VANESSA RUBIN
Revered as both a torchbearer and a storyteller, jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin possesses a voice hailed for crystalline clarity, hearth-like warmth and playful lioness sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father. Additional homespun influences include the melodic bell tone clarity of a young Capital Records recording artist, Nancy Wilson, the fire of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the sweet sounds of trumpeter Blue Mitchell as well as her love of the Motown Sound…especially girl groups like the Supremes.Revered as both a torchbearer and a storyteller, jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin possesses a voice hailed for crystalline clarity, hearth-like warmth and playful lioness sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father. Additional homespun influences include the melodic bell tone clarity of a young Capital Records recording artist, Nancy Wilson, the fire of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the sweet sounds of trumpeter Blue Mitchell as well as her love of the Motown Sound…especially girl groups like the Supremes.
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The Jazz Voyager
Just a short hop by plane from Ann Arbor, Michigan west to Chicago, Illinois for this year’s edition of their jazz festival, however, this Jazz Voyager, tired of planes, is going to take a leisurely four hour drive and catch some scenery along the way and round the tip of Lake Michigan to the Windy City.
If you’ve never been to the Chicago Jazz Festival, this is a perfect way to close out the summer! The city is featuring several stages presenting the likes of Ron Carter, Chico Freeman, Ari Brown, Dianne Reeves, Makaya McCraven, Billy Valentine and Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, with a host of other performers. Running from August 31 ~ September 3, the music starts at 11:00am, goes to 9:00pm and admission is free. I’ll be there all weekend.
More info at www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_jazz_festival5.
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The Jazz Voyager
From the West Coast to middle America the jazz Voyager is off to Ann Arbor, Michigan to seize the opportunity to witness the ambience of Blue Llama, a jazz club where it is said they present live jazz and world music paired with New Orleans-inspired cuisine. A destination music venue and restaurant located at 314 S. Main Street 48104, this week they are offering up for our musical pleasure the guitar talents of Randy Napoleon.
The jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger has toured both nationally and internationally leading his own groups as well as with the Freddy Cole Quartet, pianist Benny Green, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra led by John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton, Rene Marie, and Michael Bublé.
He is an associate professor in the College of Music at Michigan State University[5] and has done master classes at universities and music schools throughout the United States, Canada and Japan.
More information can be had by calling 734-372-3200 or go to bluellamaclub.com.
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DUETS: DIANNE REEVES, CHUCHO VALDÉS, JOE LOVANO
Jazz royalty – times three.
In a rare engagement together and their only joint appearance in NYC, the powerhouse triumvirate of Dianne Reeves, Joe Lovano, and Chucho Valdés joins us for an evening of duets. Don’t miss the preeminent vocalist and NEA Jazz Master, saxophone titan, and leading figure in Afro-Cuban jazz, as they perform in pairings that showcase their artistry in stunning new ways.
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PAT METHENY
Dream Box Tour | Kaufmann Concert Hall
Guitar god Pat Metheny – one of the most revered and influential artists in jazz and beyond – joins us for an exclusive NYC appearance on his new Dream Box solo tour.
An unprecedented performance setting for the 20-time Grammy Award winner, the concert features personal and fan favorites from Metheny’s remarkable nearly 50-year career, with an emphasis on the “quiet electric guitar” aspects of his artistry in music Downbeat has hailed for its “unadorned, heartfelt beauty.”
Metheny says, “[This] is something different for me – focused on the various ways of playing solo I have explored across all these decades, in an evening that I think will be very special.” Performing on 12 guitars from his ever-growing collection, this is a rare chance to hear the most personal side of this trailblazing artist.
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