Seattle Jazz Vespers: Offbeats Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Sunday, May 2 at 6:00pm

Offbeats Vocal Jazz, Kelley Johnson, and The John Hansen Trio

The Offbeats Vocal Jazz Ensemble is a 16-member group of men and women who perform high-caliber vocal jazz featuring music and arrangements written for up to eight parts with the aim to connect us all and make us groove together. With internationally acclaimed Seattle jazz vocalist Kelley Johnson as musical director and vocalist, the group strives towards excellence in musicality and performance. Accompanied by a rhythm section headed by pianist John Hansen, the Offbeats perform with a professional rhythm section led by accomplished jazz pianist, John Hansen. While the primary focus is ensemble singing, small group and solo opportunities are an integral part of the Offbeats experience. The Offbeats perform at a variety of area jazz clubs, concert halls, live theaters, community events and local jazz festivals.

Kelley Johnson is a U.S. jazz singer, arranger and lyricist, who has worked in Seattle from the late 1980s onward. She employs a clear, direct, and unadorned approach to phrasing that has drawn numerous stylistic parallels. Warm and personal delivery echoes Carmen McRae, while her restrained subtlety recalls cool-school figures such as Chris Connor, June Christy, Julie London, and Anita O’Day. Additional likenesses have been noted to the late Irene Kral and, at times, Peggy Lee, though Johnson differs from Lee by functioning as a true jazz improviser for whom spontaneity remains essential.

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