About The Artists
Jairus Daigle
Violin, Drums, French Horn, Saxophone, Piano
Jairus is richly talented in his own way. His expression of life through his music lets you experience some of the old and some of the new feels of music. As the son of one of Southwest Louisiana's best jazz and rhythm and blues musicians the late, Chester "Choppe" Daigle II, Jairus inherited the feel for jazz music.
Violin, Drums, French Horn, Saxophone, Piano
Jairus is richly talented in his own way. His expression of life through his music lets you experience some of the old and some of the new feels of music. As the son of one of Southwest Louisiana's best jazz and rhythm and blues musicians the late, Chester "Choppe" Daigle II, Jairus inherited the feel for jazz music.
Jairus Daigle's originality takes the jazz lovers across the board with a touch of contemporary jazz, jazz fusion, rock jazz, jazz standards, and smooth jazz, which is introduced on his previous CD’s, "It's My Time" (2009), "Roam Around The City" (2015), and “EnMotion” (2019). As one of the most gifted jazz violinists of his time, Jairus’ albums showcase the performance skills that he’s been developing since age 7, as well as the production skills he’s been honing over the past decade. Jairus incorporates his classical background from his training as a youth with string arrangements in his last album “emotion.” This album takes the listener on an orchestral urban jazz fusion journey with visits from other up-and-coming Louisiana artists. LaiLa Dugas shows off her smooth vocals on “Fast Forward” while Devin “DC” Chretien and Bruce Cvpone put their lyrical hip hop prowess on display on “The Movement” and “Sky View” respectively. The creativity showcased in this album and previous albums set Jairus aside from most contemporary violinists. Among several artists, Jairus’ music is mostly inspired by Jean Luc Ponty, Stephane Grappelli, and Noel Pointer.
On top of being a performer, Jairus is a composer, arranger, producer, engineer, studio musician, orchestral musician, and mentor. He inspires many young and old, to have the desire to become the best with their art. He shares what he knows with young people of curious nature and encourages them to also get involved in the arts beyond just performance.
Jairus obtained a BA (Bachelor of Arts) Degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts in Spring 2014 where he worked with the Berklee Stage Crew as a stagehand with live sound and light, engineering, and also as a violinist with the Berklee Film Scoring Orchestra. Jairus served as a student instructor and mentor as a part of Berklee's Global Project, tutoring students in Cape Town, Africa via Skype on American jazz violin.
After his return home from Berklee College of Music, Jairus formed a backup band of six members called The Jairus Daigle Network. The Network performs Jairus originally composed music and some cover tunes. He joined the Lake Charles Symphony and performed with the Symphony and the Pops Orchestra from 2014 to 2019. Jairus performed with jazz vocalist Grace “Gigi” Smitherman and his father/pianist Chester Daigle II until his death on August 21, 2021 at
Latruffe Sauvage Fine Dining Restaurant, and with the R & B band City Heat of Lake Charles. He presently performs regularly with the Jay Ecker Quintet at Rikenjaks Brewing Company Jazz Sundays, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Jairus has had the opportunity to perform with notable artists such as vocalists Sy Smith and Erica Papillion-Posey, saxophonists Jeff Kashiwa and Jesse J, as well as many other artists.
Included in Jairus’ discography is a mezzo-soprano and jazz vocalist Erica Papillion-Posey's, 2015 release "The Standards Reimagined, when jazz..."; Moana A "Dotted", 2013. String Arrangements: Kaash Paige "Karma", 2020; Masati "Intoxicated Truth", 2021; KAYWHT "11:30", 2021.
Other notable performances include the performance at the Washington National Cathedral for the Horatio Alger Association 75th Anniversary; the 2022 Police Jury Association of Louisiana Governor’s Luncheon, Lake Charles, Louisiana; the 2022 MLK “Carrying on the Dream” Exhibit and Opening Ceremony, Lake Charles, Louisiana; The 2011 Horatio Alger Association Normal Vincent Peale Awards Ceremony, Washington, DC.; the Inaugurations of Mayor Randy Roach, Mayor Nic Hunter, and Judge Derrick Kee, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Jairus serves as an active staff member of the Jazz In The Arts Foundation-Lake Charles as director, mentor, educator, and performer, Horatio Alger Scholar Alumni, and Berklee College of Music Alumni 2014.
BOOKING INFORMATION:
Jairus Daigle’s booking charges are customized toward each individual event and its requirements, which includes travel, setup, performance, and break down of equipment. He performs with different band combinations and genres. In addition to performing with other musicians, Daigle performs as a solo artist with backup tracks. For more information about booking Jairus Daigle, please call (337) 794-5744 or visit www.jairusdaiglemusic.com.
Grace "GiGi" Smitherman – ”The Lady With The Fan
Grace “Gigi” Smitherman lived in New Orleans for several years before being displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. She is a successful business owner who’s always had dreams of being a jazz singer. Grace grew up listening to and singing jazz from a very young age, but not professionally. Born in Georgetown, Ga, on New Year’s Day, Gigi grew up in Pennsylvania; Gigi developed an early love for jazz and popular music on records and the radio. Her first memory of music was of Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee at the young age of 5 years. She started piano lessons at the age of 7 and often played for the church choirs.
