Hazel Mitchell-Bell Performs at the Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival with Annie Award-Winning Saxophonist Terry Koger

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Hazel Mitchell-Bell

Hazel Mitchell-Bell

One of the highlights of the second weekend of AJRF is an appearance by jazz star Hazel Mitchell-Bell. She'll be back from her South American tour just in time to perform in the Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival.

"A powerful yet subtle singer” - Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene

"Top shelf crew in tow. Solid." - Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Vocalist Hazel Mitchell-Bell is one of Washington, D.C.’s first ladies of jazz. Following her highly praised first album Stronger than Ever (2018), she released Sack Full of Dreams to high praise in May 2021. Working with pianist Vince Evans, she headlines dates with big bands and smaller combos, enjoying numerous sellouts at Blues Alley, Westminster Jazz and many other major hot spots. She has won numerous standing ovations as she stokes the fires of the D.C. jazz scene.

The stunning songstress appeared on festival, concert and club stages, garnering a wide following in Mid-Atlantic before earning an international audience through her recordings and live appearances. Each year takes her to more distant points in the U.S. and abroad.

The singer’s influences include Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn and Phyllis Hyman. Known for memorable takes of jazz, blues and R&B songs popularized by artists such as Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross, Mitchell-Bell is also a fine interpreter of songs from Broadway repertoire. Jazz fans can expect a deeply satisfying performance from Hazel Mitchell-Band and her A-List band.

The singer's trajectory is truly unique. Originally from Fayetteville, N.C. she comes from a musical family. Her mother sang professionally (gospel, jazz and R&B,) and siblings appeared on “Showtime at the Apollo.” Mitchell-Bell shared their singing ability, but did not initially choose a similar path. Studies at University of Maryland and USDA Graduate School led to an award-winning career in Federal Government. She also enjoyed a successful modeling career and devoted herself to the needs of children and family before pursuing a full-time career as a vocalist. Once she stepped onstage, her audience grew by leaps and bounds, attracting jazz fans worldwide. In fall of 2023, she embarks on her first South American tour, returning just in time to headline the Annapolis Jazz & Roots Festival.

*This concert will now be offered free thanks to a generous grant from the Art in Public Places Commision (AiPPC) of the City of Annapolis.