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06/28/2016 02:49 PMBranford Jazz Summer Concert series features a different live act every Thursday night at 6 p.m. through August 18 this year. Shows pack the green with appreciative audiences who know to bring their own lawn chair, blanket and even a picnic dinner to enjoy with their music, al fresco. No dogs or alcoholic beverages are allowed on the green.
This Thurs. June 30, Atla and Matt DeChamplain, a husband and wife tandem, will perform. The following press release is from Branford Jazz Summer Concert series:
PRESS RELEASE: Atla and Matt DeChamplain began their journey together as best friends before blossoming into high school sweethearts and later progressed into the world of matrimony as husband and wife. It was, however, their love of jazz music, which linked these two into a successful musical bond which Branford Jazz Series followers can enjoy on the Town Green on June 30.
After meeting at the age of 15 at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Atla and Matt both studied jazz and followed the same interest in musicians including Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Jon Hendricks, and Nat King Cole to name a few.
In 2003, Atla had the opportunity to sing with jazz legend Jon Hendricks at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The jazz icon invited Atla to study with him at the University of Toledo and she accepted the offer to study with him for one year. Later, she transferred to the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School of Music and formed a trio with her future husband Matt (piano) and Adam Cote (bass). She studied with vocalists Shawnn Monteiro and Dena DeRose and worked under bassist Nat Reeves and trombonist Steve Davis. Atla completed her Bachelor's Degree magna cum laude and continued her education at the University of Toledo, she received her Master's degree with a full scholarship. Later, Atla worked as Jon Hendricks assistant and researched vocal jazz pedagogy as it relates to the performer. The Berlin, Connecticut resident is also working on a book about learning and performing Vocalese. If that wasn't impressive enough, Atla, authors a blog for aspiring Jazz Vocalists as well.
Pianist Matt DeChamplain grew up in Wethersfield, Connecticut and during high school attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts studying under Jimmy Greene, Dave Santoro, Paul Brown and Jim Argiro. He obtained his bachelor's degree also from the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in 2010 and graduated with his masters from the University of Toledo in Ohio in 2012. Matt has performed at many venues, including at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Greater Hartford Jazz, Berks Jazz Festival, New York's JVC Jazz Festival, the Berklee Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center and renowned jazz clubs such as the Regatta Bar, Smalls, and Yoshi's. In 2008, Matt was selected for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program where he engaged in a two-week intensive composition and performance workshop under the instruction of jazz luminaries Dr. Billy Taylor, Nathan Davis, and Curtis Fuller culminating in three performances filmed live from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That same year Matt was part of a group led by bassist Nat Reeves that toured New Ross, Ireland. In 2010, he participated as a semifinalist in the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris, France.
As a sideman, Matt has appeared on guitarist's Norman Johnson's album, "Get It While You Can" (2011), jazz violinist Jason Anick's album "Tipping Point" (2012) and recorded several songs with vocal legend Jon Hendricks for "Holiday Wishes II: River of Stars" (2013). Also in 2013, he recorded a solo piano album titled "Stride-Bop" that sought to fuse the Harlem stride tradition with bebop and hardbop language. This past year, Matt and Atla released their first collaboration together titled, "Pause", which features songs mostly from the Great American Songbook. The album features a guest appearance by Hendricks.
Currently, Matt holds a faculty position at the Hartt School (University of Hartford), the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and leads the big band at Glastonbury High School. He has also taught at the Artist's Collective, The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, the Litchfield Jazz Camp and New Hampshire's Jazz All State.
Joining the DeChamplains for the Branford Jazz Series will be: Matt Dwonszyk (Bass), Kris Jensen (Saxophone), and Ben Bilello (Drums).
"The Branford Jazz concert series has a long history of bringing quality live music to the public and connecting the community with the arts," said Atla DeChamplain. "We are Connecticut-grown musicians, and we're thrilled to share our music with our community. We'll be debuting new arrangements, and sharing songs from our debut album, "PAUSE".