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Julia Keefe
Mondavi Center - Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band
Mondavi Center
523 Mrak Hall Dr
Davis, CA 95616
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mondaviarts.org
About this concert
Continuing a little-known but rich history of big bands that formed on reservations during the early 20th century, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band brings charisma, passion, and purpose to every stage. This ensemble features a “who’s who” of Native and Indigenous jazz musicians and bandleaders, including Mali Obomsawin (Odanak Abenaki), Delbert Anderson (Diné) and Chantil Dukart (Tsimshian), led by celebrated vocalist and luminary Julia Keefe (Nez Perce). Performing pieces from their under-appreciated predecessors in jazz like Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke), alongside works by contemporary Indigenous composers, the band spotlights a vibrant, long-standing tradition of Indigenous improvised music.
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Julia Keefe Biography
"A songbird of a jazz vocalist" - The New York Times
“She gives me hope for the future of jazz.” – Judy Carmichael, NPR
“Her voice is of another era. One of the only jazz songbirds in Indian Country.” – Revolutions per Minute
"Native American jazz pioneer... Visionary Keefe continues to expand the jazz spectrum..." - Steve Roby, West Hawaii Today
Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) is an internationally acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist, bandleader, actor, and educator currently based in New York City. Her professional career has spanned nearly two decades, and she has headlined marquee events at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., NMAI-NY, as well as opened for the likes of 20- time GRAMMY Award winner Tony Bennett and 4-time GRAMMY Award winner Esperanza Spalding. Her life’s work is the revival and honoring of the legendary Coeur d’Alene jazz musician Mildred Bailey and is leading the campaign for Bailey’s induction into the Jazz Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center. In addition to rehearsing for an upcoming album, she is currently directing the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, a new project highlighting the history and future of Indigenous people in jazz, and the Mildred Bailey Project will be releasing its first studio recording winter 2024.
Read More“She gives me hope for the future of jazz.” – Judy Carmichael, NPR
“Her voice is of another era. One of the only jazz songbirds in Indian Country.” – Revolutions per Minute
"Native American jazz pioneer... Visionary Keefe continues to expand the jazz spectrum..." - Steve Roby, West Hawaii Today
Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) is an internationally acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist, bandleader, actor, and educator currently based in New York City. Her professional career has spanned nearly two decades, and she has headlined marquee events at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., NMAI-NY, as well as opened for the likes of 20- time GRAMMY Award winner Tony Bennett and 4-time GRAMMY Award winner Esperanza Spalding. Her life’s work is the revival and honoring of the legendary Coeur d’Alene jazz musician Mildred Bailey and is leading the campaign for Bailey’s induction into the Jazz Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center. In addition to rehearsing for an upcoming album, she is currently directing the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, a new project highlighting the history and future of Indigenous people in jazz, and the Mildred Bailey Project will be releasing its first studio recording winter 2024.
Big Band
Native American
Blues
Jazz
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