DC Jazz Festival Artist-In-Residence Corcoran Holt makes his curatorial debut with a special Duke Ellington 125th birthday concert featuring a salute to his mentor Davey Yarborough, the former Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) Dean of Instrument Music, in honor of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, considered one the most prolific artists in jazz. Joining Corcoran Holt will be Duke Ellington School of the Arts alumnus, pianist Janelle Gill, drummer Kweku Sumbry, saxophonist Brian Settles, and more.

Holt attended the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC from 1996 to 2000, where he studied classical bass with Carolyn Kellock and jazz music with educators Davey Yarborough, the late great Keter Betts and Steve Novasel. During these high school years, he realized his affinity for the jazz and honed his performance skills by working frequently on the Washington DC jazz scene.  Holt said he felt called to the bass at age 10 and began his study of upright bass with the renowned DC Youth Orchestra. Soon after, he learned that his great-grandfather, who grew up in High Point, North Carolina, was a bass player and lived next door to acclaimed jazz great John Coltrane. Holt said legend has it that his great-grandfather gave Coltrane music lessons when he was very young.

Holt performs regularly at many of the top music festivals and venues around the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. He has also performed globally with many of the great legends and rising artists in jazz.  Holt’s debut solo album “THE MECCA” pays homage to his Washington, D.C., roots and features an original song, “14th Street Bounce,” dedicated to the street where he grew up and where most of the jazz clubs were located. Currently, Holt leads his own group and is the regular bassist in the Grammy-nominated Kenny Garrett Quintet. More recently, Holt performed with Garrett and other renowned artists in an  NPR Tiny Desk Concert as part of the celebrations honoring Garrett as the recipient of the 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters award.

Holt recently joined the Arizona State University School of Music, Dance, and Theatre faculty as an assistant professor of jazz bass.