Lenny Robinson Trio feat. Shacara Rogers

About

Lenny Robinson is one of D.C.’s gigging veterans, often seen on bandstands with the city’s finest. His focused and forceful approach to the drums comes through on any bandstand, but it’s especially clear when he’s leading a group. Expect gutsy, stripped-down, and subtly funky iterations of the straight-ahead jazz sound when you catch one of his ensembles live. Here he leads a unique combo: Allyn Johnson on keys and Lyle Link on saxes to back Shacara Rogers. She came up through Howard University’s music program, making her mark as a member of the signature vocal ensemble: Afro-Blue. She’s often recruited by bandleaders like Michael Bowie or Elijah Jamal Balbed for her versatility, able to sink into a ballad like Betty Carter or groove over the woozy sung hip-hop and R&B mix that dominates radio stations like WHUR or WPGC. She often leans into the latter sound as a bandleader but puts her full range of vocal abilities on the bandstand.