RUSSELL MALONE QUARTET

Russell Malone – guitar | Rick Germanson – piano | Vincent DuPont – drums | Neal Smith – drums

“Russell Malone has the storytelling skills of a great singer, perhaps a legacy of his many years with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall. – The Times (UK)

Guitar master Russell Malone leads his popular quartet with pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Vincent Dupont, and drummer Neal Smith. Malone is a musician deeply rooted in the blues and bebop, and his soulfully swinging approach is just one of many reasons why he is so popular. Chicago Tribune states, “Though he spikes his solos with occasional running lines, it’s gently rolled chords and lush sequences of harmonies that ultimately define his work,” and Jazz Times describes him as “an uncommonly sensitive interpreter of ballads.”

***PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows | Fees Apply To All Tickets

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THE MUSIC OF BENNY GOLSON

Eddie Henderson – trumpet | Ralph Moore – tenor saxophone | Steve Davis – trombone | Mike LeDonne – piano | Buster Williams – bass | Carl Allen – drums

“Among jazz’s greatest living composers.” – The Washington Post The music of jazz legend Benny Golson is celebrated and performed by the New Jazztet featuring trumpeter Eddie Henderson, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Carl Allen with special guest Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone. This group recorded together under Golson’s leadership in 2008, which resulted in the acclaimed album, New Time, New ’Tet. Golson is one of the most important contributors to jazz history as a player and the jazz canon as composer writing such enduring classics as “Killer Joe,” “I Remember Clifford,” “Along Came Betty,” “Stablemates,” “Whisper Not,” “Blues March,” “Five Spot After Dark,” and “Are you Real?” among quite a few others. He also was a major influence on the tenor saxophone playing in the bands of Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Earl Bostic, and Art Blakey. The full impact of his career on American culture is hard to summarize but Downbeat called him “a defining voice of modern jazz.”

***PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows | Fees Apply To All Tickets

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JACKY TERRASSON TRIO

Moving On ~ Record Release

Jacky Terrasson – piano | Kenny Davis – bass | Alvester Garnett – drums | Special Guest: Grégoire Maret – harmonica (Sat & Sun)

“Terrasson boasts a smooth-rolling conception and sophisticated touch that have long set him apart from the pack.”
 – Time Out New York Pianist Jacky Terrasson celebrates the release of his new album, “Moving On,” leading his American trio with bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Alvester Garnett with special guest Saturday and Sunday Grégoire Maret on harmonica. Since his arrival on the scene over 30 years ago, Terrasson has been one of the most groundbreaking and original pianists who has helped to reshape and redefine the sound of the classic trio. His inspired repertoire, bracing solos, and dramatic ensemble interplay are some of the hallmarks of his celebrated music. London Jazz News reports, “Terrasson has presence and theatricality, and his performance(s) brim with good ideas,” while JazzTimes reports, “There’s excitement and ingenuity embedded throughout (his) wholly original, shrewdly executed arrangements.”

***PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows | Fees Apply To All Tickets

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ODE FOR JOE: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF JOE HENDERSON

Nicholas Payton – trumpet | Walter Smith III – tenor saxophone (Wed – Fri, 4/17 – 4/19) | Melissa Aldana – tenor saxophone (Sat – Sun, 4/20 – 4/21) | Renee Rosnes – piano | Peter Washington – bass | Al Foster – drums

An all-star group performs the music of Joe Henderson, one of the most distinctive and admired artists in jazz history. Henderson was a prolific composer who wrote numerous jazz standards and was a transcendent soloist who left a discography of classic albums. The Guardian called him “a giant of the jazz saxophone.” The New York Times added, “Mr. Henderson was unmistakably modern,” and quoted the great Benny Golson, “Joe had one foot in the present, the other in the future, and he was just a step away from immortality.” Pianist Renee Rosnes and drummer Al Foster each spent significant parts of their careers working alongside Henderson. They celebrate Henderson’s April 24th birthday.

***PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows | Fees apply to all tickets

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Frank Meester was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on April 14, 1970 and studied philosophy and general literature at the University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 2010 to 2016 he was assistant lecturer in Philosophy and Professional Practice at The Hague University of Applied Sciences .

He went on to become the youngest of the writing duo Gebroeders Meester and wrote columns in Filosofie Magazine and de Volkskrant, among others. With Stine Jensen, they also wrote two books together about parenting and toured the country in 2018 and 2019 with the theater performance Het opvoedcircus.

Meester also plays in the Hot Club de Frank, founded in 1990 when he was just 20 years old. Two years later they expanded to a quartet and played in local cafes. In 1994 personnel changes took a turn at vocal swing and became a permanent salon band at the Amstel Hotel and the Amerstadam Bamboo Bar. They dropped their debut cd in 1996, De Heren van het Circus, to critical acclaim, and expanded once again to a quintet. Their sophomore release in 1999 hit success again being broadcast across the radio waves.

Another personnel transition has the band currently consisting of Meester, solo guitarist Harold Berghuis, violinist Jelle van Tongeren and saxophonist Wim Lammen. The band creates a new sound within gypsy jazz with different rhythms, other instruments and special arrangements. They have played festivals and European tours.

Double bassist Frank Meester, who has been published thirteen times, continues to perform with his sons Midas and Gilles in The Maestros.

ROBYN B. NASH

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