Bruce Dudley is a Steinway Concert Artist and has been performing jazz piano for over 40 years on concert stages, in clubs, and private residences throughout North and South America. He specializes in the Great American Songbook, as well as in the rich history of American jazz styles, from Ragtime and Stride to Modernism, Post Modernism, and performance of original music. In addition to his work as a solo artist, he leads a trio, quartet, and larger ensembles, with horns and/or strings, while also enlisting the award winning voice of his wife, Sandra Dudley. An active educator, Dudley has presented clinics across Canada, the United States, and in Colombia, South America. His recordings as a leader include DPSW Quartet - Live at the Cave (2019), The Solo Sessions (2012), Mostly Monk (2010), and Semblance (1997). Dudley has also performed with artists Aretha Franklin, Crystal Gayle, Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Herb Ellis, Randy Brecker, Little Anthony and the Imperials, the Ink Spots, and has played keyboards for over 35 touring Broadway shows, including Beautiful, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Guys and Dolls, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, Legally Blonde, among others. Bruce Dudley has published articles for Downbeat magazine and presented scholarly research at conferences in the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States. His book 25 Piano Etudes in Idiomatic Styles was published in 2021 by Keuka Waters Music. Dudley is Associate Professor of Music at Belmont University. He has a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado, a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Business and Technology from New York University.
"As the leader, Dudley set the evening's tone with a supple, rich blend of assertive melodic statements, delightful accompaniment, first-rate phrasing, counterpoint and harmonizing." Ron Wynn - ArtsNash
"Dudley, whose fluent lines jet around the keyboard, absorbing motifs into the stream, without a split second of hesitation, at any point of rhythm in the bar, are stunning to listen to…" HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD
"Dudley plays the piano with such grace and authority that he has quietly become the pianists that other pianists go to hear." HOUSTON POST
Christina Watson is a Nashville-based vocalist and educator. Since graduating with honors from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts (2001), she has released 4 albums as a leader. Her most recent album of jazz standards is entitled "So This is Love" and features Grammy winner Jeff Coffin on saxophone, Lori Mechem on piano, Roger Spencer on bass, and Duffy Jackson on drums. She has appeared as a guest artist on numerous recording projects, including the Nashville Jazz Orchestra's acclaimed Gershwin CD, "It Ain't Necessarily So." Christina was nominated by the Nashville Industry Music Awards as 2018 Best Jazz Vocalist. She sings soprano in the 4-person vocal jazz group Third Coast Vocals, which released its debut album in 2011. She currently performs at concerts and private events with her jazz trio. Christina teaches private voice lessons at her home studio and online. Christina was on the faculty at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music from 2016 until 2021, where she served as Professor of Jazz Voice and Director of the Blair Jazz Choir. She is on the faculty at The Nashville Jazz Workshop (2008-present). Between 2008 and 2019, she directed a community a cappella group called The Nashville Belles, comprised of women of all ages and backgrounds who performed concerts around the Nashville area. In addition to having graduated from Berklee, Christina holds a Bachelor of Arts (French major) from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, (1995) and a Master of Arts in French Literature from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1998).
Liz Johnson, is a Nashville based jazz artist, vocologist, and voice teacher. She is a veteran performer and educator of over 20 years, holding appointments as jazz faculty at places like Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music and the Nashville Jazz Workshop. One of Johnson's passions is improvisation, which she discovered through playing alto saxophone in her early years. She also composes and records original music. In her voice habilitation practice she helps people all over the world by blending training in psychology, jazz, and voice science.
Vocalist and music educator Joe Freel has dedicated his life to the pursuit of excellence in vocal performance. His energetic but soothing vocal delivery, punctuated with a candid sense of humor both on and off stage, create long remembered performances. Freel's primary vocal influences are Al Jarreau, Mark Murphy, Jimmy Scott and Tony Bennett. His personal sound is a unique blend of jazz, pop and intimate speech level singing, focusing on the power of great lyrics to communicate our deepest human emotions. Freel's album titled All This Love, co-produced by two of Nashville's finest jazz musicians Roger Spencer and Lori Mechem,features exciting jazz arrangements of classic pop love songs and fresh covers of jazz standards and was nominated for the 2017 NIMA awards for Best Jazz Album. Freel was also nominated in 2017 by NIMA as Best Jazz Vocalist.
