Lift Every Voice: A Singer Showcase

Lift Every Voice is a concert that celebrates that Martin Luther King, Jr. Bank Holiday with Black music rooted in traditions such as gospel, blues and jazz. The program is designed to provide opportunities for members of the community to engage with professional singers and musicians in the exploration of Black/African American music. Featuring the Dee Spencer Trio with special guest vocalist and MC, Clairdee and 17 soloist community singers. 

Artist Biographies

Dee Spencer

Dr. Dee Spencer is Professor of Jazz and Musical Theatre at San Francisco State University, where she founded the Jazz Studies degree program and directed it for five years. She holds a B.S. from Florida A&M, an M.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, and an EdD from the University of San Francisco.

Dee has performed, recorded, toured and judged with Wynton Marsalis (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Ledisi, Tower of Power's Lenny Williams, John Handy, Jimmy Scott, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Regina Carter, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Bernard Purdie, Jason Brock, and the GLIDE ensemble. Her latest recording, "Tranquility," arrived in 2018 — and each year she serves as an Annual Screener for the GRAMMY Awards.

Clairdee

Celebrated for her sophisticated and heartfelt interpretations, vocalist Clairdee brings a unique blend of elegance and warmth to the stage. Rooted in the rich tradition of jazz, she draws inspiration from iconic figures such as Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae, yet her style remains distinctly her own. Her career highlights include collaborations with renowned musicians such as Dick Hyman, Houston Person, Russell Malone, and Ken Peplowski, and performances at prestigious venues such as Dizzy's NYC and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Beyond her captivating performances, she is also a dedicated educator, passionate about preserving the legacy of jazz and mentoring the next generation of musicians.

Jewell McMillon

Jewell is a bassist, music artist and mathematician from the Bay Area who has been a member of the musician and artist community in the Bay for the last five years. She is heavily influenced by all styles of Black American Music and her peers in the community. She’s recently had the pleasure of being a member of bands that played at the 2023 Black Joy Parade, The Chapel, and California Academy of Sciences and is excited about continuing to share community and music with the Bay Area and beyond.

Ruthie Price

Ruthie Price is a soulful Bay Area native professional drummer and music educator. Picking up sticks at the age of six at church, Ruthie has never put them down; she’s been honoring her craft in Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Hip Hop, R&B, and Rock for 25 years strong. Ruthie has played on five continents and featured on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” with Grammy Award Winner Van Hunt. She played for the first female president Sir Leaf Johnson in Liberia with Jazz & Democracy, performed on the TV show “Empire” and won the NPR Tiny Desk competition with Grammy Award Winner Fantastic Negrito.