The recipient of the Creativity Award in Music from the Salem State Center for the Arts, Abrianna Madden makes her Connecticut debut. Abrianna hails from Salem Mass and is a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. She has been the recipient of numerous scholarships while a student at SSU including the Tim Cook Scholarship, American Legion Scholarship, John Finnegan Scholarship, and the SSU Presidential Arts Scholarship. Abrianna has been a Dean's list student every semester. She has been involved in multiple student music ensembles including chamber singers and improv ensemble. Abrianna has performed at off campus at various events, including Salem's So Sweet. She looks forward to graduate studies in jazz performance.

Atla DeChamplain is a jazz vocalist, lyricist, and educator known for her compelling sound and sincere interpretations of jazz standards. A Connecticut native, she studied at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School of Music and earned her Master’s degree from the University of Toledo, where she was mentored by the legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks. Specializing in vocalese—the art of setting lyrics to instrumental jazz solos—Atla is recognized for her original lyrics, expressive phrasing, vocal control, and authenticity on stage. Alongside her husband, jazz pianist Matt DeChamplain, Atla co-leads a band that reimagines the Great American Songbook and presents original compositions. Together, they have appeared at renowned venues and festivals across the country, including Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and the Louis Armstrong House Museum (NYC), the Bop Stop (Cleveland), the Provincetown Jazz Festival (Cape Cod), Steinway Gallery (Detroit), the Monterey Jazz Festival (CA), the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz (CT), and the American Stage Theatre Company (FL), among others.

www.AtlaAndMatt.com

Albert Rivera is one of the busiest saxmen in the New York metro area and beyond, fitting 150+ gigs a year around a busy teaching and mentoring schedule. He has served as Operations Director of Litchfield Jazz Camp since 2005 and regularly appears on the Camp and Festival stages. His collaborators have included Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, Claudio Roditi, Avery Sharpe, Rachel Z, and Junior Mance, to name a few. Rivera has earned numerous accolades, including the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, a Chamber Music America Residency Grant, and a New York City Artist Corp Grant. Known for his mastery of soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, he was hailed as "a modern Jazz Messenger" by critic Hartford Courant Owen McNally. For this Poli Club Valentine’s Day outing, Albert will be joined Ian Carroll on drums, Anson Jones on vocals, Alejandra Williams- Manieri on piano and Sean Pentland on bass.

www.AlbertRiveraJazz.com

NYC and LA organist/pianist, Brian Charette, has established himself as a leading voice in modern jazz. Born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1972, Brian was introduced to music by his mother, Catherine. By the age of 17, he was playing with jazz luminaries such as Lou Donaldson and Houston Person. Brian is a staple of the downtown NYC scene working with virtually everyone who plays with an organist. He is a Hammond U.S.A, Hammond Europe, I.K Multimedia, and Casio endorsed, Cellar Live recording artist. Charette is also a prolific composer of large ensemble music, penning and performing compositions with The Jazz Dock Orchestra in Prague and The Modern Art Orchestra in Budapest. Brian has performed with many notable artists such as Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Oz Noy, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, and many more.

www.BrianCharette.com

Jen Allen is a dynamic pianist, composer, author, and educator, captivating audiences worldwide with her artistry and creative vision. She frequently performs as a leader or collaborator in venues across New York, the Northeast U.S., and internationally, including appearances at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Greater Hartford Monday Night Jazz Series, and Wexford Performing Arts Centre in Ireland. Jen has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Don Braden, Jimmy Greene, Freddie Hendrix, Camille Thurman, Nat Reeves, and Sarah Caswell. Her compositional work spans big bands, studio orchestras, string quartets, and small ensembles, earning her a place in the prestigious BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.

www.JenAllenMusic.com

Sally Terrell’s professional singing career may be a “second act” following thirty years as an English professor, but music has always been her first passion. A native of Youngstown, New York, she began playing piano and singing at age six, poking out melodies alongside her father, a classically trained pianist and jazz aficionado who passed along his love for music while discovering his youngest daughter could play and sing by ear. Terrell’s interest and skill flourished in her public school music program, but she would put her musical ambitions aside while building a successful college teaching career in Connecticut. Terrell began singing professionally when she and her husband formed the Green Jazz Band in 2010. Her second release, Feel Alive (2022), “artfully captures the zeitgeist of the pandemic era with a collection of emotional, socially conscious originals and fresh interpretations of standards that uniquely fit our cultural moment.” Both projects highlight a fruitful collaboration with producer and renowned jazz pianist John diMartino, who says of her work, “Sally brings a beautiful energy to these songs, breathing new life into them.” Terrell’s intuitive interpretations and razor-sharp ear showcase a velvety alto and a gift for sharing the timeless stories of jazz while boldly exploring her range across musical genres.

www.SallyTerrell.com

Charlie Apicella was voted onto the 84th and 86th DownBeat Readers Poll for Guitar. He studied composition and improvisation with musical titans Yusef Lateef and Pat Martino and was trained as a historian by Archie Shepp and Dr. Billy Taylor. As a young guitarist he met his idol BB King, who offered him advice and shared some stories. Charlie has performed concerts and recorded with jazz legends Dave Holland, Sonny Fortune, John Blake, Jr., and Avery Sharpe as well as contemporary masters Joe Magnarelli, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Don Braden, and Jon Herington of Steely Dan. In 2022 he formed The Griots Speak with bassist William Parker, saxophonist Daniel Carter, and percussionist Juma Sultan who is known for his work with Jimi Hendrix.

www.IronCity.nyc