Departure Arts builds community through facilitating creative collaborations, amplifying historically underrepresented artistic voices, and supporting artistic risk-taking for Boston area artists, organizations, and audiences.
Raised with devotion for music, Gregory George Groover Jr is a twenty-nine year old tenor saxophonist and educator from Roxbury, Massachusetts. His love and pursuit of music directed him to the Boston Arts Academy where he graduated in 2011 as both the Elma Lewis Graduate with distinction and the Louis Armstrong Jazz award. His effort...
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora is a Cuban pianist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. She feels most defined by her Cuban heritage and her status as an immigrant. Her passion for music has taken her to Canada, to South East Asia and, now, to the United States. Her rich musical background, career experience and extraordinary improvisation skills...
Fabiola Méndez and Will Dailey bring their duo project to the Uncommon Stage, which originally began back at Roundhead Brewing in Hyde Park, MA. Fabi and Will were paired as part of a 6 month mentorship program, hosted and activated by Departure Arts. Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Will Dailey and cuatrista/singer/composer Fabiola Méndez will share their own music...
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora is a Cuban pianist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. She feels most defined by her Cuban heritage and her status as an immigrant. Her passion for music has taken her to Canada, to South East Asia and, now, to the United States. Her rich musical background, career experience and extraordinary improvisation skills...
4:00-5:00 PM – Steph Davis (marimba) with Jenny Oliver (choreographer/dancer)Through a mesmerizing combination of marimba and dance, Steph Davis and Jenny Oliver showcase multidisciplinary storytelling that honors their combined African American, Cape Verdean, and Native American heritage. 5:00-6:00 PM – Steph Davis (marimba) with DeShaun Gordon King (flutes) and Nicholas Johnson (cello)The performers merge classical, jazz, and traditional...
Catherine Bent, an alumna of Cirque du Soleil, has performed and recorded with Joe Jackson, Lee Konitz, Donna Summer, and many others. She is regarded in Brazil as the leading cellist in choro. Choro (pronounced “shoh-roh") is an instrumental music that has its origins in late 1800s Rio de Janeiro. It's been likened to New...
PC: Hayley Bigness Rockwood 2023 ALDRA is a Somerville, MA-based performing and recording artist whose music draws influence from soul, R&B, and alternative pop. She captivates listeners with velvety tones, profound lyrics, and imagery to bring them on a journey through her life experiences.InstagramTikTokFacebookOn the web
Lee Fish will be presenting his exciting new group featuring longtime collaborator Jason Palmer on trumpet, along with pianist Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, and bassist Max Ridley. Together they will explore Fish's original music which can best be described as a blend of all his favorite styles - ranging from jazz, soul/r&b to folk and film music....
Farayi Malek is a jazz and contemporary vocalist, composer, and educator. She received her bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory of Music in 2017 where she studied with vocalist and composer, Dominique Eade. Upon completion, she continued on to receive a master’s degree in Contemporary Performance at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute...
CALO brings an eclectic mix of 90's hip-hop classics, remixes, and instrumentals to the UnCommon Stage, accompanied with solo saxophone and electronica. CALO is the DJ and producer alias for composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator Joseph "Calogero" Borsellino III. Calo is known best for his blends of electric soul, funk, timeless hip-hop, and dance music. He...
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Mkeka is a melding of the minds of saxophonist Joseph Borsellino III, bassist Tony Irons, pianist Jesse Taitt, drummer Tyson Jackson, and percussionist Brandon Mayes, each highly acclaimed composers, educators, and community leaders. The mkeka is a tablecloth used in Kwanzaa celebrations, representing foundation, history, and tradition– the idea that today is built on yesterday....