GREGORY PORTER... Nat King Cole & Me

GREGORY PORTER ANNOUNCES OCT. 27 RELEASE OF "NAT KING COLE & ME"
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjX8KHJeTI8

On October 27, 2-time GRAMMY-winning vocalist Gregory Porter will release his 3rd Blue Note album, Nat King Cole & Me, a heartfelt tribute to his idol, the legendary singer, pianist and Capitol recording artist Nat King Cole. With the help of 6-time GRAMMY-winning arranger Vince Mendoza, the London Studio Orchestra, a core band featuring pianist Christian Sands, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Ulysses Owens, and special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard on two tracks, Porter revisits some of Cole’s most cherished classics such as “Mona Lisa,” “L-O-V-E,” “Nature Boy,” “The Christmas Song,” and the lead track “Smile”
For Porter, the influence of Cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories. “He was one of a kind. He left such great music – such beautiful things to listen to that you can’t help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool,” Porter enthuses. “It’s only natural that I go to the root of my inspiration and where I come from. And that root would be my mother and gospel music and Nat King Cole,” Porter says.
“My mother said I wrote this little song when I was 5 and put it on a tape and played it for her when she came home from work,” recalls Porter. Upon hearing it his mother, Ruth Porter, exclaimed “Boy, you sound like Nat King Cole,” a compliment that sent the curious young Gregory delving into her record collection.
“I remember thinking how strange that name was, going through her records, and first seeing his image: this elegant, handsome, strong man sitting by a fire, looking like somebody's daddy. Then I put the vinyl on the player and out of those speakers came that voice, that nurturing sound. It filled a void in me. My father wasn’t in my life; he wasn’t raising me; he wasn’t showing any interest in me. So Nat’s words, ‘pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again’ – all of these life lessons and words of wisdom were like fatherly advice. They were coming out of the speakers like Nat was singing those words just to me. I would listen to his albums and imagine that Nat was my father.”
Earlier in Porter’s career – after his role in the Tony-nominated musical It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues but before rising to international acclaim as his solo artist – Porter dramatized his deep appreciation for Cole in a semi-autobiographical musical, Nat King Cole & Me, which premiered in 2004.
“That musical was a way of me trying to find my father,” Porter explains. “I wrote it after my father [Rufus Porter] had passed. The musical was of Nat King Cole; and half of the music was of my original writing. But the story is how I came to Nat’s music in the absence of my father. So in a way, it was some self-prescribed, self-written therapy and emotional medicine for myself.”
That musical underpins Nat King Cole & Me, the follow-up to Porter’s GRAMMY-winning Blue Note albums Liquid Spirit (2013) and Take Me to the Alley (2016), which established Porter as a global superstar and his generation’s most soulful jazz singer-songwriter. The album will be available on the following formats: deluxe vinyl, deluxe/standard CD, deluxe/standard download, and on streaming services.
“I went about selecting the songs like I always do – first in a very emotional way,” Porter says. “I just gathered the songs that meant something to me over the years. There was a period in college when I had an injury to my shoulder and I needed music to soothe me at that time. So I ended up going back to Nat’s records. Then I did the same thing during the passing of my mother. In a way, there’s a familiarity and a calming effect to Nat’s music. Recording Nat’s music was very personal because I could hear and feel my mother. And I still feel myself searching for my father.”

TS MONK Speaks Out !

Jazz Was Not Meant for the Dinner Table
By T.S. Monk

A funny thing happened on the way to “school,” and “dinnertime” got really strange. Let me explain. When I was born in 1949, America’s musical academia was paying little attention to jazz as an intellectual endeavor. In fact, there was an open hostility from classical music departments across the board towards the genre. Only recently has America begun to take any true African-American intellect seriously. The likes of Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Henry Louis Gates and Maya Angelou; playwrights like August Wilson; of course, President Barack Obama; and many others from disciplines including science, business, technology and the arts, have all raised the ante for most in America. African American intellect and innovation can no longer be ignored.
But I want to talk jazz for a moment, because early on, jazz was recognized as an enormous intellectual endeavor by many classical giants upon its very inception nearly 100 years ago. That certainly was a good thing. But once pulled into the world of academia, minus its black creators, there was a general attempt to distill it down to essentially a series of Eurocentric musical formulas. Things like that were disastrous in terms of jazz education, and led to a generation of miserably mediocre jazz musicians.
That’s what happened when we went to America’s “music schools” starting in the ‘50s. It was a crushing blow that has only recently begun to change. However, in my opinion, that was nothing compared to what we got at “dinnertime.” When white restaurateurs finally decided to bring jazz out of Harlem, in a misguided, albeit successful, attempt to get the big tourist money downtown, things really changed. See, jazz was not meant for the dinner table, or in many ways, not even the concert stage. It was meant for dance. Black folk danced to jazz — all kinds of jazz. As a result we were all over the radio, and all over the movies. But that came to a halt with the advent of television. Television is all presentation. I don’t think anyone realized it at the time, but closing the dance floors was the kiss of death for jazz in terms of its big-time entertainment value.
The first victims were black folks themselves. They said if I can’t dance, I’m going somewhere else. They ran to Rock and Roll and R&B — never to return.
Duke Ellington, The Dorsey Brothers, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald — all were entertainers. They had a look. They put a face on their music. It was entertainment, and intellectually stimulating at the same time. Once we went to school, and became part of the restaurant crowd, we got real boring. We were no longer entertaining. Oh yeah, there are a few people who find intellectual virtuosity and gymnastics entertaining, but not most people. Not when they have time off, let their hair down, and want to be entertained.
I’m not talking about us being clowns, or minstrels. We just stopped having individual styles. We stopped looking fabulous; stopped projecting our true personalities beyond the notes coming out of instruments. We allowed our presentation to become so humble, so meager, that people stopped paying attention.
Every other genre has its own bells and whistles to excite people for sure. But there are some tools that all entertainers have in common — lighting, staging, great audio, and most of all, personalities. We’ve come a long way with substance, but we jazz musicians have got to get back on track.
If we just add some ingredients from the rest of the entertainment world, people will view jazz as fun once again, and they will come back. If millions didn’t love the music today, there wouldn’t be what we call a catalog, and my father, Thelonious Sphere Monk, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Buddy Rich and so many more, would have disappeared. We wouldn’t have had an International Jazz Day concert streamed to 1.2 billion people in 2013, and 2.5 billion people in 2014. None of that would be possible if there wasn’t an inherent love of this music, ironically by Americans. We often love ourselves, and don’t know it.
So I say to all my friends in jazz — musicians, promoters, club owners, listeners, and everybody — let’s bring back the fun. Let’s go big. That will bring the attention, and the money will follow.
____________
Thelonious Sphere Monk, III (T.S. Monk) is an internationally acclaimed jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, vocalist and arts educator. The son and musical heir to his father, the legendary jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, he is the co-founder and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

