Long Bio

Sweet Potatoes is a Richmond-based jazz quartet formed in 2017 by guitarist Johnny Hargrove. The group began as a guitar duo playing evening sets in local restaurants and has since grown into a four-piece that mixes standards, originals, and improvisation. The band has appeared at Virginia festivals and venues across Richmond and the D.C. area.The current lineup is Johnny Hargrove (guitar), Reyna Pannell (violin and vocals), Stephon Larue (drums), and Brian Cruse (bass). Together they favor a sound rooted in the jazz tradition, with room for vocal scatting, violin lines, and a flexible rhythm section.Hargrove, the founder, studied classical guitar at Virginia Commonwealth University and is largely self-taught as a jazz player. He has led rock and classical ensembles, arranged music for Richmond groups, and had work performed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and with Classical Revolution RVA.Pannell trained as a classical violinist and later developed as a vocalist. She has performed with wedding quartets and as a soloist in Richmond, D.C., and Maryland, contributed backing vocals for local artists, and also plays with the Richmond rock band Night Idea.Larue, a jazz drum-set major at VCU, grew up on violin before making drums his primary instrument. Originally from the Charlottesville area, he has performed at venues including The National, The Jefferson, and Vagabond, toured with The Gold Connections, and appeared on numerous recordings.Cruse, who earned a Bachelor of Music from VCU in 2008, plays upright and electric bass. His work ranges from principal bass with the Petersburg Symphony to theaters, musicals, weddings, the Governor’s Mansion, and touring bands, including Afro Zen All-Stars and the Elizabeth Wise Band.sweetpotatoesmusic.com