2016 Atlanta Jazz Festival: Chandra Currelley (@ChandraCurrelly)



CHANDRA CURRELLEY

Chandra Currelley is a smooth, cool & sultry, chocolate powerhouse, at the same time syncopated and  improvisational!  That's what you get when you see and hear Chandra Currelley! Chandra is an artist that not only sounds great, but you can feel every note she sings. That's one of the reasons she is the 2014 recipient of the Black Women In Jazz, (Lady Soul Of Jazz Award).  She has toured with jazz legend Roy Ayers, where she recorded the duet, “Let Me Love You”. 

Because of her ability to legitimately cross musical and theatrical styles, Chandra has had the opportunity to work with some of the greats including music mogul Clarence Avant and the legendary recording group, the S.O.S. Band, where Chandra replaced the original lead singer. She continued the band’s string of Top Twenty Billboard hits with the CD’s “Diamonds In The Raw”, and “One Of Many Nights”, where she wrote several songs, including the single “Broken Promises”.   The Helen Hayes and NAACP Phoenix Award Nominee has released three solo CD’s, “Relationships”,“The Real Me” and “Love Songs”, which contains the hit song “Love Again” from the Lionsgate movie, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”.  Ms. Currelley has performed at the Long Beach Jazz Festival, the Berklee Jazz Festival, the JFly Music Festival, The Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage, Praise 102.5, Gospel Jazz Live, the Holland Juneteenth Music Festival and The Atlanta Jazz Festival.  Chandra Currelley's live shows are unforgettable and always leaves the audiences shouting for more!  Chandra is a double threat as a singer and actress.  She is the 2015 Black Women In Jazz & Arts (Best Black Female Performer in Theater & Film). 

Her credits include “Madea's Big Happy Family”(The Movie), The musicals “The Hot Mikado” & “Sophisticated Ladies” to name a few.  And she can be seen on the OWN Network as the hilarious Miss. V in “For Better Or Worse”.  Music is available www.chandracurrelley.com, at cdbaby.com, Itunes and Rhapsody. 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE 2016 ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL LINE UP 

Friday, May 27

Main Stage:

7:00 pm                           Next Collective                                                                                

9:00 pm                                JOI                                         

Saturday, May 28

Local Stage:       

12:30 pm                              Rialto Jazz for Kids All Stars

2:30 pm                                The Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra (RYJO)  

4:30 pm                                Mabu’s Ark Band                            

6:30 pm                                Alex Lattimore                                                                 

International Stage:

1:30 pm                                Camila Meza     

3:30 pm                                TATRAN                                                              

5:30 pm                                Mette Henriette                                                             

7:30 pm                                Etienne Charles                               

Main Stage:

1:00 pm                                Chargaux

3:00 pm                                Tomeka Reid                                                     

5:00 pm                                Theo Croker      

7:00 pm                                Jamison Ross                    

9:00 pm                                Hypnotic Brass Ensemble                                            

                               

Sunday, May 29

Local Stage:

12:30 pm                              Band Room Nation                                         

2:30 pm                              Anonymous DaBand                                                      

4:30 pm                             Joe Alterman Trio                                                           
6:30 pm                Chandra Currelley 

International Stage:

1:30 pm                                TBD     

3:30 pm                                Tumi Mogorosi                                                              

5:30 pm                                Daby Toure                                                             

7:30 pm                                Eliane Elias

 Main Stage:

1:00 pm                                Navy Band Southeast: V.I.P. Protocol Combo

3:00 pm                                Eugenie Jones

5:00 pm                                The Headhunters    

7:00 pm                                Benny Golson               

9:00 pm                                Gregory Porter

Speaking with Singer/ Actor, Chandra Currelley

Seen in the motion picture, Madea’s Big Happy Family as the choir soloist, Sister Laura, and you probably recognize her as the singer in the nightclub, Chandra's in the #1 box office movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman and as Shirley in Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, the stage play. She is most recently seen as Loretta in Kandi Burress's (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), A Mother's Love. 

Chandra is the 2014 recipient of the Lady Soul of Jazz award and is the former lead singer for the legendary recording group, the S.O.S. Band, replacing the original lead singer. She continued the band’s string of Top Twenty Billboard hits with the CD’s Diamonds In The Raw, and "One Of Many Nights", where she wrote several songs, including the single, Broken Promises. Chandra also starred in the world premier of Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel, and as Mother Shaw in Regina Taylor’s Crowns. The 2009 Gospel Choice Award nominee has performed at The White House and toured Europe and Asia leaving audiences wanting more. She has also starred in Dinah Was, Blues In the Night, The Hot Mikado, Amen Corner (The Alliance Theatre/ Arena Stage). Two Queens, One Castle with T.C. Carson (Horizon Theatre),What’s Done In the Dark, (Fox Theatre), Slam!, Sophisticated Ladies, and Kenny Leon’s, Rejoice.

Because of her ability to legitimately cross musical and theatrical styles, Chandra has had the opportunity to work with some of the greats from Clarence Avant, jazz legend Roy Ayers, where she recorded the duet, Let Me Love You, to the phenomenal Tyler Perry. Television credits include VH-1, Say Yes! (TBN) , (BET) Jazz Showcase (PBS) and Good Day Atlanta (Fox), Bobby Jones Artist Showcase (The Word Network) Tyler Perry’s For Better Or Worse (OWN). The Helen Hayes and NAACP Phoenix Award Nominee has released 3 solo CD’s Relationships, The Real Me, and Love Songs, which contains the hit song Love Again from the movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman.