Darden Purcell, a Washington D.C. vocalist, will be the featured artist at the Gettysburg Brass Band Festival Jazz al Fresco benefit concert on Thursday, June 6. Darden has shared the stage with leading jazz artists Maria Schneider, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, Eddie Daniels, Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Chuchito Valdes, Alan Baylock, Byron Stripling, Joel Spencer, and Darmon Meader, and has been a solo vocalist with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, U.S. Navy Commodores, Airmen of Note. And Army Blues. Dr. Purcell is also Director of Jazz Studies, and director of the Downbeat award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at George Mason University.
Sylvannia Garutch, columnist for The Jazz Word, relates that Darden’s latest CD Love’s Got Me in a Lazy Mood “transports us through the familiar terrains of classic jazz. The album flows with Latin influences and a touch of Hard-Bop nostalgia. Dr. Purcell’s clear diction showcases her linguistic versatility by singing in multiple languages, further drawing us into her legit world of jazz lines and hues. What captivated me about the disc is its intricate narrative arc … how the songs collectively unfold, like chapters in a compelling novel, to form a cohesive sonic story, much like chapters in a novel.”
Darden will be joined by a quintet of stellar jazz artists from the D.C. metro area that include guitarist Shawn Purcell, Harry Appelman on piano, bassist Jeff Reed, drummer Todd Harrison, and Matt Niess on trombone.
The concert will take place at the United Lutheran Seminary Hill-Unger from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm and catered by Biggerstaff’s Catering. A reservation form can be found at the GBBF website https://www.gettysburgbrassbandfestival.com. Please contact Buzz Jones directly with any questions at bjbb03@comcast.net.
Festival events on June 5, 7, 8, and 9 are free and open to the public. The Gettysburg Brass Band Festival was organized by the GBBF Steering Committee in partnership with the United Lutheran Seminary, Music Gettysburg! Concert Series, and Destination Gettysburg. Special kudos to the ULS for the use of the concert pavilion, our many volunteers and individual donors, and the Gettysburg Lions Club. Grant support was provided by the Robert C. Hoffman Charitable Trust, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Adams County Arts Council.