NEW YORK
CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON
WITH THE HARLEM STRING QUARTET September 24 & 25
s e p t e m b e r
2 0 1 2
p r o g r a m
WO R L D ’ S F I N E S T JA Z Z C L U B A N D R E S TAU R A N T 131 w. 3rd st. new york city 212. 475. 8592 www.bluenotejazz.com
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TWO SHOWS NIGHTLY: 8 & 10:30PM LATE NIGHT GROOVE: FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 12:30AM midnight SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH: 12:30 & 2:30 PM
SEPTEMBER CALENDAR SY SMITH & ZO! SEPTEMBER 3
LIONEL LOUEKE HERITAGE CD RELEASE PRODUCED BY JILL NEWMAN PRODUCTIONS SEPTEMBER 4 - 6
NINETY MILES STEFON HARRIS, DAVID SรกNCHEZ & NICHOLAS PAYTON
LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES DESSY Di LAURO SEPTEMBER 7 JESSICA LATSHAW SEPTEMBER 8 ADRIAN HIBBS SEPTEMBER 14 DARREN LYONS SEPTEMBER 15
SEPTEMBER 7 - 9
CHELSEA BARATZ SEPTEMBER 21
SAMMY FIGUEROA
NINA VIDAL SEPTEMBER 22
SEPTEMBER 10
BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION SEPTEMBER 11 - 16
ROMAIN COLLIN PRODUCED IN ASSOCiation W/ REVIVE MUSIC
LAKECIA BENJAMIN SEPTEMBER 28 RUSSEL TAYLOR SEPTEMBER 29
SUNDAY BRUNCH
SEPTEMBER 17
DAVID BERKMAN TRIO SEPTEMBER 9
STANLEY CLARKE & HIROMI DUO SEPTEMBER 18 - 23
JUILLIARD JAZZ BRUNCH SEPTEMBER 16
GADI LEHAVI: SOLO PIANO
WOMEN OF THE WORLD SEPTEMBER 23
SEPTEMBER 20 - 22, 24, 25
CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON W/ HARLEM STRING QUARTET SEPTEMBER 24 & 25
ROY AYERS SEPTEMBER 26 - 30
MARIANNE SOLIVAN SEPTEMBER 30
SY SMITH & ZO! SEPTEMBER 3
8 & 10:30PM
$15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR the musical spectrum, (think, George Michael to Steely Dan), and composing crowd-pleasing instrumentals (that’s no easy feat) like “Flight Of The Blackbyrd”, Zo! has garnered thousands of fans with his sound - layered with gritty drums, complex yet accessible chords and an easy-going swing that seems to mimic Zo!’s personality to a tee!
Coming from similar schools of musical thought and touring together extensively with the hip-hop/soul outfit (and Grammy nominee) known as The Foreign Exchange, Zo! and Sy come together to present soul music with a certain power and presence that can only be acquired through mutual love of their craft... and perhaps a Wonder Twin fistbump! Zo!, multi-instrumentalist/producer/ composer/educator - perhaps a lot of backslashes, yes. But Zo! has earned each title and to much critical acclaim; sometimes even being called a “young Quincy Jones.” Hailing from Detroit, Zo! honed his musical chops first on keys, teaching himself piano at 11 and moving on to guitar, bass, drums and more since then. With more than 12 albums to date including SunStorm and his popular cover series “...just visiting”, Zo!’s mastery of so many instruments might only be trumped by his deft production abilities. Re-arranging, re-interpreting and bravely taking on covers across
Emmy-nominated vocalist Sy Smith has always wowed audiences with her voice, her sweet soprano seems to drip a funky concoction of honey, vulnerability, bravado and laughter. The joke might be on that same audience though, that is, if they missed that Sy is not only a virtuoso vocalist, but she’s also an über-talented keyboardist, composer and producer too! Live, she can be seen nailing notes only Minnie Riperton dared to master AND laying down bass lines worthy of a Larry Graham head-nod. NYC-born, DC-bred and now LA-based, Sy is no stranger to the urban hustle. On her own Psyko Records, she’s released 4 studio albums (including the latest crowd pleaser Fast And Curious), 1 greatest hits, 1 EP and a live DVD; all gaining her fans from around the world. But touring as a featured supporting vocalist with acts as varied as Whitney Houston, Meshell Ndegeocello, DJ Quik, Usher, Chris Botti and now Sheila E. is a testimony to Sy’s fluid vocal and musical ability. The Sy/Zo! Show is everything that soul music encompasses, and everything that nu-soul aspires to be. The duo fuses elements of jazz, hiphop, old-school, and more to create a musical set that concert-goers have called “unforgettable”! Performing songs from both artists’ catalogs, this set features Zo! on keys, Sy on synth bass/vocals/vocal effects plus a drummer and guitarist to round out this high-energy quartet!
