Darden Purcell

With Nancy Wilson & George Shearing's 'The Swingin’s Mutual' as a model, Washington, DC-based vocalist Darden Purcell and co-producer, arranger, guitarist and husband Shawn envisioned a modern take on that quintessential 1960s sound for her third recording as a leader. Enlisting the dynamic New York vibraphonist Joe Locke, along with pianist Todd Simon, Jeff Reed on bass and drummer Todd Harrison, her sextet tackles the virtuosic soli passages of Shawn's arrangement of "Willow Weep for Me," captures the intimacy of Johnny Mercer's title track, and swings hard behind Darden's Annie Ross-inspired lyrics on "Chatterbox." "Whether deftly delivering lyrics, or joining the ensemble in intricate musical lines, Darden is completely at ease and in control…this is music making at the highest level." - Alan Baylock

Shawn Purcell, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a jazz guitarist, educator, arranger, and composer in the Washington DC region. Purcell has shared the stage, recorded with, and/or toured with top jazz artists including: Terell Stafford, Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Sean Jones, Brian Charette, Steve Fidyk, Dana Hall, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Jim Pugh, Chip McNeill, Jeannie Bryson, Eddie Daniels, Chris Potter, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Allee and many others. He has performed at jazz clubs and festivals throughout the nation including Blues Alley, Smalls, The Jazz Kitchen, The Blue Wisp, The Jazz Factory, Club Bonafide, IAJE, JEN, PASIC, and Indy Jazz Fest.