Dennis Spears, baritone soloist

Dennis Spears previously appeared with VocalEssence in the critically and popularly acclaimed rap-symphony Dream N' the Hood by Gregory T. S. Walker. An active singer and actor, he has recently appeared on the Penumbra stage in Ain’t Misbehavin’, Black Nativity--A Homecoming and Blue. Other acting credits include Ain’t Misbehavin at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Crowns at the Guthrie Theater and Smokey Joe’s Café at Hey City Theatre. An accomplished jazz vocalist, Dennis made his splash in jazz as a featured vocalist with jazz vocal ensemble, Moore By Four. Minnesota Jazz Music Awards named him “Best Male Jazz Vocalist.” He has performed in jazz festivals nationally and internationally with such legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams, Carmen McCrae and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Solo recordings include “I Hear It,” “Why Try to Change Me Now,” and his first national release, “Evening Candlelight.”