Bio
Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet got its start in the 1980's when pianist/vocalist/composer Ginny Carr met bassist/vocalist Robert McBride joined forces in college theater at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Soon after, the two formed a vocal group in Richmond, VA and migrated to Washington, DC, where they recast the group, inspired by the ingenious "vocalese" interpretations of instrumental jazz pioneered by such greats as the Manhattan Transfer and Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. Eventually, they joined forces with University of Miami vocal jazz alums Lisanne Lyons and Roger Reynolds and sculpted the signature sound that would define Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet.
The vocal quartet teamed with a group of premier jazz instrumentalists and released two commercial CDs: Half-Past Swing (1999) and When the Sun Goes Down (2002). Half-Past Swing ranked #2 in top jazz sales on Amazon.com in May, 2000.
A few personnel changes have occurred in recent years, which have further defined the Quartet's present-day sound. Holly Shockey became UVJQ's lead voice in 2005 and André Enceneat became the Quartet's bass/baritone in 2011.
In 2008, Sony BMG Records (Europe) released a compilation 3-CD Box Set titled Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of Vocal Jazz. It features a dazzling array of iconic singers and vocal groups who define the jazz genre. Among the featured artists on this special Sony BMG release are Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae, Peggy Lee, Betty Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Kurt Elling, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, NY Voices, The Four Freshmen, Lambert/Hendricks/Ross, The Andrews Sisters, The Hi-Lo's, Tuck and Patti, ... and Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet.
Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet has appeared on the headliner stages at international jazz festivals in the company of such iconic artists as Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Sonny Rollins, the Mingus Big Band, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Abbey Lincoln, Pete Fountain, Chris Botti, and Branford Marsalis. They have opened in concert for the legendary Four Freshmen, performed concerts in Europe, Canada, and multiple U.S. cities, been profiled on NPR and countless radio programs across the world, appeared as guest artists with symphony orchestras, and entertained at festivals, jazz clubs, and receptions of all kinds. Their fan base continues to expand to all corners of the globe.
Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet has appeared live on national and international stages and been heard on broadcasts worldwide over its multi-year history. Career highlights include:
International Jazz Festivals
- La Nuit du Jazz (Nantes, France), with Cote Ouest Big Band
- Clearwater Jazz Holiday, 25th anniversary international jazz festival (Clearwater, FL)
- Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival (Detroit, MI)
- Ottawa International Jazz Festival (Ottawa, CAN)
Concerts, Festivals, Premier Jazz Clubs
- Festival Miami (FL)
- Four Freshmen Society Convention (VA), opening act for FF
- "Radio From Downtown" (MD), featured musical guest in live show with NPR cast
- Sanibel Big Arts Concert Series (FL)
- Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (DC)
- Blues Alley (DC)
- Smithsonian Take Five Jazz Series (DC)
- National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Jazz Series (DC)
- Library of Congress NAACP 100th Anniversary (DC)
- Smithsonian Jazz Café (DC)
- Richmond Jazz Society (VA)
- Blowing Rock Jazz Society (NC)
- Chestertown Jazz Festival (MD)
- Greensburg Concert Series (PA)
- The Mainstay Concert Hall (MD)
- Gettysburg Concert Series (PA)
- Williamsburg Library Concert Series (VA)
- Bluemont Concert Series (VA)
- Lake Anne Concert Series (VA)
- Reston Town Center Series (VA), opening for and tributes to Charlie Byrd
- Takoma Park Jazz Festival (MD)
- Veteran's Park Jazz Series (MD)
- St. Luke's Jazz in the Garden (DC)
Educational Clinics & Concerts
- Shepherdstown University (WV)
- Harford Community College (MD)
- Tiffin University (OH)
- Old Dominion University (VA)
- Randolph-Macon College (VA)
- Georgetown University (DC)
- Baltimore County Public Schools (MD)
Radio Profiles
- NPR's "Weekend Edition," hosted by Susan Stamberg
- Jazz Smithsonian's "Jazz Singers," hosted by Al Jarreau
- Radio Jazz Copenhagen
- Radio Palermo, Buenos Aires
Symphony Orchestra Pops Concerts
- McLean Orchestra (VA)
- Mary Washington College/Community Orchestra (VA)
Publications
- Taiwan Choral Music Center Newsletter (Taipei, Taiwan)
- The Washington Post
- Four Freshmen Society Newsletter
- Cadence Magazine
- All About Jazz (webzine)
- Jazz Review (webzine)
- Jazz Times
Private Event Clients
- Lions Club of VA
- Washington Bach Consort (DC)
- Alexandria Campagna Center (VA)
- National Academy of Sciences (DC)
- Baltimore Science Museum (MD)
- American College of Physicians (national)
- EDS Corporation (national)
- BDM Corporation (national)
- Keir Associates (DC)
- Sidney's Orchestras (MD)
- Bolger Center (MD)
Vocal Quartet Members:
Ginny Carr (alto vocal)
