Sun Apr 27
April Varner Quartet - Past Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Competition Winner
5:30PM / $35 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
April Varner
Award Winning NYC-based jazz vocalist and composer, April Varner, has often been described as a “direct, authentic singer…”, demonstrating “vocal dynamism… authentic jazz phrasing…electrifying numbers…” and possessing a “profound command of deep scat and vocalese…” (Marilyn Lester, The New York City Jazz Record).
Winner of the 2023 International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition, April will share selections from her upcoming sophomore album, “Dear Ella & Frank: A Love Letter” , set to be released in Spring 2026. These unreleased sneak peeks , along with arrangements from her debut album, “April by April Varner” will have you smiling from ear to ear! She will share the stage alongside Luther Allison on Piano, Jonathon Muir-Cotton on Bass and Max Marsillo on Drums.
Recognizable by her curly red hair and voice of an “old soul”, April brings her listeners to another place- one long ago when the giants of jazz were still gracing the stage. Amassing several viral videos of 1 million+ views on her social media of her challenging solo transcriptions, cleverly crafted vocaleses and acapella renditions of the Great American Songbook, April’s voice can fit itself into a myriad of different molds.
At the age of 27, April has immersed herself deeply into the jazz tradition and has performed/studied with a multitude of legendary artists and jazz luminaries such as Tierney Sutton, Russell Malone, Sachal Vasandani, Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling, and others. April graduated in May of 2022 with her Master’s degree in Jazz Voice Performance from the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of 2-time Grammy nominated vocalist and teacher Theo Bleckmann. She was awarded the 2023 Winner of the International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and most recently received a 2024 Honorable Mention Award in the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Competition.
April has performed/will be performing at some of the most notable venues in the Northeast/Midwest (US), such as Blue Llama Jazz Club (Ann Arbor, MI), The Side Door (Lyme, CT), Chris's Jazz Cafe (Philadelphia), Blues Alley (Washington D.C), Con Alma (Pittsburgh), Birdland Jazz Club (NYC, sold out debut show), and Mezzrow Jazz Club (NYC, sold out debut show). She also recently made her International Debut, headlining the Longjumeau Jazz Festival (Longjumeau, France) in celebration of the great Ella Fitzgerald, along with two full shows at Sunset Sunside in Paris. Most recently, April was a featured artist at the Jazz For All Ages Festival (Hilton Head, SC), alongside some of the most notable figures in jazz, such as Kurt Elling, Catherine Russell, John Pizzarelli and Emmet Cohen. She will be returning to Paris in February 2025 for a tour of performances, including making her debut at 38Riv.
This past summer, April released her debut full-length album, “April by April Varner”, through Cellar Live Record Label. This genre-busting collection of all April-titled songs was produced by 2-time Grammy-Award winning drummer, producer and educator, Ulysses Owens Jr. It also featured many other incredible musicians such as Russell Malone, Benny Benack III, Reuben Rogers and Theo Bleckmann. It has received many accolades, such as a 4 out of 5 star review from Downbeat Magazine (October 2024 Issue), was included in Downbeat's "Best Albums of 2024" list (January Issue) and most recently listed in The New York City Jazz Record's "Best of 2024" under "Debuts" and "Vocal Releases" (January Issue).
April’s newest release, again produced by Ulysses Owens Jr., is titled 'Winter Songs Vol. 1'. It is an EP full of classic wintery tunes featuring a stellar line up of musicians - the Emmet Cohen Trio, recent Grammy-Award Winning Vocalist, Nicole Zuraitis, and Award-Winning Brazilian Guitarist, Chico Pinheiro.
5:30PM / $35 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
1. Final sale, no refunds, not transferable.
2. $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
3. Seating first come at the door. Doors open 4:30 PM & 7:15 PM respectively.
4. Photography or Recording of any kind is prohibited during the performance.
5. Keep conversation to a minimum during the performance.