JAMMIN' WITH JAZMINE

JAZMIN GHENT... Chocolate Sunshine

Jazmin’s start was aboard The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2014 where she opened for the Sirius XM Hall of Fame Ceremony hosted by Marcus Miller. Her smooth and soulful rendition of “Summertime” was a crowd favorite.
Jazmin is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education/Jazz studies and a graduate of Tennessee State University with a Master’s Degree in Music Education.

Jazmin’s debut cd, “Boss”, was successful in 2015 with her chart topping singles, “Compared to What” and “Boss” The CD was #32 according to Smooth Jazz Global radio’s top 50 Smooth Jazz CDs for 2015. Compared to What gained national recognition and was #5 on Smooth Jazz Charts. It received over 320 spins per week including airplay on Sirius XM radio as well as Music Choice, Pandora and Spotify. Jazmin has since released her sophomore album, Chocolate Sunshine which features gifted musicians like Johnathan Fritzen, Julian Vaughn, Nelson Rangell, and Adam Hawley.
She has performed at Low Country Jazz Festival, Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend, Rehoboth Jazz Festival, Magic City Jazz Festival, and Seabreeze Jazz Festival. She has played with artists such as Kim Waters,Steve Cole,JEff Kashiwa, Peter White, Euge Groove, Mindi Abair, Althea Rene, Paul Taylor, Kirk Whalum, Nick Colione, Ben Tankard, Norman Brown, Warren Hill, Joey Sommerville,Gail Johnson, Cindy Bradley, Lin Rountree,Gerald Veasley, Brian Simpson, Kim Scott,Julian Vaughn, Bobby Jones, Jazz in Pink and country artist, Keith Urban.

BONEY JAMES
New Album 'Honestly' Debuts at No. 1

Boney James is once again making a big impact on the charts with his new release HONESTLY as the album debuts at #1 on the Billboard Jazz and Contemporary Jazz charts. In addition, HONESTLY bows at #22 on the Billboard Current Albums chart (Boney's highest debut to date) pointing to another round of huge success for the 4-time GRAMMY nominated artist. The album's two singles are also creating a multi-format success story at radio.

The album HONESTLY follows futuresoul, James' 2015 release, which spent eleven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. This release also marks his 25th anniversary as a solo artist.
Over the years, James has racked up sales of more than three million records, four RIAA gold albums, four GRAMMY nominations, a Soul Train Award, nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and now 11 CDs atop Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2009, Billboard named him one of the Top 3 Contemporary Jazz Artists Of The Decade along with Kenny G and Norah Jones.
With HONESTLY, as with Futuresoul and the GRAMMY-nominated The Beat before it, Boney James is making some of the most stellar, wholly realized music of his career. "I've just grown up, personally and musically," he says. "These are interesting times we are living in. The one thing I can do with the skills that I have is to make music that evokes a feeling and takes people somewhere... to do what I can to try and make the world a more pleasant place"
Boney will be touring throughout the U.S with dates into 2018.
BONEY JAMES - 2017 TOUR DATES
9.15 Louisville, KY Iroquois Amphitheatre
9.23 Sacramento, CA The Hangar At McClellan
9.24 Temecula, CA Thornton Winery
10.6 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
10.7 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
10.8 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
10.13 Glenside, PA The Keswick Theatre
10.14 Rehoboth Beach, DE Rehoboth Jazz Fest
10.15 Pittsburgh, PA Byham Theatre
10.17 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
10.19 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
10.20 New York, NY BB Kings
10.21 Rockville Centre, NY Madison Theatre at Molloy College
10.22 Cranston, RI Park Theatre
10.31 Raleigh NC Meymandi Concert Hall
11.1 Greensboro, NC Carolina Theatre
11.4 Miami, FL South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center
11.5 New Brunswick, NJ Hub City Jazz Fest
11.18 Las Vegas, NV The Foundry
12.31 Newport Beach Hyatt Regency
2018 Tour Dates
1.14 Tampa, FL Black Heritage Music Festival
2.10 - 2.18 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Smooth Jazz Cruise
3.10 - 3.17 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Smooth Jazz Cruise
4.5 Buffalo, NY Buffalo State Performing Arts Center
4.6 Colingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium
4.7 Reading, PA Santander Performing Arts Center
4.11 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre
4.12 Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center
4.13 New Haven, CT John Lyman Center

TERENCE BLANCHARD... In Session

TERENCE BLANCHARD... In Session
Blues Alley
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington,DC 20007
http://www.bluesalley.com/index.cfm

September 28 - October 1
Showtimes: 8PM & 10PM
Since top-tier jazz and multiple Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard embarked on his solo recording career with his eponymous Columbia Records album in 1991, the New Orleans-born and -based artist has traveled many paths musically, including delivering adventurous and provocative acoustic jazz outings of original material, composing over 50 soundtracks and even, in 2013, debuting Champion: An Opera in Jazz. He has also, in the spirit of his onetime membership in the jazz school of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, mentored several musicians in his bands who have gone on to have significant recording careers of their own (including Lionel Loueke, Aaron Parks, Kendrick Scott and one of his current band members Fabian Almazan).
As a leader and co-leader (significantly four albums early in his career with fellow Crescent City artist, saxophonist Donald Harrison), Blanchard has recorded more than 30 albums that often defied genres, yet were still critically acclaimed. But for his latest Blue Note Records album, Breathless, Blanchard powerfully and playfully journeys into another jazz realm with his new quintet, The E-Collective—an exciting zone of grooved fusion teeming with funk, R&B and blues colors.
Terence Blanchard has contributed compelling scores to Spike Lee's movies 25th Hour and When the Levees Broke. He's also a scorching player whose quintet features some of the brightest young talents in jazz.

