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Description
August 22, 2026 R&B REVUE
$30 Tickets | $3 Service fee applies for any credit card
August 22, 2026 R&B REVUE with tunes from Marvin Gaye, Tammy Terrell, The Whispers, Dennis Edwards and more. Featuring DeCasto, Iva, Kendra, Kayla, and introducing Reggie Upshaw and Morgan Johnson, David Cole, Pete Frassrand, Wes Biles, and Manny Kellough
Iva Jean Ambush
Jazz Vocalist Iva Jean Ambush, the scat lady, is the recent winner of the coveted Billie Holiday Competition. She has performed at Birdland (NYC), the DC Jazz Festival, Keystone Korner - Baltimore, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Alice's Jazz and Cultural Society, Blues Alley, Le Duc des Lombards, Bethesda Blues and Jazz Club, International Association of Jazz Educators Conferences, Frederick - In The Streets Festival, the Billy Strayhorn 100th Birthday Celebration, WPFW 89.3 Live @ 5, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Jazz Night @Westminster DC, Amherst Fine Arts Center, Ritz Carlton Pentagon, Frederick's Baker Park 4th of July Celebration (multiple years), the East Coast Jazz Festival, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and more. Iva enjoys exploring the concepts of jazz phrasing and rhythms with the help of jazz legends, Sheila Jordan, Dr. Horace Boyer, and Ronnie Wells. Some of her other influences include Dr. Frederick Tillis, Prof. Charles Ellison and the late Dr. Billy Taylor and Dr. Bro. Yusef Lateef.
She has a family full of Jazz Musicians which include on the maternal side, late trumpeter Lester Bowie, the late Byron Bowie (saxophonist/composer/arranger), Defunkt's founder Joe Bowie, guitarist Jonathan Townes and on the paternal side, bassist Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra [and Formerly with Stanley Turrentine]), and pianist Allen Ambush. There are a host of others too numerous to name.
Ms. Ambush is working on her next CD, I Am Jazz, which is a homage to her family with a Jazz fusion of Gospel, Funk and Soul. Through music written by the pioneers, Iva Jean Ambush, will demonstrate why the "Voice" remains the epitome of communication via syncopation --
Elevating the Instrument, the Language, the Conversation.
DeCasto Brown
Producer, vocalist, and retired record-holding football star DeCasto Brown is a native Washingtonian who found his musical inspiration early on in the Baptist Church, captivated by soloists and choirs. A graduate of Anacostia High School and Delaware State University, he excelled on the football field as an All-American and Hall of Fame wide receiver and thrived in the drama department. He became a member of the Autumn House Gospel Ensemble, a professional theater company in Delaware.
Since early 2023, DeCasto has been producing the Brownsville Jazz Series, sophisticated stage shows performed in a restaurant setting, complete with playbills and sound engineers, creating a classic ambiance. His shows have consistently sold out!
While at Delaware State, DeCasto became acquainted with the “Masters of Jazz,” including his personal favorites Clifford Brown and John Coltrane. His vocal influences include Eddie Jefferson, Paul Williams, Philippe Wynne, Johnny Hartman, Abbey Lincoln, and brothers Nat and Freddy Cole. He is featured on the 2014 Terry Marshall debut CD "Arrival," performing “Moody’s Mood for Love.”
DeCasto’s natural baritone/tenor style is unique, and whether performing up-tempo pieces or ballads, he demonstrates the chops of a jazz maestro.
DeCasto has performed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Twins Jazz, Montpelier Art Center, Alice’s Jazz and Cultural Center, and Jazz Night at Westminster DC, among others.
Petra Martin
BAND:
PETE FRASSRAND
Pete Frassrand, born in Detroit, grew up in a family of musicians and teachers, and he is proud to continue that legacy as both a musician and educator. He first learned piano from his mother, who was the music minister at their local church. After playing piano on and off for years, Pete moved to the Washington, DC area in 1995 and decided to pursue music seriously. He is grateful to have studied with esteemed area players like Robert Redd, Charles Covington, Greg Hatza, and Tim Murphy. In 2000, Pete received his music education degree from Towson University and now shares his passion for jazz with young people as a music teacher.
Over the years, Pete has honed his performance skills in numerous DC area clubs, including Twins, Bohemian Caverns, Jojo’s, Utopia, Mr. Henry's, and Columbia Station. He has also performed in churches such as Westminster Presbyterian, All Souls Unitarian, Metropolitan AME, and Wesley United Methodist, as well as prestigious institutions like the National Museum of African American History, the Kennedy Center, the National Press Club, American University, and Nationals Park. His performances have been featured on TV (NBC4, Voice of America Africa), radio (WPFW Live at Five, WAMU, WOWD Takoma Park), and live streams hosted by An Die Musik concert venue in Baltimore.
Since 2011, Pete has served as the pianist for the Greater U Street Jazz Collective, making appearances at events such as the DC Jazz Festival, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, and the Congressional Black Caucus. He also maintains long-standing associations with respected area musicians like David Cole and Main Street Blues, Iva Ambush, and Charles Rahmat Woods. Pete deeply appreciates the knowledge, friendship, support, and opportunities he has received from these individuals and many others in the local music community. He considers himself extremely fortunate to be able to pursue his passion in an area with such a rich musical and cultural history.
DAVID COLES
JOHN LEONARD
MANNY KELLOUGH
Manuel "Manny" Kellough was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He began playing drums at the young age of eight at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. By the age of thirteen, he was performing professionally with various local bands. His first recording was with Hank Jacobs and the TKO's on the track "The Fat Man." Later, he formed The Rhythm Rebellion, performing at Maverick's Flat in LA and touring France, Canada, and Mexico. At just 17, he had the opportunity to play with the Ray Charles band.
Over the past 60 years, Manny has had the privilege of working with some of the most renowned artists in the industry. Notably, he was the original drummer and band leader for the late great Billy Preston, earning four Gold Records and two Grammy Awards. Manny toured extensively throughout the US and Europe with Billy Preston and the Rolling Stones. He also toured with Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, earning a Gold Album and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1974.
Manny's impressive career includes collaborations with Barry White, Carmen McRae, Freddie Hubbard, and The Platters, among others. He recorded with Quincy Jones on the TV theme song for "Sanford and Son," with Little Richard on "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," with Billy Preston on "The Bus is Coming," and for the movie "Slaughter" starring Jim Brown.
In 2009, Manny, along with Nick Weir, launched the Jazz Program for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He continues to perform with his trio or quintet and vocalist at various jazz venues.
CREDITS
Performed with:
- The Late Legendary Billy Preston (25 years)
- Larry Graham and Graham Central Station
- The Platters (Toured US and Japan - 1996)
- Lou Ragland's "World Famous" Ink Spots
- The Late Great Carmen McRae
- Marlena Shaw
- The Late Dobie Gray
- The Late Freddie Hubbard
- The Late Great Ray Charles
- The Main Ingredient (South Africa Tour - 1976)
- The Late Rev. James Cleveland
- The Rolling Stones (The Goat's Head Soup Tour, 1973)
- The Late Barry White
- The Legendary Flamingos
- Lenny Welch
- Quincy Jones (Sanford & Son TV Theme Song "Ghost Rider")
Venue Details
El Golfo Restaurant (124 Assigned Seating)
8739 Flower AvenueSilver Spring, Maryland 20901
