GWENYTH HAYES QUARTET

Bassist and vocalist Gwenyth Hayes’ hybrid reinterpretations give due respect to classic songs and soul covers from many genres and eras. They center around her sultry voice, groove-oriented bass lines and tight instrumental arrangements. This approach serves to reinvent popular soul, jazz, soft rock, and blues standards with a sensual and contemporary feel. Gwenyth’s sound appeals to diverse audiences and is meant to be reminiscent to many generations.

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VANESSA RUBIN

Revered as both a torchbearer and a storyteller, jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin possesses a voice hailed for crystalline clarity, hearth-like warmth and playful lioness sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father. Additional homespun influences include the melodic bell tone clarity of a young Capital Records recording artist, Nancy Wilson, the fire of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the sweet sounds of trumpeter Blue Mitchell as well as her love of the Motown Sound…especially girl groups like the Supremes.Revered as both a torchbearer and a storyteller, jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin possesses a voice hailed for crystalline clarity, hearth-like warmth and playful lioness sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father. Additional homespun influences include the melodic bell tone clarity of a young Capital Records recording artist, Nancy Wilson, the fire of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the sweet sounds of trumpeter Blue Mitchell as well as her love of the Motown Sound…especially girl groups like the Supremes.

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The Jazz Voyager

Just a short hop by plane from Ann Arbor, Michigan west to Chicago, Illinois for this year’s edition of their jazz festival, however, this Jazz Voyager, tired of planes, is going to take a leisurely four hour drive and catch some scenery along the way and round the tip of Lake Michigan to the Windy City.

If you’ve never been to the Chicago Jazz Festival, this is a perfect way to close out the summer! The city is featuring several stages presenting the likes of Ron Carter, Chico Freeman, Ari Brown, Dianne Reeves, Makaya McCraven, Billy Valentine and Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, with a host of other performers. Running from August 31 ~ September 3, the music starts at 11:00am, goes to 9:00pm and admission is free. I’ll be there all weekend.

More info at www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_jazz_festival5.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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GEORGE V. JOHNSON JR.

Tribute To Charlie Parker | AH~LEU~CHA

Native Washingtonian, jazz vocalist-songwriter, and recording artist George V. Johnson Jr. will perform (alongside his bandmates) excerpts from the “jazzical” Jazz Iz Really Classical Music, a.k.a. Ah-Leu-Cha, a spirited tribute to Charlie Parker featuring Johnson’s original lyrics.

Deemed “Next in Line” by Eddie Jefferson, the father of the art of jazz vocalese, Johnson continues the legacy of writing lyrics to improvised solos and telling stories we love and appreciate. The performance will be an unforgettable evening celebrating the music of Charlie Parker.

Imagine listening to a seasoned jazz musician rip into a bebop solo so sizzling and smooth it makes your senses tingle. Close your eyes and play along. Try and picture the sweat bouncing off the performer like the notes that leap through the air. See if you can hear the mesmerizing melodies go up and down, bringing you through joy and sadness, taking your emotions on a sensory experience unlike any other. Now picture that musician and his beloved instrument: his voice.

Band members Donvonte McCoy (trumpet), Elijah Easton (tenor saxophone), Allyn Johnson (piano), Herman Burney (bass), and Dana-j Hawkins (drums) are seasoned visionaries who’ve performed across the globe. Join us for a memorable performance.

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CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL

Featuring: The Cookers | Ndudzo Makhathini Trio | Endea Owens & The Cookout | Akua Allrich & The Tribe | DJ Sets by Uptown Vinyl Supreme

As part of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, the Cookers headline a group of innovative artists that embody a sense of community. Most of this super septet—comprising Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, David Weiss, and Donald Harrison—are veterans of the heady mid-’60s when hard bops gave way to the next wave of jazz, and have been pushing the limits of the sound ever since. Endea Owens and the Cookout is led by the titular house bassist for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Hailing from Detroit, Juilliard graduate Owens has found a home in Harlem, where she hosted community cookouts during the COVID-19 pandemic, playing music with her band of fellow virtuosos and handing out hundreds of free meals. Nduduzo Makhathini has become a rising star of South African jazz in both art and academia; the award-winning pianist, improviser, healer, and scholar brings his latest trio to perform selections from The Spirit Of Ntu, his 2022 album for Blue Note Africa. Rounding out the bill is Akua Allrich and The Tribe, led by the jazz and pan-African vocalist with deep musical roots in the blues, soul, and R&B. Allrich and her group the Tribe have drawn accolades for their annual events honoring the defining female voices of Black music, but are also known to craft soul-stirring originals.

Plus, see “We’re Outside”, an exhibition of 10 local artists, curated by Fable Jones Studio, August, 26th, 3-7pm on the west lawn of Marcus Garvey Park (123rd & Mt Morris Park West side) hosted by Heath Gallery and MMPCIA.

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