| Blue Note Jazz Club Highlights |
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| Written by Dja Horry | |
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Blue Note 131 W. 3rd St New York, NY 10012 212-475-8592 bluenote.net/newyork Performance Schedule: bluenote.net/newyork/schedule About the Blue Note New York Jazz Club:  Since its inception in 1981, Blue Note has become one of the premier jazz clubs in the world and a cultural institution in Greenwich Village. Owner and founder Danny Bensusan had a vision to create a jazz club in Greenwich Village that would treat deserving artists with respect, while allowing patrons to see the world's finest jazz musicians in a close, comfortable setting. Artists who had stopped playing in jazz clubs decades before, such as Sarah Vaughn, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and Tito Puente, soon called Blue Note home.Jazz is undoubtedly America's music, and while Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, the club is a place where progression and innovation - the foundations of jazz - are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. In addition to the main acts that feature the likes of Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and Chris Botti, Blue Note has introduced the Monday Night Series and the bi-weekly Late Night Groove Series to showcase New York's up-and-coming jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B and funk artists. Blue Note has been instrumental in encouraging the development of Greenwich Village's local musicians by giving them a chance to perform in one of the world's finest venues. Located between 6th and McDougal St., Blue Note offers music every night at 8pm and 10:30pm. On Friday and Saturday nights, Blue Note has a Late Night Groove Series at 12:30am and offers a Sunday Brunch for $24.50 a person at 12:30pm and 2:30pm weekly. Notable Past Shows: Chris Botti, Sarina Suno Quartet, Tuck and Patti, Keiko Matsui, David Sanborn, Alex Buhnon, Diana Reeves, B.B. King, Miles Davies, Chick Corea, Ramesy Lewis, Herbie Hancock, and many more.... Upcoming shows in December: Curtis Stigers Tuesday, December 2 - Thursday, December 4, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $25 at the table / $15 at the bar curtisstigers.com 
Curtis Stigers is at the forefront of a new generation of jazz singers. With one of the most distinctive voices in music, Stigers pushes the boundaries of conventional jazz performers and expands the jazz repertory, creating modern jazz standards. Throughout his career, singer/songwriter/saxophonist Stigers has been celebrated for a surprisingly wide variety of impressive accomplishments, from his early pop chart success with several self-penned, top-ten singles and hit albums and an appearance on the soundtrack for "The Bodyguard" (one of the biggest selling albums of all time), to Downbeat Magazine naming him as one of the jazz genre's "Rising Male Stars" and the London Times selecting his recording, You Inspire Me, as the number one jazz album of 2003. He's toured the world in concert with such renowned pop artists as Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Prince, while also sharing the bill with such jazz greats as George Benson, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, Nancy Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Randy and Michael Brecker and Toots Thielmans. Rachelle Ferrell Friday, December 5 - Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $45 at the table / $30 at the bar rachelleferrell.com 
Rachelle Ferrell is unquestionably one of the most dynamic talents in contemporary pop music. Very few vocal artists in the industry have Ferrell's potent combination of range, phrasing, and musicianship (she is also and accomplished pianist). Such potency was made powerfully aware to Blue Note Record's head Bruce Lundvall who first heard Ferrell on a demo tape (while driving to the supermarket) and signed her shortly thereafter in 1990 after seeing her perform in Germantown, Pennsylvania. It was with the release of First Instrument in 1994 (recorded prior to Rachelle Ferrell) that audiences were really introduced to Ferrell's jazz sensibilities. Many of the tracks eventually recorded for First Instrument were part of Ferrell's program at Montreux in 1991, but the live material offers listeners, particularly those who have never heard Ferrell "live", to witness her simply extraordinary live performances. Ferrell has made her mark not only as a straight-ahead jazz singer and pianist, but as a crossover artist who is equally at home with urban contemporary pop, gospel, classical music and jazz. Late Night Groove Series: