WAYNE ESCOFFERY

“Like Minds” Record Release

Wayne Escoffery – tenor saxophone
Nicholas Payton – trumpet
David Kikoski – piano
Ugonna Okegwo – bass
Mark Whitfield Jr. – drums

Saxophonist Wayne Escoffery celebrates the release of his anticipated new album Like Minds (Smoke Sessions) by performing the music from with a superb quintet—special guest trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. Escoffery, a prominent protégé of the great Jackie McLean, faithfully channels his former mentor’s powerful approach. All About Jazz says, “Not since the works of bassist Charles Mingus and saxophonist John Coltrane has there been music so charged with emotion and so engulfed in spirituality.” Stereogum adds, “the leader’s playing has thoughtfulness and muscle in equal measure.”

“Every time he plays, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery brings a sense memory that includes early days in the church choir in New Haven, Connecticut; the wisdom and watchful eye of the legendary Jackie McLean; time spent with The Mingus Big Band, Ron Carter and Tom Harrell.” – Gary Walker, WBGO.org

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E. J. STRICKLAND

Jaleel Shaw – alto & soprano saxophone
Myron Walden – tenor sax & bass clarinet
Victor Gould – piano
Eric Wheeler – bass
E.J. Strickland – drums

Drummer E.J. Strickland leads an impressive quintet featuring saxophonists Jaleel Shaw and Myron Walden, pianist Victor Gould, and bassist Eric Wheeler. Strickland is a world-class, world-traveled drummer who has toured, performed, and recorded with some of the greatest names in contemporary music including Cassandra Wilson, Terence Blanchard, Lizz Wright, Wynton Marsalis, George Colligan, David Gilmore, Vincent Herring, and Nnenna Freelon. The Hartford Courant reports his drumming “has a rare balance of subtlety and power” while All About Jazz adds, “(he) belongs to a technically brilliant and forward-thinking group of young musicians.” And Downbeat says he emits “fields of cumulative energy, clouds of feather-touch and heavy-handed syncopations, latent with power like an oncoming storm.”

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BUSTER WILLIAMS & SOMETHING MORE

“UNALONE” Record Release

Bruce Williams – alto saxophone
Stefon Harris – vibraphone
George Colligan – piano
Buster Williams – bass
Lenny White – drums

Bassist Buster Williams celebrates the release of his exciting new album, Unalome (Smoke Sessions), accompanied by his acclaimed quintet, Something More. This well-known and beloved ensemble features vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist Bruce Williams, pianist George Colligan, as well as fellow music legend, drummer Lenny White. The Guardian calls Williams “one of the great acoustic bassists,” and JazzTimes adds “Williams’ résumé ranks with that of any bassist in the modern era.” That resume includes working with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt when he was only 17; backing the singing legends Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson in the ’60s; anchoring Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi sextet into the ’70s; and co-founding the Timeless All-Stars and Sphere after that. As important as he is as a bassist, he is also well-known as a composer and bandleader. The New Yorker hails his music as “modern, mainstream at its best.”

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HAYS ~ STREET ~ HART

Kevin Hays – piano
Ben Street – bass
Billy Hart – drums

This all-star collective trio featuring pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street and drum legend Billy Hart make a special Wednesday night appearance to warm up for a recording session. Hays has appeared on over 60 albums recording with Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, and Al Foster. Other notable collaborations include a widely acclaimed duo project with Brad Mehldau, as well as performances with James Taylor, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and Roy Haynes. Bassist Street is esteemed for his work with John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Sam Rivers, and as a member of Billy Hart Quartet with whom he’s developed a strong rapport. Billy Hart has had a rich and varied career including tenures with Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi, McCoy Tyner, and Stan Getz. He also leads his own quartet and has released a series of acclaimed albums. The Detroit Free-Press has stated, “Want to know what jazz is really about? Listen to Billy Hart.”

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EDDIE HENDERSON

Eddie Henderson – trumpet
Donald Harrison – alto saxophone
Kevin Hays – piano
Gerald Cannon – bass
Mike Clark – drums

Trumpeter Eddie Henderson leads an inspired quintet of trusted collaborators featuring saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Mike Clark. Henderson’s “deft feel and plush sound made him a central figure in the worlds of jazz- funk and hard-bop in the 1970s” according to The New York Times. More recently, the eternally youthful Henderson, has made a series of recordings that have also been widely acclaimed and prove that he is still making some of the most important music of his career into his 80s. The Chicago Reader adds, “His progressive, assured, and imaginative improvisations roll out in a glorious sun-splashed tone… he seems to dance through his solos, balancing his quick clockwork technique with bursts of bluesy soul.”

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