We are delighted to announce vocalist, Tyreek McDole as the next artist to Chat with the Cats.
Where did you grow up? Did you grow up around music/jazz? Do you have any familial experiences with music?
"I grew up in St. Cloud, Florida. Growing up, there was music in the house, mainly the radio that my parents played so I gained my musical upbringing from their listening interests. Jazz, Haitian music, reggaeton. My dad is American and my mother is Haitian-Dominican. I have two older sisters and one younger brother, but none of them are musical. My younger brother is interested in music but more so in music interviews and photography. I had been a fan of music since a young age, my aunt had a piano in the house so that got me curious initially. It was something I always intended to do and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
I went to Osceola County School for the Arts. I started in the band class in sixth grade after watching The Princess and the Frog which got me onto the trumpet. Following this, I moved to classical percussion and then started singing during my senior year of high school. I knew that I had the ability to sing but I didn’t take it seriously or know the impact of my voice until I was playing percussion in a pit orchestra for a production of Into The Woods. During that time, one of the actors had gotten sick and there was a void in their absence. I suggested singing the parts to cover that rehearsal. Once I started singing I noticed heads turning. The jazz director was in the back listening and asked me to join the band for the Ellington competition."
Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2018 Essentially Ellington National Competition
"I went in 2017 as a vibraphonist but came back the next year as a vocalist. It was my first year singing and for that to be punctuated with a win at the competition, I was honored. It gave me a lot of hope and aspiration to continue to work.
I have to credit my mentors Rodney Whittaker and Rockelle Whittaker - they worked with Kenny Garret, Roy Hargrove, and Wynton Marsalis amongst others. I previously met them at a summer camp that Rodney ran called the Dr Phillips Jazz Boot Camp in 2017."
Studying at Oberlin
"It's in a small town in Ohio, so smaller even than where I had grown up. It's a college town for sure so it's quite insular. It wasn’t a move that I necessarily wanted at the time but it was a great experience. I studied with geniuses and professors like Gary Bartz and Gerald Cannon.
My opinion definitely changed and I grew to appreciate the different styles of music from all over America. NYC is a melting point for sure but the best artists aren’t necessarily from here.
I moved to NYC the day after graduation. I luckily landed on my feet - I'm rooming with two great musicians, one a trumpeter also from my hometown named Anthony Hervey and the other Philip Norris who is a bass player.
I think for the most part I have been in a blessed situation. I found a great community that supports what I do and my work is being recognized. Plenty of folks are eager supporters of my career and I am very grateful for their precedence and guidance."
Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition '23
"I have known about this competition for years and first applied in '21. This was my third attempt at applying and my first time placing (winning). At the competition I performed three selections of my choice; the first was September in the Rain, the second was Lush Life, and the third was Every Day I Have the Blues. These have been staples of my repertoire since I started singing. I wanted items I had a strong connection with and they each honor a different inspiration of mine. Joe Williams with Every Day I Have the Blues, Johnny Hartman in Lush Life, and Sarah Vaughan for September in the Rain.
Walking off the stage, I felt proud that I had put my best foot forward and gave it my all. I really felt a great connection with the audience and viewed it as an opportunity to showcase my talents and it being my own show rather than a competition. Between pieces, I took the time to reflect on being a part of such a great legacy of wonderful music and artistry and wanted to continue to pay respect to those who had gone before me.
I was pleasantly surprised at winning - I reflected on how long I have been singing, 5 years, and how lucky I am to be a part of the history of the competition. I was so happy to be there at all but to be awarded the win for my first international vocal competition was incredible." (Tyreek is the 2nd male to ever win in the competition's 12-year history.)
Tell us about Penny Jo’s and how the weekly set came to be - how would you describe Tuesday nights?
"I was called to play a gig there by a great tenor sax player named Boyce Griffith, I liked the energy of the room and liked how the booker and curator Mr.Seth was very welcoming and appreciative. I leaned on the folks that I knew who supported the mission and the music. We are extremely grateful to KEYEDUP! for sponsoring our performances.
Now we do a four-piece. It varies from week to week, sometimes it's thematic, featuring a certain artist but we do a lot of my original music also. I have premiered a lot of my original music there. After the first set, we open it up to anyone. I'm hosting the whole time and I'll call people up as long as they are friendly and courteous and we can all create some great art."
Anything you want to promote - album, tour?
"I’ll be flying out to California for a residency at the SF Black Cat."
Thoughts on KEYED UP! and promotion in general of jazz in NYC and beyond?
"I really love and appreciate the mission of KEYED UP!. They understand that art is valuable. It takes a lot of time and decision to schlep your items across town and sing and perform at a high level. To invest back in the art and the artistic community is so important. Also, to allow young up-and-coming artists to create spaces and music that can flourish is vital. KEYED UP! has allowed me to create my own community and contribute back to NYC as NYC has helped me in my career."
Photo credit: EBAR