Keeping alive a legend of superb jazz vocals, D.C.’s Blues Alley, the historic jazz club, announced the winner of its seventh annual “Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition” on April 20.
Dani Assis, from New Canaan, Connecticut, sang his way to receive the first-place award.
Blues Alley holds the competition every year in collaboration with the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation to honor the talent and impact on jazz by the beloved vocalist. The event also coincides with April, Jazz Appreciation Month.
Aviana Gedler from West Des Moines, Iowa, was in second place in the Fitzgerald Competition. Three third-place finalists were Angelina Kolobukhova, from Minsk, Belarus; Arvin Ma from Shanghai, China; and Tina Hashemi from Charlottesville, Virginia.
The competition’s theme this year was “Ella Loves Cole,” featuring songs from Cole Porter, one of the composers of songs from the “Great American Songbook” of standards. Cole Porter’s name resonates as one of the defining song stylists of the 20th century.
Fitzgerald was known for scatting, an improvised singing style that involves taking the voice through a melody without using a lyric. The judges wanted to hear those qualities and more when judging competitors in the vocal event.
This year’s judges were from the internationally acclaimed jazz vocal group New York Voices. They included Peter Eldridge, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian. The judges rated the five finalists based on style, musicality, and technical skills.
The group was in D.C. for a two-night gig at Blues Alley, and after the competition, the group performed with first-place winner Assis.
For more information on upcoming events at Blues Alley, visit bluesalley.com
