BRANFORD MARSALIS & DIANNE REEVES

Saxophone great and NEA Jazz Master Branford Marsalis and his superlative quartet are joined by fellow NEA Jazz Master and jazz’s greatest vocalist, Dianne Reeves, for a week devoted to the immortal music of John Coltrane, in honor of the centennial of his birth.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz master, three-time Grammy Award winner, and Tony and EMMY Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics.

The Branford Marsalis Quartet and Dianne Reeves will release a tribute album which revisits Coltrane’s seminal 1963 collaboration with Johnny Hartman. Originally recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in March of 1963, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman was a sublime showcase for Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones, who gave remarkable depth and sensitivity to a selection of standards including Irving Berlin’s “They Say It’s Wonderful,” Guy Wood’s “My One and Only Love,” and the definitive version of Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.” Bringing the songs to life was the distinctive, evocative baritone of crooner Johnny Hartman, who was the only vocalist Coltrane ever collaborated with.

Interpreting the songs with her own singular gifts, Reeves is a five-time GRAMMY winner who is accurately called “The most admired jazz diva since the heyday of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday” (NY Times). She is an artist who embodies the music’s enduring values of elegance, class, and improvisational poise, with an innate feel for swing.

Personnel:
Branford Marsalis ~ tenor saxophone
Dianne Reeves ~ vocals
Joey Calderazzo ~ piano
Eric Revis ~ bass
Justin Faulkner ~ drums

Tickets: $50.00 ~ $165.00

Thursday: Sold Out | Friday: Tickets Available | Saturday: Almost Sold Out | Sunday: Tickets Available

Showtimes: Thursday ~ Saturday @ 7:30pm | Sunday: 3:00pm

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CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S URSA MAJOR

Bassist and composer Christian McBride’s most recent project is a quintet showcasing several of the most exciting young players on the scene. Returning to the Miner Auditorium stage for two nights, the cast features tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, who has toured with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, performed with veteran masters such as drummer Al Foster, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and bassist Reggie Workman, and recorded with pianist Aaron Diehl’s Grammy-nominated 2023 Mary Lou Williams project Zodiac Suite.

Ely Perlman is an exciting young guitarist who has collaborated with Terreon Gully and Braxton Cook, and Chicago pianist Mike King has been touring with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and trumpeters Marquis Hill, Theo Croker, and Marcus Printup. Powering the band is Oakland native Savannah Harris, a remarkably poised young drummer who has made a major impact with the likes of vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kenny Barron, and Immanuel Wilkins.

Tickets: $40.00 ~ $125.00

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Requisites

Doin’ Allright ~ Dexter Gordon | By Eddie Carter

This morning’s discussion came up after dinner a few nights ago, when I chose a few titles to play and considerreviewing for our jazz members. After listening, I’d settled on one of my favorite tenor saxophonists, Dexter Gordon. Doin’ Allright (Blue Note BLP 4077/BST 84077) was released in 1961 and is his Blue Note debut, celebrating his comeback from personal struggles and incarceration. The album showcases Gordon at his very best, backed by Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Horace Parlan on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums. I own the 1992 Toshiba-EMI Japanese Stereo reissue in the Blue Note 4000 Series Ultra Collection, sharing the original catalog number.

The album opens with a classic by George and Ira Gershwin, I Was Doin’ All Right. The quintet gets things going with an easy medium groove on the melody. Dexter makes a relaxed entrance for the first solo, followed by Freddie, who swings smoothly and confidently in the second statement. Horace comes in last, complementing the horns with a laid-back reading before the group returns to reprise the theme and fade out gradually. You’ve Changed by Carl Fischer and Bill Carey slows down to a ballad tempo for an emotionally sensitive melody by Dexter. He continues communicating his heart and soul in the opening statement. Freddie speaks next in a warm, emotional tone, and Horace has a deeply expressive moment before the front line returns and slowly takes the song out.

Dexter’s For Members Only ends the first side with an infectious ensemble theme that gets things started. Dexter goes right to work with a relaxing opening statement. Freddie is next, swinging effortlessly with a bright tone and articulate, precise notes. Horace takes his turn last with a laid-back solo ahead of the ensemble’s restatement of the melody and close. Society Red, a funky blues by Dexter Gordon, gets the second side underway with the quintet’s easy-flowing melody. Freddie puts together the first appetizer of this soulful meal. Dexter then shares a rich, bluesy flavor, simmered to perfection, inviting the listener to savor every note. Horace adds a delightful touch of seasoning, and George adds the final ingredient, wrapping up a musical feast that feels like home ahead of the close.

It’s You or No One by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne wraps up the album on a brisk note, beginning with Dexter’s introduction before the quintet’s lively theme. Dexter takes center stage first with an energetic solo. Freddie adds some bite with the second statement. Horace follows, delivering exuberant verses with an aggressive impact. George takes a short, robust walk in the fourth reading, and Al brings plenty of heat in the finale preceding the group’s return to take the song out. Alfred Lion produced the session, and Rudy Van Gelder managed the recording console. The album’s sound quality is demonstration-class, with a stunning soundstage that if you close your eyes, you’ll swear the musicians are playing right in front of your sweet spot. The front and back covers are glossy, and the record is absolutely quiet until the music starts.

If you’re in the mood for a terrific hard bop album to enjoy anytime of the day or evening, I highly recommend you check out Doin’ Allright on your next record store visit. It makes a great introduction for jazz newcomers discovering Dexter Gordon, and a title I’m sure will also please seasoned fans. It also proves that the tenor saxophonist was not only back, but definitely Doin’ Allright!

~ I Was Doin’ All Right, You’ve Changed – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter

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LEESA RICHARDS

Miami vocalist, songwriter, vocal teacher, arranger and producer Leesa Richards celebrates the 40th Anniversary of The Sunshine Jazz Organization. Bringing her voice to the Historic Lyric Theater stage for one night only, she’ll give tribute to the legendary women of jazz featuring the new canon chamber collective.

Not only is this talented women the above, her journey began as a dancer with Whitney Houston , then captured the role of Mary Magdalene in the national touring company of the Broadway musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, earning critical acclaim which led to featured performances throughout the US and Europe. She is the founder and director of an outstanding youth theater company.

Conductor: Waldrion Dunkley

Tickets: $ TBD

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CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE TRIO

Bass genius Christian McBride honors his mentor and greatest inspiration, the legendary Ray Brown, with an all-star trio of Ray Brown Trio alumni — pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

A major figure in the development of bebop and hard bop in the 40s and 50s, Brown was among the most prolific and versatile bassists in jazz history who gained fame through his notable associations with Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie.

He led a series of remarkable trios in the 1990s and 2000s featuring Green and Hutchinson, whose recordings for the Telarc label stand as benchmarks for the time-honored format.

In addition to his own lengthy histories with both Green and Hutchinson, McBride appeared on Brown’s live 1997 bass summit release SuperBass and 2001 follow-up SuperBass 2 (along with fellow legend John Clayton). He pays tribute to the master with this special performance.

Cover: $45.00 ~ $135.00

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