Jason Blum Friday, December 5, 2008 - 12:30 am Price: $8 at the table/bar myspace.com/jasonblum  Jason Blum is an up and coming singer/songwriter and guitarist who now calls New York City home. After moving from Austin, TX to the talent rich NYC, songwriter Jason Blum hooked up for an informal gig at the living room on the L.E.S. of NYC with notorious "Take Out Kings", Andrew Borger (drums) and Lee Alexander (bass) in the spring of '05. They decided it would be fun if they could play a bunch and just a year later, the boys locked down in a Manhattan studio for a week with engineer Tom Schick who recorded and mixed eleven songs in a week. The original notorious Take Out Kings headed out on the road to support another great record they made this year with Norah Jones (can ya blame 'em?)Late Night Groove Series: Lakecia Benjamin & SoulSquad Saturday, December 6, 2008 - 12:30 am Price: $8 at the table/bar lakeciabenjamin.com  Lakecia Benjamin is a powerful young jazz saxophonist born and raised in New York City. She was accepted in the New School Jazz and Contemporary music program where Lakecia studied with greats like Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, Steve Wilson, Vincent Herring, and Joe Chambers. These teachers prepared her to then join Clark Terry’s big band “Terry’s young Titians of jazz” where she began playing all over the world. Also it was during this time period that she began playing with other masters like Reggie Workman, Bertha Hope, and Charli Persip. Her band Soulsquad has a very different and unique configuration. It features three vocalists Georgia Anne Muldrow, Krystle Warren and Greg Porter. Two drummers; Jeremy Clemens and Joe Blacks, bassist Solomon Dorsey, on keys Jarod Kashkin and finally on sax and effects, Lakecia Benjamin. This dynamic collaboration of people all met each other through schools, jam sessions and varies freelance gigs throughout the city. Soulsquad plays some of the newest freshest sounds heard yet from an ensemble. With their mix between contemporary, soul, and avant-garde music, this young, lively ensemble has toured all over the United States.Blue Note NYU Sunday Brunch Series: Kenny Werner and His NYU Jazz Ensembles Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 12:30pm & 2:30pm Price: $24.50 per person includes meal, 1 drink, and ticket kennywernerlive.com Kenny Werner (piano): 12:30pm Group 1: Peter Cobb (alto sax), Alex Hoffman (tenor sax), Sung-Eun Kim (guitar), Joonsam Lee (bass), Ji Hoon Sang (drums) 2:30pm Group 2: Murray James Morrison (alto sax), Jonathan Kantor (tenor saxophone), Bob Sabin (bass), Shareef Taher (drums) 
NYU Jazz piano and composition faculty member Kenny Werner brings two NYU ensembles to the Blue Note on Sunday, one at 12:30pm and the other at 2:30pm. Kenny was born in Brooklyn, NY and introduced to music and performing at the age of four. In 1970, he began to find his own creative direction when he met his piano teacher, Madame Chaloff. Kenny has performed with such jazz greats as Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz, Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Gomez, Dave Holland, Charlie Haden, Toots Thielemans and Joe Lovano. He has also served as pianist, arranger and musical director for the noted film, television and Broadway star, Betty Buckley. Kenny's book, Effortless Master- Liberating the Musician Within, has placed him in great demand as a clinician and teacher worldwide.JJ Sansaverino Quartet Featuring Ze Luis Oliveira, Swiss Chris & Etienne Lytle Monday, December 8, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $15 at the table / $10 at the bar 
Over the past several years, guitarist Joe “JJ” Sansaverino has reached millions with his music, touring the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. He has worked with the best in the business in a wide range of idioms, both live and in the studio, and has appeared on hundreds of recordings. Now, with the release of his debut album Sunshine After Midnight, JJ puts forward a stunning selection of his original compositions, with the help of a stellar array of musicians, producers and special guests.An accomplished composer, arranger and musical director, JJ was playing trumpet and violin by age 11 and the guitar by age 13. Growing up in and around New York, JJ’s diverse influences—Santana, Hendrix, as well as jazz, Motown and doo-wop—helped mold his unique style. After performing locally in NYC for several years in the early Nineties, JJ embarked on his first European tour with the popular alternative rock band Heads Up. McCoy Tyner 70th Birthday Celebration Tuesday, December 9 - Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $45 at the table / $30 at the bar mccoytyner.com Specical Guests: Savion Glover (12/9-14); Marc Ribot (12/9); Joe Lovano (12/10); Ravi Coltrane (12/11-12); Bill Frisell (12/13); John Scofield (12/14) 
