Christie Dashiell

APPEARING: Manhattan Marathon @ Zinc Bar

Friday, January 12, 2024

Washington, DC-born and North Carolina-raised vocalist and composer Christie Dashiell lives at the musical crossroads of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel and soul. Known for her improvisational prowess and effortlessly rich and clear tone, she has become one of the most sought-after artists on the scene today. Growing up in a musical family, Christie has been singing all of her life. She is the third of four multi-talented and musical children of jazz bassist, Carroll Dashiell, Jr. Her musical lineage is deeply rooted. 

Christie is a graduate of Howard University and the Manhattan School of Music. While at Howard, Christie sang in the university’s premier vocal jazz ensemble, Afro-Blue. As a member of the Afro-Blue, she appeared on NBC’s “The Sing Off.” She has twice received recognition in DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards as Outstanding Soloist and Best Vocalist in the Graduate College division and was selected as a semifinalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Vocals Competition. 

In 2016, Dashiell released her debut solo album, Time All Mine, debuting on Billboard’s Jazz Album and Contemporary Jazz Album Charts at numbers thirteen (13) and twenty-two (22) respectively, as well as JazzTimes’ Top 50 Writer’s Ballots Critics’ Poll. In addition to performing with her quartet, she works with many artists including Grammy-Nominated vocal ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock. She has appeared as a featured artist on Blue Note Records’ Supreme Sonacy, Marquis Hill’s album, The Way We Play, Wynton Marsalis’ work, “The Ever Fonky Lowdown” with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and most recently the social justice compilation album, Black Lives: From Generation to Generation. She has been seen in concert on various national and international stages including, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, The Baku Jazz Festival in Azerbaijan, and Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo. Dashiell is on faculty at Temple University, Howard University and The University of the District of Columbia. 

Christie’s long-awaited sophomore album features seven original compositions and two arrangements that explore themes of freedom, legacy, grief and joy. Funded in part by Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus Grant, the collection of music fuses the sounds of improvised music and various styles of Black American Music. Titled Journey in Black, the album boasts a stellar cast of musicians, including Shedrick Mitchell, Marquis Hill, Allyn Johnson, Romeir Mendez and Carroll Dashiell III with creative guidance from NEA Jazz Master Dianne Reeves.