THE BAD PLUS

The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals—a democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. For the past two decades, they have played with spirit and adventure, made their own rules and done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent. Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance.

Now in their 22nd year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) – instigating a new wave of excitement and anticipation within the band that is re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

David Louis Bartholomew was born Davis Bartholomew on December 24, 1918 in Edgard, Louisiana and initially learned to play the tuba, then took up the trumpet with lessons from Peter Davis, who also tutored Louis Armstrong. Around 1933 he moved with his parents to New Orleans, Louisiana where he played in local jazz and brass bands, including Papa Celestin’s. He played in Fats Pichon’s band on a Mississippi riverboat and took charge of his band in 1941. After a stint in Jimmie Lunceford’s band he joined the US Army during World War II and developed writing and arranging skills as a member of the 196th Army Ground Forces Band.

At the end of the war he returned to New Orleans and towards the end of 1945 he started leading his own dance band, Dave Bartholomew and the Dew Droppers, named after a now-defunct local hotel and nightclub, the Dew Drop Inn. Their popularity was a model for early rock ‘n’ roll bands the world over. In 1947, they were invited by club owner Don Robey to perform in Houston, Texas, where Bartholomew met Lew Chudd, the founder of Imperial Records.

His band made their first recordings for De Luxe Records in 1947 and their first hit was Country Boy, reached No. 14 in the national Billboard R&B chart in early 1950. Prominent members of the band, besides Bartholomew on trumpet and occasional vocals, were the saxophonists Alvin Tyler, Herb Hardesty, and Clarence Hall, the bass player Frank Fields, the guitarist Ernest McLean, the pianist Salvador Doucette, and the drummer Earl Palmer. They were later joined by the saxophonist Lee Allen.

Two years after their first meeting in Houston, Texas he was asked by Lew Chudd to become Imperial’s A&R man in New Orleans. Dave went on to produce singer Jewel King, and a young pianist Fats Domino, who went on to have great success with their collaboration. He went on to work at several labels including his own Broadmoor Records.

The 1970s and 1980s had Bartholomew leading a traditional Dixieland jazz band in New Orleans, releasing an album, Dave Bartholomew’s New Orleans Jazz Band in 1981. He produced numerous hit songs and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger and record producer Dave Bartholomew, who was prominent in the New Orleans music scene and active in rhythm and blues, big band, swing music, rock and roll, New Orleans jazz, and Dixieland, transitioned from a heart attack in Metarie, Louisiana on June 23, 2019.

GRIOTS GALLERY

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LESLIE UGGAMS

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE

Stage and screen legendLeslie Uggams returns to 54 Below with her hit show drawing from Broadway and beyond. Featuring musical theater showstoppers, American Songbook classics, jazz standards and current pop hits, this timeless romp through an exciting song catalog will have audiences cheering, “Hallelujah, Baby!” Expect songs Ms. Uggams has performed to great acclaim on Broadway, from shows including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jerry’s Girls, and Hallelujah, Baby!, as well as your favorites from shows like Gypsy, Funny Girl, and Carousel. See the show that BroadwayWorld called “one of the most entertaining and enjoyable shows to play a nightclub this year or any other!”

Ms. Uggams is a celebrated Tony® and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer whose seven-decade career has brought her from Harlem (The Apollo Theater) to Broadway (Hallelujah, Baby!), the big screen (Deadpool, Skyjacked) to television (“Empire,” “The Leslie Uggams Show”). Perhaps best known for her stirring portrayal of Kizzy in the landmark TV mini-series, Alex Haley’s “Roots” (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), Leslie has performed to critical and popular acclaim ever since her first professional appearances at the age of nine at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City.

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LESLIE UGGAMS

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE

Stage and screen legendLeslie Uggams returns to 54 Below with her hit show drawing from Broadway and beyond. Featuring musical theater showstoppers, American Songbook classics, jazz standards and current pop hits, this timeless romp through an exciting song catalog will have audiences cheering, “Hallelujah, Baby!” Expect songs Ms. Uggams has performed to great acclaim on Broadway, from shows including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jerry’s Girls, and Hallelujah, Baby!, as well as your favorites from shows like Gypsy, Funny Girl, and Carousel. See the show that BroadwayWorld called “one of the most entertaining and enjoyable shows to play a nightclub this year or any other!”

Ms. Uggams is a celebrated Tony® and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer whose seven-decade career has brought her from Harlem (The Apollo Theater) to Broadway (Hallelujah, Baby!), the big screen (Deadpool, Skyjacked) to television (“Empire,” “The Leslie Uggams Show”). Perhaps best known for her stirring portrayal of Kizzy in the landmark TV mini-series, Alex Haley’s “Roots” (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), Leslie has performed to critical and popular acclaim ever since her first professional appearances at the age of nine at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City.

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NICOLE HENRY | DECADES OF DIVAS

World-renowned, award-winning jazz vocalist Nicole Henryreturns to 54 Below for the NYC debut of her new show Decades of Diva, celebrating an array of music made famous by THE Divas we know and love: Diana, Ella, Barbra, Donna, Celine, Mariah, Chaka, Whitney, Shirley, Sarah, and more.

Henry’s versatile and emotionally driven performances have wowed 54 Below audiences since 2016, including with her BroadwayWorld nominated show I Wanna Dance with Somebody: The Songs of Whitney Houston (Best Tribute Show). Henry also remains a vocal leader in the jazz world with her latest album, Time to Love Again, reaching #4 on the U.S. JazzWeek Radio Chart and remaining in the TOP 40 for 20 weeks.

Among her numerous accolades, Henry received the Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” “Best New Jazz Artist” by HMV Japan, and “Best Solo Musician” by the Miami New Times. Henry has enjoyed four TOP 10 CDs and has headlined stages in 20 countries throughout her career.

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