PERFORMANCE/DEMONSTRATION
Nite Bjuti
Nite Bjuti (pronounced “night beauty”) is a woman-led improvisatory trio of vocalist Candice Hoyes, Grammy®–winning sound chemist Val Jeanty, and bassist Mimi Jones. Their improvised electro acoustic performances move through grooves into freedom. According to the New York Times, “spirit, conjure, necromancy, and memory seem to be some of the grounding ideas behind nite bjuti’s stunning, fully improvised sound.” In this performance and demonstration, artists of Nite Bjuti will share how they create music together, exploring Afro-Carribean influences through improvisational performance. The audience will engage in group exercises on rhythm, drumming, and call-and-response. A brief Q&A will follow the performance and demonstration. Presented as part of Play Open, throughout the 2024–2025 Jazz Season, the Kennedy Center is showcasing partially improvisational concerts that embody the bold openness to express who we are—individually as soloists and collectively as essential members of a community. Join us for these freeform performances defined by unexpected chord progressions, spontaneous key changes, imaginative rhythms, and the exhilaration that only comes from working without constraint.
January 31, 2025
Studio K at the REACH, recommended for grades 8-12
Estimated duration is approximately 70 minutes.
Photo by Maciek Jasik.