Betty Shirley – vocals | Will Thompson – piano | Mark Kravanick – bass | Simon Lott – drums
Longtime New Orleans jazz vocalist, visual artist and educator Betty Shirley has come full circle in her life and is now reaping the benefits of her hard-earned endeavors. The Times-Picayune declares Shirley’s a voice that should be heard round the world.
Tonight, Ms. Shirley presents one of her acclaimed concerts in Tribute to Bessie Smith and Nina Simone, alongside some beloved jazz, blues and juke joint favorites. Arranger of the material for tonight’s show is her musical director, pianist Will Thompson.
Shows at 7:30 & 9:30pm
Doors at 7:00pm & 9:00pm
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Steve Turre – trombone & shells | Nicholas Payton – trumpet | Ron Blake – saxophones | Christian Sands – piano | Buster Williams – drums | Lenny White – drums
Steve Turre, trombone master and innovating performer on seashells, celebrates the release of his exciting new album, Saynas, which is surprisingly his first live recording in 50 years as a leader. Its title was inspired by the brightly colored robes of the Sanyasi, Hindu monks who have renounced worldly goods and pursuits. It also happens to be Turre’s first recorded composition and first solo on Woody Shaw’s 1975 release The Moontrane. Downbeat says, “Few artists ‘own’ their instrument to the degree that trombonist Steve Turre does. Whether playing the music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, performing as a member of the Saturday Night Live house band, or with one of his own units, his voice is distinctive and memorable.” He convenes an impressive and historic sextet for the occasion with music legends bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White, joined by trumpeter Nicholas Payton, saxophonist and SNL band colleague Ron Blake, and pianist Christian Sands.
“The jazz world needs more Steve Turres. A powerful technician with a quick wit, Turre is perhaps the leading trombonist of this generation.”
– Rolling Stone
*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows
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Jeremy Pelt – trumpet | Vincent Herring – alto saxophone | Rick Germanson – piano | Kenny Davis – bass | Louis Hayes – drums
Living legend Louis Hayes returns with the incredible Cannonball Legacy Band with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, also saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Rick Germanson, and bassist Kenny Davis. “Hayes’ drumming is as superb and as youthful as ever.” writes All About Jazz. Born and raised in Detroit, Hayes moved to New York in 1956 to replace Arthur Taylor in the Horace Silver Quintet; he recorded five classic Blue Note albums with Silver before joining Cannonball Adderley in 1959 for an equally momentous six-year stint. The drummer’s remarkable career also includes extended stays with the legendary trios of Oscar Peterson and McCoy Tyner and, more recently, with this esteemed group, the Cannonball Legacy Band, which he co-founded.
“Drummer Louis Hayes elevates the music from within, using finesse and hip nuance rather than playing on top of it with overt chops.”
– JazzTimes
*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows
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Giveton Gellin – trumpet | Jon Beshay – tenor saxophone | Eric Reed – piano | Nick Joz – bass | Ethan Kogan – drums
Pianist Eric Reed leads this exciting quintet–Generation X, Y, and Z. His latest album, Black, Brown, and Blue, celebrates the rich and diverse music of composers of color. Reed calls the work a personal milestone and “the culmination of my life thus far. I’m freer than I’ve ever been in my personal life, and I’m freer than I’ve ever been in my music. I’m accepting who I am. I love who I am. And as I continue to evolve – my artistry, my sexuality, and my overall humanity – my music will continue to become more and more personal.” A widely respected and popular musician and mentor, Reed first rose to fame with Wynton Marsalis and has performed with artists as varied as Jessye Norman, Quincy Jones, and Patti Labelle. His perpetually swinging and sophisticated style has made him one of the important ambassadors of the music.
“Eric Reed has fully established himself in the forefront of jazz pianists.” – All About Jazz
*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows
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KCL, the iconic, genre-bending powerhouse trio led by visionary guitaristWayne Krantz and featuring drummer Keith Carlock(Steely Dan, Sting, John Mayer) and bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band,David Bowie), held a Thursday-night residency at NYC’s 55 Bar throughout the first decade of the new millenium. Cutting live recordings from the club and posting them online in the early days of the internet and touring only sporadically, KCL developed a thoroughly original style of interactive group improvisation inspired in part by the great Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s, but played out in spontaneously generated contexts of heavy funk, rock and electronica instead of straight-ahead swing.
As other instrumental bands of the day dabbled in derivative fusion and retro-jazz, KCL became an underground phenomenon, cultivating an international following of devoted fans of every stripe looking for an alternative creative music that served the mind, body and spirit. Relentlessly grooving, always innovative, never complacent -KCL made contemporary music that resonated beyond category.Other sideman obligations sidelined the band soon after their Abstract Logix release, “Krantz Carlock Lefebvre,” in 2010, but their reputation continued to expand globally through fan circulation of the band’s many live videos and recordings. Now, in 2020, KCL re-ignites to tour with incendiary shows throughout the USA, Europe and Asia.
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