Jazz duo to perform at Albert Taylor Hall

Courtesy of Davis and Dow

The husband and wife jazz duo of Davis and Dow will be performing their entertaining and educational production 'Great Jazz Divas' Friday at Albert Taylor Hall.

The Emporia Arts Council is bringing the jazz duo of Julie Davis and Kelly Dow to Albert Taylor Hall on Friday. The two will be performing a tribute show they call ‘Great Jazz Divas’ which will highlight the many great female vocalists of jazz’s past.

“Jazz, is America’s ‘classical’ music and a true original American art form,” Dow said. “I equate these women to Bach or Picasso, they are just extremely important figures in the history of Art, especially the American contributions to the world of art.”

The husband and wife team first came up with the idea for their show after hearing a jazz radio show.

“We are big fans of [National Public Radio], and there is a show Nancy Wilson does called ‘Jazz Profiles,’” Dow said. “It is like a mini biography of famous jazz artists, where she interviews the artist or other musician and then plays a little of their music. That was really our inspiration.”

After a successful performance at The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art in 1998, the duo moved on.

“We didn't think about it until a few years later,” Dow said. “We were playing music at a local college and we mentioned this show to the student activities advisor and she said the show would be great at colleges, especially Women's History Month, which is in March.”

Davis and Dow began booking their show at colleges and other venues while also dabbling in other projects. The duo has put out two cd’s and often play shows with their band Hot House as well as shows as Davis and Dow.

“One of the reasons we love to play colleges is that many college age students have no idea who these people were,” Dow said. “If we get a couple of kids hooked, then it is mission accomplished.”

Growing up in a musical house hold, Davis has jazz in her blood.

“I grew up in a house where my family had all kinds of records, mostly jazz and classical,” Davis said. “We listened to music all the time. Ella Fitzgerald, Erroll Garner, Duke Ellington, we had them all. Sure I was exposed to other kinds of music, but for me, there was no going back. Jazz is an art form that allows the musician to be creative and improvise. I am highly expressive and jazz is my vehicle.”

With their show Davis and Dow hope to expose people to the rich history of women in jazz and maybe turn people on to a genre they otherwise would never know about.

“We hope that people come out, have a good time, and learn a little bit about jazz,” Davis said. “Maybe they will download some songs, or buy a CD by one of these artists.”

Davis and Dow will be performing their ‘Great Jazz Divas’ production on Friday at 7:30 in Albert Taylor Hall.