Carolina Old School / GPK Entertainment Presents Maze featuring Frankie Beverly

                                      Carolina Old School... GPK Entertainment Presents
                                              MAZE featuring FRANKIE BEVERLY
                                                        Koger Center For The Arts
                                                             1051 Greene Street
                                                            Columbia SC. 29201
                                                   http://kogercenterforthearts.com/

EVENT ALERT ‼️🚨FOR THE GROWN FOLKS IN COLUMBIA, SC SAT. APRIL 15TH FRANKIE BEVERLY & MAZE ALL WHITE CONCERT & BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR THE BIG DM'S Chris Connors! TICKETS ON SALE NOW at kogercenterforthearts.com #gpkent #fulltimeent #CarolinaOldSchool

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly... Can't Get Over You

THE APOLLO THEATRE Presents: ABBEY LINCOLN TRIBUTE

                                        

The Apollo Theater Presents
A John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Production
ABBEY LINCOLN TRIBUTE
Featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding; and Terri Lyne Carrington, Musical Director

Under the musical direction of Grammy Award winning drummer, composer, and producer Terri Lyn Carrington, an all-star line-up of vocalists celebrates the life, music and legacy of Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010), presented on tour by the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC. The legendary songstress, civil rights activist, and NEA Jazz Master was beloved for her powerful and unique voice, as well as for pursuing her art with integrity and turning music into a genuine celebration of life.
APOLLO THEATRE
253 W. 125th St.,
New York City, NY
10027
http://www.wowapollo.com/
Date & Time: May 6, 2017 - 8:00 pm
Standard Ticket - $33.50 - $128.50

ABBEY LINCOLN: They Call It Jazz

PETER WHITE In Concert

                                                     PETER WHITE... In Concert
                                                     The Foundry - SLS Las Vegas
                                                          2535 Las Vegas Blvd S
                                                             Las Vegas, 89109
                                                           http://foundrylv.com/

Over the years, Peter White has maintained a reputation as one of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape. Armed with an unparalleled combination of lyricism and energy, he combines elements of jazz, pop and classical guitar to create a sound that is singular and at the same time accessible to a broad audience.
Born in 1954 in Luton, a small town north of London, White and his family moved to nearby Letchworth shortly after he was born. As a child, he learned to play several musical instruments, including the clarinet, trombone, violin and piano. And of course, like so many youngsters growing up during the heyday of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, he gravitated to the guitar.
He learned his first chords on an acoustic guitar, then bought his first electric guitar in his early teens and studied the recordings of the reigning guitar gods of the day – Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. But his musical aspirations ultimately veered back in an acoustic direction following an accident that doomed his beloved electric guitar. The axe was destroyed in a fire, one that White’s younger brother Danny – an aspiring pianist – accidentally started.
“The funny thing is that Danny didn’t actually admit to setting that fire for at least twenty-five years,” says White. “I had been kind of obsessed with the electric guitar at that point in my life, so that episode kind of forced me to go back to playing the acoustic. In retrospect, that’s a good thing.”
Indeed, White’s interests after the accident shifted more toward the music of acoustic artists like Crosby, Stills and Nash, James Taylor, and Joni Mitchell. Plugged or unplugged, he had decided by his late teens that music was his calling, and his first professional gig was at a holiday resort in England when he was 19 years old.
Barely a year later, he was invited to join Al Stewart’s band as a keyboardist for a tour of England, Scotland, and the U.S. in 1975. In addition to opening for artists like Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel and Queen, White worked with Stewart in the studio in the making of Year of the Cat, which became a huge hit for Stewart in 1976. The tour and the album marked the beginning of a twenty-year association with Stewart. In that time, the two musicians co-wrote numerous songs, including Stewart’s 1978 hit, “Time Passages.”
By the beginning of the ‘80s, White and Stewart had relocated to Los Angeles, formed a band called Shot in the Dark, and established a music publishing company called Lobster Music. Around the same time, Danny White – he of the burning guitar incident several years earlier – formed a group called Matt Bianco, which included a talented Polish singer named Basia Trzetrzelewska. Danny White and Basia splintered off to launch the singer’s solo career with the 1987 debut album, Time and Tide, which featured Peter White on guitar.
After fifteen years as a backup musician and a session player, White launched his solo recording career with the 1990 release of Reveillez-Vous (French for “Wake up,” a title chosen by White in honor of his French mother). The album included several unused songs that White had written for Stewart, and it became a favorite among contemporary jazz radio stations.
He followed with three records on the Sindrome label – Excusez-Moi (1991), Promenade (1993) and Reflections (1994) – before signing with Columbia for the 1996 release of Caravan of Dreams. He maintained an ambitious release schedule through the ‘90s and beyond, but also found time to appear on recordings by many of his friends, including Dave Koz, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Jeff Golub, Lee Ritenour, Kirk Whalum, Boney James and many others.
On the road, he has participated in numerous “Guitars and Saxes” tours with the aforementioned players, and has established an annual “Peter White Christmas Tour” – the latter enterprise fueled by the success of his two highly regarded holiday albums, Songs of the Season (1997) and A Peter White Christmas (2007).
Good Day, released in 2009 on Peak Records, a division of Concord Music Group, was White’s first collection of original songs in several years. “I just started going through my backlog of material – songs that I’d never finished, some going as far back as ten or fifteen years – and I discovered that I had a lot of gems that I really wanted to show to the world,” he says. “I wanted to record them in my own time and in my own way, without any outside influence or interference.”
White released Here We Go in 2012 on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. The 11-song set, produced by White and DC (George Benson, Larry Carlton, Bob James, Patty Austin), featured several high-profile guest musicians, including saxophonists David Sanborn and Kirk Whalum, and pianist Philippe Saisse, and included a range of original material written in the recent and distant past. “I wanted variety,” says White. “I wanted songs that moved me, in the hopes that they’ll move the listener as well. I’m on a journey, and I want to bring with me anyone who’s willing to follow.”
Smile, released on October 7, 2014, is the final CD in White’s trilogy of albums consisting entirely of his own material. Co-produced with DC, the recording features ten tracks – some were written recently, some White wrote along the way with close friends and some were from the vault. Special guests include Mindi Abair (vocals), Rick Braun (horns), Euge Groove (soprano sax) and Philippe Saisse (keyboards, piano and orchestra programming). White’s daughter, Charlotte, plays violin on one song.
In a career that spans nearly four decades, over a dozen solo recordings and countless performances, White insists that it’s the faces in the crowd and the fans that keep the experience fresh. “I’ll play a live show, and someone will come to me afterward and say, ‘Oh, I loved this CD,’ or ‘This song helped me through a bad time,’” he explains. “Or I get emails from people saying, ‘Oh, I love the way you covered one of my favorite songs on your record back in 1994.’ The idea that someone can write me an email and tell me about something I did on a record that was released fifteen years ago – you can’t buy that. That’s priceless. That’s what keeps me going – the idea that people out there really care about what I do, the idea that I’ve made a difference for someone.”

