Christie Dashiell feat. Micah Robinson - "Invitation" (Kaper)

When the word came down that Christie Dashiell's second album, Journey in Black, had been nominated for a Grammy award, it galvanized the DC jazz community. We were excited; we were proud; we were inspired.

But, by and large, we weren't surprised. Dashiell has always been an artist primed for worldwide recognition, armed with her distinctive and powerful voice and her serious chops as a jazz improvisor and bandleader. She's been expanding her reach well beyond the borders of the DMV for years, from her early success with Howard University vocal ensemble Afro Blue (Dashiell's cohort was featured on the American-Idol-esque TV show _The Sing-Off_) to her more recent collaborations with modern jazz luminaries like Marcus Strickland and Marquis Hill.

It's a joy to look back at this recording from our 2022 artist residency to hear the music that would soon be released on Journey in Black in 2023 — performed live by the same all-star band that recorded the album. Particularly beautiful is Dashiell's featuring her longtime friend and collaborator Micah Robinson on this reimagining of a much-loved jazz standard (which borrows a melodic theme that any casual hip-hop head should recognize right away). Watching Dashiell and Robinson's energy onstage together is a perfect encapsulation of what so many of us love about DC music: spontaneity; ingenuity; joy; playfulness; love; creativity; community. // Jamie Sandel, CapitalBop

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CapitalBop's '22 Artist Residency presents: Christie Dashiell
recorded May 22, 2022 at Wild Days - Eaton DC, Washington, DC

Christie Dashiell — voice
Carroll "CV" Dashiell III — drums
Allyn Johnson — keyboard
Romeir Mendez — bass
and Micah Robinson — voice

"Invitation" by Bronisław Kaper + Paul F Webster
arrangement by Christie Dashiell + Noble Jolley

produced by: Jamie Sandel for CapitalBop
'22 residency presenting associate: Kelsye Adams

cameras: Jamie Sandel, Lauren Honesty
live/intake engineer: Tariq Sudah
audio mix + video edit by Jamie Sandel

Special thanks to Eaton DC, Wild Days + Andrew Grant

The editing and publication of this video was supported by a grant from HumanitiesDC as part of the Humanities Grant Program, an initiative funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.