Virtual Happy Hour

Thursday | Mar 25 | 8 pm

Christopher McDole

Vocal phenom Christopher McDole will perform with guitarist Benjamin Byrd and bassist Ahmed McLemore at this month’s Virtual Happy Hour on YouTube. Join us for Christopher’s signature rich voice and smooth delivery with great jazz music.

Christopher McDole was chosen as an Outstanding Vocalist by Wynton Marsalis at the 2018 Essentially Ellington National Competition and Festival. He is studying Jazz Performance at The Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

As a child in Kissimmee, Florida, he was exposed to the gospel and R&B stylings of Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. Discovering jazz in his early teens, McDole found a “home” with swinging baritones including Billy Eckstine, Milt Grayson and the legendary Joe Williams.

He has performed alongside spectacular acts including Rodney Whitaker, Marcus Printup, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Victor Goines, The Dr. Phillips Jazz Orchestra and The Orlando Jazz Orchestra.

Bassist Ahmed McLemore is a student at The Oberlin Conservatory. From Plano, Texas he was selected for the 2020 Herbie Hancock Institute National All Star Peer-to-Peer Sextet, the second non-magnet school student to be selected in 30 years. McLemore was also named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation Merit winner. Also in 2020, he won two DownBeat Student Music Awards with the Plano West Jazz Sextet. He was in the 2020 Plano West Jazz Orchestra which was selected as one of the 18 Essentially Ellington 2020 Finalists.