Tenor saxophonist-composer-arranger Virginia Mayhew has been an active participant in the New York jazz scene since 1987. A native of San Francisco, Virginia came to New York in 1987 to enroll in the New School's Jazz Performance program, and was awarded its Zoot Sims Memorial Scholarship.  She has been based in NYC ever since.  In the course of her career, Virginia has worked with such renowned artists as Earl Fatha Hines, Cab Calloway, Frank Zappa, James Brown, Norman Simmons, Al Grey, Junior Mance, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Doc Cheatam, Joe Williams, Leon Parker, Clark Terry, Terry Gibbs, Kenny Barron, Chico O'Farrill, Dena DeRose, Ingrid Jensen, Claudio Roditi, and many others. Virginia has appeared in most of the City's jazz venues, including the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, the Village Gate, Sweet Basil, Sweet Rhythm, Birdland, Carnegie Hall, the Jazz Standard, Lincoln Center, and Town Hall, as well as performing throughout the United States, Europe, the Newly Independent States, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Virginia has performed at many jazz festivals as a leader, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, Floating Jazz Festival, Verizon Jazz Festival, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center, San Francisco Jazz Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival, East Coast Jazz Festival, Panasonic Jazz Festival, Guinness Cork (Ireland) Jazz Festival, Verizon Music Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Melbourne Jazz Festival, Llangollen International Music Festival, Jazz At Sea, and other smaller festivals. Virginia has traveled twice as a representative of the United States as a Jazz Ambassador. The first tour (2001 to the Newly Independent States, formerly the USSR…Kazakhstan, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine) featured the music of Louis Armstrong, and the second (2003 to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh) demonstrating the Latin and Brazilian influence on Jazz Music. For several years, Virginia worked with veteran trombonist Al Grey. She is featured on his 1992 release, FAB (Capri), and contributed several arrangements to his 1995 CD, Centerpiece (Telarc). Her arrangements were also performed during the Battle Royale: Trombones and Alto Saxophones  Concert, which was part of Jazz At Lincoln Center. She worked for several years with Brazilian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, Claudio Roditi, and was part of Nnenna Freelon's 'Dreamin' the Duke' at Kennedy Center and on tour. In addition to leading her own groups for over 35 years, Virginia is the Musical Director and saxophonist of the Duke Ellington Legacy, a 9-piece group led by Ellington's grandson, Edward Kennedy Ellington II. The Ellington Legacy is dedicated to keeping Ellington's music through performances in schools, retirement communities, prisons, public concerts, and clubs, and concert halls.  Brilliant pianist, Roberta Piket, has been a close musical partner for decades.  Virginia played on her tribute recording to Marian McParland, and they have played hundreds of gigs together in duo, trio, quartet, and quintet.  Roberta joins the Septet for the first time at this Smalls gig.   Most recently,Virginia has recorded and performed with Victor Jones' S.P.I.G.A.M.E. Big Band, for which she arranged several pieces, and Ellen Rowe's 'Momentum' project, honoring inspiring women, and featuring Ingrid Jensen, Allison Millier, Tia Fuller and other great players. She is also featured on Mike Holober's incredible new project, 'This Rock We're On', playing in a trio format with Mike and trumpet great, Marvin Stamm, as well as in the big band. Virginia hopes to get her latest recording out SOON.  For more information, please go to www.renmarecordings.com