East Aldine Town Center will host a free Jazz Fest and Concert on Saturday, April 23rd, from 3pm to 7pm, with local and featured performers. The event will take place in the Park and Amphitheater at the new Town Center on Aldine Mail Route. The public is invited to attend any or all of the performances.
Activities include music, face painting, food trucks, a petting zoo, and more.
Sponsors of the event are the Texas Commission on the Arts, the East Aldine District, and the Diaz Music Institute. See page 8 of this issue for more information.
East Aldine Jazz Fest is featuring Guest Artists Britney Bloom, Robert Chapa, Felix Deleon, James Murphy, and Ernesto Vega.
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
3:00 PM Waltrip High School
3:30 PM Mead Middle School
3:50 PM Hastings High School
4:10 PM Elsik High School
4:40 PM Atascocita High School
5:10 PM Hambrick Middle School
5:40 PM MacArthur High School
6:00 PM Baby Caliente
6:20 PM Caliente with special guest Britney Bloom, Robert Chapa, Felix Deleon, James Murphy and Ernesto Vega.
Britney Bloom is an accomplished pianist, singer and songwriter who enjoys playing and teaching music. Her love of jazz, gospel, classical and fusion not only make her versatile but it makes her sound stand out and draw the listener in for a dreamy interpretation of musical expression. In 2015 Bloom graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in Jazz Studies. Previously she spent 2 years at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she decided that jazz studies would be her major.
Multi Genre drummer and percussionist, Robert Chapa Jr is from Houston, Texas. Musicians such as Ignacio Berroa, Michell Camilo and David Garibaldi, is where he gets his sound and style from. Since the age of three, Robert has been apart of the Diaz Music Institute where he studied the language and art of Latin American Music . His upbringing in the program has led him to play with great musicians: Brian Lynch, Tony Succar, Ndugu Chancler and countless others. As he polishes these skills and ambitions, Robert remains committed to his personal goals: achieving projects of his own, becoming another one of Houston’s own dominating and upcoming musicians in the world, and contributing to the art of bringing music to life.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Felix DeLeon came from a family of Church musicians and learned at an early age how to play by ear. Felix DeLeon has been involved in numerous recordings and concerts across the nation. One specific recording won a Grammy Award and another recording was nominated. Recently Felix recorded on John P. Kee’s single “I Made It Out.” Felix released his first single titled “Jade” in April 2019 and is currently an artist for Austin Winds, which is a Texas based Trumpet Company. Now, Felix is in demand as a trumpeter, pianist, composer, arranger and clinician. He plays with various groups in Houston, Texas and has established himself as a diverse musician in all genres of music.
James Murphy is one of the most sought-after saxophonists in Houston. Hailing from the traditions of the Texas Tenors, his work is featured in the genres of Gosple, Jazz, Hip Hop, Pop and R&B. While attending MacArthur HS and as a member of Diaz Music Institute’s “Caliente,” he performed with Dave Valentin, Patrice Rushen, Ndugu Chancler, and Brenda K Starr, among others. During his professional career, he performed with Eric Marienthal, Randy Brecker, Ignacio Berroa, and Joe Sample, just to name a few.
Clarinetist, Saxophonist and Composer, Ernesto Vega is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Art in Havana, Cuba. At the age of seventeen, Down Beat Magazine recognized his interpretative style on the clarinet recalling the legendary jazz clarinetist, Artie Shaw. In 2003, Vega won the first prize at the National Jazz contest Jojazz in Havana Cuba. He performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis on their visit to Cuba. Ernesto has collaborated with Cuban legends such: Frank Emilio, Chucho Valdés, Bobby Carcasses, Ernan Lopez Nussa, Jorge Reyes, and Changuito among others.