Peter White: Bueno Funk

St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival 2017

SAINT LUCIA JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL 2017
The Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival — the Caribbean’s premiere annual cultural event which takes place on the beautiful island of Saint Lucia. The event brings together international as well as local musicians. The internationally known jazz festival not only features jazz music but also R&B and Calypso.
Performances will be set against the iconic and historic Pigeon Island National Landmark backdrop, along with other scenic vistas across Saint Lucia, showcasing an innovative infusion of Music and Arts designed to highlight the island’s rich historic and cultural legacy.

The first St. Lucia Jazz Festival was held in 1992 as an initiative to extend the tourist season and increase foreign exchange in Saint Lucia into May which had previously been a relatively quiet period. It was inspired by the launching of the October Jazz Festival in 1991 spearheaded by Luther Francois as Musical Director.
Originally 4 locations were used; however today the festival has expanded and several locations around the island are used to host performances
At first, the festival attendances were small. But as the years passed, word spread helped by coverage on the BET television network, and it is now a well-established fixture on the Jazz festival calendar.
Over the past few years the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival has developed a reputation for the quality of the artistes it attracts and now ranks #1 on the list on the E! entertainment top 5 Festivals in the world.
The event has attracted such artists as R. Kelly, Herbie Hancock, Courtney Pine, Ocacia, Branford Marsalis, En Vogue, George Benson, Santana, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Isley Brothers, UB40, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Luther Vandross, Trey Songz, Rihanna, Elton John, John Legend, Mario, Ne-Yo, Zionomi, Amy Winehouse, Angie Stone, Ciara, Boyz II Men, India.Arie, Smokey Robinson, American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. The event is ranked second in the Caribbean after the Trinidad Carnival.
Schedule:
FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017
National Cultural Centre @ 7:00 pm
Malika Tirolien
Danilo Pérez's Panamonk Revisited: 20th Anniversary with Ben Street and Terri Lyne Carrington
Pigeon Island National Landmark @ 10:30 pm
Michael Robinson
David Rudder with special guest Andy Narell
SATURDAY MAY 13, 2017
Pigeon Island National Landmark @ 4:00 pm
Bluemangó, featuring Jean Caze and Malika Tirolien
Kenny Garrett
Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano
SUNDAY MAY 14, 2017
Pigeon Island National Landmark @ 2:00 pm
Rupert Lay Quartet
Victor Provost Quartet
Rachelle Ferrell
Vanessa Williams
Malavoi

Soleil - St. Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival 2017 Line Up

Cassandra Wilson has been named Harvard University Jazz Master in Residence. Wilson will rehearse and perform with the Jazz Bands, visit Harvard classes and an assembly for students at a Greater Boston public school, and participate in two events open to the public:
Wednesday, April 5, 4 pm: “A Conversation with Cassandra Wilson” moderated by Ingrid Monson, Quincy Jones Professor of African American Music. at the Leverett House Library Theatre, Mill Street, Cambridge.
Saturday, April 8, 8 pm: “Women in Jazz: Celebrating Cassandra Wilson,” featuring the Harvard Jazz Bands with special guest Cassandra Wilson, at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge.

“A singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack who has expanded the playing field” (Gary Giddins), Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi who incorporates blues, country and folk music into her work. Designated a Jazz Master in Residence at Harvard, she will discuss her career and creative process during a conversation moderated by Ingrid Monson, Quincy Jones Professor of African and African American Music. Wilson will also appear in concert with the Harvard Jazz Bands on Saturday, April 8 at 8 pm, Sanders Theatre; for tickets and other information, visit the Harvard Box Office website.
Cassandra Wilson began playing piano at six, guitar by the age of twelve and was working as a vocalist by the mid-‘70s, singing a wide variety of material. After moving to New York City in the early ‘80s, Cassandra met saxophonist Steve Coleman and became one of the founding members of the M-Base Collective.
At the completion of her stint with M-Base, Cassandra sought a more acoustic context for her vocal expression. She signed with Blue Note Records in 1992 and released a landmark album titled “Blue Light ‘Til Dawn,” which would pave the way for a new generation of jazz singers seeking an approach and repertoire that challenged the supremacy of the American Standard songbook.
Wilson has continued interpreting in fresh and creative ways jazz, vintage blues, country and folk music up until the present day. Her awards include: two Grammys, the Django D’Or, The Edison Music Award, and a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. She also performed one of the leading roles in Wynton Marsalis’ “Blood on the Fields,” the first jazz work to receive a Pulitzer Prize.
In 2015, Cassandra Wilson joined forces with the prestigious label Legacy, a subsidiary of Sony Music. Her latest project, “Coming Forth By Day,” was released on the 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday’s birth—April 7, 2015.

