"Running the jazz/soul/blues gamut on a well broken in set of tunes from across the ages while making them all her own, this is top shelf jazz vocal, with a top shelf crew in tow. Solid."

- Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Jazz vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell hits the stage at Keystone Korner for the first time on Thursday, January 20, 2022. The popular jazz maven appears on festival, concert and club stages, enjoying one sellout after another. Working closely with pianist and Music Director Vince Evans, she performs and records with orchestras, big bands and smaller ensembles. Together, they stoke the fires of the D.C. jazz scene while casting a wider a net of audiences each year with performances in mid-Atlantic towns and cities. The performance will cover tunes from her highly praised albums, Stronger Than Ever released in 2018 and Sack Full of Dreams released in 2021.

Stronger Than Ever features standards from the Great American Songbook and R&B hits backed by an 11-piece orchestra. The indie album enjoyed 12 weeks on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Jazz Chart, peaking at #12. Robert Rusch of Cadence Magazine calls her voice: “fresh and compelling and gripping.” Jim Hynes of Making a Scene calls her “one of the most impressive vocalists to enter this incredibly competitive arena of jazz vocalists.”

Sack Full of Dreams reflects a heightened level of artistry and broadening of repertoire for Mitchell-Bell, whose influences include Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and Phyllis Hyman. The 12 tracks feature her interpretations of jazz, blues and R&B favorites made famous by such artists as Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross and also include tunes from Broadway repertoire.

The stunning songstress has performed in top clubs in the nation’s capital as well as the Kennedy Center, the Preservation Jazz Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Sheldon Cultural Center in St. Louis. She has thrilled standing room only audiences at D.C.’s City Winery and received standing ovations at such spots as the Westminster Jazz Night series.

Music director and pianist Vince Evans has earned enormous respect from peers and fans throughout his extensive career as a musician, producer and educator. He has worked with celebrities such as Phyllis Hyman, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Butler, Bill Withers, Gerald Albright, Luther Vandross, Eddie Murphy, MC Hammer and Prince. Evans graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music production and engineering from Berklee College of Music. He runs a recording studio, rehearsal space and teaching facility, where he teaches vocal technique, music theory, improvisation and music production.

Alvin White is a regularly recruited guitarist having worked with top musicians such as Grammy-award winners Ben E. King, Patti Labelle, Ledis and Lalah Hathaway. He has toured extensively across the country as well as in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean Islands. White has also appeared on many prestigious stages such as the Warner Theater, the Kennedy Center, the Strathmore Theater, the Birchmere, the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Bassist Eric Glaser has been on the New Orleans music scene for 25 years before relocating to the Washington, D.C area. He regularly performs in traditional and modern jazz and bluegrass. Glaser has performed with legendary trumpeter Al Hirt and clarinetist Pete Fountain, the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, and Django Reinhardt and Boswell Sisters tribute bands and has toured nationally with the Dukes of Dixieland. He was also part of an orchestra backing up singer-songwriter Rod Stewart.

Drummer JC Jefferson, Jr. works frequently with Mitchell-Bell and Evans in various ensemble settings and has also performed with jazz greats Benny Golson, Buck Hill, Barry Harris and Larry Willis. Jefferson currently serves as president of the American Library Association, where he previously worked in several committees and boards for 15 years.

Keystone Korner Baltimore is the city’s iconic jazz club, gaining massive popularity and national coverage. Established by NEA Jazz Master Todd Barkan, the venue hosts top shelf live jazz performances by the most in-demand performers locally, nationally and internationally on a near nightly basis.

Mitchell-Bell is a Jazz Beyond Borders performing and recording artist. Now in its sixth year, the organization brings world music and jazz artists to festivals, concerts and classrooms, and launches albums and tours in North America and Europe (see http://www.jazzbeyondborders.com).

Keystone Korner Baltimore is located at 1350 Lancaster St, Baltimore, MD 21231. Street parking available. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. EST. Performance begins at 7:00 p.m. EST. Tickets for physical seats are $25 and available through InstantSeats: https://tinyurl.com/yc6wdt3a. Streaming passes are $10 and available: https://tinyurl.com/xkszymyr