Baryshnikov Arts Presents: Charles Overton Group

ABOUT

Curated and led by harp virtuoso Charles Overton, the group will perform standards and new works in imaginative combinations of sounds and instruments.

ARTISTS

Bandleader: Charles Overton

Musicians:

December 5, 6: Charles Overton (Harp), Lee Fish (Drums), Gregory Groover Jr. (Tenor Saxophone), Jonathon Muir-Cotton (Bass), Kalia Vandever (Trombone)

December 7: Charles Overton (Harp), Lee Fish (Drums), Devon Gates (Bass & Vocals), Kevin LaFleur (Guitar), Kalia Vandever (Trombone)

Charles Overton (Bandleader, Harp): Originally from Richmond, VA, Boston-based harpist Charles Overton began his musical journey with formative experiences with the American Youth Harp Ensemble and the Interlochen Arts Academy before moving to Boston in 2012 to expand his musical horizons at the Berklee College of Music. During his studies he became immersed in the world of jazz and improvised music, owing much of his outlook on music to lessons from the renowned artist-faculty of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.

Overton performs frequently with the Boston Symphony as both a second and substitute harpist, and highlights in chamber music include concerts with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia and several summers performing at the Yellow Barn Summer Music Festival. An avid jazz musician, he performs regularly in venues across the northeast as a band leader and internationally in collaboration with such artists as Shabaka Hutchings, Ganavya Doraiswamy, and Rajna Swaminathan. He released his first recording as a bandleader entitled “Convergence” in 2017 under the Boston-based Jazz Urbane record label, and is currently writing and arranging music for a follow-up recording project entitled “Once More.” Overton currently serves on the faculty of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Lee Fish (Drums): Acclaimed Boston-born drummer and composer Lee Fish has been part of the thriving New York City music scene since 2018. A fixture at Wally’s Cafe during his student tenure at Berklee—playing with such distinctive leaders as Jason Palmer, Esperanza Spalding, Nadia Washington, and Evgeny Lebedev—Lee became a highly sought collaborator in Boston, and is now freelancing as well as leading his own band in NYC. Having earned his master’s degree on full scholarship at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Lee received his earliest musical education on the road. Long before he studied under Danilo Pérez, Terri Lyne Carrington and Joe Lovano, at age 3, he would perform with his parents’ band Amante at venues across North America, from Florida to Quebec. Since then, he’s performed all over the world on nearly every continent, appearing on more than 50 recordings, including Mike Tucker’s 2014 release Live! featuring Warren Wolf, and Jason Palmer’s critically acclaimed 2019 release Sweet Love that received four stars from DownBeat Magazine. 

Devon Gates (Bass & Vocals): Devon Gates is a bassist, vocalist, and composer from Atlanta, Georgia, now based in Brooklyn, NY. After studying both anthropology and jazz performance at Harvard University, Berklee College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music (London, UK) she has emerged in the jazz scene, working with esteemed artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Jen Shyu, and Nicole Mitchell, and performing at venues such as The Kennedy Center, SFJazz, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and the London Jazz Festival. She also leads her own projects as a bandleader, collaborator, and composer, bringing her unique blend of jazz, chamber, and soul influences to New York, Japan, Italy, Mongolia, the UK, and more in recent years. In 2022, her original composition “Don’t Wait” was published in the Berklee Press “New Standards” collection of 101 lead sheets by female jazz composers curated by Terri Lyne Carrington, and since then she has been the recipient of the inaugural Marion Brown Prize (Bowdoin College), Composers Now First Commission Award 2024, and HerVoice Prize (Chicago Acapella) for her work as a composer-performer. Devon is also a passionate educator and facilitator, who has held teaching positions at Harvard College (Music Department Teaching Fellow to Prof. Vijay Iyer), the Berklee Bass Department Summer Workshop, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and Hilton Head Jazz Camp, and organizes education opportunities inside prisons as a founding member of the Cypher Justice Collective. As part of her honors thesis for the Harvard Anthropology Department during summer 2023, she developed the SOL, or Sounds of Liberation Collective, a community-engaged initiative to provide commissions and build community among other non-male-identifying peers in the Boston jazz/creative music scene. 

