Winterlude – Clint Ashlock and Charles Williams

Williams has served as the pianist for The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra since its inception in 2003. He is bandleader for GENRE, his newest group, which plays smooth jazz, funk and Motown. Williams has accompanied legendary Kansas City jazz artists such as Ida McBeth, Angela Hagenbach, The McFadden Brothers and Dr. Wayne Goins. He also accompanied jazz singer Queen Bey and the internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist, Arthur Blythe, on tour in Brazil in 1998. He released his third CD, “Flavors of Jazz,” in 2018. Williams is on the American Jazz Museum Board of Directors and is an instructor for its Jazz Academy.

Trumpeter/composer/bandleader Ashlock grew up in the Kansas City area and is a dedicated contributor to the local jazz scene. He has performed with luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Clark Terry and Natalie Cole. Locally, he has performed with his own groups, En Masse and New Jazz Order, as well as with the Marcus Lewis Big Band and The Project H. Ashlock has produced numerous recordings, including “New Jazz Order” featuring Bobby Watson, as well as a recent release with Denver pianist Ben Markley, “The Return.” He was recently featured as a soloist at the First Jazz Education Festival in Shanghai, China, and at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Sydney, Australia, as well as winning the Downbeat Student Music award for best big band arrangement. Ashlock has served as artistic director for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra since August 2013.