ALLYN JOHNSON

Native Washingtonian, Allyn Johnson, is a multi-talented musician, composer, arranger and producer whose trademark sound gives brilliance and fortitude to the art of jazz improvisation. Allyn, a prodigy who began playing piano at the tender age of five, got his start playing piano for the youth choir in his uncle's church. There he honed his inner musical gift.

In the Fall of 2018, Allyn was awarded the DC Mayor Arts Award for his work as a Distinguished Artist in the DC area. Allyn makes it his mantra to never rest on his laurels. He continues to push himself as a composer, arranger, artist, engineer and bandleader. Allyn has a growing library of works for ensembles of varying sizes and instrumentation. No matter what configuration Allyn may see or hear him in, you can best believe it will be just "good music for the soul".

ABOUT CARROLL V. DASHIELL, JR.

The North Carolina Arts Council, Pitt County Arts Council, and the Greenville-Pitt Convention & Visitors Bureau named Carroll V. Dashiell, Jr. Artistic Director of The African American Music Series in 2016. Carroll Dashiell is a native of Washington, DC. A graduate of Howard University, with citations in Who's Who in Music and Down Beat Magazine, Carroll has been recognized for excellence in the music industry as a bassist, musical director/conductor and also as a composer/arranger. Affectionately known as CVD, he has been involved in academia for more than three decades serving as professor of music at the Saint Mary's College of Maryland, University of the District of Columbia and East Carolina University in North Carolina. He is Professor Emeritus, East Carolina University School of Music and currently serves as Chairman, Department of Music Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Howard University. CVD is the producer and writer of A Tribute to Motown Records, (a stage show and concert that celebrates some of the African-American's cultural contributions to the music industry, staged in the tradition of the famous touring Motown Review) that is selling out theaters and venues nation-wide. In addition to composing, writing and arranging, CVD is continuing his performance as jazz bassist and is very humbled to be the Founder and Director of the Dr. Billy Taylor Jazz Festival, named in honor of his mentor.