The Original Diva!
See living legend Diana Ross perform songs spanning her entire career in an historic five-night engagement at New York City Center.
http://www.nycitycenter.org/Home

The list of Diana Ross' achievements is staggering. She's won a dozen Grammys, sold over 100 million records world wide and was Oscar nominated for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in the The Lady Sings the Blues. In 1976 Billboard named her the greatest female entertainer of the century, and there was a lot more to come from Ross after that. What really matters is that Ross remains an enthralling stage presence, a singer of such poise and remarkable vocal gifts that she's able to hold an audience in the palm of her hand from the moment she steps out into the spotlight right up until she leaves the stage,armed with a catalogue which stretches back some 60 years, from her work with The Supremes (Baby Love, Where Did Our Love Go?) to her solo material (I'm Coming Out, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Endless Love and much more...)
Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Ross recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. She is an Academy Award nominee, has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ross will be touring across America this Spring.

STEPHANIE MILLS with WILL DOWNING
The Feel The Fire Tour
Durham Performing Arts Center
123 Vivian Street Durham
North Carolina 27701
https://www.dpacnc.com/

Sensational R&B, soul, and gospel artist, Stephanie Mills is bringing you her signature sounds to DPAC on March 4, 2017, along with the Prince of Sophisticated Soul - Will Downing, and North Carolina based special guest, Yolanda Rabun. Don’t miss this night - The Feel the Fire Tour.
Stephanie Mills is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music whose onstage energy and power inspires standing ovations wherever she performs. She is a legendary Grammy® and America Music Award winning recording artist with five best-selling albums and ten Billboard #1 singles.
Over the span of 35 years of her illustrious career, Stephanie Mills has distinguished herself as an actress and performer. Stephanie‘s critically acclaimed appearances in shows like the four-time Tony Award -winning “The Wiz” have assured her of a consistent and loyal fan base.
“Mr. Will Downing’s music has stood the test of time and over the course of a 27- year career he has unquestionably become a living example of the absolute best that smooth R&B and Soul has to offer. He became a fixture at the top of the contemporary jazz charts, courtesy of a number of solid releases. He has a Grammy® nomination and continues to give back to his community through charities dear to his heart.
Yolanda Rabun's recent release of her self-titled project, Yolanda is making waves on the UK Soul Top 30 chart and Billboard's Smooth Jazz Most Adds Chart among others. The album made the 59th Annual Grammy Nominations First-Round Ballots! A skilled singer with a natural storytelling instinct, Yolanda Rabun is a must have artist for your music collection.

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL 2017

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL 2017
newportjazzfest.org
It just keeps getting better. The legendary Newport Jazz Festival, now in its 63rd year, is bringing a lineup as diverse as the word “jazz” would indicate. In addition to previously announced bigwigs like Bela Fleck & The Flecktones and Snarky Puppy, the lineup now boasts Maceo Parker, Rhiannon Giddens, Christian McBride Big band with Special Guests, and more. Check out a full list of the additions below…

Friday, August 4
Maceo Parker
Evan Christopher Clarinet Road & New Orleans Brass
Rodriguez Brothers
Saturday, August 5
Rhiannon Giddens
Christian McBride Big Band with Special Guests
Henry Threadgill Zooid
Sunday, August 6
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Jason Moran: Fats Waller Dance Party
Cyrille Aimée
See you on the water!

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2017
www.nojazzfest.com
Jazz Fest is happening April 28-May 7, and they’ve just announced the 2017 lineup!
With acts as diverse as they come heading up the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in the past, this year will be no different.

This year’s program includes Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Harry Connick Jr., George Benson, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave., the Joey Alexander Trio, Kenny Barron Trio, Lee Konitz Quartet, the Jazz Epistles featuring Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya and Hugh Masekela, Nicholas Payton and Afro Caribbean Mixtape, SFJAZZ Collective Plays the Music of Miles Davis, Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective, A Salute to Louis Armstrong featuring Hugh Masekela and Dr. Michael White, A Tribute to Pete Fountain and Jason Marsalis.
Among the other acts: Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Kings of Leon, Usher and the Roots, Earth, Wind and Fire, NAS and the Soul Rebels, Buddy Guy, the Meters, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Tower of Power, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Galactic, Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Boney James, Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton, Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers, Davell Crawford, John Boutté, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Henry Butler’s Jambalaya Band, Hot 8 Brass Band, A Tribute to Buckwheat Zydeco, Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band featuring Thais Clark, Bo Dollis Jr. and the Wild Magnolias.
The festival will also feature a Cuban theme, with performances at various stages and food, music, exhibits and more at the 2017 Cultural Exchange Pavilion. Artists include Chucho Valdés Quintet, the Pedrito Martinez Group, Los Van Van, Gente de Zona, Telmary y Habana Sana, Adonis y Osain del Monte, Septeto Santiaguero, Changüí Guantánamo, Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro, Daymé Arocena, Conga Los Hoyos, Grupo Caury and more.
For a complete lineup, more information and tickets, visit Nojazzfest.com.

NEW JAZZ WORKS 2017

New Jazz Works 2017
http://www.chamber-music.org/programs/jazz/grants#l731
Application Deadline: 03/05/17

CMA supports the creation of new works by professional U.S.-based jazz artists and helps assure that these compositions will be heard through live performances and recordings. The New Jazz Works program has provided support for 198 works that reflect the multiple styles of contemporary jazz.
The New Jazz Works program is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

