THE COOKERS

Each member of the Cookers has spent time leading his own series of groups, and each has a keenly individual sound. But it’s the unmistakable power of teamwork that makes this music so commanding and resonates with a kind of depth and beauty that speaks of the seasoned track record of its principals (combined, the group has over 250 years of experience in the jazz world and has been a part of over 1,000 recordings). You can feel the collective weight of that experience in their CDs and especially in their live performances.

David Weiss, trumpet
Eddie Henderson, trumpet
Donald Harrison, alto sax
Billy Harper, tenor sax
George Cables, piano
Cecil McBee, bass
Billy Hart, drums

Showtimes:

Streaming: Fri, Sat, November 18~19, 7:30 pm | Sun, November 20, 5:00 pm
$10 + $1.70 fee

Live: Fri, Sat, November 18~19, 7:30 & 10:00 pm | Sun, November 20, 5:00 pm
$35 – $45 + $3.46 – $4.16 fee

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BELA DONA

Washington DC is the birthplace of this exciting and diverse all-female band.The high-energy concert style presentation and dynamic musicianship exuded on stage is the selling point of these phenomenal ladies.

Their unique style of Funk, Jazz, R&B and Rock command an impressive drawing power attracting many beloved fans and local promoters. Individually, each band member has toured with various national artists such as Nile Rodgers(Chic), Pieces of a Dream, Chuck Brown, High Five, EU, Salt & Pepa, Pleasure, Stephanie Mills, Ginuwine, Crystal Waters, and many others.

Vocals: Sweet Cherie ~ MD/Keys, Karis Hill ~ MC, Kim Scott; Chella Davis; Taylor Gamble ~ Guitar; Shannon Browne ~ Drums; Tempest “Storm” Thomas ~ Bass, Claudia”Kool Keys”Rodgers ~ Keys; Natarsha Proctor ~ Percussion

Actual Showtime:

Streaming: Thu, July 28, 7:30 PM | $10 + $1.70 fee

Live: Thu, July 28, 7:30 PM | $30 – $35 + $3.10 – $3.46 fee

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CHARLES WILSON QUINTET

Charles Wilson – Drums
Hope Udobi – Piano
Theljon Allen – Trumpet
Elijah Easton -sax
Mike Saunders – bass

Charles “Charlie” Wilson is a drummer, pianist and bass guitar player. He started playing music at the age of 5, where he began taking lessons taught by Orlando Cotto at Nathan Carter’s School of Music in Baltimore. He attended Archbishop Curley High School under a music scholarship where he won several awards such as the North Texas Jazz Festival Outstanding Soloist Award and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. As a teen working under the City’s Youth Works Program, he was assigned at Paul L. Dunbar High School’s Music Program where he worked under the leadership of one of the greatest educators and musicians of all times, Charles Funn.

Actual Show Times:

Streaming: Wed, July 6, 7:30 PM | $10 + $1.70 fee

Live: Wed, July 6, 7:30 PM | $20 – $25 + $2.40 – $2.76 fee

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John William Heard was born on July 3, 1938 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in his early years he played saxophone. He began playing bass at the age of 14. His professional career began in a band that included sax player Booker Ervin, drummer J.C. Moses, pianist Horace Parlan and trumpet player Tommy Turrentine. While in high school, he attended special classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Joining the United States Air Force in 1958 John was sent to Germany. Because of his art experience he was given a job of designing posters for events. He also did some art teaching, teaching the wives of officers. He left the Air Force in 1961 and enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He returned to music and went to Buffalo, New York with a later move to California.

The Sixties saw him playing double bass with Turrentine, Al Jarreau, Jean-Luc Ponty, Sonny Rollins and Wes Montgomery. The 1970s he was with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Count Baie, Louie Bellson, Joe Henderson, Ahmad Jamal, John Cillins, Blue Mitchell and Oscar Peterson. By the Eghties he had moved on to perform with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Buddy Montgomery and Pharoah Sanders and Larry Vuckovich. During the decade he teamed with Tom Ranier and Sherman Ferguson to create the group Heard, Ranier, Ferguson in which they released an album in 1983.

Desiring to retire from music in order to spend more time painting, Heard managed to record with Tete Montoliu, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Art Pepper, Clark Terry, Pharoah Sanders, Zoot Sims and Joe Williams. He would return to music, record with Benny Carter, release his album The Jazz Composer’s Songbook and form his group, The John Heard Trio that played at Charlie O’s club in Van Nuys, California. With over 52 recording dates as a sideman with a who’s who list of jazz musicians from the 60’s to 2010, double bassist, bandleader and painter John Heard transitioned on December 10, 2021 at the age of 83.

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Three Wishes

When the subject of three wishes was broached, Willie Ruff told Nica he had only one that he would like to be granted and that was:  

1. 1. “I wouldn’t have three wishes. I would only have one and that’s to be forty. Because by then I will have everything I need.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

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