Master of Music (M.M.)
Jazz Studies
Howard University
199
See all Profiles
Faculty
Faculty
Carroll Dashiell
Chair and Professor
Department/Office
- Department of Music
School/College
- College of Fine Arts
Biography
Carroll Dashiell is the chair of the Department of Music and professor of music at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. He has served in this position since 2023. He is a native of Washington, DC. A graduate of Howard University, with citations in Who’s Who in Music and Down Beat Magazine, Dashiell has been recognized for excellence in the music industry as a bassist, musical director/conductor, composer/arranger and also as an educator. His performance history includes concerts with the Boston Pops, National Symphony and Washington Philharmonic Orchestras; performance dates with Dr. Billy Taylor, Ethel Ennis and Bob Mintzer, Yellowjackets; in addition to concert and Broadway show tours with Maurice Hines, Stephanie Mills, Vanessa Rubin, Jennifer Holiday and the genius, Mr. Ray Charles. He can be heard on several Capitol (Blue Note) Records compact disc/album recordings as bassist with Bobby Watson and Horizon, Muse Records artist Roger “Buck” Hill and MACEO Parker and the WDR Big Band. He also appears as producer, arranger or performer on many national and international recordings including the critically acclaimed cds, Heir to the Throne by Carroll Dashiell and the CVD Ensemble and Lineage by Carroll V. Dashiell, Jr. that features the Dashiell family.
Dashiell affectionately known as "CVD" has been involved in academia for more than four decades serving as music professor at the Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, University of the District of Columbia and Professor of Music, Distinguished Scholar at East Carolina University in North Carolina. He was appointed the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music, 2011-2014 and served as the Director of Jazz Studies for 20 years. He has additionally served in the capacity of Director of Jazz Ensembles and String/Electric Bass Professor being the recipient of the 1994-95 Robert and Lina Mays and Robert L. Jones Distinguished Alumni Teaching Excellence Award, {university-wide “Teacher of the Year”}. He is also a three-time nominee for the Carnegie Foundation Case Award, {national “Teacher of the Year”}; nominee for the 2007 UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching and received an achievement award being selected by Down Beat Magazine as the Jazz Educator of the Year 2002.
Dashiell, in addition to composing, writing and arranging continues in performance as jazz bassist and keyboardist with many international artists and is very honored being appointed by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Arts Council Board, being named Artistic Director of the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina Music Series and having the City of Greenville, NC name the Carroll Dashiell Greenville Grooves Music Concert Series. Dashiell additionally, is honored to be named one of 50 African Americans who have made tremendous contributions to the arts in North Carolina by Governor Roy Cooper and extremely humbled to be the Founder and Artistic Director of the Dr. Billy Taylor Jazz Festival, named in honor of his mentor.
Dashiell is the producer and writer of A Tribute to Motown Records, {a stage show and concert that celebrates some of the African-Amercan’s cultural contributions to the music industry, staged in the tradition of the famous touring Motown Reviews} that is being presented in venues nation-wide. Dashiell was named a North Carolina Trailblazer and continues to be an economic and artistic leader in the arts.
Dashiell is a D’Addario Jazz Performing Artist and plays SWR Speaker Systems, Spector Electric Basses and Samuel Shen Acoustic String Basses.
Education & Expertise
Education
Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
Music
Howard University
1987
Areas of Expertise
String bass
Piano
Composition
Academics
Academics
Applied String Bass & Electric Bass
Independent Study in Jazz and Music History
Jazz Chamber Ensemble
Jazz Pedagogy
Research
Research
Funding
North Carolina Arts Council, (2021 Carroll Dashiell Greenville Grooves). 2021.
ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, (Research and Creative Activity Award). 2020.
NC Arts Council, (2019 Carroll Dashiell Greenville Grooves). 2019.
North Carolina Arts Council, (Carroll Dashiell Greenville Grooves Music Festiva). 2017.
