Thursday, February 18, 2016 at Portland State University's Lincoln Hall. // Photo by Diane Russell
You can see Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band and Alicia Olatuja (double bill), February 25 | 7:00 pm at ,
Once Alicia Olatuja moved to New York, her reputation as a supreme jazz vocalist began to take shape. The New York media lauded her performances with her husband, bassist Michael Olatuja, as well as her performance at the 2013 presidential inauguration. On her debut album, Timeless, Olatuja was joined by a brilliant ensemble of players including Christian McBride, Jon Cowherd, Christian Sands, Ulysses Owens Jr. and Michael Olatuja, which speaks volumes to her versatile vocal style. When not performing, she is a voice educator at the Brooklyn Arts Council. She was featured at the 2015 Festival with Billy Childs and The Laura Nyro project. “Ms. Olatuja is an American singer with a strong, lustrous tone and an amiably regal presence onstage.” – The New York Times
Jeff Baker is a Portland Jazz musician who also teaches at PSU.
The conversation:
The music: