Toni Ballard Quartet

Experience the Toni Ballard Quartet! A legendary vocalist featured in "Jazz Singers," Toni brings decades of world-class swing and soul.

Personnel:
Toni Ballard — Vocals
Bill Duffy — Piano
Todd Baker — Bass
Gary Johnson — Drums

NOTE:

Immerse yourself in the cozy atmosphere of the Jazz Baroness Room at The Mad Monkfish, where you can sip your favorite drink, savor sushi or Thai cuisine, and enjoy the mesmerizing sounds of a remarkable jazz ensemble. Whether you're a seasoned jazz aficionado or simply seeking a delightful night out, this event promises to be a treat for your senses. To keep this vibrant jazz scene alive, we require a minimum spend of $25 per person, since all ticket proceeds go directly to the musicians. If a guest spends less than $25, the difference will be added to the check—this small gesture helps us keep the restaurant running and the music flowing. We’re grateful for your support—it’s what keeps the spirit of live jazz alive here at The Mad Monkfish.

Our full bar and food menus are available to complement the musical experience, so indulge in our renowned cuisine while supporting live jazz at The Mad Monkfish. Together, we can keep the music playing!
BIO:

Chicago native Toni Ballard, who is profiled in jazz writer Scott Yanow’s book “Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide,” has been singing in New England since the early ‘80s. A big band singer for four decades, she has performed with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, the Boston Big Band, the White Heat Swing Orchestra, the Silver Bullet Swing Orchestra, the WPI Stage Band, and the Ryles Jazz Orchestra, including an appearance in 2002 at the Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival. In 2001, she sang with the Benny Goodman Tribute Band on a two-week big band cruise of the Hawaiian Islands.

In 1984, Toni was one of ten singers invited to New York City to participate in the “American Song Stylists Concert,” which featured Shirley Horn. More recently, in 2023 she performed in NYC at the Gotham Jazz Festival.

She has sung her repertoire of jazz standards in Boston’s best jazz clubs, including the Regattabar, Scullers, Ryles and the former Starlight Roof. Since 2009, she has sung at clubs and in concert in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and for the past three years she has performed in the Napoleon Room at Club Cafe in Boston.

Featured on WGBH Boston radio's “Homegrown -- Jazz with Eric in the Evening” with Eric Jackson, she also performed live with her ensembles twice on Ron Della Chiesa’s “MusicAmerica” program on WGBH radio. And she appeared four times at the “Jazz at Sunset” series at the Ecotarium in Worcester.

Toni’s 1997 release “I'm Your Pal,” produced and arranged by pianist Bevan Manson, features bassist Harvie S and special guest, late guitar icon Larry Coryell. That CD and an earlier 1985 album of jazz arrangements of children’s songs, “Songs for the Young at Heart,” which includes tunes from Disney movies and “The Wizard of Oz,” and features bassist Michael Formanek and guitarist Ron Murray, as well as late, beloved jazz greats Dick Johnson, Bob Winter, Sal Spicola, and Emil Haddad, are available on CD Baby and on streaming services at:

https://toniballard.hearnow.com/im-your-pal-featuring-larry-coryell
Creator, producer and host of the CableACE-nominated jazz TV show “Studio 3” on WGMC-TV3 in Worcester, Toni received an award from the New England Chapter of Women in Cable and Television in 1997 for Best Cable Program Series in New England. “Studio 3” is featured online on the Jazz History Database.

Toni served as Entertainment Reporter for the station’s “NewsWatch3” from its launch in 1991 until 1994. She also hosted and interviewed jazz legends for several editions of BET Jazz's “JazzScene” and “Impressions” for Black Entertainment Television from 1998 to 2000. Toni hosted jazz radio programs on WICN in Worcester and WGBH in Boston and is a member of the international Jazz Journalists Association.

Toni was a publicist at Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1998 to 2004. She has worked as a volunteer for over 20 years with the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance in Worcester, helping to organize and promote events to raise money for pancreatic research and patient care at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester.

She looks forward to reuniting with three musicians with whom she had the pleasure of working in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early aughts — Bill Duffy (p), Todd Baker (b), and Gary Johnson (d). The group performed in November at Arthur’s House of Jazz at the Sahara Club in Methuen.

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Host or Publisher Jamme K. Chantler