The Jazz Voyager
Heading to O’Hare to catch a morning flight to NOLA to experience far beyond the French Quarter the city that gave the world Congo Square, Storyville and Preservation Hall. This week I’ll be sitting in the infamous Snug Harbor. Opening some thirty years ago in the Faubourg Marigny in the 7th Ward, it’s just downriver from the French Quarter and has been known as the place locals go for live music since the 1980s. Anchoring Frenchmen Street between Royal and Chartres Streets, there’s Live music 7 nights a week.
On the stage is bassist, composer, and bandleader Jasen Weaver who is a New Orleans native of New Orleans, who has established himself as a vital part of the city’s jazz scene and beyond. This will be this voyager’s first time witnessing his talent and of course will be at the second show at 9:30pm.
Cover: $41.30
Snug Harbor is located at 626 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, LA 70116. For more information contact the venue at https://snugjazz.com/calendar.
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DANILO PEREZ, JOHN PATITUCCI, ADAM CRUZ TRIO
As a solo artist and as a collaborator with jazz giants from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter, for over three decades Grammy-Award Winning Panamanian Pianist-Composer Danilo Pérez has been lauded as one of the most creative forces in contemporary music. With Jazz as the anchoring foundation, Pérez’s Global Jazz music is a blend of Panamanian roots, Latin American folk music, West African rhythms, European impressionism – promoting music as a borderless and multidimensional bridge between all people. Since 1993 Pérez has released twelve albums which have earned him critical acclaim, and numerous accolades around the world. He is a recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award in 2021, the United States Fellowship 2018, and the 2009 Smithsonian Legacy Award.
For nearly two decades, Pérez performed alongside bassist John Patitucci as the pianist and key collaborator of the Wayne Shorter Quartet. The quartet became known for an almost telepathic way of communicating musically, winning the Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy Award in 2019 for Blue Note Records release, EMANON. Patitucci first came to worldwide acclaim in the mid-1980s, when his work with Chick Corea helped put him at the forefront of the jazz world. Patitucci has recorded and performed throughout the world with his own band and with countless jazz luminaries, pop, and classical artists.
Drummer, composer, and educator Adam Cruz was born in New York City and has been a vital creative force on the international jazz scene. He leads his own group, is an integral part of renowned pianist Danilo Pérez’s trio, and regularly works with artists such as Tom Harrell, The Mingus Big Band, Joey Calderazzo, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson and Edward Simon. Adam currently teaches at CCNY and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.
*Please Note: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows
Tickets: $25 | $30 | $40 | $45 – Wednesday & Thursday, $35 | $40 | $50 | $55 -Friday & Sunday, $35 | $50 | $60 | $65 – Saturday
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JASEN WEAVER SEXTET
Jasen Weaver is a highly regarded bassist, composer, and bandleader known for his deep, resonant tone, exceptional versatility, and dynamic presence on stage. A native of New Orleans, Weaver has established himself as a vital part of the city’s jazz scene and beyond. Over the years, he has performed and toured with an impressive array of esteemed artists, including Donald Harrison, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Herlin Riley, Adonis Rose, and Stefon Harris. His adaptability and solid rhythmic foundation allow him to shine in various settings, from traditional jazz to modern fusion, funk, and beyond. His ability to anchor ensembles with groove and precision, while also contributing thoughtful, melodic solos, has made him a sought-after collaborator both locally and internationally.
In addition to his work as a sideman, Jasen Weaver leads his own ensemble, the Jasen Weaver Band, which explores his original compositions that blend modern jazz with soulful melodies, intricate rhythms, and influences from New Orleans’ rich musical traditions. His critically acclaimed debut album, The Voscoville, is a testament to his skills as both a bassist and composer, offering a fresh and innovative approach to contemporary jazz.
Tickets; $41.30
The Band:
Jasen Weaver – bass
Steve Lands – trumpet
Chloe White – alto/soprano sax
Scott Johnson – tenor sax
Chris Coreil – piano/keyboard
Gerald Watkins – drums
Shows: 7:30pm & 9:30pm
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MARCUS MILLER, TANK & THE BANGAS, SOUL REBELS, DJ LOGIC
The opening of our free concert series, SummerStage and long standing programming partner, Blue Note Jazz Festival, has assembled a group of performers that stretch the boundaries of jazz and funk to incorporate the wide variety of African Diaspora sounds. “Laid Black” multi-instrumentalist Marcus Miller has collaborated closely with artists who can be called legends without any hyperbole: Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Luther Vandross, Wayne Shorter, and David Sanborn– to name a few.
The two-time GRAMMY winning artist’s chops are deadly serious, but he still knows how to keep it loose, counting “Da Butt,” the tongue-in-cheek anthem from Spike Lee’s School Daze, among his impressive songwriting credits. The evening also features two New Orleans-based SummerStage alumni: Tank and the Bangas, the NPR Tiny Desk contest-winning ensemble that fuses funk, soul, hip-hop, rock, and spoken-word poetry into an unforgettable performance, fresh off a GRAMMY win for leading lady Tank’s spoken word album; and The Soul Rebels, an eight-piece ensemble revolutionizing the conventional brass band framework to inject new life into sounds from across the pop spectrum. DJ Logic will be on the ones and twos between sets.
Cover: Free
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is traveling from Nashville to Philly to investigate a venue that is new to him. It’s called Chris’ Jazz Cafe. Known as an institution in a city for producing revered musical artists as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Ethel Waters, it was founded in 1989 and has become the longest operating jazz venue in the history of the city.
This week taking the stage is bassist David Brodie who started playing the electric bass at the age of thirteen, not taking up the upright until nineteen while at Berklee College of Music. A year in Spain, a return to Philadelphia, and a joining with guitarist Jimmy Bruno, he played with him for the next several years. His reputation well established, he has enjoyed a busy playing and recording career and has performed with some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians while performing regularly with a few of Philly’s finest such as Larry McKenna, John Swana, and Joanna Pascale. Joining him on this date is Chris’ All Star Quartet.
The Band: Dave Brodie ~ Bass | Neil Pogurski ~ Piano | Victor North ~ Saxophone | Byron Landham ~ Drums
Shows: 7:30pm & 9:00pm | Cover: $15.00 | A La Carte Menu
Dinner & Show: $70.00 | Includes 3 Course Inner | VIP Dinner & Show: $90.00 | Includes Dinner, Stage Front Seating | Beverages Not Included
Chris’ Jazz Cafe is located at 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. For more information contact the venue at https://www.chrisjazzcafe.com.
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