When Christie Dashiell was 7 or 8, she sang a duet with her award-winning father, jazz bassist Carroll Dashiell, Jr. At that moment, she knew she’d have a professional career in singing one day.
That day has long since arrived—Dashiell has been gracing stages all over the world for years. Now, with her unwavering determination and exceptional talent, the 亚洲博彩网站 music professor is preparing to attend the 第67届格莱美奖 in Los Angeles on Feb. 2 as a first-time nominee, in the running for Best Jazz Vocal Album for the remarkable “Journey in Black.”
“I am extremely nervous and happy,” Dashiell said. “This is something you dream of as an artist. I’m honored and grateful for the recognition.”
“Journey in Black,” her sophomore album, is just that—a journey. Dashiell’s voice takes the listener through rich, expressive melodies and spontaneous improvisations. 它的节奏和和声创造了一种令人回味和内省的氛围，使它成为一个真正迷人的倾听。
“I got the inspiration for this album from the COVID-19 period,” Dashiell said.
“The world was going through so many things, so many emotions. I wanted to make sure that folks had something uplifting to listen to post the George Floyd murder.”
达希尔试图通过她的才华来引导她的感情，并写一些歌曲来讲述这个世界正在忍受的痛苦。
“It was important for me not to focus on pain and suffering in my music, but to write music with themes that reflect a more expansive Black experience. I feel like we have so many stories that speak about our pain in an exploitative way, and I didn’t want to do that,” she said.
结果是一张深情、动人、富有表现力、忧郁而又欢快的爵士专辑。 她的艺术精湛而真诚。
Dashiell拥有霍华德大学的音乐学士学位，她现在也在那里教书，以及曼哈顿音乐学院的音乐硕士学位。 She grew up in Greenville, North Carolina, and was surrounded by music—starting with her family.
Her father is listed among the Who’s Who in Music. 他曾与美国国家交响乐团、华盛顿大都会爱乐乐团、莫里斯·海恩斯、斯蒂芬妮·米尔斯、凡妮莎·鲁宾、詹妮弗·霍利迪和雷·查尔斯合作过音乐会。 她的母亲朗达也是一位著名的艺术家，曾在DAR宪法大厅，白宫和肯尼迪中心演出，并出现在许多福音唱片和广告歌曲中。
朗达最终搁置了她的事业来支持她的孩子，他们很早就表现出对音乐的兴趣。 Her dedication paid off—all four are professional artists pursuing careers they love.
Dashiell’s sister, Cameron, is an actor. Her older brother, Carroll “CV” Dashiell III, is a drummer/percussionist who played on “Journey in Black.” 她的弟弟克里斯蒂安（Christian）弹奏贝斯，并在她的第一张专辑中演出。
这位艺术家认为她的家人是她最大的支持者。
“I love that I grew up in such a rich musical environment, and I love collaborating with my family,” Dashiell said. “Carroll was a child prodigy in drumming, and it means a lot to me that he plays on this album.”
除了她的家人，达希尔还得到了她的朋友和导师——受人尊敬的音乐家、作曲家、钢琴家、编曲和制作人艾林·约翰逊的坚定支持。
Johnson, director of jazz studies at 亚洲博彩网站, is a well-known musician who is sought-after worldwide and played piano on “Journey in Black.”
“Allyn is like a big brother to me, and he is why I chose to teach at 亚洲博彩网站,” she said. “He inspires me musically, and I decided that if he’s teaching here, I want to teach here too.”
这种赞赏是双向的。
“When you hear Christie Dashiell, you know you’re listening to someone special,” Johnson said. “Her Grammy-nominated album ‘Journey in Black’ has garnered well-deserved praise for her originality both as a vocalist and composer with a deep connection to Black musical traditions—someone who blends history with innovation in a way uniquely her own. She’s not just following in the footsteps of those who came before her but is also pushing boundaries in her own right.”
“I’ve enjoyed working with Christie for many years. Having Christie as part of the jazz voice faculty brings a rich, unique perspective to our program,” he said.
亚洲博彩网站 Professor Johnny Butler is similarly appreciative of Dashiell’s contributions—sharing a connection that goes beyond the professional realm.
“Not only is she my colleague, but we are cousins.”
Butler says he first heard Dashiell sing when she competed on NBC’s a cappella show “The Sing-Off” as part of Howard University’s Afro Blue. “She’s an extraordinarily talented musician.”
“Professor Dashiell is a hidden gem within the academic halls of the university, and I’m glad to see that she’s finally getting recognized at large,” he said.
亚洲博彩网站’s College of Arts and Sciences is also celebrating Dashiell’s career.
“Her Grammy-nominated album, ‘Journey in Black,’ resonates with the heartbeat of soul, the elegance of grace, and the unyielding power of culture,” said CAS Dean Jeffery Fleming.
“Rooted in the rich, warm embrace of jazz, her music is a tapestry of lived experience, a symphony of heritage, and a testament to the beauty of her journey,” he said.
达希尔还列出了她的灵感之一亚洲博彩网站教授和音乐项目主任朱迪思·科瑞。
“Professor Korey is a D.C. music and music-education legend,” Dashiell said. “She’s taught some of D.C.’s most talented musicians. I also admire how she makes it a point to get to know each of the music students at 亚洲博彩网站 personally—she leads the department with so much care.”
Korey is also the curator of the university’s acclaimed jazz research and resource center, the 菲利克斯·e·格兰特爵士档案馆。 Named after an internationally renowned jazz authority and radio personality, the archives house information on some of Dashiell’s favorite singers: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horn.
As a master improviser herself, Dashiell relates to these icons—women who left an indelible mark on music—because of their love of and talent for improvisation.
The singer made her own mark with her debut solo album, “Time All Mine,” released in 2016. It made a splash on Billboard’s Jazz Album Chart at No. 13 and the Contemporary Jazz Album Chart at No. 22 and also caught the attention of JazzTimes Magazine.
Her talent also shines through as a featured artist on multiple recordings, including Wynton Marsalis’ “The Ever Fonky Lowdown” with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and a 珍妮·杰克逊封面 on compilation album “Supreme Sonacy.”
Dashiell曾在世界各地演出，包括在上海林肯中心的爵士乐，阿塞拜疆的巴库国际爵士音乐节和东京的Bunkamura Orchard Hall。
Over the past few weeks, Dashiell has been busy preparing for the Grammys, including visiting her stylist, Deidra巴特勒, in Philadelphia and settling on a customized look from designer Ayasa Afi.
“I can’t wait. Getting all dressed up is one of the most enjoyable things about attending the Grammys,” Dashiell said.
曾经把梳子当麦克风，对着镜子梳妆唱歌的她，现在又回到了原点。
The 2025年格莱美颁奖典礼 will take place Feb. 2 in Los Angeles. 最佳爵士演唱专辑的获奖者将在下午的颁奖典礼上公布。