Introducing Dr. Valerie Capers

Dr. Valerie Capers is a preeminent pianist, vocalist, educator, composer, and arranger. After graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical composition and performance from The Juilliard School of Music, the first blind person to do so, Valerie undertook the next step in her musical career – learning to play jazz.

A naturally gifted musician, she has noted that dedication to the craft is necessary for success. In a Jazz Times interview with Sunsh Stein, she stated: “Developing your talent and skills is a very private and relentless thing. It doesn’t happen in a hurry. It’s very important to be organized, have discipline, and have an approach. Our ears are the most wonderful access to creativity and imagination because as musicians we hear everything, and those things get stored in some inner vault and come out in all sorts of ways we don’t expect.”

Critics’ Corner

“Miss Capers’ cantata, with its genuine jazz roots, is broadly in the vein of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts. But while Mr. Ellington worked out of his own personal style, Miss Capers has found her sources in the entire spectrum of jazz and has used them very perceptively as part of a continuity rather than the miscellany of the Ellington Concerts.”
~John S. Wilson, The New York Times
“Left and right hands both played important roles in her sound, and she proved expert at developing tension and building dynamic statements in her solos. […] Spare, simple lines, sometimes abbreviated in unexpected places, were followed by involved, double-time statements. Quiet, singe-note phrases gave way to rich harmonic passages that turned expertly back to their founding theme.”
~Bill Kohlhaase, Los Angeles Times
“The work itself [Sing About Love] is a joyous, wonderfully wrought celebration of the Christmas spirit as seen through urban eyes. The presence of Miss Capers herself added to this listener’s enjoyment.”
~Raoul Abdul, New York Amsterdam News
“Jazz lovers have long known Valerie Capers as an outstanding pianist, singer, composer, and educator. But her newest album, Wagner Takes the ‘A’ Train, is sure to make her a favorite among opera lovers, too. The result is intoxicating.”
~Brian Kellow, Opera News
“One of the highlights of the evening was Capers’ recognition of the civil rights movement and its impact on John Coltrane. By way of introduction, Capers, who is blind, read (in Braille) of the 1963 bombing of a Baptist church in Alabama that resulted in the deaths of four young girls. Coltrane was inspired by the incident to write his profoundly moving “Alabama,” and the Capers ensemble did it justice, beginning with a solemn and powerful opening statement by Givens on tenor, followed by a mournful bowed bass solo, Capers’ gospel-flavored piano and a guitar solo that segued back to Givens on tenor. It was a stunning performance.”
~Tom Ineck, Berman Music Foundation – Jazz
“Surrounded by excellent musicians (John Robinson, Earl Williams, Alan Givens, Mark Marino), she produced a musical style of great elegance.”
~Dimanche Ouest-France, Nantes, France
UPCOMING EVENTS
VALERIE CAPERS TRIO WITH JOHN ROBINSON ON BASS, DOUG RICHARDSON ON DRUMS & FEATURING GUEST ARTIST ALAN GIVENS ON SAXOPHONE AND FLUTE
JULY 29, 2017 AT 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM
JAZZ AT THE KITANO, 66 PARK AVENUE (@ EAST 38TH STREET), NEW YORK, NY, USA (map)
$32 COVER + $20 MINIMUM / RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED (212) 885-7119