North Carolina Arts Council, (Individual Artist Fellowship). 2015.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Benny Golson Award, Howard University 2026
Jazz Artist of the Year, Pitt County Arts Council 2024 and 2025
DC Jazz Leaders in Service Award 2024
Pitt County Artist of the Year Award 2024
Distinguished Service NC Trailblazer Award, Sycamore Hill Missionary Baptist Church 2024
Pitt Community College Artist of the Year DEI and Educator 2023-2024
Distinguished Service NC Trailblazer Award, Sycamore Hill Missionary Baptist Church 2021
North Carolina Arts Council Board Member, (Executive) Reappointment, NC Governor Roy Cooper 2020
East Carolina University College of Fine Arts and Communication School of Music Lifetime Achievement Award 2020
East Carolina University College of Fine Arts and Communication Research and Creativity Award - (collaborative funding of the recording, “Lineage” with CVD Productions) 2020
East Carolina University 30 Years of Service 2020
Certificate of Appreciation Teacher of Awardee Certificate, National Young Arts Foundation 2020
Certificate of Appreciation, NC Governor Roy Cooper 2020
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
Discography- (partial)
- CVD Records, Greenville, NC, “Lineage”, Carroll V. Dashiell, Jr. 2021, (Executive Producer, String/Electric Bassist, Pianist/Keyboardist, Composer/Arranger, Vocalist, Percussionist)
- WDR Records, Cologne, Germany, “All About Love”, Maceo Parker and the WDR Big Band featuring Carroll Dashiell and Cora Coleman 2017-2018, (Electric Bassist)
- CVD Records, Greenville, NC, “Heir To The Throne”, Carroll Dashiell and the CVD Ensemble 2006, (Executive Producer, String/Electric Bassist, Pianist/Keyboardist, Composer/Arranger, Vocalist, Percussionist)
- Elon Records, Elon, NC “Common Ground”, Common Ground, Jon Metzger, Phil Markowitz, Jack Wilkins and Allison Miller 2004, (String/Electric Bassist)
- Muse Records, New York City, “Impulse”, Buck Hill Quartet 1996, (Bassist)
- Muse Records, New York City, “I’m Beginning to See the Light”, Buck Hill Quartet 1992, (Bassist)
- Blue Note, (Capitol Records), New York City, “Post Motown Bop”, Bobby Watson and Horizon 1991, (Bassist)
- Blue Note, (Capitol Records), New York City, “The Inventor”, Bobby Watson and Horizon 1990, (Bassist)
- Timeless Records, Rome, Italy, “My Favorite Roots”, Cosmo Intini, Gary Bartz, Victor Lewis and Paolo Fresu 1990, (Bassist)
- CVD Records, Washington, DC, “I’ve Paid My Dues”, Carroll Dashiell and the CVD Ensemble 1987, (Executive Producer, String/Electric Bassist, Pianist/Keyboardist, Composer/Arranger, Vocalist, Percussionist)
ARTISTS PERFORMED/RECORDED WITH - (partial list)
- Vanessa Rubin 1993 - present, (Bassist, Music Director)
- Maceo Parker 1992 - present, (Bassist, Music Director)
- Ray Charles 1993 - 2004, (Bassist)
- Marlena Shaw 1990, (Bassist)
- Bobby Watson and Horizon 1989 - 1994, (Bassist, Composer/Arranger)
- Fifth Dimension 1989 - 1990, (Bassist)
- Maurice Hines 1988 - present, (Bassist, Assistant Musical Director)
- Stephanie Mills 1988 - 1989, (Bassist)
- Buck Hill 1987 - 1996, (Bassist, Arranger)
- Ethel Ennis 1985 - 1988, (Bassist, Musical Director, Conductor)
MUSICALS - STAGE SHOW PERFORMANCES - (partial)
- “Blue Monday Blues”, National Tour 1998 - 1999, (Bassist)
- “Blood Brothers”, National Tour, (portions) 1995 and 1996, (Bassist)
- “Tommy Tune Tonite”, Warner Theater, Washington, DC 1993, (Bassist)
- “Harlem Suite”, United States Tour 1988 – 1989, (Bassist, Assistant Musical Director, Rhythm Section Leader, Composer/Arranger)
- “Bee Hive”, National Tour, (portions) 1987, (Bassist)
- “Bee Hive”, Arena Stage Theater, Washington, DC 1986 - 1987, (Bassist)
- “The Tap Dance Kid”, Warner Theater, Washington, DC 1986, (Bassist)
- “When Hell Freezes Over, I’ll Skate”, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 1984, (Bassist)
- “The Wiz”, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC 1979, (Bassist)
ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCES - (partial)
- Tanglewood Institute, YAIP Orchestra, Lenox, MA - Leonard Bernstein conductor 1978, (Principal Bassist)
- Boston Pops Orchestra, Boston MA - Arthur Fiedler conductor 1977, (Electric Bassist, Section Bassist)
- St. Mary’s College Orchestra, St. Mary’s City, MD - Aaron Copeland conductor 1976, (Principal Bassist)
- Tanglewood Institute, YAIP Orchestra, Lenox, MA - Seji Ozawa conductor 1976, (Principal Bassist)
ARTICLES/BOOKS
- Dashiell, Jr., C. (2021). The Carroll V. Dashiell, Jr. Bass Method Book. (Publishing Pending, Cava Dash Publishing)
- Dashiell, Jr., C. (2013). African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina. North Carolina Arts Council \(pp. 165-174). Chapel Hill, NC: North Carolina African American Heritage Commission and the North Carolina Folk Life Institute
- Dashiell, Jr., C. (2000). The Professional Sounding Rhythm Section. The North Carolina Music Educators Journal
