HENDRIK MEURKENS QUINTET
Hendrik Meurkens, a virtuoso on both the chromatic harmonica and the vibraphone, is the most important jazz harmonica player since Toots Thielemans. German-born but now based in New York, Meurkens’ recordings and performances garner worldwide acclaim because the transcendent beauty of his music has universal appeal.
A two-mallet player in the tradition of Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, Hendrik Meurkens was en-route to being an instantly recognizable vibraphonist when he heard Toots Thielemans. Inspired by the sound of Thielemans’ harmonica, he taught himself the difficult-to-master instrument.
Hendrik Meurkens’ other life-changing musical experience was his introduction to samba and bossa nova. He was so moved by Brazilian music that after perfecting his unique musical voice at Berklee, as a vibraphone major, he moved to Rio in the early 80s to totally immerse himself in music and culture of Brazil.
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,harmonica,jazz,music,preserving,travel
JOSHUA REDMAN
Celebrating his “where are we” tour with us at Keystone Korner Baltimore this February,Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley, and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police, and Led Zeppelin drew Joshua more deeply into music. Although he loved playing the saxophone, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician. After graduating from Harvard College with a B.A. in Social Studies, he had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year to join friends in Brooklyn. Redman almost immediately he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene. In November 1991, five months after moving to New York, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition.
Sets: 7pm & 9:30pm
Joshua Redman ~ tenor saxophone
Gabrielle Cavassa ~ voice
Paul Cornish ~ piano
Philip Norris ~ bass
Nazir Ebo ~ drums
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,saxophone,travel,vocal
NICOLE HENRY & MARCUS JOHNSON
Since her debut, Nicole Henry has established herself among the jazz world’s most acclaimed performers, possessing a potent combination of dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing, and powerful emotional resonance. Her passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” and four Top-10 jazz albums on U.S. Billboard, Jazz Week, HMV Japan & UK Sweet Rhythms charts. Heralded by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, El Pais, Jazz Times, Essence and more, Ms. Henry tells real stories through peerless interpretations of repertoire from the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals.
Keyboardist and bandleader Marcus Johnson mans the boundaries between smooth jazz and modern R&B. While pursuing his JD and MBA at Georgetown, Marcus Johnson independently produced and distributed his first CD (Lessons in Love), which sold more than 40,000 units; a phenomenal success for an unknown independent artist’s debut release. This album helped him launch his career as a renowned jazz keyboardist/pianist, and later, he released his second CD (Inter Alia), with staggering success. This success caught the attention of Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and businessman Robert L. Johnson. To date, Marcus has released more than fifteen Billboard charted CDs, and has numerous songs chart Top 10 on Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts simultaneously.
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,piano,preserving,travel,vocal
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER
Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet with Carman Staff, Amina Scott & Shirazette Tinnin
Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner recently won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee.
Bridgewater’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Louis Big Band, and throughout the 70s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. After a foray into the pop world during the 1980s, she relocated to Paris and began to turn her attention back to Jazz. Signing with Universal Music Group as a producer (Bridgewater produces all of her CDs), Bridgewater released a series of critically acclaimed titles beginning with Keeping Tradition in 1993. All but one, including her wildly successful double Grammy Award-winning tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Dear Ella, have received Grammy nominations.
Friday & Saturday at 7pm & 9:30pm
Carman Staff ~ Piano & Keys
Amina Scott ~ Acoustic & Electric Bass
Shirazette Tinnin ~ Drums
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,vocal
TATIANA EVA~MARIE
Nicknamed “the Gypsy-jazz Warbler” by the New York Times and acclaimed as a “millennial shaking up the jazz scene” by magazine Vanity Fair, TATIANA EVA-MARIE is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, and actress based in Brooklyn.
Best known for her work leading the Avalon Jazz Band – a band with a Parisian “vintage” flair that has gathered 80 million views on YouTube – her interests have led her to explore a wide range of musical styles, from 1930s pop to modern jazz. Tatiana Eva-Marie’s singing is always inspired by her own French and Romani heritage; a love for the Parisian art scene era spanning the 1920s to the 60s; a passion for Gypsy music and a deep connection to the Great American Songbook.
Through the lens of this musical kaleidoscope, she explores the music of Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet, Cole Porter, and other composers who were at the origins of French jazz, while adding her own original lyrics and arrangements to the mix.
The Band:
Tatiana Eva-Marie ~ Vocals
Gabe Terracciano ~ Violin
Dennis Pol ~ Guitar
Wallace Stelzer ~ Bass
Streaming: $15.00
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,vocal