THE HARPER COLLECTIVE
The Harper Collective ~ Terence Harper ~ Trumpet, Dishan Harper ~ Bass, Winard Harper ~ Drums, Eric “Elew” Lewis ~ Piano, Frank Houston ~ Saxophone, Larry Strickland on percussion
This incredible lineup features world renown touring artist, Eric “ELEW” Lewis. In addition to ELEW, the collective consists of three members of the Legendary Harper Family, which includes, The Harper Brothers co-leader Winard Harper, Grammy Nominated Trumpeter Terence Harper and international touring bassist Dishan Harper!
The resumes between these amazing musicians are extraordinary. Collectively these musicians have been featured on hundreds of recordings including Grammy nominated and Grammy winning projects!
The two featured artists in The Harper Collective, Eric “ELEW” Lewis and Winard Harper have been an integral part of the New York Jazz scene for decades. They are considered to be among the greatest musicians of their generation!
Eric “ELEW” Lewis began his career playing as a sideman for jazz artists like Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Elvin Jones, Jon Hendricks, and Roy Hargrove. ELEW has also performed as a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has toured and recorded with Josh Groban, Esperanza Spalding, Sting, The Roots and Natalie Cole, just to name a few.
Winard Harper was a member of the hit jazz group, The Harper Brothers, which gained international success and stardom back in the early 1990’s when they released their hit jazz song entitled Remembrance, on Verve Record label. Remembrance, which was written by the senior member of the Harper family, Danny Harper, reached number 1 on the billboard charts for 6 straight weeks! Winard has toured and recorded with Dexter Gordon, Betty Carter, Jimmy Heath, Johnny Griffin, Etta James, Frank Wes, Nancy Wilson and many more!
Terence and Dishan Harper who are some of the youngest members of the Harper Family Dynasty are currently touring around the world. They have played and recorded with the great Curtis Lundy, Steve Turre, Jimmy Heath, Musiq Soulchild, Solange, Keith David, Bobby Watson and Chinese Movie Star and Mandopop artist Andy Lau just to name a few! Terence and Dishan have also appeared on numerous television shows and movies including, The Orignals as well as the remake of the movie The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey!
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gordon “Whitey” Mitchell was born on February 22, 1932 in Hackensack, New Jersey. He began on clarinet and tuba as a youngster before choosing bass as his primary instrument. He studied radio & television at Syracuse University and then plunged into the New York jazz scene, becoming a regular at the famed nightspots Birdland and Basin Street East.
He led his own groups at The Village Vanguard and The Embers and later toured with big band greats Benny Goodman and Pete Rugolo, played Carnegie Hall with Gene Krupa, appeared with Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Lester Young on Jazz At The Philharmonic.
In the early 1950s he played with Elinor Sherry and Shep Fields before serving in the Army during the Korean War. From 1954 he worked freelance in New York City, playing with Gene Krupa, Mel Tormé, Jack Jones, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Lester Young, Charlie Ventura, Herbie Mann, Betty Roche, Oscar Pettiford, Gene Quill, Joe Puma, Johnny Richards, Peter Appleyard, André Previn, Benny Goodman, and again with Rugolo.
He performed on hundreds of recording sessions, television and film scores but only released one album under his own leadership on ABC-Paramount in 1956, and one with his brother Red and Blue Mitchell in 1958 as The Mitchells: Red, Whitey & Blue, released on MetroJazz Records. Whitey recorded with Anita O’Day, Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, and played the bass solo introduction on Ben E. King’s hit record Stand By Me.
After 1965 he largely ceased playing jazz and moved to Hollywood, California on advice from Lenny Bruce and André Previn to pursue a career as a television writer. He worked on shows such as Get Smart, All In the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Odd Couple, Mork and Mindy, and several Bob Hope television specials. He wrote the feature film Private Resort starring Johnny Depp.
As an educator he taught screenwriting at UCLA and UC Riverside. In 1995 he had his own radio show, The Power Lunch and wrote a golf column for a local magazine. He recorded his CD Just In Time and played jazz in all the nightclub venues. He was the author of two books, Hackensack to Hollywood: My Two Show Business Careers and Star Walk: A Guide to the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
Bassist and television writer/producer Whitey Mitchell, who often placed in the Metronome and Downbeat jazz polls, transitioned on January 16, 2009.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Robert Hanley Casey was born in Johnson County, Illinois on February 11, 1909 and learned to play banjo and guitar as a child, playing both in regional ensembles in the Midwest. He didn’t pick up the bass until he was twenty and continued as a guitarist for some time after.