McCoy Tyner has had a busy fall season – on September 23 he released his second recording on McCoy Tyner Music titled GUITARS featuring a stellar rhythm section of Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette with special guest guitarists Marc Ribot, Derek Trucks, John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and banjoist Bela Fleck. The CD is accompanied by a state of the art DVD that features over three hours of studio footage with multiple-angle viewing capability. Scofield, Ribot, and Frisell will make appearances as special guests during Tyner’s 70th birthday celebration from December 9 – 14, as will Joe Lovano and Ravi Coltrane. Joining Tyner every night will be tap-dancing phenom Savion Glover, backed by his rhythm section of Gerald Cannon and Eric Kamau-Gravatt. To view a trailer of the CD/DVD GUITARS, please click here: youtube.com/watch?v=j966AGrGXZU Gospel Brunch: Singers With A Testimony (S.W.A.T.) Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 12:30pm & 2:30pm Price: $24.50 per person includes meal, 1 drink, and ticket 
First envisioned in the mind of Reverend Clinton M. Miller of Brown Memorial Baptist Church (Brooklyn, NY), S.W.A.T. was assembled to effectively demonstrate God’s love through song and deed. Each singer and band member was selected to form a family of young musicians with a heart to serve and be an example of what Christian life is all about. Through dynamic performance and thoughtful song selection, consisting of traditional and contemporary gospel, freshly updated standards and original songs, the group seeks to convey messages of hope and inspiration that are identifiable to a wide variety of people of all ages, cultures and walks of life.Jeremiah Monday, December 15, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $15 at the table / $10 at the bar myspace.com/jeremiahsoul jeremiahonline.com 
Soul-singing sensation Jeremiah has certainly achieved success with his previous two albums, 2006’s Chasing Forever and 2007’s The Momentary Now, the new album boasts more of Jeremiah’s poignant, modern interpretations of standards from a variety of eras, as well as two self-penned originals. His new CD, which he calls his “joie de vivre, my celebration on the state of love and melody,” contains a depth of feeling that will surprise and delight long-term fans and impress those new to his music. "What’s different about this CD is that it has a certain raw emotion because I recorded many of these songs live in the studio.” Jeremiah prefers to keep the track listing a surprise for his interpretations “are sublime,” Jeremiah says. “We wanted it to be authentic and tell the story.” To help him capture the intensity in the songs’ meanings, Jeremiah turned to Grammy award winning producer Barry Eastmond (Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears) and guitarist/arranger Marvin Sewell (Cassandra Wilson). “We definitely have a great working relationship where I think I interfere just enough,” Jeremiah says with a laugh. “Barry is a great producer and the nicest guy in the world. Marvin is so amazing, I couldn’t do it without them.”Jacqui Naylor Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $25 at the table / $15 at the bar jacquinaylor.com 
JazzTimes calls Jacqui Naylor "an incomparable triple threat, serving up classic covers with the best of them, delivering top-drawer originals and inspiring with the musical marriage she calls acoustic smashing." As the New York Times puts it “the words and melody are Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ but the groove is Allman’s ‘Whipping Post.’ Naylor has the chops and sensitivity to pull it off.” She and her band tour nationally and internationally with recent debuts at Ronnie Scotts, London and Blue Note, Milan and Tokyo. The Wall Street Journal writes "The Color Five and Smashed for the Holidays, mark a turning point in Naylor’s career.” She will release her seventh recording, You Don’t Know JACQ, later this year. Singing new songs and smashing rock and jazz favorites, Naylor encourages her fans to “Celebrate Early and Often.”Béla Fleck & The Flecktones Wednesday, December 17 - Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $55 at the table / $30 at the bar belafleck.com flecktones.com 
