GARY VERSACE
The Band: Gary Versace~piano, Adam Kolker~saxophone, Jeremy Stratton~bass, Billy Mintz~drums
No cover. One Drink minimum. Tips for musicians encouraged.
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is flying east for another visit to the Motor City and some atmosphere and jazz at Cliff Bell’s. Starting out as a pub, turned speakeasy during Prohibition, it has become one of the premier jazz venues in the Midwest. I’m going to stop by Hitsville U.S.A. and take a nostalgic walk down the soul music memory lane before hitting the club.
I will be checking out a musician I have never heard before but is one who is keeping the tradition alive. He is a Grammy nominated saxophonist who goes by the name of De’Sean Jones and he brings his trio with him for the night. I’ll be catching the second set, as usual, just in case he decides to give anything extra.
The cover charge is $25.00 and Cliff Bell’s is located at 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226. For more information visit cliffbells.com.
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ALEXIS COLE TRIO
Award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole may be the most talented singer to ever hold a top-secret military clearance. A dozen albums into her critically acclaimed career, she may also be the best-kept secret in jazz, a status that’s certain to change as more people are discovering her for themselves.
The year 2009 was a big one for Alexis: She released her first albums on both Motéma Music and Venus Records… and went to Basic Training to prepare for her new job as a jazz singer for the US Army.
During her seven years in the Army’s Big Band, Cole had the opportunity to grow as a musician and a person, sharing the stage with ensembles as diverse as the New York Philharmonic and Kool and the Gang. Alexis continued recording throughout her tour of duty, releasing a string of well-received albums, including four titles for Venus, two for Motema, and two on Chesky Records. She proved her versatility on everything from jazz standards to Paul Simon’s lesser known compositions, to Disney love songs to a project on which she teamed up with a fellow serviceman 50 years her senior, the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.
Though Alexis transformed into an insightful interpreter of jazz during her Army years, understandably, her personal advancements and achievements had to take a back seat to her military responsibilities.
Cover: $30.00~$94.00 | The latter price is dinner & show
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JIHEE HEO
Now, nearly 15 years into her vibrant New York City journey, South Korean jazz pianist Jihee Heo has flourished as she immerses herself in the city’s magnificent jazz piano legacy. Her rich experiences living in various countries have beautifully shaped her unique musical style before she found her home in New York. Now a steady presence in the city’s clubs, her quartet is featured on her recent album “Flow,” which was appropriately recorded at the historic Rudy Van Gelder Studio with Joe Farnsworth, Alex Claffy, and Vincent Herring. Today, Jihee invites you to indulge in the joy of her music, where fresh and vivid colors come alive, supported by the strong rhythm section of Alex Claffy and Aaron Kimmel. Grounded in a deep respect for traditional jazz, Jihee beautifully intertwines its rich history with her innovative spirit. As Vincent Herring aptly states, “She is a promising voice at the piano, pointing to the future of jazz.”
Jihee Heo is a jazz pianist and composer based in New York City. Heo has showcased her talents at renowned festivals and venues, including Smalls, Mezzrow, Birdland, Zinc, Django, Sunset Sunside in Paris, and Jacques Pelzer in Belgium, as well as prominent events such as The Washington D.C. Jazz Festival, Leverkusen Jazz Festival, The International African Arts Festival, The Jersey Shore Festival, Bergen PAC, and Harlem Stage, among others.
The Band: Jihee Heo on Piano | Alex Claffy on Bass | Aaron Kimmel on Drums
Tickets: $30.00 + $7.00 fee | $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
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FREDA PAYNE
Freda Payne is a Detroit native who never realized her talents until the early age of twelve. Her piano teacher discovered her singing ability and from that point on Freda was singing for local affairs around Detroit and even entered talent contest on local TV as well as the national TV show, Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour. At age fourteen she joined The Don Large’s Make Way for Youth radio show broadcasted on station WJR in the penthouse of the Fisher Bldg. Freda’s first album deal was on the Impulse label with ABC Paramount in New York. After The Lights Go Down Low and much more. Recording her next album three years later on MGM records. Was an early protégé of Quincy Jones during his big band era, also performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2008 in honor of Quincy’s seventy fifth birthday celebration.
She has just released her latest 26th CD, Capitol Records Studio Recording Jazz Big Band cd Let There Be Love full of Duets with Johnny Mathis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and Kenny Latimore that is charting the jazz charts. Her previous CD Come Back Love on the Artistry label for Mack Ave, was a return to Freda’s true jazz roots
Tickets: $50.00 + $7.00 fee | $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
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