TAL COHEN QUARTET

Australian-born jazz pianist Tal Cohen leads a dynamic ensemble performance on the lawn as part of the Ocean Drive Promenade Music Series.

Cohen is an internationally touring pianist known for blending modern jazz with Middle Eastern melodic influences and intricate rhythmic phrasing. A winner of the Detroit Jazz Festival’s Barry Harris National Piano Competition, he has performed with acclaimed artists including Terence Blanchard, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby and Ignacio Berroa, while leading his own ensembles at festivals and venues around the world. His album Gentle Giants received international acclaim and a four-star review from DownBeat magazine.

In case of rain, the performance will move indoors to The Betsy Hotel.

Tickets: Free

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Requisites

After The Morning ~ John Hicks | By Eddie Carter

Feeling exhausted after a long week, I sought an album that offered a gentle, soothing escape. I went to the turntable, and put on After The Morning (West 54 WLW 8004) by John Hicks, and playing it was like a thoughtful act of self-kindness, gently easing my tension. Hicks’ piano work is both delicate and confident, creating a sense of tranquility reminiscent of a fresh morning. This album marks his third session as a band leader, but it was his first release. Joining him are Walter Booker, Jr. on bass (tracks: A1, A3, B1, B3), and Clifford Barbaro on drums (track: B1). The copy I own is the 1979 U.S. stereo release.

Side One opens with the title tune, After The Morning, by John Hicks. John is merry and playful as the melody is skillfully presented, and he continues swinging softly through the song’s only solo. Walter provides excellent support throughout, leaving the listener spellbound as the duo’s theme reprise gently closes. Serenata by Leroy Anderson and Avery Parrish provides Hicks with an unrestricted canvas in which to work in a solo performance. The song opens with a tranquil introduction and theme, then transitions into a breezy solo that captivates the listener, culminating in an exquisite ending.

Dierdre de Samba by Clifford Barbaro is a beautiful ballad that begins with a short introduction from the duo and unfolds into a lush, rich melody. John shines again as the song’s only soloist, playing with elegance and sensitivity ahead of a gorgeous reprise and a peaceful climax. Some Other Spring by Arthur Herzog, Jr. and Irene Kitchings is Hicks’ second solo performance, and a song he associated with the early morning of the day. Here, he delivers a delicately passionate and tender performance, and every note and phrase weaves a haunting spell ahead of the pianist’s return to take the song out softly.

The Duke by Dave Brubeck is a tribute to Duke Ellington, and John’s final solo performance of the first side. His introduction and melody feel like the calm of a new morning, showcasing his virtuosity in one of the album’s most beautiful moments. Impact by Charles Tolliver is the trio’s only appearance together and is the most adventurous song on the album. The cascading introduction rolls in like a severe, sudden thunderstorm, before Hicks takes charge of the theme ahead of a sizzling interpretation propelled by Booker’s bass and Barbaro’s brushwork, preceding a quick return to end on a sudden stop.

Until The Morning by John Hicks opens with a very pretty introduction that blossoms into a beautifully flowing theme of refined elegance. As the song’s only soloist, he offers an interpretation that’s both carefully crafted and deeply expressive, culminating in a touchingly delicate finale. Night Journey by Andrew “Tex” Allen wraps up the album with a delightful introduction by John and Walter into a vivacious theme. As the song’s only soloist, his tone is as airy as ever, and he explores several points of interest as the interpretation unfolds before the duo reprises the theme and brings the song to a graceful conclusion.

Roger Pola produced After The Morning, and Bob Cubbage was the recording engineer behind the dials. The album’s sound quality is excellent, with an outstanding soundstage. Your sweet spot will feel like you’re in the studio with the musicians as they’re recording. John Hicks recorded over 30 albums as a leader and contributed as a sideman to more than 300 releases. If you’re a fan of jazz piano and looking for something soothing, I offer After The Morning by John Hicks for your consideration on your next record-shopping trip. It’s a perfect album to begin your journey into his music, and after a tough day or week, a terrific companion to help you unwind and catch your breath!

© 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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CAROLE ANN TAYLOR

An Exhibition Honoring Women’s History Month | Art & Jazz

Unbound: The Gaze Within | The Photography of Angéle Etoundi Essamba with a jazz performance by vocalist  Carole Ann Taylor

Angèle Etoundi Essamba was born in 1962 in Douala, Cameroon. She was educated in France and graduated from the School of Photography of Amsterdam where she lives and works today. In 2016, she was awarded the ‘National Knight of the Order of Valor’ by the President of the Republic of Cameroon, and in 2022, she had the honour of representing Cameroon at the 59th Venice Biennale.

The Cameroonian photographer is living and working in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is most famously known for her work in black and white, humanistic photography, that often focuses on the African woman as a subject matter. Throughout her career, she has foregrounded the female narrative, reflecting on the complex cultural identities of the modern African woman and inspiring subsequent generations of women photographers.

Carole Ann Taylor, a connoisseur of classic jazz, is Miami’s most soulful jazz and cabaret singer and a fixture of the city’s jazz scene for more than five decades. The vocalist is known for her warm stage presence and improvisational style rooted in the traditions of classic jazz standards.

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DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER

Two-time Grammy Winner & NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater Sings the Music of Abbey Lincoln!

Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Bridgewater’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Louis Big Band, and throughout the 70s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. After a foray into the pop world during the 1980s, she relocated to Paris and began to turn her attention back to Jazz.

Strongly influenced by jazz icons Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, both of whom she met early in her career, NEA Jazz Master Abbey Lincoln’s distinctive vocal style, thought-provoking writing, and spirited personality secured her a place among the jazz luminaries. Over the years, she has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Benny Garter, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, Jackie McLean, Clark Terry, and Stan Getz. The recipient of numerous civic and community awards for her work with the poor and disadvantaged, Ms. Lincoln resisted the bleak side of life to emerge as a genuine carrier of celebration through music.

Dee Dee Bridgewater ~ vocals
Alexis Lombre ~ piano & keyboard
Liany Mateo ~ bass
Shirazette Tinnin ~ drums

Tickets: $65.00 ~ %75.00 +fee | Streaming: $20.00 +fee

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MARIA HOWELL PRESENTS: GIRLS IN GOWNS

“Girls in Gowns” A Benefit Concert for Students Without Mothers

“Girls in Gowns” is a unique musical initiative and benefit concert created by singer and actor Maria Howell. The project brings together talented female performers to showcase a collaborative blend of various musical genres while dressed in elegant formal gowns, and above all, for a good cause.

Students Without Mothers (founded by Mary Torrence Williams), is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students without mothers help themselves by empowering them to continue their education. The organization’s main purpose is to provide scholarships for college-bound high school students who are without their mothers due to death or other unfortunate circumstances. For more info – www.studentswithoutmothers.org

The Girls:
Maria Howell ~ Vocal
Shana Blake~ Vocal
Ronee Martin ~ Vocal
Robyn Springer ~ Vocal
Karen Briggs ~ Violin

The Musicians
Noel Freidline – Piano/Keys – Bandleader
Alfred Sergel, IV – Drums
Zack Page – Bass

Tickets: Baby Grand Members ~ $41.95 | General Admission ~ $51.15

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