddy Cole; the stalwart Jazz at Lincoln Center trumpeter Marcus Printup; 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition Winner Jazzmeia Horn; Grammy nominated trumpeter Russell Gunn; and residencies with Jazz at Lincoln Center in Doha, Qatar. His notable performances include venues such as The Atlanta Jazz Festival; Jacksonville Jazz Festival; Savannah Jazz Festival; National Black Arts Festival; Toronto Jazz Festival; The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; The United Trombone Summit (Indiana University) featuring Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Curtis Fuller and Bill Watrous; notable NYC jazz clubs Minton’s, Birdland, Smalls, and Smoke; Jazz at Lincoln Center and its Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Jaye “Stagolee” Price was born in Anniston, AL. He is a graduate of Morehouse college with a B.A. in Music and a concentration in Woodwind Performance. He is the alto sax player in Jaspects, and the father of Eloah Magnolia. Since the last performance of Jaspects, Stagolee has been a working musician, artist, SEL instructor for Emory University, and for the last 10 years he drank wine professionally.
Born in the global melting pot of Queens, N.Y., Dwayne Dugger, Jr. is a saxophonist, pianist, composer, vocalist, and film producer. His relationship with music began at the tender age of 9 when his parents enrolled him in piano lessons. He performed in church and school bands and went on to earn degrees in Music and Jazz Studies from Morehouse and Georgia State University. For the past 10 years, Dwayne has toured the world performing with major recording artists PJ Morton, Angie Stone and Bruno Mars. Combining his love for music and cinema, Dugger founded Black Sol Creatives in 2016. The company’s first credit is award-winning film Jezebel, written and directed by Numa Perrier and distributed by Ava Duvernay’s production company Array. It is now streaming on Netflix.
For over a decade, Jimmy King, Atlanta-based trumpet player and artist, has excelled as both a solo and a backing artist. HIs creative mind, love of music, and versatility have contributed to a stellar professional career and has led him to some of the biggest stages in the world, including the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl twice. For the past ten years, Jimmy has toured, performed, and recorded with Grammy award-winning artist Bruno Mars. During this time, he has also been working on his own music. He has successfully launched two solo projects: His Pathway: The Singles EP and, most recently, A Dreamer’s Tale, a project that speaks to the human experience, the sorrow of injustice, and the power of love and unity. A Dreamer’s Tale is currently available on all streaming platforms.
Jon-Christopher Sowells, aka J.C. “MR. FITNESS,” is driven by a vision that he can change the world. He has always been fascinated with superheroes and their ability to harness their powers to protect the world from evil forces. Like superheroes, JC believes we are all born with potential superpowers and our choices either let them waste away or develop into awesome, life-changing abilities. Graduating from Morehouse College provided him with business savvy, then working for top fitness organizations for eight years gave him insight into an obesity epidemic that was not being addressed. Drawing on his years of performing music, he knows two notes out of harmony can be unpleasant to the ears and this concept runs parallel with an imbalanced approach to a healthy lifestyle. All his experiences helped him find his superpowers, to teach people about healthy mental, physical, and nutritional choices.
Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Fulton County Arts and Culture, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The National Performance Network, AT&T and WarnerMedia.
Hammonds House Museum’s mission is to celebrate and share the cultural diversity and important legacy of artists of African descent. The museum is the former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and a passionate arts patron. A 501(c)3 organization which opened in 1988, Hammonds House Museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 450 works including art by Romare Bearden, Robert S. Duncanson, Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Hale Woodruff, Amalia Amaki, Radcliffe Bailey and Kojo Griffin. In addition to featuring art from their collection, the museum offers new exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, concerts, poetry readings, arts education programs, and other cultural events throughout the year.
Located in a beautiful Victorian home in Atlanta’s historic West End, Hammonds House Museum is a cultural treasure and a unique venue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to observe CDC guidelines, but look forward to welcoming in-person visitors soon! For more information about upcoming virtual events, and to see how you can support their mission and programming, visit their website: hammondshouse.org.
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