Member Spotlight

Very few artists successfully cross back and forth from jazz to classical and back again: Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, and Duke Ellington come to mind. But now add to the list Dallas vocalist Damon K. Clark. Already acclaimed for his unusual sensitivity, versatility and virtuosity, Damon is as much at home with Thelonius Monk’s “’Round Midnight” as he is with Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma.” The mellifluous tenor minimizes the aesthetic distance between the classical and jazz worlds. While Damon’s tessitura and timbre could be described as Bobby McFerrin-esque, his approach to the material is unique. Damon’s scatting in particular exhibits a classical precision, while hinting at his affection for Ella Fitzgerald’s and Mel Tormé’s improvisational skills.  Damon’s take on songs like Gershwins’ “They All Laughed” is a highlight, showcasing his astonishing range, playful scatting, melismatic mastery and elastic phrasing. Damon has shared the stage with seven time nominee and Grammy winner Paula Cole. He has also frequently performed with Grammy and Stellar Award winner Andrea Wallace. As far as collaborations go, Damon has also made music with some of the greatest musicians in Dallas like Myles Tate III, Tom Braxton, Bernard Wright, Eric Willis, and producer of Beyonce’s “The Best Thing

Candy Williams is a phoenix rising, reborn in the music through the fires of her own life’s lessons. She wrote her first song at age three, sang her first public solo at age eight, and has been performing ever since. In her hometown of Oklahoma City she sang in her teen years with established jazz groups, master gospel and concert choirs, and serenaded gubernatorial inaugurates. As a voice major at the University of Oklahoma, Candy’s performance in “Hello, Dolly!” earned her first review as The Daily Oklahoman wrote, “Keep your eye on Candy Williams.” The rebel in her made her choose funk music over the classical stage, and with the bands Jokers Y-ilde and Prelude, Candy proved to be a powerhouse entertainer. Oklahoma City got too small for the Prelude band, and so together they headed south to Dallas, TX. Prelude quickly gained notoriety on the club scene as a force to be respected. And Candy not only survived, she thrived, adding radio, movie, TV and songwriting credits to her name. These performances have been written about as “amazing”, “strong”, “true”. She stretched even further as lead singer with The Panhandlers, adding Latin and Caribbean sounds to her skills. In