DC Jazz Festival announces 2017 line-up
The DC Jazz Festival will take place in
Washington D.C.
June 9-18.
For more information, go to http://www.dcjazzfest.org/
In addition, the DC Jazz Festival will offer masterclasses and a number of special events. One of these events will be “Jazz ‘n Families Fun Days,” a family friendly weekend (June 3-4) that will feature storytelling, unique meet-the-artist opportunities, an instrument petting zoo, art workshops and more. Another will be “Jazz in the ‘Hoods,” which will present young, boundary-breaking musicians in alternative venues, as well as DC-based musicians grounded in the jazz tradition, throughout the festival.
Artists slated to perform include
Gregory Porter
Robert Glasper Experiment
An Evening with Pat Metheny
The Kenny Garrett Quintet
Black Violin
Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band
Ron Carter-Russell Malone Duo
Jane Bunnett and Maqueque
Odean Pope Saxophone Choir
Mary Halvorson Octet
Hiromi & Edmar Castañeda Duo
Kandace Springs
Chano Domínguez
MBowie and the Blast
Ola Onabulé
New Century Jazz Quintet
Sarah Elizabeth Charles & SCOPE
Tommy Emmanuel
Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
Lori Williams
Bill Cole
Joseph Daley
Gerald Veasley
Michael Thomas Quintet
Allyn Johnson UDC JAZZtet
Youngjoo Song Septet
James King Band
Tommy Cecil
Billy Hart
Emmet Cohen
Herman Burney's Ministerial Alliance
Kris Funn's Cornerstore
Amy Shook and the SR5tet
Trio Vera w/ Victor Dvoskin
Cowboys and Frenchmen
Anthony Nelson Quartet
Japanese Cultural Center Artist
2017 DCJazzPrix™ Finalists
Lena Seikaly
Alison Crockett
Irene Jalenti
Tim Whalen Septet
Janelle Gill
JoGo Project
Jeff Antoniuk & The Jazz Update
Since 2005, the DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) organization has provided enriching and entertaining jazz performances and programs that introduce students and adults from all walks of life to jazz, our nation’s singular original art form. DCJF presents a selection of the jazz genre’s most acclaimed artists as well as emerging artists, and provides enhanced exposure for the rich treasure trove of musicians from the Washington, DC area. Throughout the year, the DCJF nourishes the community with free educational programs that extend our reach into underserved communities and enhance the quality of life for DC public and charter school students.
MISSION
The mission of the DC Jazz Festival (DCJF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is to:
Present internationally world-renowned and emerging artists in celebration of jazz,
Unify diverse communities and enable connections between artists and audience year-round;
Advance jazz and music education by providing exciting, adventurous and diverse music experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds in greater DC as well as out-of-town visitors;
Provide performance opportunities for
DC-based jazz musicians; and Highlight DC as a major and vibrant center for jazz; and as a premier cultural destination
Our signature programs are the annual DC JazzFest, presented annually since 2005; the year-round DCJF Education Program, established in 2008; and the Charles Fishman Embassy Series, established in 2012.
DCJF's goals are to:
To present exciting, adventurous and diverse programming for all ages and backgrounds
To create exceptional festival experiences
To provide free, innovative educational programming for children and adults
To honor the District’s rich legacy of jazz
To develop year-round, multi-year dynamic partnerships
To highlight DC JazzFest as a premier destination for jazz
To ensure organizational sustainability alongside artistic excellence

