Frank Russo

Lena Seikaly and the Jimmy Masters' Trio at The Sandler Center for the Arts

by Mark Robbins
June 11, 2025

Washington D.C. vocalist Lena Seikaly made a return visit to the Tidewater area to perform with the Jimmy Masters' Trio (Masters on bass, John Toomey on piano and drummer Frank Russo. Singing to a nearly sold out room it was evident from the audience reaction she would be welcomed back as often as she liked.

Walter Blanding, Jr. with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club

by Mark Robbins
April 21, 2025

Educator, composer, musician, Walter Blanding, Jr is a man for all seasons. Born into a musical family in Cleveland, OH, his parents moved the family to New York in the early '80s where his parents became part of the house band at the Village Gate jazz club. Blanding began playing the saxophone at the age of ...

Stephanie Nakasian at the Attucks Jazz Club and Congregation Beth El

by Mark Robbins
March 29, 2025

Stephanie Nakasian did not start out as a vocalist. Majoring in economics at Northwestern University, she received her BA and MBA, then entered the world of financial consulting for major banks in New York City and Chicago. Growing more and more dissatisfied with her career, she decided in 1981 to leap into the world of music, ...

The Attucks Jazz Club: Fall 2024

by Mark Robbins
February 23, 2025

In 2008, under the auspices of the Virginia Arts Festival and the leadership of professor/pianist John Toomey, the Attucks Jazz Series was born in the historic Attucks Theater. Before becoming a full-time jazz professor at Old Dominion University, Toomey spent time on the road with jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, singers Mark Murphy, Rene Marie, and others. ...

Beatin' the Odds

By Leigh Pilzer

Label: Self Produced
Released: 2024
Track listing: SKCC; Lin; Waterkress; The Platinum Taxi; Beatin�� the Odds; And Then It Stopped; Last Year, Lost Year; How Much Longer; Where Will We Go?

Tessa Souter with the Jimmy Masters Trio at the Sandler Center for the Arts

by Mark Robbins
November 17, 2024

The Miller Jazz Series began six years ago under the leadership of bassist Jimmy Masters. Held in the 135-seat Miller room of the Sandler Center for the Arts in Virginia Beach, the series has sold out every performance since its inception. The first few years of the series consisted of a different monthly themes, such as ...

Giacomo Gates with the Jimmy Masters Trio at the Sandler Center for the Arts

by Mark Robbins
June 6, 2024

Giacomo Gates sings in a calm baritone, delivering songs easily, but there's more to just singing a song. Mixing the lyrics with vocalese, singing his lyrics to otherwise instrumental improvised parts, Gates tells a story full of emotion that can be seen on his face and heard in his voice. Closing your eyes and listening to ...

Anthony Hervey with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club

by Mark Robbins
February 18, 2024

Anthony Hervey may be fairly new on the jazz scene but he plays the trumpet with the chops of an older experienced player. A graduate of the Julliard School in 2020, Hervey has been a first-call sideman for Christian McBride, m :Jon Batiste, Michael Buble and Wynton Marsalis among others. His musical prowess was not only ...

Dominique Eade with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club

by Mark Robbins
November 17, 2023

Dominique Eade has been teaching at The New England Conservatory for over 30 years. Her students have included Roberta Gambarini, Michael Mayo and Aoife O'Donovan. Well known in jazz circles for her scatting, improvising, delivery, Eade is neither showy nor pretentious. She is more concerned with the music and the story than with the small vocal ...