On The Bookshelf
52nd St. The Street of Jazz | Arnold Shaw
Back in the thirties and forties, when New York City was the capital of the jazz world-you could hail a cab, ask the driver to take you to “The Street,” and find yourself on 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Musicians, jazz lovers, college students, big businessmen, everybody knew that this was “The Street that Never Slept,” the Street where every night was New Year’s Eve, the Street that Variety editor Abel Green so aptly dubbed “America’s Montmartre.”
Here, for the price of a drink or two, you could walk through the whole history of jazz. Hot jazz was born and raised on The Street, as were the big swing bands of the thirties and the modern “cool” jazz combos of the forties. Comics like Alan King and Joey Adams got their start on the Street, as did musicians like Erroll Garner, Jack Teagarden, and Coleman Hawkins. Bessie Smith performed on the Street, and so did Count Basie, Charlie “Bird” Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughn, the Dorsey Brothers, Artie Shaw, and other jazz greats.
Arnold Shaw was there as musician, composer, PR man, and just plain listener. He recreates for us the three swinging decades that were the history of the Street: its birth in Prohibition-era speakeasies, where musicians jammed for gin or just for the fun of it; its post-Repeal blossoming as the center of the jazz universe, lined up and down on both sides with tiny, smoke-filled rooms where black and white musicians played to capacity crowds; its postwar decline as the Street became a tawdry tenderloin of strip and clip joints.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Cusick was born on July 1, 1949 in Washington, D.C. He studied percussion with former drummer of the Charlie Byrd Trio, Bill Reichenbach. He has gone on to perform with other jazz greats that call Washington home, such as legendary pianist John Malachi and Keter Betts.
He has entertained DC area jazz audiences for more than 30 years, and has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Drummer John Cusick leads the area’s finest jazz performers, in trios, quartets, quintets and larger ensembles for night club, concert and private engagements.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jason Miles was born June 30, 1951 in Brooklyn, New York. He went to Indiana State University and when jazz fusion was becoming popular in the 1970s he was in New York creating innovative techniques in synthesizer programming and electronic music.
In 1979 he recorded his debut album Cozmopolitan with Michael Brecker and Marcus Miller, although it was never released. During the 1980s he was a session musician who worked with Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, David Sanborn, and Luther Vandross.
The 1990s had him playing keyboards and writing music for the animated film The Snow Queen and People: A Musical Celebration of Diversity on the Disney Channel. He and his wife Kathy Byalick composed Visionary Path, a New Age album with narration by Diana Krall, Roberta Flack, and F. Murray Abraham.
In 2000 Miles released The Music of Weather Report, the first of several tribute albums. During the next year he won a Grammy Award for producing A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins with appearances by Sting and Brenda Russell. His next solo album To Grover, with Love, was a tribute to Grover Washington Jr. that was nominated for Record of the Year by the National Smooth Jazz Awards. He also recorded tributes to Miles Davis and Marvin Gaye.
Keyboardist, composer and record producer Jason Miles, who has a discography of nineteen albums, continues to compose and perform.
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NICOLE HENRY
Since her debut, Nicole Henry has established herself among the jazz world’s most acclaimed performers, possessing a potent combination of dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing, and powerful emotional resonance.
Her passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” and four Top-10 jazz albums on U.S. Billboard, Jazz Week, HMV Japan & UK Sweet Rhythms charts. Heralded by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, El Pais, Jazz Times, Essence and more, Ms. Henry tells real stories through peerless interpretations of repertoire from the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals.
Showtimes:
Friday & Saturday: 7:00pm & 9:30pm
Sunday: 6:00pm & 8:30pm
Tickets: $40.00 +fee
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THAD WILSON
Thad Wilson’s music always reflects a personal style that blends progressive elements such as blues, funk, Gospel and a touch of hip-hop. Thad’s eclectic ideas as a modern composer are brought to life through his various projects: Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra, his 16-piece big band; Inner Urge, a collaborative project; Kindred Soul, his electric group; and Kako Se, an acoustic duo.
The Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra became the only big band in the DC area to land a permanent residence at the esteemed One Step Down. Most recently, the band was housed at HR-57 Center for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues, recently named one of the world’s top 100 jazz venues by Downbeat magazine. Both as a leader and performer on the jazz scene, Thad has become an acclaimed fixture.
Thad has performed alongside world-renowned artists such as George Benson, James Moody, Eddie Henderson, Steve Turre, Cecil Bridgewater, McCoy Tyner, Vanessa Ruben, and Roy Hargrove. He also performed with Senegalese artist, Djimo Kouyate, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millenium Stage.
His worldwide appearances include Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Le Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, France; Antigua Music Festival; Atlanta Jazz Festival; New Orleans Jazz Festival; and Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. Thad was also invited to perform his original suite “Reflections on Romare” at the National Gallery of Art’s 2003 Romare Bearden exhibition opening festivities.
The Band: Lil John Roberts ~ Drums | Louis Heriveax ~ Piano | Craig Shaw ~ Bass
Tickets: $59.00
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