Gigi currently resides in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She has been a wife, mother, is a successful entrepreneur and has now turned her talents to performing as a jazz singer/song writer. She became involved as a jazz entertainer after being directed by her good friend Horace Henry, a fellow jazz lover, to a fine dining restaurant called LaTruffe Savauge Fine Dining Restaurant knowing she would love to hear a local renowned pianist, by the name of Chester Daigle. As Chester played, Gigi chimed in with song. That evening Chester and his wife Patricia recognized her talent and invited her to join them and add her vocal talents, and history was made from that meeting.
The Lady with the Fan is who she is. Gigi always carries a beautiful fan which has won her the tag “The Lady With The Fan”, wherein her female admirers/fans are so uniquely named “Fanistas”!
Her music stylings have been influenced by such great artists as Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughn and Phyllis Hyman. Gigi brings to the audience a very rich, supple voice that possess varied registers that soothes, delights and seduces the listening audience. A fan recently commented of Gigi: “Smooth as fine wine, she graces the stage with style and glamour along with adding a little sass to her performance”.
The music chemistry, synergy and Sympatico with Chester, has developed and created stylings that draw a broad sector of attention. Gigi has been able to absorb the richness of jazz refining her conceptual song styling that emerged through time, focus and her personal feel for jazz.
The Lady with the Fan is actively recording at the Daigle atelier and performing jazz vocals with the noted pianist Chester Daigle and jazz Violinist, Jairus Daigle.
Gigi’s music has found her involved in and taking her talents to the community in a myriad of public and private venues and has performed at Balls, picnics, weddings and the annual “Women of Jazz” Concerts in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Additionally, Gigi is the founder and owner of KJUS978fm.com, an on-line Gospel radio station where the focus is on supporting the unknown and untapped gospel artists. She also serves on the Jazz In The Arts staff as a jazz vocal mentor to upcoming jazz vocalists.
Recent performances find her Tuesday evenings at LaTruffe Sauvage Fine Dining Restaurant, an upscale in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Jazz festival Showcase with Chester and Jairus on February 8, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gigi enjoys and has a love of singing and writing songs, and is incessantly working on fresh material for a very near-future release (stay tuned!).
Grace “Gigi” Smitherman lived in New Orleans for several years before being displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. She is a successful business owner who’s always had dreams of being a jazz singer. Grace grew up listening to and singing jazz from a very young age, but not professionally. Born in Georgetown, Ga, on New Year’s Day, Gigi grew up in Pennsylvania; Gigi developed an early love for jazz and popular music on records and the radio. Her first memory of music was of Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee at the young age of 5 years. She started piano lessons at the age of 7 and often played for the church choirs.
Gigi currently resides in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She has been a wife, mother, is a successful entrepreneur and has now turned her talents to performing as a jazz singer/song writer. She became involved as a jazz entertainer after being directed by her good friend Horace Henry, a fellow jazz lover, to a fine dining restaurant called LaTruffe Savauge Fine Dining Restaurant knowing she would love to hear a local renowned pianist, by the name of Chester Daigle. As Chester played, Gigi chimed in with song. That evening Chester and his wife Patricia recognized her talent and invited her to join them and add her vocal talents, and history was made from that meeting.
The Lady with the Fan is who she is. Gigi always carries a beautiful fan which has won her the tag “The Lady With The Fan”, wherein her female admirers/fans are so uniquely named “Fanistas”!
Her music stylings have been influenced by such great artists as Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughn and Phyllis Hyman. Gigi brings to the audience a very rich, supple voice that possess varied registers that soothes, delights and seduces the listening audience. A fan recently commented of Gigi: “Smooth as fine wine, she graces the stage with style and glamour along with adding a little sass to her performance”.
The music chemistry, synergy and Sympatico with Chester, has developed and created stylings that draw a broad sector of attention. Gigi has been able to absorb the richness of jazz refining her conceptual song styling that emerged through time, focus and her personal feel for jazz.
The Lady with the Fan is actively recording at the Daigle atelier and performing jazz vocals with the noted pianist Chester Daigle and jazz Violinist, Jairus Daigle.
Gigi’s music has found her involved in and taking her talents to the community in a myriad of public and private venues and has performed at Balls, picnics, weddings and the annual “Women of Jazz” Concerts in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Additionally, Gigi is the founder and owner of KJUS978fm.com, an on-line Gospel radio station where the focus is on supporting the unknown and untapped gospel artists. She also serves on the Jazz In The Arts staff as a jazz vocal mentor to upcoming jazz vocalists.
Recent performances find her Tuesday evenings at LaTruffe Sauvage Fine Dining Restaurant, an upscale in Lake Charles, Louisiana; Jazz festival Showcase with Chester and Jairus on February 8, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gigi enjoys and has a love of singing and writing songs, and is incessantly working on fresh material for a very near-future release (stay tuned!).
