Darrian Ford

SOMETHING MORE

In his long overdue return to the Laurie Beechman Theater, vocalist Darrian Ford presents Something More. With warmth, humor, and honesty, Ford explores the desires that unite us all: more love, more freedom, more abundance, more joy, more purpose and a deeper connection to ourselves and one another. 

Come hear the inspired alchemy of Jazz, Soul music and Musical Theater, in this new show. Keep your ears perked for evocative notes of Al Jarreau, Nancy Wilson, Mel Torme’, and Sam Cooke, a few of his heroes.

Darrian is a Broadway and National tour veteran, a recording artist and touring soloist, and creator and star of THE COOKE BOOK-The Music of Sam Cooke (his national touring salutation to the pioneering music legend), which debuted at LBT in 2006.

In 2018, his original vocal Jazz album, NEW STANDARDS (streaming on most popular music services), was ranked NACC #1 Best Debut Vocal Jazz Album, and #11 on UK Vibe top 20 Jazz albums of 2018.

ALL ABOUT JAZZ - “There is an immediate recognition of Al Jareau's vocal prowess in his voice...performed in a soulful way with a very impressive instrument in Ford’s voice.”

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - "His scorching vocals send you searching for your soul".

STACCATOFY - "The soul based vocalist transcends the Jazz idiom to a cross-over appeal that will light the fire of any music aficionado".

Darnell White, Music direction and piano. As a musical director, he has collaborated with a number of noted artists, including Melba Moore, Brian McKnight, Blaine Krauss, Amma Ossei, Willis White, Angela Birchett, David LaMarr, Carlton Jumel Smith, and many more! Both as a performer and resident artist, Darnell’s graced the stages of New York’s major venues, including 54 Below, The Iridium, Birdland, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Sid Gold’s, to name a few. Darnell recently served as music director for off- Broadway’s Revelation The Musical as well as the film adaptation of Gospel at Colonus.

Still More: A Chicago native, Darrian Ford began his professional theater career at age 13 in Oscar Brown Jr's The Great Nitty Gritty. At 15, he joined The Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, and at 19 moved to NYC to dance in the companies of Alvin Ailey and Donald Byrd/The Group. He made his Broadway debut as Charlie in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair, about which The New York Times said “...note the irrepressibly comic Darrian Ford.” The Who’s TOMMY (Broadway/first national), SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE (first national), for which he won The Black Theater Alliance Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and the first national tour of THE COLOR PURPLE. Darrian also co-starred opposite Halle Berry in INTRODUCTION DOROTHY DANDRIDGE as Fayard Nicholas of the legendary Nicholas Brothers and recurred on Disney's "That's So Raven." www.darrianford.com