Betsy Ezell Quintet

The Betsy Ezell Quintet will present and celebrate the release of their full length album, Voices, on Friday, January 25 at North Street Cabaret. They’ll perform the original compositions and arrangements from the album, well known standards and personal favorites written by women jazz artists and more. The quintet features Betsy Ezell on vocals, Becca May Grant on keys, Richard Hildner on guitars, Laurie Lang on bass and they are thrilled to welcome Chris Sandoval on drums. John Becker, an extraordinarily talented local multi-instrumentalist and composer, will join in on vibes as a special guest for the evening.
The Betsy Ezell Quintet presents a diverse sound, ranging from straight ahead jazz, to blues, to Latin jazz, to gospel-infused soul. The original music is hopeful and thought-provoking and the band members bring a range of musical backgrounds to give the live performances compelling twists and turns.
Many of the original songs from Voices were composed as part of a writing and recording project called Feminine Blue, supported in part by a grant from the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium. The project explored women’s perspectives and unique voice in jazz, as well as broader cultural themes like the #metoo movement. The music was composed collaboratively, with the writing led by Betsy and edits, additions, input and support by Laurie and Becca, which was an intentional and decidedly feminine way of creating music. Well known, prolific jazz artists Roberta Piket (piano/organ) and Virginia Mayhew (sax) guest performed on two tracks on the album.