(Washington, DC, February 5, 2012) -- Jazz pianist and DC music legend, Ron Elliston, will be in concert on Sunday, February 19th at 7:30pm at the 3rd Annual - 2012 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Rockville, MD, with vocalist Tacha Coleman Parr, and guest vocalist, Michelle Hoyte. Tacha Coleman Parr was trained by Ron Elliston and Ronnie Wells, and has shared the stage with many of the area’s top jazz musicians. Having also studied with Rebecca Parris, Giacomo Gates, Roseanna Vitro, and JD Walter, “her honesty to a song endears the listener; she knows how to use her voice, she feels the music, she can interpret a lyric well enough to remind one of Carmen McRae. The intimacy that she creates as a performer is the sort that makes you believe without question that she is telling us a very personal story” says jazz critic Barry Nix.
Ron Elliston is a mainstay of the DC jazz scene. He has served as pianist for some of the top names in jazz (Sarah Vaughn, Dick Shorey, Benny Carter, Ernie Andrews, etc.,and created the Jazz Studies program at the University of Maryland, College Park, along with the late Ronnie Wells, his wife and musical partner for 25 years.
In addition to being the accompanist for Ronnie Wells and her classic “& Friends” recordings he has also given years of private piano instruction and group jazz vocal studies at The Elliston Studio for Jazz Studies where he and Ronnie trained many of the independent jazz vocal performers you hear today. Ron and Ronnie (who died in 2006), were the founders of the East Coast Jazz Festival (the predecessor of the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival).
This performance marks the return of Ron Elliston to the festival arena, his first since Ronnie’s passing, and features music written by both himself, Ronnie, and Tacha. He will be joined by Paul Wingo on guitar, David Wundrow on bass, and Dominic Smith on drums.
The concert will be held at the Rockville Hilton (1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD). Tickets are $20.00 and are available at www.midatlantic jazzfestival.org or by calling 301-563-9330. The Rockville Hilton is located directly in front of the Twinbrook Metro Station.
Tacha Coleman Parr and/or Ron Elliston are are available for interviews. Please contact Tacha (202-684-5733) to set up a time. Please visit www.tachacolemanparr.com for more information on and links to the all personnel involved in the event.
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