At a time when so many college graduates are unsure of the future, worried about landing a job, 23-year-old trumpet player and bandleader Johnny Graham seems to have his feet firmly planted on the ground. His goals are solid and priorities straight. Performing is No. 1 — and the concert with his band, the Groove, at Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage is an honor.
“The music is what I love to do,” said Graham, a Baltimore native and MBA candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park, who plans on a Ph.D. and a teaching position at a local college. But it won’t be music. With hard work and a bit of luck, he’ll be lecturing to students on business.
| Onstage |
| Johnny Graham and the Groove |
| Where: Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street NW |
| When: 6 p.m. Sunday |
| Info: Free, 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600, kennedy-center.org |
“The business end is an interest [to help] get to that level where I can do the music full time. It will be good to understand the business side of entertainment.”
In a nutshell, that’s Graham’s plan. This gifted trumpet, flugelhorn, piano player and songwriter finds his life’s calling in blending jazz, R&B, hip-hop and rock into a delightfully old, yet new musical mix.
Influenced by the music of Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Quincy Jones, he also listens to performers like Jay-Z, saying, “You can definitely hear that style in my music.”
“It’s really crazy after all these years of playing on college stages to be performing at a place as grand as the Kennedy Center,” he noted. “It’s the biggest show I’ve ever done.”
On the Millennium Stage, Graham will be doing works from his first solo project, “Coming of Age,” which featured live instrumentation from the Groove.
They band features Joey Price on bass guitar, Dennard Watson and Vershawn Stephon on keyboards, Charles Wilson on drums and himself on trumpet and flugelhorn.
“We’ll also be playing music from the new [album] ‘Summer Falls’ and some covers,” Graham continued.
While he was hesitant to give too much of the program away, the name Michael Jackson was mentioned in passing.
As he proceeds with studies toward his Ph.D. in business, Graham continues to pick up some of the best tips, off campus and in the music world.
“Relationships are very important; you have to have a work ethic, and be professional at the same time,” he said, adding, “just work hard, stay humble and proceed with your passion.”
