Guest Vocalist to Perform at Oct. 21 Jon Hendricks Memorial Jazz Concert

Guest Vocalist to Perform at Oct. 21 Jon Hendricks Memorial Jazz Concert

The University of Toledo Department of Music will welcome Dr. Reginald "Reggie" Bowens, an accomplished musician best known for his work in jazz and a cappella, for the 2026 Jon Hendricks Memorial Jazz Concert on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The annual concert celebrating the memory and musical legacy of one of the genre's greatest vocalists will begin at 7 p.m. in the UToledo Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall, with Bowens performing standards and original compositions alongside faculty jazz musicians.

General admission tickets are $10 in advance via the Tix.com UToledo website or at the box office before the performance. Student tickets are free with a Rocket ID.

Bowens is a celebrated vocalist who has shared stages with legendary performers including Kim Burrell, Kenny Loggins, Bobby McFerrin, Smokey Robinson and the New York Voices.

As an arranger for jazz and a cappella, Bowens' acclaim stretches back to the Cleveland School of the Arts, where DownBeat magazine recognized his early talent with a Student Music Award. Bowens later appeared in NBC's a cappella singing competition "The Sing-Off," where he directed and arranged for the fourth-place Afro-Blue.

Bowens is also a music educator currently teaching jazz studies as an assistant professor at Howard University. He previously taught at Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University and is the founder of the youth music program A Cappella Camp.

"Reggie Bowens is one of the most innovative voices in contemporary vocal music," said Dr. Jason Stumbo, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Music. "He's a perfect fit for the Jon Hendricks Memorial Jazz Concert, which honors the legacy of a musician whose impact as an innovator extends well beyond his hometown in Toledo."

Hendricks, a local jazz legend, was one of the originators of the jazz singing technique known as "vocalese." The annual concert that memorializes him also raises funds to establish a scholarship to support students studying jazz at UToledo, where Hendricks served on the music department faculty before he died in 2017.

Visitor parking for the Jon Hendricks Memorial Jazz Concert is free after 6 p.m. in Areas 12 and 12S, excluding metered and reserved spaces. All other visitor parking requires payment through the ParkMobile app, a parking meter or a daily permit via ParkUToledo. Visit the ParkUToledo website for more information.