An Evening with Avery Sunshine

Date: Aug 26 — 8 pm Venue: Blue Note Beijing Price: 160-280 yuan Denise Nicole White, professionally known as Avery Sunshine is an American singer and pianist. In college, White met Maia Nkenge Wilson, a vocal major, and together they formed a gospel and R&B singing duo, Daisy Rew. In addition to performing in Africa, Daisy Rew performed at churches in the area and at clubs, including the Apache Café, which was noted for launching the careers of several prominent artists, including India.Arie. Wilson was cast in a Broadway role following college, and Sunshine was hired as the Minister of Music at the St. Paul AME Church in Atlanta. Daisy Rew continued to perform when Wilson, on breaks from her theatrical career in New York, returned to Atlanta. While working at the St. Paul AME Church, White met Dana Johnson, a guitarist, producer and songwriter who had previously worked with India Arie. White, Johnson and Wilson began working together in 2003 with Johnson writing and producing the music, in addition to managing Daisy Rew’s career. Soon after, Wilson was again cast in a Broadway production and she left for New York. White then adopted the name Avery Sunshine. In 2005, White and Johnson recorded “Stalker”, a neo soul song, which a friend, Chris Brann, set to a house beat. The track became a dance hit on a Japanese record label, which led to a series of live dates in Japan. White and Johnson began work on what became Avery Sunshine’s self-titled first album, released in 2010 on their own label, Big Shine. Recorded mainly at White’s home with ProTools, the record included guest appearances by the pianist Takana Miyamoto, the vibraphone player Roy Ayers and Christian McBride. The record was praised by the media, with USA Today calling it “refreshingly original” and The Washington Post describing it as “a radiant brand of soul”. White — a single mother of two — focused on Avery Sunshine, but also accepted jobs as a keyboard player with artists including Tyler Perry and Jennifer Holiday and worked as a choral director for Atlanta performances by artists such as Michael Buble, Anthony Hamilton and David Foster. From 2010 until late 2013, Avery Sunshine toured consistently, and developed a following throughout the United States, the UK, Europe and Africa. They began recording a second album, The Sunroom, in November 2013, which was released in May 2014 through a partnership with Shanachie Records. Contact: 010-6655-0000