An Incredible Peabody Faculty Concert at Keystone Korner

What a night! The jazz faculty of the Peabody Institute performed at Keystone Korner on May 7th, 2025 and demonstrated that they are among the best of the best.

The night was a celebration of the growth of the jazz department from seven students to 70 students and to its becoming a world-class place for jazz education since Sean Jones’s arrival seven years ago.

Nasar Abadey, a drum instructor, wondered during his comments why Jones had come to Baltimore. Jones responded, “I believe in this community.” It is, he said “the real America—as shown by the diversity of the performers—black, white, Latino, women, and men.” He added, “The sound is what will save us. It creates unity and shows that we are stronger together.”

The music during this night of celebration featured stunning performances by professionals at the top of their game. Headed by Sean Jones, one of the world’s best trumpet players, they included (in alphabetical order): Nasar Abadey (drums), Tedd Baker (reeds), Alex Brown (piano), Kris Funn (bass), Tim Green (alto sax), Richard Johnson (piano), Allison Miller (drums), Javier Nero (Trombone), Marvin Sewell (guitar), Fran Vielma (percussion), Charenee Wade (vocals), and Warren Wolf (vibes).

The music was as diverse as the performers. Much of it was original, starting with Tedd Baker’s “Mr. Harris,” a rousing piece with a powerful rhythm driven by Fran Vielma’s percussion and Allison Miller’s supportive drumming. It also included a lively musical conversation between Baker and Jones, just one of many such improvised conversations over the course of the night.

I wish I had space to comment on each of the tunes played on this special night. They included “There Will Never Be Another You,” tightly arranged by Javier Nero; “Tribal Dance” by Warren Wolf; “Once Forgotten,” featuring Richard Johnson; “Wolfpack” by Allison Miller; “Common Grounds,” a compelling Latin piece by Fran Vielma; and “Eternal Surrender” by Abadey in memory of his father. Charenee Wade changed the pace of the evening with “Suzanne” as a sweet tribute to Roberta Flack, and a tune called “Soft Power,” in the spirit, she said, of both Ethel Ennis and Miles Davis. The first set ended with “Baltimore Collective” by Alex Brown, which included a cheerful bass solo by Kris Funn, who had been providing solid backup throughout the evening.

A great, great evening, and the really good news is that they will do this again next year. Don’t miss it.

By Michael Friedman

(Michael Friedman is a retired social worker and social advocate who is also a semi-professional jazz pianist and photographer; his photographs of jazz artists are on permanent display at Keystone Korner in Baltimore. He writes regularly for the Baltimore Jazz Alliance newsletter. www.michaelbfriedman.com)