Gregory Groover Jr. (Tenor Saxophone): New York–born and Boston-bred, emerging saxophonist, composer, and educator Gregory Groover Jr has already left an indelible mark in the jazz world in a short period. Groover’s artistry seamlessly marries genres as he continues to push the boundaries of jazz while honoring its deep legacy. Raised with a devotion for music, Groover’s journey in music began at a young age. His passion for jazz flourished as he honed his craft, eventually earning him a full tuition scholarship to pursue his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance Studies at Berklee College of Music. Groover’s continued dedication to his craft and unwavering commitment to excellence have solidified his position as a prominent figure in the contemporary jazz scene. As a bandleader, Groover has released two albums (Negro Spiritual Songbook, Vol 1 & 2) and made his Criss Cross Records debut in April 2024 with his record, Lovabye. In addition to being a bandleader, Groover is a highly sought-after collaborator having performed in music festivals with some of the world’s leading voices in contemporary music. As an educator, Gregory has served as the co-chair of music at his alma mater, the Boston Arts Academy, and currently serves as the Assistant Chair of Ensemble at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. Through his teaching, he shares his passion for music with the younger generation, inspiring them to explore their creative potential. His dedication to uplifting the next generation of artists underscores his belief in the transformative power of music.

Kevin LaFleur (Guitar): Kevin LaFleur is a guitarist, pianist, and composer based in Montreal. Interested in the ways that landforms and their organisms can guide music composition and improvisation, his practice draws on methods of observation and experimentation which are at home in natural spaces. Abstracting on his background in jazz and improvised music, he has developed an expansive sound gathered from his work in live electronics, free improvisation, contemporary dance, and Appalachian folk music. Equally comfortable in jazz, folk, and pop contexts, he has worked extensively in the Montreal music scene and maintains an ambitious schedule as a composer-performer. His first record is in the works.

Jonathon Muir-Cotton (Bass): Jonathon S. Muir-Cotton is a multiple-award-winning, young, up-and-coming double bassist and bassist trained in both the jazz and classical traditions, playing many genres including jazz, funk, gospel, blues, R&B and neo-soul. Under the mentorship and tutelage of great Detroit bassists like Marion Hayden, Robert Hurst, Rick Robinson, Rodney Whitaker, and Ralphe Armstrong, Jonathon is working towards making his own mark in the music world. Jonathon has continued to garner great opportunities to perform internationally, with consistent rotations in Detroit, New York, Ann Arbor, and many other venues across the state of Michigan and around the country. Jonathon is a student at Michigan State University pursuing his Bachelors in Jazz Studies. Muir-Cotton has performed with various renowned artists both locally and nationally, including Karriem Riggins, Kris Johnson, Dwight Adams, Curtis Taylor, Christian Sands, Joe Farnsworth, Vincent Chandler, Ali Jackson, Esperanza Spalding, Ian Finkelstein, Soul Science Lab, and Kamau Kenyatta. He has his own talented and versatile extended band Expressions, and is a frequently sought-out bassist for other artists, their bands, and for studio work. Jonathon continues to hone his craft, hopes to tour the world, and eventually become a music educator, teaching jazz at the collegiate level as well as be an inspiration and give back to the next generation of students and aspiring musicians.

