Shenel Johns (США) & Vitaliy Golovnev Quartet (USA-Russia)

Shenel Johns sings in a highly personal style that moves seamlessly from jazz and R&B to soul and gospel. A native of Hartford, Connecticut, she studied with musical legends such as René McLean, Jimmy Greene, and Nat Reeves. Performing from an early age, she toured not only in the U.S., but also in Russia, Africa, and her place of national identity, Jamaica—all by the age of 21—and has shared the stage with Curtis Fuller, Hank Jones, Dionne Warwick, and Sheila Jordan. For her performance at ESSE Club, Johns will focus on the music and words of Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone, drawing inspiration from “the strengths, struggles, and stories that come out of the African diaspora.