The 2025 DCJazzPrix Finals showcases top jazz ensembles

On this episode of The Art of the Story, we meet the finalists of the 2025 DCJazzPrix

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm Doug Doyle with the art of the Story. One
of the highlights of the twenty twenty five DC Jazz
Fest is this year's DC Jazz pre taking place on Saturday,
August thirtieth at Union Stage. It's the tenth year of
recognizing and supporting top emerging jazz ensembles. This year's finalists

(00:23):
include Friendship, Jose, Luise Martins, Dave Meeter and New American
Hymno Quartette and the Smoogies. Friendship is led by Canadian
pianist Jenny Shoe.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
These are my two favorite musicians to play with outright,
out of anyone alive. I wouldn't choose anybody else to
be in my band but them, and they are they
They were my closest friends. Well now I married my
bassist Ben, so we're even closer than that now, and

(00:55):
Kofe was the ring bearer at her wedding. But they're
just so highly virtuosic on their instruments, and not only that,
they played with so much feel and heart. And I
can just because all of the compositions in our band
are written by me, but you know, it might as
well be for the band. Like I tell everyone, I

(01:16):
don't play Friendship tunes on any of my other gigs,
like it has to be with the members of Friendship
because no one else but these two quite lends the
rights down to it.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah, Astin composer Dave Meter leads the Dad Meter New
American Hymnal Quartet.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
So half the group is here in Denton, Texas. Myself
and Philip D's a really great trumpet player. But actually
we were in New York at the same time, but
we didn't really meet and start playing together until we
both ended up here in little little Denton, Texas teaching

(01:54):
at unt SO. But the rhythm section is based in
New York City's Marty Jaffey on bass and Michael Pilot
on drums, And I met them over over a decade,
almost a decade and a half for them now, you know,
And I really I have never found overhythm section that

(02:15):
I hit it off with as as much as the
two of them.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
The Smoogies basses. Dion Kerr has been friends with his
band from South Florida since they were in their late
teens and started jamming together.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
This band is you know, each member is a is
a prolific musician and writer, composer of themselves and are
you know, backing sidemen to a lot of like the
the most prominent musicians even touring out today, like Carvel
is currently out with Godwin we and plays in at

(02:51):
and Charles's band. Dave Sherefton is currently on tour with
Jill Scott Vaughn. I just saw Vaughn in New York
with Ghost Note and last year was Torn with Kirk Franklin.
So these guys are some of the best rhythm section
musicians I've ever known from South Florida. They're all from
Miami and we grew up, you know, playing music together

(03:15):
since we were eighteen and becoming adults.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Each finalist will perform live during the DC Jazz pre
Finals on August thirtieth. The winner will receive a fifteen
thousand dollars grand prize, a main stage performance at DC
Jazz Has twenty twenty six, and begin a year long
association with the DC Jazz Festival, including customized business development
and career technical assistance. You can see my interview with

(03:41):
the finalists on the WBGO YouTube channel. I'm Doug Doyle.
WBGO News