GROW held its first jazz workshop in November 2022, featuring a group of local musicians who knew Columbia had a culture that would support a casual, collaborate space for folks to play and listen. Since then, jazz nights have been filling the room every first and third Thursday between 8 and 10pm.
Justus invites vocalists and musicians to sit in, making for fresh ensembles feature a range of talent and style. The element of surprise is part of the attraction.
The initial group has remained the core of jazz nights. They are:
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Ken Cheeks
Ken is a retired master teacher and contemporary saxophonist with degrees in Music Education from South Carolina State University and Norfolk State University. He taught music for over 30 years, including at Benedict College and Alcorn Middle School. Ken formed the Sunrise Jazz Ensemble, performing with acclaimed jazz artists, and continues to offer private lessons and live music services. In 2018, he released his solo CD, “Songs in The Key of Praise.”
For bookings contact: Ken Cheeks (803) 466-2901 www.kencheeks.com • Kencheeks01@gmail.com.
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Chris Gardner
Chris has been part of Columbia’s music scene for many years, and played in the beloved band Those Lavender Whales. Generous with his time and talent, Chris for several years has provided tech assistance to the SC Progressive Network and the Modjeska Simkins School., which he graduated from in 2019.
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Dionne Marie Pruessur
Dionne grew up in Las Vegas in a theatrical family. (Her mother appeared in My Friend Flicker.) She was inspired by Scott Joplin after she heard ragtime in The Entertainer, and in 1970s watched the movie The Sting. At age 12, she taught herself to play and read music. She now teaches, tunes pianos, and plays all genres of music professionally.
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Antron Rearden
Antron works at Star Music Company, and has long been part of Columbia’s jazz scene. He teaches, mentors students in the Midlands, and regularly plays in venues across the city.
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Sara Williams
Sara is a self-taught vocalist who has been “showing out” since age 3, when she frequently interrupted boring Baptist sermons with song and dance. A self-described “has-been who never was,” Sara spent the better part the 1970s in NYC performing in cabarets in Greenwich Village and regional lounges, and for weddings and weddings and BarMitzvahs. When the AIDS epidemic hit, Sara returned to her first love, studying medicine and biomedical research. She came to South Carolina in 1998, and is looking forward to someday living in Ireland.
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Bookmark GROW’s YouTube playlist, which is updated every other week with new material.