Second Wednesdays: Jazz at the Kramer

February 8, 2023

6:00pm - 8:00pm

FREE

Join us at the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery & Music Room on the second Wednesday of each month for an evening of jazz! This month's artists feature pianist Paul Bratcher and vocalist Dominique Bianco.

This performance is set within the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery's latest exhibition, Interwoven, which explores identity, tension, complexities, and cultural traditions through fiber art. For more information, click here.

Admission is FREE but advanced registration is required due to limited capacity.

Jazz at the Kramer is presented by Paul Carr's Jazz Academy of Music in partnership with the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County and curated by Paul Carr.

** Masks are encouraged for all guests, regardless of vaccination status. Outside food and beverages are not permitted in the gallery with the exception of water. **

Paul Bratcher

Paul Bratcher, a native of Harrisburg Pennsylvania began playing piano at age 11. He began his study of jazz at Bishop McDevitt High School where he played in the Jazz Band under the direction of David Knott. After high school Paul continued his education at Messiah College where he pursued a Bachelors of Science in Music Education. While attending Messiah he had the pleasure of playing with and learning from such jazz masters as, Tim Warfield, Kirk Reese, Cyrus Chestnut and Bruce Barth.

Learn more about Paul.

Dominique Bianco

Dominique Bianco adds her own distinctive touch to jazz standards and is a vocalist with remarkable virtuosity, innate interpretative abilities, awe-inspiring improvisational skills, and unique melodic original compositions. Bianco’s voice has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald’s and at age 21 she released her debut record, “I’m All Smiles,” which features Benny Benack III & Elijah Jamal Balbed. Downbeat Award-winning 22-year-old Dominique Bianco specializes in vocal jazz, contemporary genres, and has formed her own group that performs her original compositions and arrangements called “The Dominique Bianco Organ Quintet”.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Dominique was a finalist in the 2022 International Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition and has shared the stage with renowned jazz musicians such as Julius Rodriguez, Joe Farnsworth, Mark Whitfield, Peter Washington, Benny Benack III, Elijah Jamal Balbed, Emmet Cohen Trio including Kyle Poole and Russell Hall. Dominique is a 2023 Strathmore Artist in Residence and has been mentioned in publications such as Downbeat Magazine, Jazz Times, The Baltimore Sun, WBGO, WPFW, Capital Bop, Parklife DC, The Baltimore Times, and interviewed in Voyage Baltimore Magazine. Performing at prestigious venues including Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Keystone Korner, Smalls NYC, The Cutting Room, Pearl Street Warehouse, AMP by Strathmore, An Die Musik, Mr. Henry’s, Hermana NYC, Union Stage, Fredrick Jazz Festival, and Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.

Learn more about Dominique.

** Masks are encouraged for all guests, regardless of vaccination status. Outside food and beverages are not permitted in the gallery with the exception of water. **

Host or Publisher Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County