Ron Reid & the Sunsteel Sextet / Jazz Robertson

Ron Reid is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and an associate professor in contemporary writing at Berklee. His sextet Sunsteel plays an eclectic mix of Caribbean folk, calypso, Afro-Cuban, and jazz melodies. This smoldering ensemble—composed of Berklee alumni and faculty—conducts workshops and lecture demonstrations at colleges and high schools and performs concerts, corporate events, and club dates. Vocalist Vaughnette Bigford will be the special guest for this performance.

Jazz Robertson got her induction into the music scene at the tender age of 5, when she took in her first live concert: Eric Clapton. But it wasn't Clapton's guitar chops that made her jaw drop; it was Steve Gadd's killer drumming. 10 years later she received a drum set from her mother, and within months she was playing in local bands around Pittsburgh. After passing up an opportunity to go to law school, she auditioned for Berklee and was accepted on a full-tuition scholarship. Robertson will feature vocalist Nadia Washington.

Jazz at the Fort is presented by Berklee College of Music and ParkArts.