Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Avery George Sharpe was born on August 23, 1954 in Valdosta, Georgia. His first instrument was the piano, which he started playing at eight years old. His mother was a pianist and church choir director and gave him lessons. In his youth he studied the accordion, electric bass, then double bass at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He studied double bass with Reggie Workman, and also studied with Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Horace Boyer and Fred Tillis.

He came to prominence under the tutelage of Archie Shepp and Art Blakey, played as a sideman with Yusef Lateef, Ricky Ford, and Joe Ford, among others. As an educator he is Artist Associate and Jazz Coach at Williams College. In addition he serves as Faculty Advisor for the Williams Gospel Choir, and has an affiliation with the Africana Studies department.

In 2004, he wrote a musical portrait for the stage for Chamber Music, and was featured with Jasmine Guy in the stage production of Raisin’ Cane. His composition January in Brazil is on McCoy Tyner’s Grammy winning big band album Journey.

Double and electric bassist, composer, educator and founder of the artist-owned record label, JKNM Records Avery Sharpe, who has released 14 albums as a leader and 40 as a sideman, continues to utilize all of his talents.

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The Jazz Voyager

Thanks to the fates who had me buy a roundtrip ticket to New York’s JFK to head back into the city for a night at Birdland. The Jazz Voyager will be heading down to the Broadway District for the second set of the Oscar Peterson Centennial Celebration. However, it’s Harlem during the day to hit a couple of favorite spots, wander through the art galleries and see the evolution of the city. 

This evening, Grammy-winning bassist John Clayton is joined by pianist Makoto Ozone and drummer Jeff Hamilton in celebration of their friend, colleague and mentor, Oscar Peterson. This is their first ever musical meeting at Birdland and will be performing his catalogue as well as their own compositions and beloved standards.

The cover charge ranges from $45.76 to $56.06 and this night promises to be something special. 

Birdland is located at 315 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. For more information contact the venue at https://www.birdlandjazz.com.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Nico Assumpção was born Antônio Álvaro Assumpção Neto on August 13, 1954 in São Paulo, Brazil. His father was a professional bass player, but he debuted in music by playing the acoustic guitar at the age of 10. He took classes with Paulinho Nogueira but changed to bass six years later to fill in the void in a schoolmate’s band.

At 16, he came to the United States to study harmony and orchestration at the University of California. Returning to Brazil he went to study at CLAM, with Brazilian bassists Luis Chaves and Amilton Godoy. In 1976 he again left Brazil and landed in New York City to study and perform on a deeper level. He played with among others Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, Sadao Watanabe, Larry Coryell, Fred Hersh, Larry Willis, Joe Diorio, John Hicks, Steve Slagle, Victor Lewis, Dom Salvador and Charlie Rouse.

While in the States he mastered various bass playing techniques, and became one of the pioneers of fretless and 6-string bass in Brazil when he came back in 1981. That same year he released the first bassist solo album in the country, titled Nico Assumpção. The following year he moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he lived for the rest of his life.

He was one of the most popular bassists in Brazil having played and/or recorded with Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, João Bosco, Maria Bethânia, Edu Lobo, César Camargo Mariano, Toninho Horta, Luiz Avellar, Wauke Wakabaiashi, Marco Pereira, Ricardo Silveira, Nelson Faria, Gal Costa, Hélio Delmiro, Maria Bethânia, Márcio Montarroyos, Raphael Rabello, Léo Gandelman and Victor Biglione, among others.

Bassist Nico Assumpção died from cancer on January 20, 2001 in Rio de Janeiro at age 47.

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OSCAR PETERSON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

August 15, 2025 marks the occasion of the “Maharajah of the Keyboard” Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday. For the occasion of his centennial and to commemorate his long history with Birdland, there will be celebrations for Peterson’s birthday week both at Birdland Jazz Club and the Birdland Theater.

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The Jazz Voyager

The Jazz Voyager is back in New York City for another evening of music at Columbus Circle. It sits in the middle of Broadway, connected to Central Park West with 59th Street heading east along the southern border of Central Park. Overlooking the park is the jazz club named after one of the greatest trumpeters of the 20th century, Dizzy’s, a name that is household renowned for jazz heads.

Bassist and composer Buster Williams brings his rich tone, infectious swing, and joyful spirit to the stage. A beloved fixture of the New York jazz scene, he’s played alongside greats like Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey, and Betty Carter, and now leads his dynamic group Something More. Get ready for a night of deep grooves, soulful melodies, and the kind of musical chemistry that makes live jazz unforgettable.

Performers: Buster Williams, bass | Steve Wilson, saxophone | Brandon McCune, piano (7/31 and 8/1) | Steve Nelson, vibes (8/2) |  Lenny White, drums

Cover: $25.00 ~ $65.00

Dizzy’s  is located at 3 Columbus Circle, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10019 For more information contact the venue at https://jazz.org/dizzys.

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