LIONEL LOUEKE HERITAGE CD RELEASE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ROBERT GLASPER, MARK GUILIANA & DERRICK HODGE SEPTEMBER 4 - 6
8 & 10:30PM
PRODUCED BY JILL NEWMAN PRODUCTIONS Originally from the small West African nation of Benin, guitarist Lionel Loueke has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past several years. Praised by his mentor Herbie Hancock as “a musical painter,” he combines harmonic sophistication, soaring melody, a deep knowledge of African music, and conventional and extended guitar techniques to create a warm and evocative sound of his own. JazzTimes wrote: “Loueke’s lines are smartly formed and deftly executed. His ear-friendly melodicism draws both from traditional African sources and a lifetime of closely studying the likes of Jim Hall and George Benson, and his rhythmic shifts come quickly and packed with surprises.” A graduate of the Berklee College of Music and the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Loueke released his full-length independent debut, In a Trance, in 2005. After releasing Virgin Forest in 2007, he signed with Blue Note Records, which released his latest two albums, Karibu (2008) and Mwaliko (2010). He was also named the top Rising Star Guitarist in DownBeat Magazine’s annual Critics Poll in both 2008 and 2009.
$30 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR
On August 28th, Loueke will release Heritage, his dynamic third Blue Note album, which was co-produced by labelmate Robert Glasper. Heritage finds Loueke exploring a more electric sound with a new trio featuring Derrick Hodge on electric bass and Mark Guiliana on drums. The album presents seven new compositions by Loueke, two by Glasper, and one co-written by the two. Glasper also contributes piano and keyboards to six tracks, while singer Gretchen Parlato provides background vocals on two tracks. A veteran of bands led by Terence Blanchard and Herbie Hancock, Loueke is bringing jazz into vibrant contact with the sounds of West Africa, in particular his native Benin. The title Heritage is a direct reference to his personal odyssey. “I have two heritages,” Loueke says. “One is from my ancestors from Africa, and that goes through my music, my body, my soul, every aspect of what I do. But also I have the heritage from the Occident, from the West, from Europe and the U.S. I speak English, I speak French, and I have that heritage too. I called this album Heritage because I’ve been blessed by all different parts of the world, and most of the songs reflect that.”
NINETY MILES: STEFON HARRIS, DAVID SÁNCHEZ & NICHOLAS PAYTON SEPTEMBER 7 - 9
8 & 10:30PM
Tonight at the Blue Note, Harris and Sánchez bring the Ninety Miles project to the Blue Note stage, together with trumpeter Nicholas Payton and a dynamic rhythm section. Ninety Miles is the distance between Miami and Havana, the closest points in the U.S. and Cuba. It’s also the name of the ambitious project from New Orleansborn trumpeter Christian Scott, Puerto Rican saxophonist David Sánchez, and New York vibraphonist Stefon Harris. Released in June 2011 as a companion to a full-length documentary of the same name, the Ninety Miles album is the latest in a long line of artistic efforts to bridge the CubaU.S. divide and emphasize the musical, cultural, and historical kinships between the two nations. Recorded in Havana, the music on Ninety Miles displays the Caribbean roots that connect traditional Cuban music with U.S. jazz and New Orleans, but it looks relentlessly forward. Scott, Harris, and Sánchez, along with the Cuban pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, whose separate quartets fill out the album, are modern jazz players through and through. Their compositions are ambitious, harmonically and rhythmically complex, and diversely influenced.
$35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR Although each musician on the album is a virtuosic performer in his own right, the real pleasure in Ninety Miles is when the whole band gets cooking. The interplay between these masters and the expert rhythm sections behind them moves the project well past its efforts in musicology or history. This is a session, not a study.
Jazz Album.
A four-time Grammy nominee, Harris has been honored as Best Vibraphonist by JAZZIZ, JazzTimes, and DownBeat. His seventh album and Concord Records debut, Urbanus (2009), received rave reviews and garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary
Sánchez is unquestionably one of the finest, most progressive players on the contemporary jazz scene, as more than a decade’s worth of bold, brilliant work has already proven. His latest Concord release Cultural Survival (2008) topped many critics’ Best Jazz Albums of the Year lists. Hailed as a virtuoso before he even graduated high school, Payton is one of the most prodigious trumpet talents of our time. A Grammy nominee and outspoken jazz pundit, he recently released his ninth solo effort, titled Bitches (2011).
L a t e N i g h t G r o o v e S ERIE S
Dessy Di Lauro
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 12:30AM $10
Dessy Di Lauro delivers a unique flavor of original music she describes as “Feathered Frohawk Futuristic Art Deco-Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music,” with an up-tempo live show incorporating classic elements from the speakeasy era. Di Lauro’s life story has always been about overcoming adversity, from being bullied as a child due to her interracial background to surviving domestic abuse as an adult. Today, she has grown into a woman of depth and integrity who shares her experiences through music in order to help others who are going through similar trials. Di Lauro’s latest EP, Jump N’ Jivin’: Live @ The Swing House, was released in 2010. After a successful Blue Note
JESSICA LATSHAW SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 12:30 AM $10
debut this past May, tonight, she returns with her stellar band and horn section featuring musicians from the current Madonna touring band also performing at Yankee Stadium this weekend with the Queen herself. Expect nothing less from Di Lauro than a high-caliber, modern-day juke joint jamboree from this unique neo-ragtime and contemporary R&B artist.
