Marc Cary with Special Guest Elijah Easton

In a jazz world brimming with brilliant and adventurous pianists, Marc Cary stands apart by way of pedigree and design as one of New York’s best jazz pianists. None of his prestigious peer group ever set the groove behind the drums in Washington DC go-go bands nor are any others graduates of both Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln's daunting bandstand academies. Cary hails from a musically literate family--his mother is a cellist; his great grandmother was an ivory-tickler in silent movie houses back in that day who also rocked barrelhouse and stride duets with Eubie Blake. Ellington trumpeter Cootie Williams was a cousin of Cary's grandfather. Elijah Easton is a passionate and dedicated tenor saxophonist from the District of Columbia. He has played alongside Jon Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, The Lincoln Center Big Band, Benny Golson, Marc Cary, Citizen Cope and most recently DJ Jazzy Jeff. Currently, he is a member of the Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra. With a passion for Jazz he frequently plays in and around the District of Columbia. Since 2009 he has played at The Blue Note, Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club, The Kennedy Center, The Phillips Collection, The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bohemian Caverns along with other historic venues around the Washington D.C. area including The White House. He frequently plays in various bands from Nag Champa (an electronic experimental jazz band), to the DonVonte McCoy Quintet. He has toured with Biscuit Miller & the Mix through New England for the North Atlantic Blues Fest and has enjoyed playing Blues and Funk in Key West, Florida. He held a residency with his band the Elijah Easton Trio (including Taurus Mateen and Dana Hawkins) at Service Bar. Inspired by the Jazz musicians of yesterday he aims to commemorate the greats, while taking part in tomorrows music. He is one of the most sought after musicians in the DMV, with a balance between soulful, thought-provoking melodies and stimulating, toe-tapping rhythms. His performance is constantly shifting and will always serve as a breath of fresh air. Band Lineup: Marc Cary, keys Sameer Gupta, drums David Ewell, bass Elijah Easton, sax.