Kalia Vandever (Trombone): Kalia Vandever’s approach to the trombone is distinctive and defined by her sonorous tone and lyrical improvisational voice. Her debut ensemble album In Bloom, released in 2019, has been described as “the rise of an exciting voice for the music” (Seton Hawkins, Hot House Jazz Magazine). Her sophomore album Regrowth released in May, 2022 on New Amsterdam Records and “confirms her strengths as a composer and bandleader with a distinctly contemporary point of view” (Nate Chinen, WBGO Jazz). Her debut solo album We Fell In Turn featuring her works for trombone, voice and electronics released on AKP Records in March, 2023. In 2017, Vandever earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the Juilliard School. She has performed internationally with her quartet, appearing at festivals such as the Winter Jazz Festival and BRIC Jazz Festival. She is also known for her work as a side-woman, performing with jazz artists including Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, and Fay Victor, to name a few. She has also performed with popular artists including Harry Styles, Lizzo, Japanese Breakfast, Moses Sumney, Jennifer Hudson, and Demi Lovato. Vandever has appeared on Saturday Night Live twice, as well as Samantha Bee’s Full Frontal. Vandever is an awardee of the 2022 Next Jazz Legacy, a program founded by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. She is also experienced as an educator, having led masterclasses at universities including California Institute of the Arts, University of Chicago Illinois, Cal State Northridge, Saddleback College, University of Maine Farmington, and University of Missouri. She has also led clinics for organizations including CWU Jenn, Women of Jazz and Creative Music, Women in Jazz Organization, and Live From Our Living Rooms.

ABOUT BARYSHNIKOV ARTS

Baryshnikov Arts, founded in 2005 by Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov, is rooted in the belief that artists hold irreplaceable roles in our world by shaping perspectives, offering new approaches, and initiating crucial conversations in complex social, political, and cultural environments. Our mission supports artistic freedom, providing multidisciplinary artists with opportunities for creative exploration and unique artistic expression, and allowing audiences to view the world in new ways. We offer performance and commissioning opportunities, artist residencies, rentals, and more. baryshnikovarts.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Hattem, Chairman

R. Jarrett Lilien, Treasurer

Steven C. Dupré, Secretary

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Founder and Artistic Director
Sonja Kostich, President and Executive Director

Jamie Bishton

Sandy Choi

Frank Cordasco

William James Earle

Sandra Foschi

Jennifer Frautschi

Slavka B. Glaser

Rebecca Goldring

Darryl Pinckney

Shelley Washington

STAFF

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Founder and Artistic Director
Sonja Kostich, President and Executive Director

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Peter Villapol, Director of Business Operations and Administration

PROGRAMMING
Sam Black, Artistic Associate

Ashley Baer, Program Manager
Pedja Muzijevic, Artistic Administrator
Alexandra Cook, Director of Education and Community Engagement

DEVELOPMENT
Chani Sebazco, Development Manager
Apotheosis Events, Event Planning

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Lydia Murray, Marketing and Communications Manager
Victoria Zdunkiewicz, Box Office and Digital Marketing Manager

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
Tyler Benware, Director of Production and Operations
Jesse Campbell, Lighting Director
Natasha Bruno, Technical and Operations Manager

PRODUCTION CREW FOR THE CHARLES OVERTON GROUP
Eric Sanford, Head Electrician/Light Board Operator

Nicole Bien, Head Audio-Video/Sound Board Operator

FRONT-OF-HOUSE STAFF FOR THE CHARLES OVERTON GROUP
Jennifer Rico, House Manager

Box Office Assistants/Ushers: Felicia Avalos, Gina Bonati, Rachel Ford, Kymber Dodd, Griffin Lockette, Lana Hankinson, Hannah Oren, Sheryl Sutton

CONSULTANTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Andrew Julia, Director of Finance, AJulia Consulting, LLC
Margot Becker, Grants Writer
Stephen Viksjo, Graphic Designer
Eric Wolfram, Web Developer
Sean Regan, Perfect Balance Bookkeeping, Inc., Bookkeeper

Special thanks to our production crew, front-of-house staff, and volunteers.

BARYSHNIKOV ARTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Baryshnikov Arts is grateful for the contributions of its generous supporters.

