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Acclaimed Jazz Singer, WMU Alum Johnaye Kendrick Headlines Vocal Jazz Festival

johnaye.com

Johnaye Kendrick performs Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30, at 8 pm in WMU's Dalton Center Recital Hall at the Gold Company Vocal Jazz Festival. Friday's concert opens the event, which brings high school-age students to campus for performances and workshops during the day on Saturday.  Johnaye Kendrick will be joined by a quartet: Western professors Matthew Fries, piano; and Thomas Knific, bass; and student Madison George, drums. On Saturday, Kendrick will be the featured guest soloist with Gold Company.

In a conversation with Cara Lieurance and Gold Company director Greg Jasperse, Kendrick describes her artistic journey as a search for "a voice" that took time and experience to develop.  Her years at WMU, singing in Gold Company under Steve Zegree were formative, as was her further education at the Thelonius Monk Institute and at Loyola University. Today, she lives in Tacoma, WA, and recently released her second album, Flying, to rave reviews.

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Cara Lieurance is the local host of NPR's All Things Considered on 1021 WMUK and covers local arts & culture on Let's Hear It on 89.9 Classical WMUK weekday mornings at 10 - 11 am.
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