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Description
April Varner - vocals
with
Brad Linde - alto saxophone
Julian Shishkin ('27) - tenor saxophone
Leigh Pilzer - baritone saxophone
Brent Madsen - trumpet
Heidi Brown - horn
Alex Hughes ('27) - guitar
Zoë Jorgenson - bass
Keith Butler Jr - drums
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Masterful in improvisational scat and the art of the vocalese
— The New York City Jazz Record
Praised by DownBeat as an artist with “impressive range,” April Varner has gained steady momentum as a supreme vocalist, a bebop technician and a contemporary storyteller. The Toledo-born New Yorker has toured the world as a leader and a highly sought collaborator, and her music has received wide recognition in the New York City Jazz Record, Hot House Jazz Guide, NPR affiliate WRTI Radio, DownBeat, Paris-Move and UK Jazz News, among others.
Dazzling audiences with her growing mastery of the American Songbook and her creative approach to the vocalese tradition, April also shares videos online, many of which have gone viral, working through her own transcriptions of iconic solos from architects of hard bop, and amassing more than 100K+ followers on Instagram. But what fuels April’s artistry is her desire to connect with other improvisers. She has collaborated with a roster of emerging artists and living legends, including Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, John Pizzarelli, Ulysses Owens, Jr., Theo Bleckmann, Yasushi Nakamura, Benny Benack III, Emmet Cohen, Nicole Zuraitis, Luther Allison, Chico Pinheiro, Leandro Pellegrino, Dayna Stephens, Reuben Rogers and the recently departed Russell Malone.
April has headlined across New York City at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, Mezzrow, Birdland, Minton’s Playhouse, The Django, Zinc Bar, Arthur’s Tavern, City Winery’s City Vineyard, Winnie’s Jazz Bar, Aman New York, Corner Lounge Bistro and The Gin Mill, among dozens of other clubs and venues. She’s led her own band across the country, appearing at Blues Alley, The Side Door, Con Alma, Blue Llama, Chris’ Jazz Café, Sam First, The Deerhead Inn and Lucille’s Jazz Club, and headlined at Duc des Lombards, 38 Riv, Le Pop Up du Label, 18 Oberkampf & Sunset Sunside in Paris. As a soloist, she has performed live at the Jazz for All Ages Festival, Paris’ Ella Fitzgerald Festival, and International Jazz Day. Through summer 2025, April toured with Postmodern Jukebox, a band with a rotating artist roster that has garnered 6.5 million YouTube followers to date.
[April has] an ability to adapt her amazingly pliable voice to a wide range of styles and settings
— Hot House Jazz Guide
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In four short years April has launched two EPs and three acclaimed albums, receiving effusive praise. Her 2024 debut album April (Cellar Music Group) landed a 4-star review from DownBeat, and features an endearing track listing of April-titled tunes. In March 2026, she released her newest album, Ella via Cellar Music Group. Reimagining The First Lady of Song’s repertoire with new arrangements for big band and her intimate ensemble, Ella delivers ten new songs with emotional precision and ungoverned spontaneity. April most recently released her newest holiday album, "Winter Songs Vol. 3," which comprises lush arrangements of beloved winter standards alongside original compositions. The album also celebrates music by Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Peggy Lee.
April graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University with her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Jazz Performance, before earning her Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where she received the President’s Award for a two-year scholarship. She also gained wide recognition on the competition circuit as a Rising Star Jazz Vocalist in the 73rd and 74th Annual DownBeat Critics’ Poll; Winner for one of DownBeat’s Best Albums of 2024; recipient of Honorable Mention in the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Competition; winner of the 2023 International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition; and a finalist in the Collegiate Combo Competition for the Detroit Jazz Festival in 2020. To keep up with April’s busy tour schedule, subscribe to her newsletter: aprilvarner.com and follow her on YouTube, Instagram @aprilvarnermusic, and TikTok @aprilvarnermusic.
Date & Time
Wed, Dec 2, 2026 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Venue Details
GDS High School L200 (Dance Studio)
4200 Davenport St NW, District of Columbia 20016