Live from Baltimore, MD at the Ambassador Northwest Community Festival celebrating the reopening of the Ambassador Theatre.

Ambria - Vocals
Brad Clements - Trumpet
Elijah Balbed - Keys
Flavio Silva - Guitar
Zachary Cutler - Bass
John Chandler - Drums
Mike "Shahid" Burney - Percussion

I Want You Around feat Ambria

JoGo Groove (Elijah Jamal Balbed / Bravo Reds)
Bustin Loose (Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers)

Elijah Jamal Balbed - Sax / Keys / Vocals
Bravo Reds - Vocals / Percussion
Desiree Jordan - Vocals
Greg Boyer - Trombone / Vocals
Brad Clements - Trumpet
Zachary Cutler - Guitar
Walter Cosby Jr - Bass
Mark Stewart - Drums
Mike Burney aka Shahid - Percussions

Recorded live from Dodge Performing Arts Center at St Mary's College of Maryland on Saturday, March 23rd 2024.

JoGo Groove / Bustin Loose (Live from St Mary's College)

A JoGo original, One For Pops was written shortly after the passing of the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, to honor him and his legacy; and to educate those who don't already know!

One For Pops - Live at AMP Jan 2015

Our arrangement of the Jazz/BeBop standard "Be Bop" by the late, great Dizzy Gillespie. Recorded from our January 2015 performance at AMP (by Strathmore)

Be Bop (Dizzy Gillespie)

The JoGo Project's original arrangement of the Ahmad Jamal classic "Poinciana".

Brad Clements - Trumpet
Elijah Balbed - Sax
Deante Haggerty-Willis - Guitar
DJ Childers - Keys
Eliot Seppa - Bass
Stan Banks - Drums
Mike Burney - Percussion

Poinciana - Live at Blues Alley Dec 2016

Live recording of The JoGo Project at Takoma Station for Lyrics and Libations 2.8.17

Deacon Izzy - Vocals
Elijah Balbed - Sax
Brad Clements - Trumpet
Kayla Waters - Keys
Eliot Seppa - Bass
Stan Banks - Drums
Mike Burney - Percussion

Walking On Sunshine - Live at Takoma Station Feb 2017

Another JoGo original, "Too Loud!" speaks to those who are shameless about who they are and don't feel like they have to be different around different people. Embrace who you are and do it with confidence!!

Too Loud! - Live at Takoma Station Feb 2017

Live board mix from school performance/assembly at Columbia Heights Educational Campus courtesy of Cody Valentine. One For Pops is an original composition by Elijah Balbed with lyrics by Dante Pope in dedication to the late, great Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown - whom was more affectionately known as Pops to those close to him.

Dante Pope - Vocals
Elijah Balbed - Sax
Brad Clements - Trumpet
Mark Meadows - Keys
Eliot Seppa - Bass
Stan Banks - Drums
Mike Burney - Percussion

Live at CHEC April 2017

One For Pops

Our rendition of George Gershwin's classic "Summertime", featuring the one and only Imani-Grace Cooper on Vocals.

CHEC April 2017

Summertime feat. Imani-Grace Cooper

The JoGo Project is a band from Washington, DC that fuses many styles of music, but with Jazz harmonies and a driving Go-Go beat at its core. JoGo was founded by DC Native and Jazz Saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed during a residency at Strathmore in 2014. Eight years later, The JoGo Project has become a mainstay in the DC music community and is dedicated as ever to keeping DC's Go-Go music alive while also exploring new sounds and repertoire. Over the years, the band has written several original songs and created original arrangements of songs less-commonly performed in the Go-Go idiom such as "Free" by Deniece Williams or "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves, to name a few. In 2011 when Elijah was a Sophomore at Howard University, he received a life-changing call to perform with the Godfather of Go-Go - Chuck Brown. Elijah performed with Chuck from May of 2011 until the Godfather's death the following year - May 16th, 2012. That year Elijah spent with Chuck instilled a new-found love for Go-Go music, which would forever influence his sound and approach to music. When it was time for Elijah to start a band of his own - he knew it had to be something that brought his Jazz and Go-Go worlds together. 

Hence, The JoGo Project. 

JoGo has branched outside of the DMV with performances at Club Bonafide (NYC), Silvana (NYC), Beyu Caffe (Durham, NC), The Vagabond (Richmond, VA), and many venues in and around the DC area such as Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, The Soundry, and DC Jazz Festival (to name a few). In 2018 the band went on a cultural diplomacy tour to 3 cities in Russia (Moscow, Orenburg, and Yekaterinburg) on behalf of the U.S. State Department, where the musicians conducted educational masterclasses, participated in radio interviews and did performances ranging from intimate Jazz clubs to massive concert halls. In 2019, the band won a WAMMIE Award in the category of Best Go-Go Song for "Dear Draylen" composed by Elijah, with lyrics by JusPaul Spires and featured artist Wes Felton. In 2020, the band released their debut holiday track "JoGo Christmas" featuring Go-Go legend Sugar Bear. Since June of 2021, JoGo has maintained a monthly residency at the historic Jazz club in Baltimore - Keystone Korner. Most recently, Elijah was included in a published book called "DC Go-Go: Ten Years Backstage" by Chip Py - Chuck Brown's last (and only) official photographer. 

For bookings and other inquiries, contact us!

The JoGo Project

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