Recipient Information
Location
Bronx, New York
Year of Award
2021
Grant or Fellowship
Jazz Road Tours Grant
Grant Amount
$8,400
Performances
- Northampton Jazz Workshop. August 10, 2021. Northampton MA
- Chris' Jazz Cafe. August 14, 2021. Philadelphia PA
- Deer Head Inn. August 20, 2021. Delaware Water Gap PA
- Pound Ridge Community Church Jazz Vespers. Date TBA. Pound Ridge NY
About the Artist
This quintet is led by vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan. The members of the ensemble include Grant Stewart, tenor saxophonist, Byron Landham, drummer, Vince Dupont, bassist, and founding member of the Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quartet (main arranger/guitarist) Greg Ruggiero. This quintet performs regularly at Smalls, Mezzrow, Dizzy's, The Kitano, etc. and venues outside of the city. The New Brunswick Jazz Project based in New Jersey, has consistently featured this band in their programming for the last three years. The group's appearances in PA have included concert series through The Central Pennsylvania Friend of Jazz at The Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg Elementary School and Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia which hosts the band quarterly each year.
As a young immigrant who has grown and brought the real richness of her heritage together with her love for what is truly American, Lucy beautifully sounds out the best expression of the American dream. Amid the cacophony of voices raging over immigration, this jazz vocalist sounds a very refreshing note. Since arriving from Armenia sixteen years ago at age 12, Lucy has enriched American jazz with a voice that is clear and strong, and with the release of her debut album Blue Heaven (Cellar Live Records 2019) critics and musicians agree that a new vocal force has arrived on the scene. Recognized as one of the top ten finalists in the 2015 International Monk Jazz Competition, Lucy has shared the stage with Grant Stewart, Winard Harper, Harold Mabern, Steve Williams, Rodney Whitaker, Bernadette Peters and Arto Tuncboyajian. Yeghiazaryan currently resides in NYC where she can be found playing at Smalls, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space and Smoke. Lucy also leads a regular Tuesday session at Mezzrow Jazz Club and has a monthly residency at the historic Showman's Jazz Club in Harlem with her organ trio.