The mid-1930s saw him playing in NBC radio ensembles and working with Wingy Manone. In 1939 Bob joined Muggsy Spanier’s Ragtimers band but the group soon split, after which he played with Charlie Spivak, Brad Gowans, Eddie Condon, Miff Mole, and Joe Marsala. He played extensively on radio with several of these ensembles.
Casey was also a prolific session bassist, recording with Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, Cliff Jackson, Max Kaminsky, Eddie Edwards, Bud Freeman, Pee Wee Russell, Georg Brunis, George Wettling, Ralph Sutton, Joe Sullivan, and Boyce Brown in the 1940s and 1950s.
Relocating to Florida in 1957, he played with the Dukes of Dixieland. By the 1970s he was playing only occasionally. Double bassist Bob Casey transitioned on April 9, 1986, in Marion, Illinois.
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MIMI JONES & FRIENDS
For more than two decades Mimi Jones has been on the scene, bassist/vocalist/producer/label owner and now filmmaker Mimi Jones has reigned supreme, as a side woman to an impressive coterie of musicians and as a leader with three original recording projects on her own Hot Tone Music label.
Born Miriam Sullivan in New York City on March 25, 1972, and was raised in the Bronx. Jones studied Music at the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory, and has also studied with Linda McKnight, Lisle Atkinson, Barry Harris, Milt Hinton, Dr. Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef. She has toured extensively for over 30 years throughout the seven continents, and has played with such people as Frank Ocean, Kenny Barron, DD Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Tia Fuller, Roy Hargrove, Terri Lyne Carrington, Beyonce, Jason Moran, Common, Black Thought and more.
Mimi Jones co-directs a multimedia interdisciplinary production with pianist ArcoIris Sandoval entitled The D.O.M.E. Experience, creating choreography, musical and visual works inspired by social injustices and environmental changes in our world.
Voted #1 & #2 rising star by the DownBeat polls for 3 consecutive years, she currently works on a new project called The Black Madonna. The Berklee School of Music professor recently began collaborating with a trio called Nite Bjuti featuring Vocalist Candice Hoyes, and Sound Chemist Val Jeanty. Mimi is a recipient of the Chamber Music America Performance Plus Award 2021.
The Lab Session: Jam and Jazz Party | The Lab Session is an inspiring, inclusive jam session jazz party produced and hosted by veteran Jazz musician, educator and entrepreneur, Mimi Jones! Joining her are Steve Davis – trombone, Luis Perdomo – piano, Marcello Pelliteri – drums
This inspiring, inclusive jam session/ jazz party welcomes artist including musicians, vocalist, dancers,poets, rappers, visual artists, comedians and captivates audiences in a warm & fun vibe!
Featuring traditional jazz, contemporary jazz and experimental jazz, focusing on a different theme or songwriter for the night.
Sundays at 8pm & 9:30pm – Running time for each set is 75 minutes
General Admission – $15 / Advanced – $12
All Access Ticket – $35
Reserved Seating – $28
Premium Reserved Velvet Couch/Chair – $30
Blue Velvet Loveseat for 2 – $42
Dinner & A Show – $55 – updated prix fixe menu here
Participating Musician Ticket – $12 (includes 1 FREE drink)
$15 food/beverage minimum – Full menu can be found here!
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Johnny Hawksworth was born in London, England on February 2, 1924 and initially trained as a pianist, but also played double bass in the Ted Heath Orchestra during the early 1950s and through the 1960s. Becoming one of the most popular jazz bassists in the UK, he won numerous polls and was often featured as a soloist on Heath concerts and recordings.
As a composer Johnny wrote many television themes including Salute to Thames, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Roobarb, Man About the House and George and Mildred. He contributed some of the incidental music used in the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon, and his composition, Er Indoors, was frequently used in SpongeBob SquarePants. While working on films, he scored The Naked World of Harrison Marks, The Penthouse, and Zeta One.
Hawksworth has also written many pieces of stock music for the De Wolfe Music library. He also provided the hypnotic musical soundtrack to Geoffrey Jones’s classic British Transport Films Snow and has composed American-style blues-based material under the name Bunny J. Browne and classically-based material under the name John Steinway.
Bassist and composer Johnny Hawksworth transitioned on February 13, 2009 in Sydney, Australia at the age of 85.
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