OSCAR PEÑAS

Catalan- North american guitarist Oscar Peñas uses his unique skills to arrange, produce, and perform innovative compositions crossing jazz and classical genres, using non-traditional instrumentation in either style, outlining his arrangements and unique sound. Peñas was born in Barcelona, living in the states since 2005. His family loved traditional, folk, and flamenco music. His maternal grandfather was a trumpet player who occasionally played with Xavier Cugat’s orchestra in town.

Peñas’ first studies were devoted to classical music; he later developed a fascination with jazz and dedicated his career to the American genre. His decision led to this moment in his musical career, a road that crosses cultures and creative ideas, the primary genre melded by different grooves.

Peñas has expanded his focus to incorporate diverse rhythms and styles, creating extraordinary musical experiences that enrich lives and empower individuals through collaboration, innovation, and a passion for artistic excellence. His intuition and ear drive him to an amalgam of melodies that aim for the unexpected and merge multiple music styles that do not cohere into a single signature style.

As a performer, Peñas has released six albums as bandleader, composer, and performer; four albums in the USA under his own label Musikoz, and two in Barcelona, published by Fresh Sound New Talents. His collaborations with great American Jazz Master include; Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding, Gil Goldstein, Paquito D’Rivera, legendary bassist Ron Carter, Mike Stern, and pedal steel guitar Greg Leisz.

Cover: $38.56~$51.00

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ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY

The Best of Ann Hampton Callaway, the new show by the Tony nominated singer-songwriter. With her trio led by Grammy-winner Billy Stritch, Callaway dazzles us with highlights from her hit shows The Streisand Songbook, Ann Hampton Callaway Sings the ‘70s, The Linda Ronstadt Songbook, To Ella with Love, From Sassy to Divine: The Sarah Vaughan Project, and Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics and Originals. Come see why Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times calls her the “…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves…”

Joined by: Tim Horner on drums, Martin Wind on bass

 

Cover: $56.50~$62.00

Streaming: $28.50

Additional food & beverage minimum of $25 per person.

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FROM NEW YORK: NICK HEMPTON QUARTET CD RELEASE

In the summer of 2024, Hempton made one of his regular visits to Vancouver to reunite with his very soulful co-conspirators Jesse Cahill and Nick Peck for a weekend at Frankie’s, the city’s legendary jazz club. After some cajoling, Van City tenor legend Cory Weeds agreed to join on stage to form a two-horn quartet. Mics were set up, favourite tunes were chosen, cocktails were consumed; and with the Frankie’s crowd in fine fettle, urging us on with stomps and hollers, we laid down a set of hard-driving soul jazz.

In between shows, to balance the live feel, the cats descended into the murky shadows of a grungy basement studio, the carpeted walls dripping with years of accumulated funk. In keeping with the free blowing feel of the club gig, the studio session took place live, with no isolation and no safety net; and in the subterranean twilight the quartet knocked out a set of swingers in a couple of hours, each tune needing only one or two takes.

Weeds and Hempton are long-time friends and mutual admirers, and it was a gas to engage in a little sporting, good-natured combat, tipping their hats to the great two-tenor matchups of the past: Dexter Gordon and Herschel Evans, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis. And while they were wailing, Peck & Cahill were getting down to serious business, lighting the fire and keeping it burning until the last note faded.

Celebrate the release of their new cd Horns Locked!

The Band: Nick Hempton~tenor sax, Cory Weeds~tenor sax, Nick Peck~organ and Jesse Cahill~drums

Cover: Sold Out | Both Shows

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CYRUS NABIPOOR

Oregon trumpeter Cyrus Nabipoor on his West Coast ‘Known Entity’ tour is a distinctive voice both on the horn and in his songwriting, His singular sound has garnered him international acclaim. He has been a featured festival artist at PDX Jazz, Cathedral Park, Montavilla Jazz, New Orleans French Quarter, and Chicago Instigation.

To date, he has released 2 albums under his own name, and collaborated on numerous more. Cyrus has served on faculty at Loyola University New Orleans. He is an artist-in-residence at multiple Portland Public Schools, and runs a private trumpet studio.

Cover Charge: $18.00~$23.00

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BILL BANFIELD

Jazz guitarist Bill Banfield’s father just turned 100 years old. At a recent celebration, family and friends gathered virtually and in person to celebrate his life and ask his advice. Bill had been learning his father’s lessons for years, but a recent phone conversation led his dad to give him the title for his new Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings album. As Bill tells it, he was speaking with his dad when he suddenly realized that he had something else that he needed to do. His father said, “Bill, I will talk to you, but you must TAKE TIME TO LISTEN.” The words hit Bill like a thunderbolt, as his album was designed as encouragement to concentrate on the stories found deep in his music.

Born and raised in Detroit, Banfield attended the prestigious arts magnet school, Cass Tech. He was mentored by two of the city’s finest jazz guitarists, Kenny Burrell and Earl Klugh. He also learned from the examples of masters George Benson, John Scofield, Emily Remler, Pat Martino, and Jack Wilkins. Banfield calls his approach “solo-voiced guitar,” reflecting his belief that imagination and emotion are essential ingredients in all great music, and that his playing comes directly from his heart. Banfield dedicates Take Time To Listen  to Burrell and Klugh “to lift up these jazz guitar icons who greatly inspired and coached me as an early teen as I aspired to be like my heroes.”

Cover: $20.00

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