PAULA WEST
Rarely does an artist possess the creative range close to that of Paula West. A spellbinding performer, the west coast singer and song interpreter has appeared at clubs and cabaret theaters from New York to San Francisco. Sharing her eclectic style and rich contralto voice with listeners of all ages, over three nights West delivers original arrangements of standard tunes as well as more recent classics from such iconic songwriters as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and David Bowie. Don’t miss a chance to fall in love with your favorite playlists all over again.
Paula West, vocals
Ed Cherry, guitar
John Chin, piano
Sean Conly, bass
Jerome Jennings, drums
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TORD GUSTAVSEN
Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen and his exploratory trio present new music from his forthcoming ECM release. Combining improvisation and lush, at times eerie harmonies with electronic programming and plenty of soundscaping, Gustavsen and fellow artists Steiner Raknes and Jarle Vespestad invite listeners into a sonic world that draws inspiration from a range of styles, including church and folk music. Expect an invigorating evening of original music and energizing dialogue emanating from the bandstand.
Tord Gustavsen, piano and electronics
Steinar Raknes, double bass and electronics
Jarle Vespestad, drums
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JESSE JONES JR.
The Miami native is a virtuoso saxophonist who started his first band, the Melt-Jess Jazz Quintet, in high school with trumpeter brother Melton Mustafa, who later left to play with Count Basie. Jones formed his own quartet and remains a longtime fixture in Miami’s jazz scene.
He continues to be at the forefront of a burgeoning jazz renaissance in South Florida. He is renowned for his mastery of the saxophone and captivating vocals, has left an indelible mark on the genre over decades.
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LENORA ZENZALAI HELM & TRIBE JAZZ ORCHESTRA NONET
Throughout her 40+-year span of musical achievements as a jazz vocal musician specializing in classic, traditional standard jazz, Dr. Lenora Zenzalai Helm Hammonds has toured, recorded, and performed with her various groups worldwide.
She is a lyricist, guest artist, background singer, composer, and educator at North Carolina Central University where she is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Music and Jazz Studies Program. Lenora was a former United States Jazz Ambassador under the State Department and Kennedy Center.
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ORRIN EVANS
During his kaleidoscopic quarter-century as a professional jazz musician, pianist Orrin Evans has become the model of a fiercely independent artist who pushes the envelope in all directions. Never supported by a major label, Evans has ascended to top-of-the-pyramid stature on his instrument, as affirmed by his #1-ranking as “Rising Star Pianist” in the 2018 DownBeat Critics Poll. Grammy nominations for the Smoke Sessions albums The Intangible Between and Presence, by Evans’ raucous, risk-friendly Captain Black Big Band, stamp his bona fides as a bandleader and composer.
In addition to CBBB, Evans’ multifarious leader and collaborative projects include the Eubanks Evans Experience (a duo with eminent guitarist Kevin Eubanks); the Brazilian unit Terreno Comum; Evans’ working trio with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr.; and Tar Baby (a collective trio of 20 years standing with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Nasheet Waits). One of Tar Baby’s two 2022 releases will be released on Evans’ imprint, Imani Records, which he founded in 2001 and relaunched in 2018.
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