MONTY ALEXANDER
Monty Alexander O.J.: “Honoring Harry Belafonte” with Luke Sellick & Jason Brown
From Kingston, Jamaica, his hometown, Grammy nominated pianist Monty Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. A perennial favorite at Jazz festivals and venues worldwide and at the Montreux Jazz Festival where he has appeared 23 times since 1976, his spirited conception is one informed by the timeless verities: endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, sophisticated voicings, a romantic spirit, and a consistent predisposition, as Alexander accurately states, “to build up the heat and kick up a storm.” In the course of any given performance, Alexander applies those aesthetics to a repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expressions—the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and reggae. Documented on more than 75 recordings and cited as the fifth greatest jazz pianist ever in The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time (Hal Leonard Publishing), the Jamaican government designated Alexander Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2000 and in 2018 The University of The West Indies bestowed him with an honorary doctorate degree (DLitt) in recognition of his accomplishments. For this engagement, Monty, along with bassist Luke Selick and drummer Jason Brown, commemorates his long friendship with Harry Belafonte, Jr. in stories and song.
Showtimes: 7:00pm | 8:30pm | 9:30pm | 10:30pm
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MIMI JONES & FRIENDS
The Lab Session: Jam and Jazz Party
For more than two decades she’s been on the scene, bassist/vocalist/producer/label owner and now filmmaker Mimi Jones has reigned supreme, as a side woman to an impressive coterie of musicians and as a leader with three original recording projects on her own Hot Tone Music label. Born Miriam Sullivan in New York City on March 25, 1972, and was raised in the Bronx. Jones studied Music at the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory, and has also studied with Linda McKnight, Lisle Atkinson, Barry Harris, Milt Hinton, Dr. Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef. She has toured extensively for over 30 years throughout the seven continents, and has played with such people as Frank Ocean, Kenny Barron, DD Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Tia Fuller, Roy Hargrove, Terri Lyne Carrington, Beyonce, Jason Moran, Common, Black Thought and more. Mimi Jones co-directs a multimedia interdisciplinary production with pianist ArcoIris Sandoval entitled The D.O.M.E. Experience, creating choreography, musical and visual works inspired by social injustices and environmental changes in our world. Voted #1 & #2 rising star by the DownBeat polls for 3 consecutive years, she currently works on a new project called The Black Madonna. The Berklee School of Music professor recently began collaborating with a trio called Nite Bjuti featuring Vocalist Candice Hoyes, and Sound Chemist Val Jeanty. Mimi is a recipient of the Chamber Music America Performance Plus Award 2021.
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AKUA ALLRICH & THE TRIBE!
Jazz vocalist and DC-native Akua Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. With finesse and charisma, this vocalist, composer and teacher, has successfully etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences in and around the nation’s capital with sold-out performances.
Allrich’s style is fluid and ever evolving. Her musical roots run deeply into blues, soul and rhythm and blues, with a clear grounding in jazz and pan-African music. She sings in many languages including Portuguese, French, Spanish, English, Xhosa, and Twi. Given her ability to capture the essence of a broad range of musical genres, Allrich is often likened to legendary artists such as Oscar Brown, Jr., Miriam Makeba, Bob Marley and Nina Simone. She has developed popular tribute programs involving the latter two women and other great African American women of jazz.
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RUSSELL MALONE QUINTET
Russell Malone – guitar George Coleman – tenor saxophone Michael Weiss – piano Vincent Dupont – bass Willie Jones III – drums “Russell Malone has the storytelling skills of a great, perhaps a legacy of his many years with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall.” – The Times of London Guitar master Russell Malone features very special guest George Coleman with his exceptional quartet of pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Vincent Dupont, and drummer Willie Jones III. Malone is a musician deeply rooted in the blues and bebop, and his soulfully swinging approach is just one of many reasons why he is so popular. Chicago Tribune states, “Though he spikes his solos with occasional running lines, it’s gently rolled chords and lush sequences of harmonies that ultimately define his work,” and JazzTimes describes him as “an uncommonly sensitive interpreter of ballads.”
Showtimes: Friday & Saturday ~ 7:00pm | 9:00pm | 10:30pm
Showtimes: Sunday ~ 7:00pm | 9:00pm
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BILL CHARLAP, AARON DIEHL, ISAIAH J. THOMPSON, CAELAN CARDELLO
The present – and future – of jazz piano convenes on the stage that has hosted legends of the art form from Thelonious Monk to Hank Jones to Chick Corea.
Jazz in July artistic director Bill Charlap is joined by a dynamic virtuoso of modern jazz piano, the sublimely talented Aaron Diehl, and two fast-rising piano stars of the next generation. Isaiah J. Thompson, winner of the 2023 American Pianists Awards, has been hailed by NPR as, “a young musician and composer with a mature touch and rare combination of talent, creativity, humility, and honesty.” Caelan Cardello is the recipient of the 2021 BMI Foundation’s Future Jazz Master Award, and has played with such major artists as Jimmy Cobb, Rufus Reid, and Christian McBride. Hear them all in solo, trio, and two-piano performances, with the masterful rhythm team of bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Carl Allen.
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