Jessica Latshaw is a NYC-based musician, dancer, writer, and songwriter. Her credits include appearances in the Broadway tour of of A Chorus Line as Krsitine, the Korean tour of Fame!, and the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies. She is also one half of the duo The Paper Janes and appears regularly as a solo performer. She has played her own music on stages in the U.K., Tokyo, L.A., Toronto, and N.Y.C. Check out her song “Ain’t My Friend,” whose video went viral on YouTube this year.
SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES
DAVID BERKMAN TRIO SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
12:30 & 2:30PM $29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink
Since moving to New York in 1985, David Berkman has been an important part of the jazz community. He is an award-winning composer and bandleader, a recording artist whose four Palmetto recordings have appeared on numerous best records of the year critic’s lists, and an awardwinning jazz clinician who has performed and taught at numerous jazz camps, universities, and conservatories around the United States, South America, and Europe. Berkman has played in countless bands, including those of Cecil McBee, Tom Harrell, and the Vanguard Orchestra, and he has performed, ar-
ranged, and recorded for and with numerous jazz luminaries, including Sonny Stitt, Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart, Chris Potter, Scott Colley, and Jane Monheit. His latest album, David Berkman Quartet: Live at Smoke, came out in 2010.
ENFANTs TERRIBLES
lee konitz, bill frisell garry peacock & joey baron
with
live at the blue note
ENFANTS TERRIBLES
features four veteran jazzmen whose collective efforts on stage and in the studio span decades. Together they are saxophonist Lee Konitz, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Joey Baron; individually, each boasts a distinguished career path and network of associations representing jazz’s wide range of stylistic directions.
AVAILABLE UPSTAIRS IN THE BLUE NOTE GIFT SHOP!
SAMMY FIGUEROA SEPTEMBER 10
8 & 10:30PM
Sammy Figueroa was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of the well-known romantic singer Charlie Figueroa. His first professional experience came at the age of 18, while attending the University of Puerto Rico, with the band of bassist Bobby Valentin. During this time he cofounded the legendary and innovative world jazz group Raices, which broke ground for many of today’s fusion bands. Raices was signed to a contract with Atlantic Records and Sammy returned to New York, where he was discovered by the great flautist Herbie Mann. Sammy immediately became one of the music world’s hottest players and within a year he had appeared or recorded with John McLaughlin, the Brecker Brothers and many of the world’s most famous pop stars, including Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Bob Dylan. In a career spanning over thirty years, Sammy has played with a multitude of distinguished artists including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Dave Sanborn, Quincy Jones, the Brecker Brothers, Dave Grusin, Michel Camilo, George Benson, Stanley Clarke, Grover Washington, Jr., Al Jarreau, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Mark Murphy, Mike Mainieri, Nestor
$15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR
Torres, Chico O’Farrill, Mike Stern, Dave Valentin, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera, Ruben Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Tania Maria, Jorge Ben Jor, Daniela Mercury, Tom Jones, Mariah Carey, James Taylor, Dr. John, Mick Jagger, Average White Band, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Natalie Merchant, Luther Vandross, Ashford & Simpson, Anita Baker, Roberta Flack, David Lee Roth, Hall & Oates, Joe Cocker, Rickie Lee Jones, Annie Lennox, Paul Winter, Glen Velez and many more. In 2001 Sammy relocated to South Florida where he discovered an exciting alternative to New York’s jazz scene: a vibrant and creative diaspora of jazz virtuosos from Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. Putting together a band with some of the greatest players in town, Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion made their debut in September 2002 at the Hollywood Jazz Festival. Three albums and two Grammy Nominations later, Sammy and his band are clearly considered to be one of the most exciting bands in Latin jazz today.
BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION SEPTEMBER 11 -16
8 & 10:30PM
Long regarded as one of jazz’s pioneering fusion outfits, The Brecker Brothers boasted two of the best players in the music’s history: trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Michael Brecker. Together they forged a sound that became a template for modern electric jazz, scoring that rare double-headed achievement of commercial and artistic success. Founded in 1975, The Brecker Brothers were one of the first acts signed to the then-fledgling Arista Records. Recording six albums and garnering seven Grammy nominations from 1975-1982, the band enjoyed immeasurable influence with its smart combination of musical devices: sophisticated compositions, intricate melodies, and inside-out bop heads played over funk rhythms. These elements, along with Randy’s virtuosic trumpet work and Michael’s burning saxophone playing and innovative work on the EWI (“electronic wind instrument”), combined to attract some of the finest players on the scene to join the band: Terry Bozzio,
$35-45 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR
Steve Gadd, Steve Khan, Will Lee, Chris Parker, David Sanborn, Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, and Lenny White, among others. After a hiatus of nearly a decade, The Brecker Brothers reunited in 1992 for the GRP album Return of the Brecker Brothers, which earned three Grammy nominations. The band completed a world tour and then returned to the studio in 1994 to record Out of the Loop, which won two Grammy Awards – one for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, and one for Best Instrumental Composition for Michael’s “African Skies.” On tour once more, they became the first international contemporary jazz group to perform in mainland China, including sold-out shows in Beijing and Shanghai. Though Michael Brecker died in 2007, tonight’s performance at the Blue Note finds trumpeter Randy Brecker inviting to the stage many of those key musicians who helped forge The Brecker Brothers.