Béla Fleck is often considered the premiere banjo player in the world. A New York City native (named after composer Béla Bartok), he picked up the banjo at age 15 after being awed by the bluegrass playing of Flatt & Scruggs. He began experimenting with playing bebop on the banjo in high school. In 1982, he joined the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, where he made a name for himself in the country-bluegrass world. At the same time he was releasing a series of solo albums for Rounder Records.In 1989 he formed the Flecktones. They made their self-titled debut recording in 1990 by playing a "blu-bop" mix of jazz and bluegrass and soon became a commercially successful, critically-acclaimed and award-winning band. (Fleck--the only musician to be nominated for Grammys in jazz, bluegrass, pop, country, spoken word, Christian, composition and world music categories-- also recorded solo releases including 1994’s Tales from the Acoustic Planet and last year’s The Bluegrass Sessions--Tales from the Acoustic Planet Volume 2.) Late Night Groove Series: Morley Friday, Decmber 19, 2008 - 12:30am Price: $8 at the table/bar myspace.com/morleymusic 
Morley began her career as a choreographer, culminating in a collaboration with the late jazz legend and civil rights activist Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson, Baba Olatunji and Ossie Davis for the 30th Anniversary of the protest album, We Insist!. Morley eventually stepped away from her initial artistic calling of dance and theater, and recorded her debut album, Sun Machine (Sony/WORK, 1998), which featured Jeff Buckley, Steve Jordon, Joan Wasser (Joan As Police Woman), Amp Fiddler and producers Hod David (Maxwell) and Chris Dowd (ex-Fishbone). Over the course of her career as an emerging songwriter, Morley has steadily found her place as a burgeoning artist. In February 2008, Morley’s sultry voice graced the TV commercial for Ralph Lauren’s “My Romance” fragrance. She has had the distinct honor of performing for such distinguished world leaders as the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, and has toured with Dave Matthews, Raul Midon, Amadou & Miriam, Neil Finn and Lilith Fair along w/ Sheryl Crow & Queen Latifah.Late Night Groove Series: Mental Notes Friday, Decmber 20, 2008 - 12:30am Price: $8 at the table/bar myspace.com/spiritchildmentalnotes Spiritchild (vocals), David Dovo (bass), Fro (guitar), Eran Asias (drums) 
Armed with their unique signature sound, New York City’s original hip-hop ensemble Mental Notes has been attracting diverse audiences for almost a decade.Their eclectic fusion of old school hip-hop, funk, electronica, jazz and acid rock continues to break the boundaries of the New York live music scene. Mental Notes has consistently added to the pulse of New York’s musical and social heartbeat. They have been a previous guest on Air America Radio, appearing on Chuck D’s highly praised live talk show. Most recently, Mental Notes bassist and songwriter David Dovo composed the original film score for Jerusalem in Exile (part of the “Art and Apathy” film documentary project of Eyes Infinite Films), an official selection and winner of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. Collectively, the members of Mental Notes have collaborated and or shared the stage with a series of diverse artists including legendary producer Hank Shocklee, hip-hop virtuosos Dead Prez, Black Moon, Styles P, Killa Priest of Wu Tang, Maya Azucena, Akim Funk Buddah, soul-funk horn legends Tower of Power and Latin dance sensation Gloria Estefan.Blue Note East Meets West Brunch Series: TOMOKO Sunday, December 21, 2008 - 12:30pm & 2:30pm Price: $24.50 per person includes meal, 1 drink, and ticket tomokomusic.com 
“Organically Afro-Asiatic”- as the title of her debut CD describes, Tomoko brings forth both sensuality and soul that are simply irresistible to anyone. With her inspiring lyrics, compelling melody, sexy sultry voice and her exotic dynamite figure, TOMOKO is a promised superstar. TOMOKO sang in a Gospel Choir for Josh Groban during last year's NBC X'mas Concert Tree Lighting Live at Rockefeller Center. She was featured at a New York Yankees Minor League game singing the National Anthem, and has performed in many other major venues in New York. Now, with here sensational debut album, 'Organically Afro Asiatic', TOMOKO never seems to cease bringing us first class exciting entertainment. Featured on her debut US release is the acclaimed trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, best known from the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Gordon not only performed on the record, but he also released her debut CD from his newly funded indie label 'Blues Back Records'.Chris Botti Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - Sunday, January 04, 2009 - 8pm & 10:30pm Price: $65 at the table / $40 at the bar chrisbotti.com 
