BRIAN BLADE & THE FELLOWSHIP BAND

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Brian Blade established himself as a versatile, accomplished drummer early in his career, appearing on albums by Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, and Bob Dylan. Blade released his first album, Brian Blade Fellowship, at the age of 27 in 1998 and followed two years later with Perceptual, both on Blue Note Records.

The Fellowship Band has been called “one of the most distinctive and long-running bands in Jazz in the 21st century.” Originating from the meeting of Blade and Jon Cowherd in 1988, while they were studying at Loyola University in New Orleans, the group has released seven albums from 1998 – 2023. Ten years after releasing the Brian Blade Fellowship, Blade returned with Season of Changes in 2008. A year later he released the solo Americana, singer/songwriter effort, Mama Rosa with songs dedicated to his grandmother and family.

From the beginning, The Fellowship Band created a sound of its own genre, encompassing jazz, gospel and folk music that continues to uplift and inspire listeners worldwide. NPR called The Fellowship Band “an all-star lineup that functions more like a harmonious congregation, ebbing and flowing as one … jazz-inflected, gospel-rooted music suffused with a glowing consonance.”

Always an in-demand sideman, composer, and collaborator, Blade continued to  work with a varied bevy of artists, including Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Norah Jones.

The Band:

Jon Cowherd – piano
Myron Walden – alto saxophone and bass clarinet
Melvin Butler – soprano and tenor saxophone
Kurt Rosenwinkel – guitar
Roland Guerin – bass
Brian Blade – drums

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PAQUITO D’RIVERA & CHUCHO VALDÉS

D’Rivera and Valdés: Together Again!

These rare benefit concerts features Cuban jazz legends, clarinetist, saxophonist, author, composer and arranger Paquito D’Rivera and pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés first met in 1962. Both child prodigies and sons of musical families, the two worked together in Havana’s Musical Theatre Orchestra and in the Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music.

 

 

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IDIT SHNER

An active performer of both jazz and classical music, Idit Shner has played in various distinguished venues in the United States and abroad, such as The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Lincoln Center in New York.
Her latest project, Mhondoro, blends Zimbabwean folk music and American jazz. Mhondoro released their first album, Heatwave, in 2022 and are about to release their second album soon. Additional jazz releases include Live at The Jazz Station, 9 Short Stories (which garnered a 4-start review in Downbeat magazine) and Tuesday’s Blues. Jazz festival performances include the Diet Coke Woman in Jazz Festival (NY), Bellayre Festival (NY), and New-Trier Jazz Festival.
As a classical saxophonist Idit has commissioned and recorded new music and performed solo recitals in the US and Israel. Idit holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University, a Masters degree in Music Education from University of Central Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of North Texas.
Idit now teaches at the University of Oregon, as professor of saxophone and jazz studies. She was awarded three prestigious teaching awards: The 2015 Thomas F. Herman Award for Excellence in Pedagogy in areas of saxophone technique and chamber music coaching; the 2016 University of Oregon Faculty Excellence Award; and a Philip H. Knight Endowed Chair in 2019.
The Band:
Idit Shner ~ saxophone
TBD ~ piano
Garrett Baxter ~ bass
Dae Bryant ~ drums

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THE HEADHUNTERS

Few bands can boast a history as fortuitous and storied asThe Headhunters. What each member brings to the table forged a history that most bands can only dream of. Their blend of jazz with funk and rock would go on to sell over a million albums worldwide, while the band’s legacy would inspire musicians of every genre for years to come, be sampled by hundreds of hip-hop artists throughout the ’80s and ’90s, and influence countless musicians’ playing today. The Headhunters’ impact remains a global phenomenon, and their time with Hancock proved to be a life changing experience. The band has released 8 more albums stepping out on their own sans Hancock’s involvement starting with Survival of the Fittest in 1975 and on Straight from the Gate in 1977 and most recently Speakers In the House in 2022 and Live From Brooklyn Bowl in 2023.

The current band consists of a top notch quintet with Clark, Summers and Harrison joined by bassist Chris Severin (Dr. John, Diana Krall, The Neville Brothers) and pianist Kyle Roussel (Preservation Hall Jazz Band), both staples on the New Orleans music scene. Managed by Greg Lucas and Craig Walker at Devil Hills Entertainment, the band is poised for success in 2024, having recorded a new album and accompanying feature length documentary at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in August 2023 and completed a sold out European tour in November 2023 including two nights at the London Jazz Festival.

The Band:

Donald Harrison ~ saxophone
Kyle Roussel ~ piano
Chris Severin ~ bass
Bill Summers ~ percussion
Mike Clark ~ drums

 

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ERIC KENNEDY

Eric Kennedy & Friends: Tribute to Lisa

A Baltimore, Maryland native, Eric Kennedy is a drummer, vocalist, percussionist, educator, arranger and composer. He started performing at the age of three with a family band and encouraged by visiting local and national musicians.

Eric was the 2004 runner-up in the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition and first-place band member in the Chick Webb Jazz Combo Competitions 2008 and 2009. Eric also won the Jazz Journalists Association of America 2023 award for Baltimore Jazz Hero.

Eric has performed, toured, and recorded with Curtis Fuller, Jimmy Heath, Gary Bartz, Phil Woods, Billy Harper, Curtis Lundy, Bobby Watson, Gary Thomas, Fred Wesley, Wallace Roney, Cyrus Chestnut, Ethel Ennis, Larry Willis, Cecil McBee, Donald Harrison, Joe Locke, TK Blue, John Hicks, Richard Wyands, Yusef Salim, Eddie Henderson, Joe Bonner, Carl Grubbs, David Murray, Oliver Lake, Pansori master Ahn Sook Sun and many others.

The Band:

Eric Kennedy ~ drums
Marc Cary ~ piano
John Lee ~ guitar
Kelly Shepherd ~ alto saxophone

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