Bob James

BOB JAMES
Artist * Musician * Legend
The career of Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn. From his first days in Marshall, Missouri, the music of Bob James has captivated audiences throughout the world.
Discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963, James recorded his first solo album, Bold Conceptions, that year for Mercury Records. 58 albums and innumerable awards would follow through five decades. He honed his skills working with Creed Taylor, working on albums for artists like Hank Crawford, Grover Washington, Jr, among others. While with CTI, James found great popular success overseeing significant hits for Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Maynard Ferguson, and Kenny Loggins.
In 1974, James finally recorded his own album, One, which launched a lifelong career of recording and performing live. After three more albums, James began his own label, Tappan Zee Records. This allowed James to spend more time in the studio, focusing on his own creative works. It was during this time that he recorded his own gold seller, Touchdown, which included his composition, “Angela”, the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, and possibly James’ best know work. Bob composed all the original music used in that television series for its entire run. One On One, the first in three collaborations with Earl Klugh, was awarded a Grammy in 1980 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, and has sold over a million copies. During this time, James set the standard for the smooth jazz sound in the late 1970s.
A different aspect of the musical talent of Bob James was demonstrated on his three classical albums recorded for the CBS Masterworks division, the first of which was Rameau released in 1984, and followed by The Scarlatti Dialogues & Bach keyboard concertos with the Pekinel Sisters.
n 1985 James moved to Warner Bros Records, and kicked things off with Double Vision, a collaboration with David Sanborn, and produced by Tommy LiPuma. Double Vision was another Grammy winner, selling over a million albums.
While recording his album, Grand Piano Canyon, in 1990, James reunited with longtime friend, drummer Harvey Mason, Jr. It would also be the first time James would work with guitarist Lee Ritenour, and bassist Nathan East. This would be the start of something beautiful, as these early sessions ignited a spark which would engulf the Jazz world as Fourplay. Fourplay’s first album was recorded and released in 1991. The Group would collaborate on a total of three albums, until 1998 when Ritenour left the group, and Larry Carlton took over. This version of Fourplay continued the group’s huge success for seven more albums. After 12 years, Carlton decided to delve further into his solo career, and the band brought in guitarist Chuck Loeb in 2010.
A personal and professional highlight was the collaboration with his daughter, Hilary, on their Flesh & Blood album, which toured 15 U.S. cities. James continued collaborating on separate projects with Earl Klugh, (Cool) and Kirk Whalum (Joined At the Hip). Both albums were nominated for Grammys. His solo career continued throughout the 90’s, culminating with Joy Ride in 1999, and another Grammy nomination.
In 2001, Dancing On the Water, was released, once again showcasing James’ creative versatility. The album includes performances with Keiko Matsui, Joe Sample, Dave Holland, and Chuck Loeb. Fourplay released Heartfelt in 2002, and spent much of the year touring across the globe. That same year, James released Morning, Noon, & Night, whose title track went to #1 in Contemporary Jazz Radio.
While appearing at New York’s Blue Note, in February of 2003, James went into the Hit Factory with Billy Kilson, James Genus, and Ken Freeman on the board. The result was Take It From the Top, a tribute to pianists who inspired James; Ahmad Jamal, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson, among others.
The very next year James was at it again, with Fourplay releasing Journey in 2004. Fourplay toured most of the year, culminating with a trip to South Africa in November of 2005 and a final tour stop in Bangkok, Thailand in December. This event featured the world premiere live performance of James’ ‘The Angels of Shanghai.’ This project encompased several months in the Far East collaborating with students from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, who played ancient Chinese instruments, as well as James Genus, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason. This project finally toured the U.S. in 2007, and culminated with a performance later in the year at the prestigious Seongnam Art Center in Seoul, Korea, where James was also invited to have a solo exhibit of his art in conjunction with the performance.
James stayed busy in 2006, releasing Urban Flamingo in February, and on April 7, was awarded the George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. Summer saw the release of Fourplay’s tenth record, appropriately called X. This tour literally took James around the world again with stops in Spain, London, California, Hong Kong, Japan, Kuala Lumpur, and Indonesia.
In 2008, James released a Christmas album with Hilary James, and another Fourplay album Energy. Energy featured Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, and another Grammy nomination with the first single, “Fortune Teller”. The year ended on a high note with James and close friend, the Tony award winning Broadway director Jack O’Brien, receiving the International Achievement Award by the state of Michigan.
Bob has maintained a commitment to sophisticated production and arrangements, while stretching out in different and new directions. This culminated with another busy year in 2009 with the release of The Very Best of Bob James. Not stopping there, James also released Botero, a collaboration with Jack Lee, composed music for the Broadway play ‘Impressionism’, and recorded Across the Groove, a collaboration with Japanese sax player Masato Honda, all in the same year. This again led James touring across Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
2010 saw the twelfth Fourplay album released, Let’s Touch the Sky, which led to another world tour, culminating with an unforgettable collaboration with the New Japan Philharmonic in Tokyo in December. This premiered new orchestral pieces arranged specifically for this concert, and was Fourplay’s first performance with a symphony orchestra. Fourplay was voted Best Group of the Year at the American Smooth Jazz Awards to wrap up a busy 2010.
2011 brought devastating natural disasters to Japan, and James, with a close relationship to the region wanted to contribute to the relief efforts. This led to the Jazz for Japan benefit album, and the Iwate benefit concert, headlined by James.
Then, in September 2011, Altair & Vega, the Four-Hand piano duet collaboration with Keiko Matsui, was released. This unique collaboration which took nearly 10 years, resulted in several memorable live tour performances, before being completed as a recorded album, along with a live performance DVD recorded at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild. Later that same year, James released a collaboration with Savannah guitarist Howard Paul with Just Friends: The Hamilton Hall Sessions. All this, while still touring with Fourplay, including headlining the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, and receiving the Oasis Contemporary jazz award for ‘Group of the Year’. James was also honored in his hometown of Marshall, MO, with the inaugural ‘Bob James Jazz Festival’.
Fourplay joined forces again the following year with the release of Esprit de Four. The album hit the charts, producing several successful tracks, including the powerful “Put Our Hearts Together”, which featured vocals by Seiko Matsuda. The song was a tribute to the regions of Japan devastated by the natural disasters just months earlier, and spawned several benefit concerts, such as the Iwate Jazz Festival, and a full length documentary of James’ visit to the region.
n 2013 Quartette Humaine was released. This was the first creative collaboration between keyboardist-composer Bob James and alto saxophonist David Sanborn since their million-selling, Grammy-winning album, Double Vision, twenty-five years ago.
2015 brought the release of James’ first live album, Live at the Milliken Auditorium, which was captured on a magical night in his home town of Traverse City, Michigan. This same year also brought the first release from James and long time collaborator Nathan East, The New Cool, a masterful work of art which truly redefines the essence of cool. Still not finished, James and Fourplay came together for the release of the group’s 25th anniversary, with Silver, which was recorded old school at Sunset Sound Studios, where the group recorded their first album 25 years earlier.
While James is recognized as one of the progenitors of smooth jazz, his music has also had a profound effect on the history of hip hop, having been sampled often. Two of James’ songs – “Nautilus” from 1974’s One and “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” from 1975’s Two – are among the most sampled in hip hop history. According to whosampled.com, “Nautilus” and “Take Me to Mardi Gras” have been sampled in thirty-two and forty-three hip-hop recordings, respectively. The title track from his 1981 album Sign of the Times was sampled in De La Soul‘s “Keepin’ the Faith”, and Warren G‘s “Regulate”. His “Angela” was sampled in the track “Cab Fare” by Souls of Mischief. The track “El Verano” from the 1977 album “BJ4” is used as a sample in the song “Blown Away” by the Cocoa Brovaz and also in the Masta Ace Track “NY Confidential”. N.W.A‘s “Alwayz into Somethin'” uses a sample of “Storm King” from the album Three. “Can’t Wait” by Redman features a sample of “Caribbean Nights” from the album Touchdown. English Drum & Bass pioneer Adam F extensively sampled “Westchester Lady” on his 1995 breakthrough release Circles. Röyksopp sampled his version of “You’re as Right as Rain” for their instrumental track “Eple.” In addition, James is mentioned in a verse by André 3000 on “Black Ice” from Goodie Mob’s second album Still Standing.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA
w/ WYNTON MARSALIS
January 20 2017
The Adrienne Arsht Center
for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.
1300 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
http://www.arshtcenter.org/

The Pulitzer Prize- and GRAMMY® Award-winning composer/trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis, the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) performs a vast repertoire, from rare historic compositions to Jazz at Lincoln Center‐commissioned works, including compositions and arrangements by Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, and many others.
Returning to Jazz Roots after a sold-out concert in 2013, the JLCO is known for its stylistic authenticity and its stellar performances of choice instrumental arrangements of music by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, and many other swing-era legends. The remarkably versatile orchestra, comprising 15 of today’s finest jazz soloists and ensemble players, has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988. Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center's programming, the orchestra performs and leads educational events in New York, across the U.S. and around the globe. Over the last few years, the JLCO has performed collaborations with many of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, including the New York and Berlin philharmonic orchestras; and the Boston, Chicago and London symphony orchestras.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Wynton Marsalis, music director, trumpet
Greg Gisbert, trumpet
Kenny Rampton, trumpet
Marcus Printup, trumpet
Vincent Gardner, trombone
Chris Crenshaw, trombone
Elliot Mason, trombone
Sherman Irby, saxophone, clarinet
Ted Nash, alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet
Victor Goines, saxophone, clarinet
Walter Blanding, saxophone, clarinet
Paul Nedzela, saxophone, clarinet
Dan Nimmer, piano
Carlos Henriquez, bass
Ali Jackson, Lawrence Leathers Drums