Individual

John H. Abeles; Abington Family; Michelle A. Auerbach; Joanne Barak; Mikhail Baryshnikov & Lisa Rinehart; Douglas Baxter; Ariel Bengio; Leo Biagini; Jamie Bishton and Christian Kraus; Philip Boroff and Michelle Kaske; Johanna Butow; James Carlson; Pamela Ceglinski; Jesse Chin; Sandy Choi; Anya and Peter Cole; Amy Collins; Frank A. Cordasco; Richard Corton; Margo Crespin; Rupert de Laszlo; Allison Derusha; Jennie DeScherer; Elizabeth DeVita; Janet A. Dewan; Steven C. Dupré; William James Earle; Sofia Elizalde; Jane Epstein; Augie Fabela; Jennifer Fortner; Jennifer Fraustchi; Karen Freedman & Roger Weisberg; Alex Fridlyand; Norman Friedland; Nancy Fuchs; Paul Ghiz; Jane Gladstone; Slavka B. Glaser; Gabrielle Goedecke; Andrew Goffe & Jeffrey Levin; Rebecca Goldring; Daniel Goleman; Sharon Gonen; Nicholas Hare; Dave & Rita Hattem; Gary Hattem; Huong M. Hoang; Rodney Hobbs; Joan Hooker; Brody Howatt; Kelly Hubble; Jamie and Jeff Hurd; Carine Joannu; Cathy Kadets; Steven Katz; Nunally Kersh; Oona Keating; Karen Kochevar; Sonja Kostich; Larry Krantz; Miodrag Kukrika; Tebby Kwok; Nick & Holly Lane; Windy Lawrence; Anton LeRoy; Leonard Levie; Jarrett & Maritess Lilien; Nick & Cass Ludington; Blythe Masters; Global Atlantic; Catherine and Bill Miller; LeConte Moore; Mark R. Morris; Fred Nazem & Susie Gharib; Marty Nealon; Franci Neely; Nicholas Obolensky; Adam J. Oestreich; Brian S. O’Neil; Jeffrey & Meredith Oppenheim; Zaza Pachulia; Steven M. Pesner; Robert Petrizack; Liz Piccoli; Darryl & James Pinckney; Joseph Plocek; Aidan & Elizabeth Quinn; Kirk Radke & Liz Gerring; Dianna Raedle; Laila Robbins; James Roe & Gemsel Hernandez; Eve and Jon Rounds; Gerrit Ruetzel; Howard and Vesna Sacks; John Sansone; Laura Schoen; Marty Secada; Mark Seliger; Nancy Seltzer, Jr.; Joel Shapiro & Ellen Phelan; Wallace Shawn; Lois Sherwin; Alexandra Shiva; Leslie Smolan; Genevieve Springer; Matthew Steimel; Glenn Stevens; Angele Surault; Lisa Takemoto; Michael Tersigni & David Palachek; Pamela Urueta; Julie C. Van Camp; Reggie Van Lee; Illiana van Meeteren; Louis Venturelli; Marc Waldor; Nicola Walter; Deborah Ward; Shelley Washington; Maggie Waterhouse; Michael Wehman; Steven Weissman; Jedediah Wheeler; David N. White; Vicente Wolf; Matthew Yee; Janet Young and Jeremy Kramer; Andrew Zobler

Institutional

A G Foundation; Alphadyne Foundation; Apotheosis Events; Arnhold Foundation; KK Auchincloss Creativity Fund; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Norris and Debra Bishton Foundation; Cyrus Capital Partners; Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Enoch Foundation; The Marshall Frankel Foundation; Frieze; Global Atlantic; Princess Grace Foundation- USA; Howard Gilman Foundation; Goldring Family Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The Irving Harris Foundation; The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust; William Talbott Hillman Foundation; Hudson Yards/Related; Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance; Alex Katz Foundation; Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation; Lanvin; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; Omega Systems; Paula Cooper Gallery; The Jerome Robbins Foundation; The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; The Shubert Foundation; The Thompson Family Foundation; Weber Shandwick

As of December 2024

Baryshnikov Arts is grateful for:

Funding made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature

Yamaha is the official piano of Baryshnikov Arts.