AKIKO TSURUGA
Akiko Tsuruga is a jazz composer, Hammond B-3 organist and pianist from Osaka, Japan. She was born in Osaka. Her parents bought her a small organ when she was three and she started learning to play standards.
After landing in the mecca for jazz, New York City, it didn’t take long for Akiko to make her mark – It was during these early years that she had the great pleasure of sitting in, playing gigs, and eventually recording with jazz greats such as Frank Wess, Jimmy Cobb, Grady Tate and other top NY musicians. Her reputation ultimately drew attention of Lou Donaldson as he chose her in 2006 as his quartet’s organist.
But it was the meeting of organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith that proved to have the greatest impact on Akiko’s musical development and career. He became an important mentor to Akiko, and she considers him her greatest influence. She flourished and continued to be a constant draw on the NY jazz scene.
Performance Lineup:
Akiko Tsuruga, organ
Joe Magnarelli, trumpet
Myron Walden, tenor & baritone?saxophone, flute
Byron Landham, drums
Charlie Sigler, guitar
Tickets: $20.00 ~$50.00
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MADELEINE PEYROUX
Madeleine Peyroux’s ninth album, Let’s Walk, is a bold, heartfelt exploration of personal and social themes, blending jazz, folk, and chamber pop. In ten deeply personal tracks co-written with longtime collaborator Jon Herington, Peyroux navigates confessional, political, and whimsical tones, driven by her signature soulful voice. Inspired by civil rights marches and informed by events like the George Floyd trial, songs such as “Find True Love” and “Let’s Walk” capture hope and resilience. With production by Elliott Scheiner, the album moves through reflections on privilege, justice, and healing, from the playful “Me and the Mosquito” to the spoken-word closer, “Take Care.” Following pandemic-driven delays, Peyroux now brings Let’s Walk to live audiences, merging new work with her beloved renditions of timeless classics.
Louisiana born-and-raised singer-songwriter and guitarist Joy Clark is charting her own path with her debut album Tell it to the Wind. As the youngest of five children born into a tight knit, deeply religious family just outside of New Orleans, her release is both a declaration of her independence and a love letter to the traditions that shaped her. The album marks Clark’s arrival on the national stage as a proud, queer, Black woman blending the social consciousness of folk, the rhythms of Southeast Louisiana, and the soul-centered music she grew up with.
Tickets: $65.00 ~ $82.00
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JANE MONHEIT
Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist with a deep passion for the Great American Songbook. With many highly acclaimed solo albums, countless awards and accolades, and over two decades of international touring experience, Jane has not only been an extremely successful bandleader, but has had the privilege of making music with some of the greatest musicians, arrangers, and producers in jazz.
During her childhood, Jane studied woodwinds and piano, spent a decade performing in award winning choirs, and participated in community theater on Long Island. Throughout all of this, her focus remained on jazz, especially interpretation of the Songbook. At the age of 20, during her senior year at the prestigious Manhattan School Of Music, Jane placed second in the Thelonious Monk Competition, now known as the Hancock Competition. This led to an incredible career trajectory, catapulting Jane into the jazz stratosphere nearly overnight.
By 22, Jane was working with legends such as Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter, and Kenny Barron, recording her first albums, and touring the planet. This led to collaborations with jazz luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Ivan Lins, Tom Harrell, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza, Jorge Calandrelli, and many more. Countless television appearances followed, including David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The View, and many popular international talk shows. Several successful film soundtracks have also included Jane’s music, including Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow and Never Let Me Go.
TICKETS: $25.00 ~ $40.00
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Clarence Lacquese Penn born on March 2, 1968 in Detroit, Michigan and started playing the drums at around eigh years old. In 1986, while still at high school, he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy. He started studying at the University of Miami in Florida that same year, but transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University.
At Virginia Commonwealth he studied with Ellis Marsalis, and played in the pianist’s trio from 1987 to 1991, including for a tour of Japan in 1990. Penn graduated in classical percussion in 1991 and was part of vocalist Betty Carter’s trio from until 1993.
Penn later went on to work with David Sanchez, Jimmy Smith, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Scott, Greg Hatza, Stanley Clarke, Tim Warfield, Bob Berg, Diana Krall, Cyrus Chestnut, and Stephen Scott.
He recorded his debut album, Penn’s Landing, for Criss Cross Jazz in 1997 with some of the tracks he composed. His sophomore album as leader, Play-Penn, was recorded four years later, followed by a third the following year. He took a nine year hiatus from recording then recorded three more albums.
Drummer Clarence Penn, who also plays organ and rhodes, continues to perform and record.
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SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA
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