Dee Spencer
Spencer is professor of Music and chair of the School of Music and Dance, where she founded the jazz studies undergraduate degree program in 1990. As a keyboardist, Spencer has recorded with former Tower of Power vocalist Lenny Williams and Aretha Franklin’s favorite drummer, Bernard “Pretty” Perdie. She was a featured performer at the Beijing, Cork, Tasmanian and Dresden international jazz festivals. Spencer has performed with jazz greats Jimmy Scott, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, Branford Marsalis, John Handy, Greg Osby, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Regina Carter and R&B sensation Ledisi. She earned her doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco, Master of Music from Washington University in St. Louis and Bachelor of Science from Florida A&M University.