8:00pm • $10 Cover

Rick Whitehead Jazz Trio

Rick Whitehead • John Previti • Nick Ruggieri

With Special Guest Holly Shockey

Meet Holly Shockey—an acclaimed vocalist, musical-theatre performer, educator, and lead soprano of the Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet.

A Syracuse University Musical Theatre graduate and 202020-year veteran of The United States Army Band, Holly has performed around the world—from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the White House to concerts for U.S. troops overseas. She has also sung alongside artists including Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Martina McBride, Bono, and more.

With more than 30 years of performing and teaching experience, Holly brings a remarkable voice, deep musicality, and a lifelong love of helping others find their own voices.

Led by acclaimed guitarist Rick Whitehead, this powerhouse jazz trio features John Previti on bass and Nick Ruggieri on drums — three master musicians with deep roots in the Washington, D.C. jazz community. Formed in 1994, shortly after the passing of legendary guitarist Danny Gatton, the trio quickly earned a reputation for their tight interplay and virtuosic performances. They’ve appeared at premier venues including Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and the Smithsonian Jazz Club.

Their first album, Live in Captivity, won the 1998 Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, followed by Live in Captivity, Again (2001) and So There We Were… (2006). Each member brings decades of experience: Whitehead’s lyrical guitar phrasing, Previti’s swinging power from years with Gatton and Charlie Byrd, and Ruggieri’s Berklee-honed rhythmic precision create a dynamic trio celebrated for both technical mastery and emotional depth.