BY KAREN BOSSICK
Darynn Dean has played the Kennedy Center. Now she’s about to play at Ketchum’s Jazz in the Park.
The 22-year-old up-and-coming jazz singer will perform Sunday evening at the free concert, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. in Ketchum’s Rotary Park at Warm Springs and Saddle roads
Dean, a graduate of the New England School of Music, grew up in Los Angeles where she was taught by jazz singer Barbara Morrison and pianist Howlett Smith while other youngsters her age were busy chasing the popsicle truck.
She performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. this year for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency where she was mentored by jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and pianist Jason Moran.
She mesmerized the audience while performing for Quincy Jones in LA Jazz Society’s “Celebrating the World of Quincy Jones: A Tribute.” She has played with international bassist Dave Holland and sung alongside Freddie Cole for the New England Conservatory’s “Nat King Cole Tribute.”
She has shared the Grammy week stage with Dave Koz, Hubert Laws and Aaron Parks. And she’s been a finalist in the Music Center Spotlight Awards, as well as taking first place in the National Young Arts Foundation, Dolo Coker and NAACP ACT-SO competitions.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been recognized amongst the best in my class at each level. I’m so excited to move forward to my next chapter, and I can’t wait to share the stage with the Jazz greats of my generation,” said Dean, who will be accompanied by keyboard, bass and drums in her Sun Valley appearance.
Jazz in the Park runs from 6 to 8 p.m. in Ketchum’s Rotary Park. Picnics and low back chairs are welcome.
* Before Dean gets her moment in the sun, Secuestrado—a local group featuring Brent Barsotti, Jeff London and Raul Vandenberg--will perform high-energy music at a free concert at 5 p.m. Friday, July 12 in the Ketchum Town Square. The Trees will take root on the stage at 5 p.m. Friday, July 19.
* On Tuesday, July 16, Kuinka will headline the free Ketch’em Alive concert. The Seattle group is composed of two women and two men who play a high-energy, joyous electric folk pop.
Their name means “how” in Finnish. And they recently recorded a new EP titled “Stay Up Late.”
Other albums include “The Wild North,” “The Heartland” and “Southern Winters.”
Opening for them is Kiana Chapman, a singer and music student at the Berklee School of Music in Boston.
The concert starts at 7 p.m. and runs until 9 in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park. Food vendors will be lined up on Washington Street.