Francina Connors
| Francina Connors | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 🏳️ Nationality | United States |
| 💼 Occupation | Vocalist, mentor, jazz singer, creative consultant, educator, production coordinator |
Francina Connors is an American jazz singer, educator, mentor, and creative consultant. Her band is called the Francina Connors Quartet. Which has featured such artists as Sylvia Cuenca, Roberta Piket, Hill Greene, Jarod Cashkin.[1][2][3]
She has performed with and collaborated with Reggie Workman, Michael Howell (guitarist), and Hill Greene (bassist). [4]
Francina co-created, and produced with School of Jazz (The New School), and Contemporary Music tenured faculty member Reggie Workman in the creation of The Harlem School of the Arts the African-American Youth Legacy Project. The AALP project consisted of a “student buddying and mentoring component.” [5]
Early Life[edit]
Francina is the daughter of a classical pianist. She started singing at the age of five. Her background in music is diverse; classical, spirituals, jazz, choral work. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother was a classical pianist who studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She began signing as a young child. She grew up attending rehearsals, and hearing very diverse music from Broadway music to Sergei Rachmaninoff. While attending Oberlin she fell in love with jazz. Moving to New York Francina worked with Off-Broadway projects, and with such artists as Benny Powell, Joe Knight, Dave Jackson, Eric Lewis, Bruce Edwards. [6]
While at the Oberlin Conservatory Francina was a soloist for the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble. The Oberlin Jazz Ensemble was lead by Wendell Logan, and Kenny Davis. She has worked with Opera Ebony.
In New York City she studied with Barry Harris and Benny Powell.
Career[edit]
In 2005 - Francina and Reggie Workman collaborated and participated in the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Impulse@50.[7]
In 2007 - Francina was co-producer with Reggie Workman with the Sculptured Sounds Festival that was held in New York City's St Peters .[8][9][10][11]
In 2010 - African American Legacy Project at the Harlem School for the Arts held Open Community Workshop and Concert Series. This project was funded by the New School Faculty Development grant from The Jazz Foundation, Harlem Arts Alliance, Sculptured Sounds Productions, and The Cinarae Group. Open rehearsals were held at the Harlem School for the Arts for students and the community. The goal of the project at the Harlem School for the Arts was to reverse the decline of arts and music education in underserved communities. The project was designed to give talented music students an opportunity to learn about the African American music and composers with noted professional musicians. The workshops were conducted with New School Faculty members such as; Reggie Workman, Richard Harper, Charles Tolliver, Jimmy Owens, and Stephen Gladney, and student assistants from the New School.
In 2010 - Francina Connors and Reggie Workman's Sculptured Sounds and The Cinarae Group presented The Happening at St Peter's Church in New York City. The event featured The Jane Ira Bloom Trio (with Mark Helias & Bobby Previte, writer poet Amiri Baraka, Bobby Sanabria's Quarteto Aché (with Mark Helias, Bobby Previte, and Sanabria. The Happening also showcased Jason Kao Hwang's EDGE, Writer/Poet Amiri Baraka, and TRIO 3 with Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, and Andrew Cyrille. An artist showcase that featured, jazz performances, jazz-related exhibitors, mini-demonstrations, and one of the features was the artist work of Richard Conde's "Happening Now". Broadway World - BWW News Desk Jan. 8, 2010, wrote that the "Happening 2010" held at Saint Peters Church in New York City, "Proof positive that jazz is alive, well and kickin."[12]
In 2011, the African-American Legacy Project chorus/orchestra performed as a part of Jazz at Lincoln a Center's Impulse@50 concerts. [13]
In 2015 - in collaboration with Reggie Workman (bassist) they won the New York Foundation for the Arts. The African American Legacy Project collaboration between Reggie Workman and Francina was an art project to pay tribute to artists that made notable contributions and to to incorporate the works of new composers and artistic expressions from the African Diaspora.[14]
Francina has performed with other jazz artists such as; Cyrus Chestnut (Piano), Gerald L. Cannon (Bass), Bruce Edwards (Guitar), Eric Lewis (pianist), Joe Knight (Piano), Bill Lee (musician) (Bass),Tom McIntosh (Trombone), John Ore (Bass), and Britt Woodman Trombone).[15]
Matthew Whitaker was one of the young artists that performed with the African American Legacy Project in 2010. [16]
Francina was one of the co-creators of "A Practical Guide to Documenting Teaching, Research, and Service along with Peter Seldin, J. Elizabeth Miller. [17]
Awards[edit]
- 2015 African American Legacy Project (AALP), New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Opportunity Grant.
References[edit]
- ↑ https://news.allaboutjazz.com/francina-connors-quartet-this-sunday-at-st-peters-jazz-vespers-5pm-free.php
- ↑ https://nyc.jazznearyou.com/event_detail.php?id=473142&width=
- ↑ https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/blogs/news/special-rebel-performance
- ↑ https://news.allaboutjazz.com/francina-connors-trio-at-saint-peters-jazz-vespers-tomorrow.php
- ↑ http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2015/mar/26/dee-dee-bridgewater-trio-3-vanguard/?page=2
- ↑ https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/francinaconnors
- ↑ http://revive-music.com/2011/09/19/lincoln-center-celebrates-impulse-records-at-50/
- ↑ https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reggie-workman-sculptured-sounds-reggie-workman-by-terrell-kent-holmes.php
- ↑ http://www.pointofdeparture.org/PoD24/PoD24PageOne.html
- ↑ https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Reggie-Workmans-Sculptured-Sounds-Presents-THE-HAPPENING-2010-At-St-Peters-Church-20100108
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=UjYUNCb_u8UC&lpg=PP1&pg=PT233#v=onepage&q&f=true
- ↑ https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Reggie-Workmans-Sculptured-Sounds-Presents-THE-HAPPENING-2010-At-St-Peters-Church-20100108
- ↑ http://www.playbill.com/article/impulse-at-50
- ↑ http://current.nyfa.org/post/129305976878/a-conversation-with-nyfa-fiscally-sponsored-artist
- ↑ https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/francinaconnors
- ↑ https://www.matthewwhitaker.net/resume
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=UjYUNCb_u8UC&lpg=PT233&ots=c7Vj8Kcd1G&dq=The%20Academic%20Portfolio%3A%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Documenting%20Teaching%2C%20Research%20...%20By%20Peter%20Seldin%2C%20J.%20Elizabeth%20Miller%20francina%20connors&pg=PT233#v=onepage&q=The%20Academic%20Portfolio:%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Documenting%20Teaching,%20Research%20...%20By%20Peter%20Seldin,%20J.%20Elizabeth%20Miller%20francina%20connors&f=false
External links[edit]
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