The Jazz Voyager

Saying farewell to DC always gives me a melancholy feeling having spent so many years there having so much fun. This week the Jazz Voyager is heading for a little jazz in the Buckeye State and for those who don’t know I’m talking about Ohio. The city is Cincinnati and it sits at the confluence of Licking and Ohio Rivers, the latter which has the city looking at Kentucky.

The venue is Caffè Vivace, a coffee house by day and a jazz lounge by night. It provides a space for Queen City residents to gather, work, socialize and herald the musical art form of jazz and a destination for jazz lovers. Located in the Walnut Hills neighborhood and has gained a reputation that hosts the area’s finest local jazz musicians, young and old, as well as the occasional regionally or nationally known artists.

So tonight I will be in the audience to check out vocalist Mandy Gaines who has been singing since an early age, getting her initial training school and church. She then continued studies with private vocal instruction and an assortment of workshops that enhanced her skillset. Joining her is pianist Sergio Pamies from Spain who fuses traditional jazz language with flamenco music of his childhood. He has takenhis knowledge and became a college professor at several universities in America, Europe and Asia.

The venue is located at 975 E McMillan Street, 45206 and for more information you can visit https://notoriousjazz.com/event/mandy-gaines-sergio-pamies

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JOE ALTERMAN

Atlanta native Joe Alterman expresses a certain upbeat naivete, with a broad smile and bright eyes that make you feel welcome. One would not guess that this is a man hailed by greats; Ramsey Lewis describes his music as “happy music with tasty meat on the bones,” Les McCann states “Joe’s on a ‘blow your mind’ level,” and Ahmad Jamal calls him “a very special artist.” Journalist Nat Hentoff championed three of Alterman’s albums, as well as his writing (Joe wrote liner notes to three Wynton Marsalis/JLCO albums), calling one of Joe’s columns “one of the very best pieces on the essence of jazz, the spirit of jazz, that I’ve ever read, and I’m not exaggerating.”

He began at NYU with a BA and Masters in Jazz Piano from NYU and has since performed at many world renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland and Blue Note alongside Houston Person, Les McCann, Dick Gregory, Ramsey Lewis, and his own trio, among others. Downbeat describes his sound as “rooted in the blues, and with a touch reminiscent of the great pianists of the 1950s—Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans.” It is clear Joe hits all of the necessary points for Jazz critics and fans alike.

But there is more to the story, of course. The 21st century has brought another transition for this thing called jazz; in one moment we see the push and pull between tradition and progression, and in another we see Pop and Hip-Hop musicians emulating and sampling. In Joe Alterman we find none of this struggle; the music just sounds good. Our conscious faculties are instantly disabled as we tap our feet, feeling the intent and joy of his playing. An old classic is new when you feel good in the moment. Or, as Hentoff wrote about Alterman in the Wall Street Journal, “Alterman’s continually evolving presence on the jazz scene surely makes people smile and, if the room is right, dance. There’ll be no need for any last rites of jazz.”

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MANDY GAINES & SERGIO PAMIES

Mandy Gaines ~ vocalist | Sergio Pamies ~ piano
Mandy Gaines began singing at an early age in school and church. She holds a B.A. from the College of Wooster in Speech/Arts. She has continued her studies through private vocal instruction and workshops emphasizing oral interpretation, jazz improvisation, vocal technique, theatre, and broadcasting/media studies. Born in 1983 in Granada, Spain, Sergio
Pamies has published four albums under his name: Entre Amigos (PSM, 2008), Borrachito (Bebyne Records, 2011), and What Brought You Here? (Bebyne Records, 2017) and Summer Night at La Corrala: Solo Piano (expected April 2021). Critics have acknowledged his talent for composition, the lyrical qualities of his playing, and his natural and spontaneous ability to fuse the traditional jazz language and flamenco music of his childhood. Pamies has performed at festivals in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Colombia, Perú, China, Spain, and the United States. He has collaborated with outstanding artists such as Dave Liebman, Christian Scott, Quamon Fowler, Brad Leali, Quincy Davis, Ed Soph, Stockton Helbing, and Tatiana Mayfield.
Pamies currently teaches at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he was appointed Assistant Professor in 2020. Pamies has given masterclasses and presented his research at Universidad de Granada (Spain), the University of North Texas, the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Texas at Arlington (USA), East Shanghai Normal University, Contemporary Music Institute of Zhuhai (China), Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Universidad Industrial de Santander and Universidad EAFIT de Medellín (Colombia), and the Jazz Educators Network Conference, among other institutions.

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LAURENCE HOBGOOD

Laurence Hobgood: pianist, Matt Clohesy: bass, Jared Schonig: drums.

Laurence Hobgood, a multifaceted artist with a career spanning over three decades, brings his exceptional talents to the stage. From a young age, he immersed himself in the world of music, ultimately transitioning to jazz during his time at the University of Illinois. It was there that he developed his skills and artistic philosophy in a thriving musical environment.

In 1988, Hobgood made his mark in Chicago, collaborating with legendary musicians, including Kurt Elling. Their partnership resulted in Grammy-nominated albums, with Hobgood recognized as a producer when they clinched the 2010 Grammy for “Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane and Hartman.” Hobgood’s achievements also include receiving ASCAP’s Deems Taylor Award and earning critical acclaim for his own albums, such as “When The Heart Dances” and “PoemJazz,” featuring poet Robert Pinsky.

In 2013, he introduced the Laurence Hobgood Quintet, a project celebrated by Downbeat magazine. Hobgood’s musical journey continues to captivate audiences worldwide, making his performance on November 21st an event not to be missed. See you there!

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RODNEY JONES

Jazz guitarist Rodney Jones and his quartet perform.

With a musical journey that began at age 6, Rodney has recorded for Blue Note, toured globally, and collaborated with icons like Dizzy Gillespie and Stevie Wonder. He’s also been a prolific composer, a musical director, and a respected educator at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music.

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