2024 Fall Concert

JusticeAid is bringing its NYC sold-out Soul of Justice show to Washington, DC, featuring powerful, soulful music from the late 60s and 70s. 100% of the ticket and other contributions go directly to JusticeAid grantee partner
Black Voters Matter.
September 30, 2024  |  7-10 pm  |  Hamilton Live  |  Washington, DC
PURCHASE TICKETS

Tickets @ $300
Doors open 6 pm;
concert starts 7 pm

BE A SPONSOR

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Be Part of Our Concert Series & Help Democracy, Too.

A massive part of voter engagement is meeting people where they are and listening to issues that are most important to them. Black Voters Matter (BVM) understands this better than anyone. At Soul of Justice, we will meet and support BVM’s founders while promoting justice through the joy of music.

The concert will feature songs we all know and love from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, the Isley Brothers, Staple Singers, Roberta Flack, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and others. Tickets include a welcome reception and a 3-course dinner.

MEET THE ARTISTS!

TASH NEAL

A founding member of rock duo The London Souls, Tash Neal has toured extensively in the US and internationally supporting some of the biggest names in rock from The Who, Slash, Gary Clark Jr., The Black Crowes, Tedeschi Trucks, and Lenny Kravitz to name a few. A guitar player, singer, and songwriter based in Harlem, Neal just released “Charge It To The Game,” his first solo project, and is playing live shows with brothers Matt, Dave, and JoJo Godfrey.

CHRISSI POLAND

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chrissi Poland weaves together the sounds of soul, blues, jazz, and pop to create a uniqueness that has elevated her as an artist and linked her with some of the best in the business. A vocalist with a diverse stylistic range, Chrissi has drawn comparisons from Aretha Franklin to Adele, Joni Mitchell to Prince

A touring member of Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame legend Sam Moore’s band (Sam & Dave) from 2008-2012, Poland also appeared with Bette Midler as an official “Harlette” for Bette’s 2014 album release promo tour of “It’s The Girls.”Her original songs have appeared on the HBO, NBC, Bravo networks, and Netflix.

Chrissi has toured with and opened for a wide range of artists, including Blood, Sweat & Tears, Marc Cohn, and Suzanne Vega. She currently splits her time between touring with GRAMMY- winning soul singer Michael Bolton as his duet partner and writing/recording/producing from her home studio. With four solo albums, three EP’s, and a slew of singles released, Poland continues to release new music this year.

NICKI RICHARDS

Nicki Richards wears many hats in the music business as an A-list touring, recording, television, and performing vocalist, as a producer and arranger, and as a solo artist with several albums under her belt.

She has recorded and/or performed with top artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Steely Dan, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Rob Thomas, Chaka Khan, Brandon Victor Dixon, Jimmy Cliff, Chris Botti, Ray LaMontagne, Sara Bareilles, Chromeo, The Goo Goo Dolls, Florence + The Machine (to name a few).

Richards is also an artist, producer, and arranger with several albums under her belt. Her work spans genres and languages in pop, dance, jazz, and rock; the list goes on and on.

She is currently an adjunct instructor at NYU Tisch and a member of the jazz faculty at the New School College of Performing Arts.

SCOTT SHARRARD

Scott Sharrard is a Grammy-nominated guitarist/singer and songwriter widely known as the lead guitarist and musical director of the Gregg Allman Band. A prolific songwriter and talented singer, he has also released several soul-influenced albums of his own including three with his first band, The Chesterfields, followed by three solo albums and, including the eponymous release, Scott Sharrard & the Brickyard Band. 

In 2020, Sharrard was announced as a new member of the legendary Rock and Roll band, Little Feat on guitar and leads vocals.

A Michigan native, Sharrard began his musical career studying jazz in high school and earning his stripes by playing and singing with local and visiting leading musicians. He moved to New York City and eventually garnered critical praise for his live shows and studio recordings in New York City and with The Band drummer Levon Helm in the Hudson Valley area.

Sharrard is a passionate educator of all styles of American Roots Music. Through online courses and private lessons, he has been hard at work finding new ways to connect with fans of guitar playing, singing, and songwriting all over the world.

RYAN SHAW

Ryan Shaw is a three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist.  He has shared the world stage with Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King, and Jill Scott. His music has been featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, ABC’s Dancing with The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, and the films My Blueberry Nights, Bride Wars, and the Sex and the City soundtrack.

Ryan’s theater credits include starring as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live.  His Carnegie Hall appearances include Elton John and a Nat King Cole 100th concert with the NY Pops.  His concert schedule includes Nat King Cole at 100 at The Kennedy Center and A Tribute to the Queen of Soul: Aretha Franklin with numerous orchestras throughout North America.

