Abena Koomson-Davis is a performer, educator and wordsmith. Abena originated the role of Felaâs mother in the Off Broadway musical FELA! and reprised her role in the Broadway production which earned 3 Tony awards. She has performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Angelique Kidjo and many other luminaries. Abena can be heard on Natalie Merchantâs most recent album âKeep Your Courage' where she is featured on two duets, âCome on Aphroditeâ and âBig Girls.â
For over 15 years, Abena has been the lead vocalist of the funk rock band Van Davis. She is the musical director for the Resistance Revival Chorus, and her song âJoy in Resistanceâ is featured on their debut album, entitled âThis Joy.â
Abenaâs debut jazz album on WJ3 Records, entitled âWhere is Loveâ features time-honored standards and original compositions co-written with her husband, acclaimed jazz trombonist Steve Davis.
She is a member and featured collaborator of Scapegoat Garden, a New England based creative engine whose most recent project, Liturgy | Order | Bridge conceived by Deborah Goffe, was the recipient of the Creative Capital grant.
Abena currently serves as Ethics Chair of the middle school division at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where she teaches ethics and social justice to middle & upper school students. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where she earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts, and also of Teachers College, Columbia University where she earned a Masters in Education Leadership.
Steve Davis - Trombone is widely regarded as one of today's leading voices on the trombone. After graduating from The Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz ('89), Davis first gained widespread recognition in 1990 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. As the last to join the Jazz Messengers, Steveâs first record dates would be Blakey's last, including the composition One For All (A&M), penned by Davis.
Over the years since, Davis has worked with a broad range of jazz luminaries such as his first mentor Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Cecil Payne, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Freddie Hubbard & The New Jazz Composers Octet, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove & Willie Jones III. Raised in Binghamton, New York, Steve has performed at major venues around the world including appearances on The Jimmy Fallon Show with Stevie Wonder and at The White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS). Davis appears on over 150 recordings, including 20 as a leader. Davis' 2019 release, Correlations (Smoke Sessions) features rising stars Joshua Bruneau & Jonathan Barber, as well as renowned veteran, stars Xavier Davis, Wayne Escoffery & Dezron Douglas. Correlations have garnered rave reviews and spent months atop the JazzWeek Radio Charts. The CD features an exciting collection of original compositions and time-honored classics. Other notable releases include Think Ahead & Say When: Celebrating J.J. Johnson (Smoke Sessions), For Real, and Gettinâ It Done (Positone). In 2019, in addition to performing with his own Correlations Band, Steve appears on Chick Corea's My Spanish Heart Band CD, "Antidote" and toured Europe with the group in July. Davis also continues to work regularly with the collectively-led sextet One For All (feat. Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber & Joe Farnsworth), bassist Nat Reeves' Quintet, as well as playing with John Lee's Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, and Christian McBride big bands. Steveâs original composition, âOptimismâ appears on the McBride Big Bandâs Grammy Award-winning release Bringin' It (2018). Davis plans to record with both his son, guitarist Tony Davis and his wife, vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. As always, Steve maintains an active presence on the vibrant local CT jazz scene & appears on bassist Matt Dwonzsyk's Wonderful World CD. A long-time educator, Steve has guided a broad range of emerging musicians at the Hartt School's Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division, University of Hartford, CT where he was recently honored for over 25 years of service. Other ongoing prestigious educational endeavors include joining the San Francisco Conservatory's RJAM faculty, Jamey Aebersoldâs Summer Jazz Workshops, Skidmore Jazz Workshop, Jazz.
Joe Strasser Drummer / Percussionist Joe Strasser, is a native son of Bethel , CT. He is a âone of a kind stylistâ, with his own take on jazz drumming⌠his own sound. A colorist, who is mindful of the effect of each stroke on the musicians around him as a whole, Strasser mines the rest of the components of the drum kit with equal parts of efficiency and artistry. Everything is very meticulous and everything is musical. He's tremendously versatile and traditional in the sense that he's got a real foundation. Strasser says his idol was Jimmy Cobb first and then Philly Joe Jones - the classic bebop drummers who were also great percussionists. Strasser has played and recorded with musicians such as: Trumpet player Joe Magnarelli, Guitarist Peter Bernstein, and with groups such as Full House, Planet Jazz, The Omer Avital Group, Yves Brouqui Trio.
Matt Dwonszyk- Bass Matt Dwonszyk is an accomplished bassist, composer, arranger and educator from Rocky Hill, CT. He graduated from the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz studying under his mentor and world-renowned bassist, Nat Reeves and then went on to receive his Masters degree from SUNY Purchase College. After living in New York City for 5 years, Dwonszyk returned back home to Connecticut during the 2020 pandemic. In 2023, Dwonszyk moved back to Astoria, NY and performs frequently throughout New England, splitting his time between performing and teaching. Throughout his career, Dwonszyk has performed and recorded with numerous contemporaries as well as legendary jazz artists including Steve Davis, Bennie Wallace, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, George Cables, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Jazzmeia Horn, Joey Alexander among many others. He currently plays bass with Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead, The Jon Davis Trio, Julieta Eugenio Trio and the Sarah Hanahan Quartet. In 2019, he toured through Canada with the Oleg Butman Trio and in 2022 with Jonathan Barber and Vision Ahead through the West Coast of the U.S. Dwonszykâs last tour was in October of 2022 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He frequently performs at some of the top jazz clubs in New York City including Smalls Jazz Club, Mezzrow, Ornithology, Dizzy's Coca Cola Club, Smoke and The Blue Note. Since 2019, Dwonszyk has been a faculty member of Manchester Community College and Central Connecticut State College teaching jazz bass and jazz history. In the summer, he teaches at Bennie Wallaceâs Back Country Jazz Program and Litchfield Jazz Camp.
In 2022, with the Julieta Eugenio Trio, Dwonszyk won the 2022 DC JazzPrix Competition at the Washington, DC Jazz Festival. Dwonszyk's debut recording, "Wonderful World", was released May of 2019 featuring world-class trombonist Steve Davis. His second album, "A Year and a Day", was released July 1st, 2022 featuring Dwonszykâs band, the Dwonztet. In 2023, the Dwonztet played at the Hartford Baby Grand Jazz Series, The Northampton Jazz Strut, Smalls Jazz Club, The Side Door Jazz Club and the Poli Club. In 2024, the Dwonztet is scheduled to play the Hartford Jazz Festival and the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival.
Matt DeChamplain - Piano Matt grew up in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Matt has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, Berks Jazz Festival, New Yorkâs JVC Jazz Festival, the Berklee Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and renowned jazz clubs such as the Regatta Bar, Smalls and Yoshiâs. Currently, Matt holds faculty positions at the Hartt School (the University of Hartford, Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz). He has also taught at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, led the big band at Glastonbury High School, and taught at the Artistâs Collective, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, and New Hampshireâs Jazz All-State.
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