DFW Jazz Artist Directory
Search for DFW Jazz Artists by keyword and/or instrument below.
DFW Jazz Artist Directory
Search for DFW Jazz Artists by keyword and/or instrument below.
Willie Lawrence Stewart Jr. Is the son of Rev. Willie Sr. & Beatrice Stewart born in Dallas Tx. Sept.6 1951! Tony Palos began playing the piano in 1967 at the age of 8 and studied at the University of North Texas Jazz Studies program. Tony has been active as a professional musician since 1976 and has been fortunate enough to perform with such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Gregg Bissonette, Simon Phillips and Clark Terry. He has also performed at the North Sea and Montreaux jazz festivals. He has been co-leading his jazz fusion group First Take Electric Jazz, along with his wife Tina on trumpet since 1995. He has been active in the North Texas area as a freelance musician since 1988 Tony Hakim has been a positive music force in the Dallas – Fort Worth jazz scene for over 25 years, playing both in solo performance and collaborations. His mellow guitar styles and winsome vocals have won him much acclaim and a devoted following worldwide. His first CD, “Postcards From You,” is packed with a delightful assortment of original tunes, while his latest CD’s, “Summer Place” and “Two For The Road,” show off his definitive style as he interprets the works of the legends of the music world. A regular player at the Mansion On Turtle Creek Bar, an exclusive in fine dining, Tony Hakim is also a great artistic force in and around the Dallas area. His selections of tunes range from easy listening, jazzy Brazilian, Frank Sinatra, to Nat King Cole, James Taylor, Beatles, and the good old 60’s and 70’s popular songs. Tony has entertained for many types of events, ranging from intimate weddings and birthdays to Holiday parties and corporate functions. Tony Baker has taught at the University of North Texas College of Music since 2000. Currently a member of the Dallas Opera Orchestra, he has performed with ensembles such as the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz musician Mr. Baker has performed with groups such as the Woody Herman Band, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. He has also performed on stage with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Steve Turre, Terry Gibbs, John Fedchock, Pete Christlieb and Peter Erskine. Mr. Baker is or has been on the faculty of summer jazz workshops at institutions such as the University of North Texas and Northwest College in Cody, Wyoming. Mr. Baker is a regular faculty member of the University of North Texas Combo Workshop. He was also a guest artist at the 2014 Texoma Jazz Festival, the 2002 Redbud Jazz Festival, and the 1999 Capital University Jazz Week. Internationally, Mr. Baker has served as a guest artist and clinician at events such as the 2013 Summer Course of Brazilia (CIVEBRA) and the 2006 Trombones de Costa Rica International Festival. Mr. Baker served as the All-‐‑State Conductor of the 2016 Arkansas All-‐‑State Jazz Ensemble I and the 2004-‐‑2005 Minnesota All-‐‑State Jazz Ensemble. He is a frequent clinician and adjudicator and maintains a very active performing schedule. Tom Braxton has been thrilling audiences coast to coast and abroad for decades as he has headlined shows in the US, Portugal, and Africa. Coming up, he is set to perform at the Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival in Spain and the Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend. His current CD, Lookin’ Up, has landed 2 singles on the smooth jazz billboard chart and 3 singles on Radiowave and Smoothjazz.com charts. He has also been #1 on Amazon’s best-selling and new releases charts. Recently, he and his father were inducted into the prestigious West Texas Walk of Fame. I was born in Syracuse New York, I play some guitar and sing a bit. I got into music when I was about 5 yrs. old after hearing the music of Buddy Holly. Since then, I've been kind of fanatical about music. As I got older I was diggin' all kind of rock like most kids and started getting into more jazzy things after hearing rock/fusion stuff like Jeff Beck, Mahahvisnu Orchestra, Chick Corea, and Larry Carlton. Then all the way after hearing Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, (had to have ALL their recordings) etc..so then I joined the high school jazz band (Enfield, CT) and then two years of music school at the Hartford Conservatory, then I moved back to Syracuse..and shortly after went on the road with Lucky Peterson for 3 years, then played with Kirk Franklin for another 3 years, Joe McBride and many other artists since then. 18-piece big band based in Dallas, TX. Founded in 1986 and operated as The Texas Instruments Jazz Band from 1986-2019. After 33.3 years and 326 concerts (including 51 guest artist concerts) we changed our name to Texins Jazz Band in 2020. The Texins Jazz Band is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to perform the big band jazz musical art form and present international guest artists to the public in a manner that is educational, entertaining, and affordable. For 18 years now the award winning recipe for The Texas Gypsies sound is to perform the “Vintage Jazzy Swingin" cool hep cat sounds of the Great Gatsby era 1920's, plus a mix of the Big Band Swing sound of the 1930's and 40’s, add in a taste of its sister sound, Western Swing, sprinkle some Django style Gypsy Jazz over the top and finally finish up with a pinch of Retro Deco Rockin Roll! The band mixes passionate violin, a blazing horn section, rockin-swingin guitars, slappin upright bass, and retro style drumming to harmoniously create their own unique, classy and fun sound! Houston native Terrence Hobdy started drum lessons at the age of six, a pursuit that led to his earning a master’s degree in jazz music from the University of North Texas. His teaching career began at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as an instructor of drum set, general percussion, and jazz studies. In 2020, Terence became the head of jazz studies at Booker T. Washington and continues his dedication to assisting younger local musicians gain the opportunity to grow as artists. Fort Worth native Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield has been singing and playing jazz since she was 13 years old. She credits her mother, a Nancy Wilson fan, for giving her the jazz bug. One of 12 semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, Ms. Mayfield has earned rave reviews and awards for her voice and persona. She has opened for music luminaries such as Kirk Whalum, Bobbi Humphrey, and Randy Brecker. A natural at scatting and an international radio favorite, reaching listeners in Europe, Nigeria, and Brazil, her talent is not limited to refreshing vocals; she also plays piano and trombone, composes, and teaches. .Oh, and why is her stage name LadyMay? Her friend Darwin Martin called her that every time he saw her, and the name stuck.
Willie Stewart started in music, playing the guitar at five years old, then graduating on to the keyboards, and at the age of 16 played on different gospel artist albums at the time living in Denver Colorado. A former college semi pro basketball player has played for and produced numerous gospel artists, composed and written several gospel projects from the early 70s to current! He has several releases including latest instrumentals on all digital networks, including Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music, Amazon, and etc.
info@sammonsartcenter.org
(214) 520-7788