L a t e N i g h t G r o o v e S ERIE S
ADRIAN HIBBS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 12:30AM $10
After developing his sound in New York City and New Orleans, Adrian Hibbs is now LA-based with his pop-funk-soul sensibilities. As a versatile keyboard player and colorful arranger, his style is a concoction of rhythm, blues, funk, and saturated soul. He’s toured internationally, performed and recorded with such shows and artists as Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Isabelle Day, Stanton Moore, Anders Osborne, Buzz Feiten, MTV Awards, Summer Sonic Fest, Singfest, Cobra Starship, The Academy Is, Voodoo Fest, Carson Daly, Dashboard Confessional, The Cab, Plain White T’s and Panic! at the Disco. He released a self-titled EP The Adrian Hibbs Project in NYC produced by Scotty Hard (Wu-
DARREN LYONS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 12:30 AM $10
Darren Lyons, a well-respected drummer based in New York, leads both acoustic and electric jazz bands. Evil Genius features the latter, an ensemble that has been together for over nine years.
tang, MMW, Boogie Down Productions) and will release another EP You’re Invited in Fall 2012 with master drummer James Gadson. His musical influences run the gamut from Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone to Earth, Wind & Fire. Lyons started drum lessons when he was just four. Among his teachers while growing up were Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum and Elvin Jones. He started the Darren Lyons Group at the Knitting Factory in 1996 and the band has worked steadily ever since. Evil Genius teams Lyons with guitarist Chad McLoughlin, both Mark Adamy and David Starck on keyboards, electric bassist Skip Ward and, on four of the eight selections, Manolo Badrena joins on percussion. Keyboardist David Sancious, who produced the project, sits in during “Clean.” The quintet/sextet performs eight numbers, all of which were written or cocomposed by McLoughlin. Darren Lyons is heard throughout in a supportive role, preferring to drive the band, make the music funky, and add rhythmic excitement rather than be showcased as a soloist. On Evil Genius, the Darren Lyons Group succeeds in creating high-quality fusion for the 21st century.
SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES
JUILLIARD JAZZ “THE VOICE OF THE SAXOPHONE”
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
12:30 & 2:30PM $29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink
The saxophone has been a focal point in jazz music almost since the beginning of the genre. Saxophonists as composers have been innovators and a driving force for a long time in jazz. The month of September just happens to be one of the months that celebrates many of the jazz legends of the saxophone. This afternoon at the Blue Note, Juilliard Jazz will celebrate the music of the jazz tradition’s many outstanding saxophonists in a program called “The Voice of the Saxophone.” This afternoon’s performance will feature music by renowned saxophonists like Art Pepper, Clifford Jordan, Sonny
i c o S
Rollins, Cannonball Adderly, Joe Temperley, John Coltrane, Frank Foster, Sam Rivers, and others. The Juilliard Jazz Ensemble will give the music their own treatment in what will be an exciting afternoon of great music.
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ROMAIN COLLIN
PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH REVIVE MUSIC SEPTEMBER 17
8 & 10:30PM
Described by NPR host Jon Weber as “a visionary composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist, and a very bright young rising star in the jazz world,” Romain Collin continues to develop his vision, combining the tradition of improvisation with sound designing and classical music. With each new release, he continues to make his mark on the New York scene, as well as internationally. In 2007, Collin graduated from the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, where he held a full scholarship as the pianist of an ensemble handpicked by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard. With the TMI band, he toured with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in Vietnam and India, and he shared the stage with artists like Marcus Miller, Jimmy Heath, Stevie Wonder, Joshua Redman, and more. Collin, who was originally born in France, came to the U.S. to attend Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. In 2009, he released his debut as a leader, The Rise and Fall of Pipokuhn. Described by All About Jazz writer Phil DiPietro as “an astonishingly mature and ambitious debut that secures Collin a placeholder in the continuing evolution of the grand tradition of the piano trio,”
$15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR
the record received rave reviews internationally and made it to New York jazz critic David Adler’s list of notable debuts of 2009. Currently based in New York City, Collin frequently performs with his trio in the U.S. and abroad. Recent notable performances include appearances at the Tokyo Jazz Festival, the Cyprus Jazz Festival, the Angel City Jazz Festival, and the Cotton Club in Tokyo, as well as dates at the Blue Note, Steinway Hall, Smalls, and The Kitano. He’s also worked as a sideman with artists like Lauryn Hill, Fredrika Stahl, Tony Grey, Makoto Hirahara, Jorscan, and Malika Zarra. Collin was recently invited to appear on Marian McPartland’s prestigious Piano Jazz radio show to talk about his second record, The Calling, which was released earlier this year. Of all the rave reviews the disc has received, Ian Patterson of All About Jazz summarized it best, putting the arc of Collin’s career in perspective: “With The Calling, Collin has raised his own bar ... Still in his early 30s and immersed in a plethora of widely varying collaborations and projects that can only further broaden his musical palette, the possibilities now seem endless.”