Ryan’s new album, Imagining Marvin, showcases Marvin Gaye hits alongside Ryan’s original songs.

NICOLE ZURAITIS

Nicole Zuraitis is a Grammy-winning and 2X Grammy-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and “prolific songwriters” (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.

As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album, How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, won BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM at the 2024 GRAMMY® awards and features all original music.

Besides leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below, and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss, and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.

Nicole’s arrangement of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, spring boarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. In 2020, she was named in the top 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine, and her weekly live stream during the Covid-19 crisis, “Virtual Piano Lounge,” was featured in Forbes Magazine.

Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim,  Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU, SUNY Purchase and the Litchfield Jazz Camp.

An ardent activist with a decade-long track record of giving back, her album release coincided with a self-produced music festival and day of activism for Save the Sound.Org.

PAINE THE POET

Paine The Poet was raised in Columbus, Ohio, and currently resides in Virginia. While serving an 8-year sentence within the Virginia Department of Corrections, he began to use poetry as a method of healing and connecting with others who have suffered similar trauma. His work attracted the attention of the institution and soon he was developing programs for the community. Upon his release from prison, Paine traveled the open mic circuit which would set the foundation for his career as a spoken word artist, activist, public speaker, and entertainer.

Using his gift of poetry, Paine articulates distinctly emotional experiences in the criminal system through crisis intervention and youth mentoring.Paine has taught various workshops and after-school programs and participated in panel discussions and fundraisers on mass incarceration, prison reform, social justice, disenfranchisement, and education. He has performed at the U.S. Capital and the 2018 NFL Honors Awards. His acting credits include the role of Jahlal Mahad in the 2021 film, American Skin. In 2021 Paine wrote the opening for the ONLY airing of TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year ceremony awarding Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Paine released his first musical project in 2022.

JusticeAid Artist in Residence Paine the Poet will perform a spoken word original work. See him featured in our August Justice+Art selections.

AN ALL-STAR BAND

BOBBY ALLENDE
PERCUSSION

CRAIG DREYER
TENOR SAXOPHONE

ERIC FINLAND
KEYS

TONY LEONE
DRUMS

MIKE MERRITT
BASS

REGGIE PITTMAN
TRUMPET

THANK YOU CONCERT SPONSORS

Steve and Ro Anderson

Judi Friedman & Ron Goldstock

Paul Leder & Lisa Greenman

JusticeAid is a nonprofit charitable organization that leverages the community-building power of art and music to transform awareness into action in the fight against injustice. Each year we identify and raise funds for justice causes by hosting music, arts, and educational events. Since 2013 JusticeAid has granted close to $3 million to nonprofits working to ensure access to justice for the disenfranchised and marginalized. Our grantee partners are fighting racist voter suppression and racist policing, working to end mass incarceration and inhumane immigration practices, ensuring access to legal services, and addressing the criminalization and hatred of others.

We know that you trust JusticeAid to identify phenomenal musical talent, important issues, and deserving organizations like Black Voters Matter. Please kindly give what you are able and know that we are truly grateful for your support and audience participation on September 30th.

JusticeAid sponsors help us sustain and nourish our organization in order to keep funding organizations doing the hard work. Sponsors allow us to increase awareness of issues through media and forums, increase funding to artists using beauty to expose injustices, and sustain our work for years to come. In return, we offer our sponsors a way to make a difference and be part of change.

Sponsorships range from $1000-$10,000. We are happy to customize a sponsorship package for you.

To secure a sponsorship, please contact Rebecca Petras, Managing Director, rpetras@justiceaid.org. Checks can be made payable to “JusticeAid” and addressed to: JusticeAid, 2120 Kalorama Road, NW #3Washington, DC 20008

Download our Sponsorship PDF.

To be listed in our event materials, we must hear from you no later than 3 weeks in advance of the event. JusticeAid is a 501(c)(3) public charity, recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS; EIN 46-2237781

The goal of Black Voters Matter is to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Black Voters Matter believes in working directly with communities to define agendas and implement solutions that create meaningful change. With this in mind, through voter engagement, policy advocacy, and organizational development/training, they seek to increase the capacity of community-based organizations working on a wide range of issues: from mass incarceration to gentrification, from healthcare to education and more.

JusticeAid supporters share a passion for justice and a love for the arts. Please learn about Black Voters Matter, persuade someone of its importance, and let’s rally together to make the world a better place.

BVM