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGDzJ7uOufE

 

JAZZROOTS SERIES 2017
The Adrienne Arsht Center
for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Inc.
1300 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
http://www.arshtcenter.org/
4-SHOW PACKAGES START AT JUST $130
Subscribe Now
“JAZZ ROOTS is the most important concert and educational jazz series in America… This series is simply imperative!” - Quincy Jones
The Arsht Center is thrilled about the appointment of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Dean Shelly Berg as Artistic Advisor for the groundbreaking series. A world-renowned musician, composer and educator, Berg has been involved as a collaborator on JAZZ ROOTS since its inception. The Arsht Center invited Berg to expand his role to include assisting with creative direction for the series following the passing in 2015 of JAZZ ROOTS co-founder and co-creator Larry Rosen, with whom Berg also collaborated for many years.
The ninth season of JAZZ ROOTS will continue with five musically diverse concerts each starring some of the most celebrated headliners in the music industry today!
4-SHOW PACKAGES START AT JUST $130, SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE!
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
WYNTON MARSALIS, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA
JANUARY 20, 2017
Wynton Marsalis (Music Director, Trumpet) is the Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and a nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winner. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) is known for its stylistic authenticity and its stellar performances of choice instrumental arrangements from the books of such key swing era legends as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.
PIANO TITANS: CHICK COREA & GONZALO RUBALCABA, SOLOS & DUETS
CHICK COREA, GONZALO RUBALCABA
FEBRUARY 24, 2017
A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 22-time GRAMMY® winner, and keyboard virtuoso Chick Corea has attained living legend status after five decades of unparalleled creativity. Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a world-renowned solo jazz and classical pianist and Latin GRAMMY® Award-winner. Corea and Rubalcaba will each perform solos and the evening will end with a piano duet.
LIVING LEGENDS: BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH SPECIAL GUEST KURT ELLING
BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET, KURT ELLING, CARMEN LUNDY
MARCH 17, 2017
The Branford Marsalis Quartet will be joined by guest vocalist Kurt Elling in a singular collaboration of musical forces. The tight-knit working band featuring Marsalis on saxophones, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Justin Faulkner on drums rarely invites other musicians into the folds of their nearly telepathically cohesive unit, and Elling’s deep jazz vocabulary, technical versatility, and outstanding intonation will enable the band to perform a variety of material in astonishing new ways.
FROM MA RAINEY TO MILES DAVIS: A BLUES JOURNEY
STEVE MILLER, JIMMIE VAUGHAN, MIKE FLANIGIN, SHELLY BERG
APRIL 7, 2017
When the music of Ma Rainey meets Miles Davis, expect the realms of blues and jazz to be out of this world. Originally developed for and performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center this past season, renowned blues-rock guitarist, multi-platinum-selling singer/songwriter, 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and life-long jazz fan, Steve Miller hosts a wide-ranging musical-and-beyond revue with special guests; Jimmy Vaughan on guitar, Mike Flanigin on the Hammond B3 organ and JAZZ ROOTS artistic advisor Dean Shelly Berg on piano. From his distinctively recognizable guitar and vocals, to engaging commentary, high energy jamming, and much more, the evening promises surprises and high-level performances. Having learned his first chords at age five from his godfather Les Paul, how to play lead guitar from T-Bone Walker at age nine, and then working with the best Bluesmen in Chicago – Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Paul Butterfield – Miller has incorporated his affinity for the blues into such hits as “The Joker,” “Fly Like An Eagle,” and “Jet Airliner.”

TAMPA BLACK HERITAGE MUSIC FEST
Featuring
DAVID SANBORN,ANTHONY DAVID & MORE...
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
600 N. Ashley Drive
http://tampablackheritage.org/music-fest/
January 21-22 2017
The 2-day weekend of events is the heart and soul of the Tampa Bay area communities. The Music Fest not only features music from national artists and showcases local and regional entertainment, but also includes an array of health and wellness, educational and cultural activities, displays, vendors, and themes highlighting the riches of the African American Diaspora.
Past Music Fest performers have included Angie Stone, Jonathan Butler, Ledsi, Atlantic Starr, Doug E. Fresh, Marsha Ambrosius, Sugarhill Gang, Confunkshun, Klymaxx, Rose Royse, Najee, Eric Darius, Nick Colionne, Pieces of a Dream and the Ohio Players, just to name a few. The 2 Day Music Fest is FREE to attend and open to the general public. -

ART SHERROD featuring CeCe Peniston
Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club
7719 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
http://bethesdabluesjazz.com/

Art Sherrod Jr is “…a man who loves music, a man who loves art, respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart.” 1 He is equal parts heart and soul and it seems as if God gave him an extra dose of expression through music. The creative part of Art was shaped by rich experiences, the people with the greatest influence in his formative years and exposure of culture, religion, and the arts. These people, places and things have fostered an innate curiosity, and have nurtured and strong desire for expression. This is a perfect narrative of Art Sherrod, Jr.’s life and is a precise summary of his life and how his love for music and faith have been molded.
CeCe Peniston is an international sensation and is considered to be one of the most successful dance club artists in the history of the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Charts. Peniston was successful at scoring five major number one hits within three years. Her signature Dance hit “Finally” was #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and #2 on the UK Top 75. It became one of the biggest dance records in history to sell over 3 million copies worldwide.?!?Recently, she has released two single and competed in a fitness competition. While “Nothing Can Stop Me” was upbeat, carried its own in melody and message, the single quickly became her anthem to self-improvement. She has continued to push the boundaries in the studio, the gym, and on stage ever since. Nothing can stop her, and she’s proving this to be true more and more every day.