"To me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you forever," muses the best-selling jazz artist Chris Botti when talking about his new album, Italia. "It's one thing to be melancholy and one thing to be sophisticated, but when you get the two of them together in a way people can relate to, then I think you're on to something You want the sophistication to lie in the purity of the sound, the beauty of the arrangements, and the quality of the performances."With Italia, Botti has created a suite of songs and music inspired by the romance of Italy, each track conveying different aspects of that romance while the album flows with an overall conceptual integrity. Allowing his "love of slow moving orchestral pieces" to work through the album's arrangements, song choices, tone and melodic phrasing, Botti and his musicians have succeeded in conjuring an album of evocative atmospherics linking the worlds of jazz and pop and classical music. Late Night Groove Series: Hironobu Saito Group Friday, Decmber 26, 2008 - 12:30am Price: $8 at the table/bar myspace.com/hironobusaito 
Hironobu Saito is a guitarist, composer, and producer from Japan. In 1990 he won an award at the teen music festival in Japan. Afterwards Hiro began his professional career playing at various clubs throughout Japan.After graduating from o-tani University in Kyoto, he won a talent scholarship and entered Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1999. He has studied with various great players such as Joe Lovano, Mick Goodrick, Hal Crook, Darren Barrett, Richie Hart, Mark Whitfield, John Wilkins, Kiyohito Koizumi and others. In 2001, he recorded a song for Victoria Travel commercial. In 2002 he played with Peter Bernstein acting as a representative for the Berklee Guitar Department. In 2002 he toured in Japan as cultural exchange event of Kyoto City and appeared on Kyoto TV, Kyoto Newspaper and many others. Late Night Groove Series: Chris Rob Friday, December 27, 2008 - 12:30am Price: $8 at the table/bar myspace.com/chrisrobonline 
True music lovers always search for the connections between the new and the old, the fresh and the classic. Sometimes they’re fortunate enough to find both in one artist. For Chris Rob, a classically trained pianist featured on Kanye West’s 'Can’t Tell Me Nothin', crossing genres is natural. "All music is connected and the audience can feel it, there really isn't that much discrimination," says Rob. This might explain why the singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer can’t be boxed in and audiences from New York to Tokyo have reveled in his genrefusion. His twist of jazz and cool funk can be witnessed firsthand on the new Leon Ware release “Moon Ride” with the lead single, 'Smoovin', which Chris produced for the industry heavyweight. Working with Leon Ware, the legendary artist who penned Marvin Gaye’s classic 'I Want You', was "a tremendous blessing for me," says Rob. This is not the only example of Chris’ tendency to make soulful sounds with the greats. You can hear him playing on John Legend’s 'Stereo', Deborah Cox’s 'Promise', and forthcoming projects from Lauryn Hill and Macy Gray as well. Blue Note Sunday Brunch Series: Carolyn Leonhart Sunday, December 28, 2008 - 12:30pm & 2:30pm Price: 24.50 per person includes meal, 1 drink, and ticket myspace.com/carolynleonhart 
The daughter of famed bassist Jay Leonhart, Carolyn Leonhart has a soulful voice that has been hailed by critics throughout the world. One of the winners of the Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz Competition, she is one of the most accomplished and versatile singers of her generation.Carolyn successfully straddles the ever-changing worlds of jazz and pop, interweaving both into many of her projects. She is known for her twelve-year tenure as lead back-up vocalist with Steely Dan, including five world tours, three albums, and four Grammy Awards. She brings class to pop bands like Lyn Leon and Wax Poetic, sings jazz classics with authenticity, and navigates through complex music with ease. Critics have written “Leonhart may be the one to give female vocalists a good name again.” - John Frederick Moore, Jazziz Magazine, July 2005 and “Leonhart simultaneously suggests the retro bleat of Billie Holiday and the modern cool of Patricia Barber... Absolute magic.“ - Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times Magazine, July/August 2005. In addition, Jazziz Magazine featured Carolyn on the cover of its “Women In Jazz” issue (2003) presenting even more evidence that Carolyn Leonhart stands out in the crowded field of jazz vocalists. |