STANLEY CLARKE & HIROMI DUO SEPTEMBER 18 - 23
8 & 10:30PM
Tonight at the Blue Note, bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke teams up with Japanese jazz piano wiz Hiromi for an evening of duo that promises to be both explosive and intimate. Stanley Clarke was among the first bassists in history to double on acoustic and electric bass with equal ferocity and was the first bassist ever to headline tours, selling out shows worldwide. Exploding into the jazz world in 1971, he soon landed jobs with famous bandleaders like Horace Silver, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Gil Evans, and Chick Corea, with whom he formed the seminal fusion group Return to Forever. In addition to his extensive work with RTF, Clarke’s other notable collaborations have included the Clarke/Duke Project with George Duke, The Superband with Larry Carlton and Billy Cobham, and projects with Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, Art Blakey, Paul McCartney, and Keith Richards. Of course, he has also worked with Hiromi, featuring her as a member of his trio in his 2009 release Jazz in the Garden. Clarke has won literally every major award available to a bass player: Grammys, Emmys, every readers’ poll out there, all the critics’ polls,
$45 AT TABLE / $30 AT BAR and numerous Gold and Platinum certifications. He garnered his most recent Grammy Awards for his 2010 album The Stanley Clarke Band and for Return to Forever’s 2011 release Forever. Global superstar jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara first mesmerized the jazz community with her 2003 Telarc debut Another Mind. The buzz started by the album spread all the way back to her native Japan, where Another Mind shipped over 100,000 units and received the Recording Industry Association of Japan’s Jazz Album of the Year Award. The buzz continued to build through her subsequent releases Brain (2004), Spiral (2006), Time Control (2007), and Beyond Standard (2008), as she claimed awards for Jazzman of the Year, Pianist of the Year, and Album of the Year from Swing Journal Japan’s Readers Poll. Hiromi’s output in recent years has been extensive as well: her latest releases include 2009’s Duet with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke’s Jazz in the Garden (2009), two live concert DVDs (2009), and a solo piano release titled Place to Be (2010). With her latest album Voice (2011), a trio project featuring bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips, Hiromi continues, as ever, to forge her own musical path.
opening act GADI LEHAVI - SOLO PIANO SEPTEMBER 20 - 22, 24 &25 6:30PM Gadi Lehavi is an example of pure gift and amazing talent. He began flirting with the piano as an infant, balancing on the seat and striving to reach the keys. Playing by ear and experimenting with improvisation drew him naturally to jazz. At the age of 11, he was accepted as a student at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. A visit to the United States when he was 13 years old opened a door to the world and provided him with an opportunity to play alongside senior musicians such as Ravi Coltrane and Chick Corea. Since then, Lehavi has additionally performed and collaborated with Bobby McFerrin, Dave Liebman, and Kurt Rosenwinkel, among others. Sometimes age is just a number.
The Blue Note is proud to host Gadi performing solo piano, opening three nights for Stanley Clarke & Hiromi, and both nights of the Chick Corea & Gary Burton with the Harlem String Quartet show.
L a t e N i g h t G r o o v e S ERIE S
CHELSEA BARATZ
nates the distinctive tenor of an emerging player and original composer.
12:30 AM $10
When she picks up her saxophone, the soul of her own life comes alive. Baratz’s inventive sound and vibe carries forward the past echoes of Pittsburgh’s gospel, blues and soul heritage into the present day. On In Faith, she catches the ear of listeners with nine original compositions, ending with a Fela Kuti tribute. Her first album as a band leader displays a confident artist who intuitively gathered the right musicians together in the studio to cultivate her distinctive sound, resulting in a “recommended pick” by Jazzchicago.net & 2 “Artist 2 Watch” features with Skope Magazine.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
There’s a new voice on the saxophone, forged in the gritty steel town of Pittsburgh. Her name is Chelsea Baratz and at 26, her soulful sound is a fiery combination of be-bop swing and hip hop hooks. Her debut release In Faith illumi-
L a t e N i g h t G r o o v e S ERIE S
NINA VIDAL
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 12:30AM $15
Still relatively unknown in her own country, native New Yorker Nina Vidal first came to the public’s attention in 2008 when her self-titled debut broke records in Japan. A week after its release it topped the charts at No. 1, remaining the top jazz album in the country for eight months. She followed this release with her sophomore effort The OpenEnded Fantasy (2010), which claimed the No. 1 spot in less than 24 hours. In total, five of her albums have reached No. 1 outside of the U.S., and more than 20 of her singles have reached the Top 10 around the world. A throwback to a different era, Vidal’s voice has been described as “a healing and emotional instrument.” Her blend of
WOMEN OF THE WORLD sunday, SEPTEMBER 23
jazz, soul, funk, pop, and world music, mixed with her poetic lyrical sense, has resonated with a modern audience looking for music of substance and quality. Tonight at the Blue Note, Vidal will preview new material from her upcoming new album, due out in 2013, as well as return to some fan favorites.
SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES
12:30 & 2:30PM $29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink
Boston-based international folk music ensemble Women of the World makes its Blue Note debut this afternoon! Hot off the heels of its tour of Japan, this 10-member all-female ensemble, representing Japan, India, Italy, Mexico, and
the United States, will officially release its debut EP Koloro at today’s show. Founded in 2008, Women of the World was the brainchild of Japanese vocalist Ayumi Ueda, a Berklee College of Music alumna, who dreamt of bringing women from across the globe onto a common creative platform. Over the years, the band has received accolades and collaborated with many industry bigwigs, including Bobby McFerrin, Angelique Kidjo, Mario Frangoulis, and the Boston Pops Orchestra led by maestro Keith Lockhart. With a slate of past performances at venues like Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall and Agganis Arena, and a collaboration with the United Nations, Women of the World continues to spread its message of peace and unity through music.
CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON
WITH THE HARLEM STRING QUARTET SEPTEMBER 24 - 25
8 & 10:30PM
Chick and Gary Burton perform material from their new album Hot House, exploring their unique takes on “standards” — by composers from Kurt Weill and Antonio Carlos Jobim to Thelonious Monk and Lennon & McCartney. The multiple Grammy-winning duo also adds the Harlem String Quartet, expanding their legendary chamber-jazz repertoire on Chick’s composition “Mozart Goes Dancing” and classic Chick & Gary tunes. An NEA Jazz Master, 18-time Grammy winner, prolific composer and undisputed keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status after four decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering. From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children’s songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is awe-inspiring. A tirelessly creative spirit, Chick continues to forge ahead, continually reinventing himself in the process. Self-taught on vibes, Burton developed a remarkable four-mallet technique that brought the vibes into a
$65 AT TABLE / $40 AT BAR
new era. Though his own recording debut came in 1961, Burton began distinguishing himself with several genre-defying dates as a leader during the mid-1960s. There followed collaborations with violin legend Stephane Grappelli, pianist Keith Jarrett and pianist Chick Corea (1972′s Crystal Silence, the first of their duet collaborations). Corea and Burton followed Crystal Silence with Duet (1978), In Concert, Zurich, October 28, 1979 (1979) and 1982′s ambitious Lyric Suite for Sextet, which found the duo augmented by a string quartet. In 1997, Burton and Corea turned out Native Sense: The New Duets. Downbeat magazine wrote: “Native Sense renews a longstanding, very durable friendship … throughout, vibes and piano deftly support each other and smoothy exchange roles, carrying on a dance of their own.” Their 2007 world tour, commemorating the 35th anniversary of their first recording, resulted in the unprecedented double-album The New Crystal Silence. At the 2008 Grammy® Awards, The New Crystal Silence earned Corea and Burton the honor for Best Jazz Instrumental Album; it was, remarkably, the fourth Grammy Award for their collaborative works.
roy ayers SEPTEMBER 26 - 30
8 & 10:30PM
Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers enjoyed a musical upbringing. By the early ‘60s, he was playing regularly with a number of local performers, including such fixtures on the Los Angeles jazz scene as Teddy Edwards, Chico Hamilton, and Jack Wilson. In 1966, he joined jazz flutist Herbie Mann’s quartet and recorded with Mann for the next four years, a period that included the release of the flutist’s smash hit LP Memphis Underground (1969). Ayers left the Mann group and his post-bop past behind in 1970. He moved to New York, where he quickly formed his own band Ubiquity, an R&B and jazz-rock outfit with a constantly-shifting roster of musicians. When disco emerged in the second half of the ‘70s, Ayers and Ubiquity found themselves squarely in the limelight. Their hit song “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” became a dance floor sensation, their 1977 single “Running Away” broke into the R&B Top 20, and 1978’s “The Freaky Deaky” became popular enough to inspire a dance step of the same name.
$35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR
After touring with afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti at the end of the ‘70s, Ayers’s career cooled off in the mid’80s, as he scored a number of minor hits on the Columbia label. However, the ‘90s saw the demand for his sound explode again, as hip-hop, acid jazz, and R&B artists in the U.S. and England began to use samples of Ayers’s ‘70s hits in their work. Suddenly, he was back in the limelight and began releasing albums again, including 1995’s Nasté and 1999’s Juice. Although the new millennium has seen Ayers release fewer new albums, he remains a pop culture hero, as music industry heavyweights like Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest, Will Downing, and Talib Kweli seek him out for collaborations and sample his old hits. In many ways, his music is still years ahead of its time. “I’m honored that they picked my music,” he was quoted as saying. “I’m ubiquitous again.”
