Ella Fitzgerald. Dizzy Gillespie. Charles Mingus. Wynton Marsalis. Tony Bennett.
Those are just some of the musical greats who have appeared at Blues Alley, the venerable Washington, D.C., jazz club in the heart of Georgetown, founded in 1965.
Adegoroye says her musical journey began with childhood lessons and a formative Aretha Franklin concert at age 12. (Photo by Fede Guendel)
As of Monday, you’ll be able to add Kemi Adegoroye, a 2017 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, to the list. She will perform two shows at the 125-seat venue, which bills itself as the “oldest continuing jazz supper club” in the country.
Adegoroye has performed at other D.C.-area landmark venues, such as Pearl Street Warehouse and Mr. Henry’s, and made appearances around the country and internationally. Her first single, “The Man Who Stole the Moon,” was a finalist for a 2021 Washington Area Music Association “Wammie” award. Her debut soul EP, “For the Record,” was a finalist for two more Wammies in 2022. She’s even sung the national anthem a few times at Washington Nationals baseball games.
Adegoroye is a musician and producer who can perform jazz standards while also knocking out new compositions of her own. One fan commented on Adegoroye’s website that her style is “nothing short of magical, blending smooth jazz melodies with a silky, rich voice that instantly draws you in.”
But music is neither just a hobby nor her only profession. Adegoroye remains a practicing lawyer, a full-time risk assessment manager with a banking and technology company.
“It’s always been two simultaneous careers,” she said.
Her musical career began early in life. Adegoroye’s parents, Nigerian immigrants and U.S. citizens, started her on piano and voice lessons, enrolled her in theater classes and honed her tastes listening to the radio during morning drives to school. Adegoroye saw Aretha Franklin in concert when she was 12.
She continued singing at Princeton University, where she majored in history and earned a certificate (Princeton’s term for a minor) in theater, performing with the chapel choir internationally and in several shows across campus.
Adegoroye didn’t want to leave her musical dreams behind after being admitted to UVA Law. She took a gap year after finishing college and spent the time auditioning for Broadway and releasing a CD of Christmas songs.
