Bio

Ginny is the leader and founder of  UPTOWN VOCAL JAZZ QUARTET , an internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble. The quartet has performed on the Headliner stages of major jazz festivals in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and has appeared in many other showcase jazz venues.

Uptown VJQ has opened for the Four Freshmen in concert and shared the festival stages with such giants as Tony Bennett, Branford Marsalis, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Mingus Big Band, Abbey Lincoln, Randy Brecker, Joey De Francesco, Chris Gotti, and Terence Blanchard, among others. The captivating vocal quartet has been profiled on the air on NPR, Jazz Smithsonian (with program host Al Jarreau), Radio Jazz Copenhagen, and Radio Jazz Buenos Aires, and written up in Asian jazz publications. They have also appeared as guest artists with symphony orchestras and big bands, both in the U.S. and Europe. Uptown VJQ has generated a worldwide fan base and extensive radio airplay with its internationally acclaimed CDs.

As a solo artist, Ginny has shared her commanding vocal/piano stylings with Washington, DC and other Mid-Atlantic metropolitan audiences for several decades. She has entertained Presidential candidates, Congressional leaders,  corporate VIPs, and a range of distinguished guests at private receptions, and has entertained patrons at many jazz clubs, piano lounges, and other nightlife establishments in the Nation's Capital.

Ginny played and sang on the soundtrack of the independent film, Redemption Stone, the Life and Times of Tom Lewis. The film was produced by Tom Dziedzic and selected for screening at NY's 2007 Independent Film Project festival and the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival.

A classically trained pianist and singer, Ginny has been both a featured performer and accompanist with symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, theatrical revues and shows, operas, big bands, variety bands, and Dixieland bands. She has also performed as a pit orchestra conductor, clarinetist, and choral ensemble soloist.

After writing many arrangements and original songs for Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet, Ginny honed her songwriting talents to produce a long-awaited CD consisting entirely of her own songs. After All These Years, a showcase songbook of Ginny's originals, is her debut recording as a featured pianist/vocalist.  It demonstrates her depth and breadth as a musician, songwriter, and producer, with its feast of song styles, instrumental textures, and lyrical moods. The CD features a dazzling and varied array of musicians backing the singer/pianist, varying the texture and mood from track to track immensely.  The CD includes several songs that have been selected by A&R professionals for potential inclusion in film, TV, and advertising.

In live performances, Ginny complements her versatile vocal delivery (3 octaves' worth) with a playful self-accompaniment; her one-woman band sound is a seamless musical interplay that evokes a swinging big band fronted by a commanding singer, a tasty groove winding around a rock or blues wail, or an ethereal orchestral palette floating beneath a Cabaret torch singer's gutsy belt or captivating whisper. As an in-demand "double threat" performer, Ginny has anchored and fronted many independent jazz ensembles, joining forces with some of the world's best jazz musicians who make their home in Washington, DC.

Among Ginny's performance credits, including as a solo performer, leader of jazz combos, and with Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet, are the following concert and club venues:

• La Nuit du Jazz (Nantes, France)
• Clearwater Jazz Holiday (Clearwater, FL)
• Detroit International Jazz Festival
• Ottawa International Jazz Festival
• Festival Miami
• Kennedy Center Millennium Stage  
• Four Freshmen Concert, opening act
• Richmond Jazz Society concert series
• NPR’s Weekend Edition
• Jazz Smithsonian’s “Jazz Singers” series
• Radio Jazz Copenhagen, on-air profile
• Radio Palermo, Buenos Aires, “La Guagua” Jazz, on-air profile
• Washington Bach Consort gala
• Blues Alley (DC)
• Symphony orchestras (various), Pops Guest Artist
• Smithsonian Jazz Café
• “Radio From Downtown” @ Avalon Theatre (MD)
• Reston Town Center Concert Series (VA)
• Chestertown (MD) Jazz Festival
• Blowing Rock (NC) Jazz Society Concert Series
• Gettysburg Summer Concert Series (PA)
• Randolph-Macon College Concert Series (VA)
• Patuxent Montessori School Silent Auction Gala (MD)
• Greensburg (PA) Summer Concert Series
• St. Luke’s Jazz in the Garden series (DC)
• Ritz-Carlton Hotels (DC, VA)
• Normandie Farm Restaurant (MD)
• Ice House Café (VA)
• Café Mozart (DC)
• Marriott Hotel Lounges (DC, VA)
• Lake Anne concert series (VA)
• The Mainstay Concert Hall (MD)
• The Maryland Inn King of France Tavern (MD)
• Sala Thai Restaurants (VA, MD)
• The Theatre at Washington, VA
• The Tides Inn (VA)
• Lightfoot Restaurant (VA)
• M St. Bar & Grill (DC)

And… hundreds of private receptions, weddings, fundraisers and events from across the political, corporate, and social spectrum of Washington, DC and environs.

 

Ginny Carr (solo) : Piano / Vocals / Keyboard Bass (optional)

Ginny Carr Duo : Piano / Vocals / Keyboard Bass + Drums

Ginny Carr Trio : Piano / Vocals + Bass + Drums

Ginny Carr Quartet : Piano / Vocals + Bass + Drums + Sax/Flute

Also available for bookings ... Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet

*Popular music demo, rates, photos, songlist available. Please contact Ginny to request a booking information kit.