L a t e N i g h t G r o o v e S ERIE S
LAKECIA BENJAMIN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 12:30AM $10
A streetwise New York City native born and raised in Washington Heights, Lakecia Benjamin has become one of the most highly sought-after players in soul and funk music. Charismatic and dynamic as both a saxophonist and bandleader, she has worked with Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray, and more. She has performed on four continents, and her extensive recording credits include saxophone and arrangements for Santigold, Maurice Brown, the Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren, and Talib Kweli, among others. After being so in demand as a collaborator, Benjamin has recently taken center stage in her own right with the release
of her unconventional soul and funk album Retox (2012), on Motéma Music. The debut disc finds the saxophonist showing off her impeccable purist jazz resume with a deep, kaleidoscopic, and ingeniously arranged mix of original old school soul and funk songs.
RUSSELL TAYLOR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 12:30AM $10
Russell Taylor has the educational pedigree and the street cred to bridge the chasm between the block and yacht. His musical C.V. is formidable – he’s shared stages with some of his generation’s most respected musicians, includ-
ing Mary J. Blige, Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott, India Arie, Mint Condition, Tamia, Rahsaan Patterson, Jaguar, Eric Roberson, Lalah Hathaway, and Omar. With this kind of resume, it should be no surprise that Taylor regularly woos audiences from Paris to L.A., where they swoon over his soulful voice, pristine good looks, seductive smile, and genuinely affable personality. Taylor’s sophomore album, Confessional, came out in 2009. In the midst of times that are trying both economically and emotionally, the album revives the true meaning of sacrifice, giving sensually starved listeners an intimate view of romantic relationships draped in musical decadence. Open your ears and receive this blessing.
SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES
MARIANNE SOlIVAN
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
12:30 & 2:30PM $29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink
Quickly becoming one of the most buzzed-about jazz singers on the New York scene, Marianne Solivan claims, “I don’t recall having a big moment that made me like jazz. I just dug it.” It is that same simplicity of statement that characterizes Solivan’s style. The infallible swing of Ella, the daring of Betty Carter, the matter-of factness of Carmen McCrae – they can all be found in the voice of Marianne Solivan, whom trumpeter Jeremy Pelt has called “the modern-day paradigm to which all singers should aspire.” Armed with degrees from Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, Solivan is as likely to pop up
at Smalls Jazz Club with a full band as she is an intimate restaurant with only a piano or guitar for accompaniment. This afternoon, she pops up at the Blue Note. Don’t miss Solivan as she breathes new life into standards with a voice that’s both tender and passionate.
DIRTY VERS OF OUR LOG USE IF POS
ARRIVE EARLY, EAT DINNER & GET THE BEST SEATS 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR GUY DAVIS’ SLAMDOOKY
NUSKUMU PRESENTS
PETER BERNSTEIN W/ GREGOIRE MARET & SAM YAHEL CLEAN VER
SPECIAL GUEST GARY BARTZ & MORE, FUNDRAISER FOR THE DOCUMENTARy LIFE’S ESSENTIALS WITH RUBY DEE
COREY KING & TAFFYOF OUR LOG MOON HOOCH SEP 18 8PM
PRODUCED BY JILL NEWMAN PRODUCTIONS
SEP 13 8PM
WAYNE KRANTZ
50th Anniversary Tour
Bettye LaVette
WITH KEITH CARLOCK & NATE WOOD
SEP 21 8PM
CD & Book Release Show SEP 28 8PM
Rachael MacFarlane
Meshell Ndegeocello
“Hayley Sings”
A Dedication to Nina Simone
with Tedd Firth and the BIG AVAILABLE UPSTAIRS INBAND THE BLUE NOTE GIFT SHOP!
