Iva Jean Ambush

 

Iva Ambush, the scat lady, is a jazz vocalist from Frederick, Maryland. Iva is proud to be hosting the Wake Up Rise Up - Live 4 Peace, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia Stage for the third year.  Ms Ambush looks forward to bringing inspiration through music to those in need and looking for a change. 

 

Iva Jean has performed at Birdland (NYC), the DC Jazz Festival, Keystone Korner - Baltimore, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Alice's Jazz and Cultural Society, Blues Alley, Le Duc des Lombards, Bethesda Blues, and Jazz Club, International Association of Jazz Educators Conferences, Frederick - In The Streets Festival, the Billy Strayhorn 100th Birthday Celebration, WPFW 89.3 Live @ 5, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, JazzNight @Westminster DC, Amherst Fine Arts Centre, Ritz Carlton Pentagon, Frederick's 4th of July Celebration (multiple years), the East Coast Jazz Festival, the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, and more. Iva enjoys exploring the concepts of jazz phrasing and rhythms with the help of jazz legends, Sheila Jordan, Dr. Horace Boyer, and Ronnie Wells. Some of her other influences include Dr Frederick Tillis, Prof. Charles Ellison, and the late Dr Billy Taylor and Dr Bro. Yusef Lateef.

 

Iva has a family full of Jazz Musicians which include on the maternal side, late trumpeter Lester Bowie, the late Byron Bowie (saxophonist/composer/arranger), Defunkt's founder Joe Bowie, guitarist Jonathan Townes, and on the paternal side, bassist Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra [and formerly with Stanley Turrentine]), and pianist Allen Ambush. There are a host of others too numerous to name.

 

Please know that this year’s DMV Stage will include great speakers including Prophets, poets, and a comedian, plus Jazz, Soul, and Blues artists and more. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in communities all over the world.  We must Wake Up, Rise Up, and Live 4 Peace!

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Howard Gaskins

 

Comedian, actor and playwright is absolutely no stranger to the entertainment world. He has opened up for Martin

Lawrence, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Toni Braxton, Stephanie Mills, Howard
Hewett, Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, The Isley Brothers, The
O'Jays, and The Temptations, just to name a few. The Baltimore native is also the commercial
spokesperson for Senate Car Insurance for over 22 years and is known for the infamous line “Kiss
My Bumper” as well as the “Slow Jams” CD for Time-Life TV commercial, appeared on HBO'S the Wire,  BET's Comic View, and various other national TV
commercials and shows. Internationally known and travelled, Howard “G”  has had the honour to
perform in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Japan for our U.S. troops. “It was the most
gratifying experience I felt in my comedy career. To know I made a difference in those soldiers’
lives was a blessing,” Howard G has written and directed over 10 musical comedy stage plays: Ebony Scrooge,  AS CHERRYHILL TURNS,  Never Could Have Made Part 1 & 2, Love Thy Neighbor and now Sandford and Son the Stage Play...however these plays are of which he wrote and produced.  If you have an idea or a book which you would like to have it turned into a stage play production...then Comedian Howard G is your guy! Or if you like to book Comedian Howard G,  Comedian GRANDMA G,  or some of his very funny Comedian friends call 410-808-5805 or email comedianhowardg@hotmail.com.