Ginny is the leader, musical director and co-founder of Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet and has written many of the musical arrangements the group performs. A busy songwriter and lyricist, she has also written and recorded many original songs both as a solo artist and with UVJQ. The group's upcoming CD (2011 release) will feature another nine of Ginny's originals. For over 30 years, Ginny has performed regularly as a pianist and singer in the D.C. area at jazz clubs, lounges, festivals, weddings, senior citizen communities, and private receptions. She has been the featured performer at events hosted by many political and corporate giants, honoring a range of VIPs, including Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, Bob Dole, Bill Bradley, Terry McAuliffe, and the National Cherry Blossom Princesses. In addition to the many festival and concert performances listed in the Quartet's bio, Ginny has performed with jazz greats Butch Miles, Chris Vadala, Keter Betts, and Chuck Redd, and has opened for Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy Cobb, Charlie Byrd, Ken Peplowski, the Navy Commodores, and the Air Force Airmen of Note. She has played piano and sung with many jazz combos, joining forces with some of the world’s best jazz musicians who make their home in DC. A professional instructional designer with degrees in Psychology and Music Education, Ginny is employed by day at the Library of Congress as a training specialist. Ginny's brother Keith Carr is an internationally renowned musician in the Irish traditional genre.
André Enceneat (bass vocal)
André has performed professionally for over 25 years, singing everything from opera to big band swing to group vocal jazz. He has performed roles with the Syracuse Opera Company and Washington Savoyards and has sung with the Syracuse Oratorio Society and Master Chorale of Washington. Since 2005, André has sung with a number of big bands and jazz combos in the DC area and has been the front man with the Tom Cunningham Orchestra, a venerable DC favorite and award-winning 20-piece big band. André was a finalist in the 2006 DC International Vocal Jazz Competition and was nominated in 2009 for a WAMMIE® Award as Best Big Band Jazz Vocalist.He also performs sacred music as a cantor and has directed church choirs. A dedicated music educator, André has taught vocal and general music in Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools since 2000. From his private studio, he teaches private lessons in voice, microphone technique, and music theory.
Holly Shockey (soprano vocal)
Holly is a one of the 16 voices that make up the premier pop music ensemble of The United States Army Band, “Downrange.” She performed for US troops in Afghanistan in 2009 and will do a repeat USO tour in the Middle East during the 2011 holiday season. Since 1996 Holly has been a soloist with many elements of the US Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” and was the lone vocal soloist representing the United States at the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, viewed by millions around the world. Holly has sung at many high profile functions in Washington, DC, including President Gerald Ford’s 90th Birthday celebration at the White House. She has sung backup for many celebrity artists, including Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Martina McBride, Will Smith, Don McLean, Usher, Bono, Foreigner, Kathy Mattea, Lou Rawls, Wayne Newton, Kenny Loggins, Sylvia McNair and Dolly Parton. Holly recently returned to her Alma Mater of Syracuse, NY, to headline with the Syracuse Symphony, and has been a featured soloist with the Spires Brass Band in Maryland and the City of Fairfax Band in Virginia. Holly grew up on the musical theater stage, performing lead roles in West Side Story, Phantom of The Opera, Carousel, and Nunsense, to name a few. She teaches voice and piano to private students and finds time (somehow!) to raise three young children: 6-yr. old twins Hunter and Siena, and their kid brother Ray.
Robert McBride (tenor vocal)
Robert co-founded the Quartet with Ginny in the early days and has been its tenor voice and frequent "front man" ever since. His unmistakable comic presence and inventive lyrics are hallmarks of the group's engaging presentation. Robert brings to the group a broad range of musical and theatrical experiences. He directed and acted in many main stage and studio productions at The College of William and Mary Theatre, played electric bass and sang in rock and variety bands, and honed his jazz skills playing bass and singing backup to Ginny's lead vocals in society bands through the years leading up to UVJQ. One of his career high points came in 1979 when he performed briefly inside the Fred Flintstone costume at Paramount Kings Dominion. Robert dedicates some of his off-stage time to politics and has been an independent candidate for the Board of County Supervisors in Prince William County, Virginia. By day, he works as a project manager and systems consultant for a private company servicing U.S. Government clients in Washington, DC.
The jazz trio of Max Murray (bass), Frank Russo (drums), and Alan Blackman (piano) regularly accompany the Vocal Quartet. Other guest artists join the band on special occasions.