Produced by Jill Newman Productions
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UPCOMING AT THE BLUE NOTE JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO OCTOBER 2 - 7
GRP 3Oth ANNIVERSARY FT. DAVE GRUSIN, LEE RITENOUR & DIANE SCHUUR OCTOBER 9 - 14
DIZZY GILLESPIEtm ALUMNI ALL-STARS OCTOBER 16 - 21
JIMMY HEATH 86TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION OCTOBER 23 - 28
BUIKA OCTOBER 30, NOVEMBER 1-2
ELLIS MARSALIS QUARTET NOVEMBER 8 - 11
KENNY G NOVEMBER 15 - 17
JACQUI NAYLOR NOVEMBER 20 - 22
THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER NOVEMBER 23 - 25
GATO BARBIERI DECEMBER 3 & 4
DAVID SANBORN DECEMBER 5 - 9
CHRIS BOTTI DECEMBER 17 - JANUARY 6
DESSERTS & PAIRINGS SEASONAL FRUIT & SORBET NEW YORK CHEESECAKE RED VELVET CAKE TIRAMISU CINNAMON APPLE STRUDEL WARM LEMON TARTE CHOCOLATE & VANILLA TARTUFO FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE ICE CREAM SORBET OF THE DAY
12 10 10 10 9 9 10 10 9 8
add add add add add add add add add add
Limoncello Meletti Tia Maria Baileys Grand Marnier Amaretto Lazzaroni Drambuie Frangelico Dow’s 20-year Kahlua Prosecco
10 11 10 12 10 10 10 14 10 10
DIGESTIFS SINGLE MALT SCOTCH
Glenlivet 12 year 12 Glenfiddich 12 year 12 Macallan 12 year 14 Talisker 10 year 12 Glenmorangie 13 Oban 14 year 14 Dahlwinnie 15 year 15 Lagavulin 16 year 16 Mackillop’s 1989 Scapa 34 Deanston 30 year 40 Scott’s 1967 Glenlivet 58
SCOTCH blends
Chivas 12 Dewars 11 J & B 11 Johnny Walker Red 11 Johnny Walker Black 12 Johnny Walker Blue 38
LIQUEURs Amaretto Lazzaroni Aperol Baileys Irish Cream B&B Campari Chambord Cointreau Drambuie Dubbonet Fernet Branca Frangelico Grand Marnier Kahlua Lillet Limoncello Meletti Nocino Walnut Liqueur Pernod Poli Miele Honey Liqueur Sambuca Meletti Tia Maria
10 10 10 11 10 10 11 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 11
BRANDY & COGNAC
Courvoisier Hennessy VS Hennessy XO Remy Martin VSOP Remy Martin XO Martell VS Martell Cordon Bleu VSOP Navan Vanilla Cognac Tesseron XO – 1990 Avg Poli Grappa Moscato
12 12 36 18 36 12 25 11 15 15
DESSERT WINES Sherry, Dry Sack Sherry, Harvey’s Bristol Cream Taylor Fladgate Tawny Royal Tokaji Aszu “Red Label” Vidal Gold Icewine, Inniskillin Cab Franc Icewine, Inniskillin
10 10 15 21 20/100 130
BOURBON / Rye Redemption Rye 12 Basil Hayden 14 Booker’s 14 Knob Creek 14 Woodford Reserve 15 Whistle Pig 16
rum
Beija Cachaca 11 Bacardi Silver 11 Bacardi Gold 11 Brinley Gold Coconut 11 Captain Morgan’s 11 Meyer’s 12 Mount Gay 12 Blackwell 13 El Dorado 15-year 15 Pyrat XO 15
Blue Note Drink Menu MARTINIS $13 Manhattan
HENNESSY SIDECAR
Redemption rye whiskey, Carpano Antico sweet vermouth
Hennessy Cognac with Grand Marnier and fresh lemon juice
Negroni
BLUE NOTE MARTINI
DH Krahn gin, Campari, Carpano Antico sweet vermouth
citrus vodka, blue curocao, lime juice
VESPER
“MANTECA” MARTINI
Tanqueray gin, Chopin Vodka, and Lillet with a lemon twist
Brinley Gold coconut rum, coconutcream & pineapple juice
FRENCH MARTINI
ITALIAN CHOCOLATE MARTINI
Grey Goose vodka, Chambord & pineapple juice
Meletti Chocolate Liquer Stolivanilla vodka
APPLE MARTINI
Ketel One & apple schnapps
COSMOPOLITAN
Citrus Vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry & lime juice
METROPOLITAN
Absolut Kurant with Triple Sec, cranberry & lime juice
MARGARITA MARTINI
Sauza Conmemorativo tequila, agave, fresh lime & splash orange juice
Mixed drinks $12 ELDERFLOWER FIZZ DH Krahn gin, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon
RUBY RYE
Redemption rye whiskey, grapefruit juice, Chambord
caipirinha
Muddled limes, sugar and Beija Brazilian cachaca
BELLINI
BRANDY ALEXANDER
Prosecco & white peach puree
Brandy, crème de cacao & cream
PCPUNCH
CUBA LIBRE
Grey Goose pear vodka, Brinley coconut rum, pineapple juice
Blackwell rum, Coke & freshly muddled lime
MAI TAI
TOASTED ALMOND
Bacardi light rum, Meyers dark rum, almond liqueur, Triple Sec, Pineapple juice, splash sour mix
Amaretto, coffee liqueur & cream
BRAVE BULL
SPANISH COFFEE
Tequila, Kahlua & coffee
Tia Maria & coffee
SWISS COFFEE
Moca Almond
warm drinks $10 IRISH COFFEE
Irish whiskey & coffee
NUTTY IRISHMAN
Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico & coffee
Peppermint Schnapps, crème de cacao & coffee
Meletti chocolate liquer amaretto, coffee
beer and teas IMPORTED - $8
BELGIAN-STYLE ALE - $14
Sapporo, Amstel Light, Corona, Heineken, Guinness, Stella Artois, Bass Ale
Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale (750 ml)
DOMESTIC - $8
Buckler
Brooklyn Lager, Budweiser, Bud Light
NON-ALCOHOLIC - $6
REPUBLIC OF TEA ICED TEAS - $7 Pomegranate Green Iced Tea Republic Darjeeling Black Iced Tea Ginger Peach Decaf Black Iced Tea