PAULA WEST
Vocal Legend Paula West is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of her 1998 Temptation album at the Herbst Theatre. For this quarter-century celebration of Temptation, she revisits the album’s eclectic song list, from Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed’s 1933 title tune to Billie Holiday’s “Don’t Explain,” delivered in her singular style.
The San Francisco jazz treasure is not the kind of singer who uses her voice like an instrument, improvising long scat solos. She prefers to work around the edges of a melody, stretching a word here or clipping a phrase there so that each piece sounds as if it was written with her voice in mind. When not enthralling Bay Area audiences, Paula has become a Manhattan fixture, earning New York Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Female Jazz Vocalist. In 2013, trumpet luminary Wynton Marsalis recruited her to sing the lead role in the reprise of his Pulitzer Prize-winning opus Blood On the Fields.
This performance is part of the 40th San Francisco Jazz Festival running June 7~18, 2023
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NICOLE HENRY
The veteran vocalist returns to Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club for her “I Wanna Dance With Somebody: The Songs of Whitney Houston” concert . The evening offers a full dinner, cash bar, the opportunity to mingle with some of the Seacoasts? dedicated jazz aficionados, and an evening of magical music.
The evening is in support of Seacoast Family Promise, a local New Hampshire 501(c)3. Proceeds from the event will go to support the expansion of the Joshua House, an overnight shelter for local families with children who are experiencing homelessness. Seacoast Family Promise turns 20 years in 2023 and has proven to be a leader in the fight to end homelessness in the state.
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The Jazz Voyager
This Jazz Voyager is on his way to NOLA to investigate for you a new spot for jazz that I’ve never been to called Chickie Wah Wah. This intimate club is a revered local place for live jazz, roots and funk music while serving up creative sandwiches.
This week I’ll be listening to native trumpeter, pianist and composer Terence Blanchard featuring the E~Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet. They will be performing two shows at 8:00 and 10:00pm. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed on more than fifty. So we’ll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Jazz Fest on the same night.
Located in Mid~City, it’s just a short ride from the French Quarter to 2828 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119. One can always get more information at https://chickiewahwah.com/.
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The Jazz Voyager
Crossing the country once again and heading to California to catch a rare performance of Nilson Matta and Jovino Santos Neto with Ami Molinelli. The club they will be hanging out at is located at 222 Healdsburg Avenue in Healdsburg 95448.
The club is 222 which was disclosed to me by a jazz fan. The space is a performing arts center presenting various world-class events in the areas of jazz, film, poetry, choral music, and more. They are committed to embracing innovation and developing performances for the 21st century while strengthening the interaction between artists, audiences and the community.
Two Brazilian musicians, multi~Grammy nominee Matta and three-time Latin Grammy nominee Neto, both with successful international careers, join forces to present a new project with original music and new interpretations of pieces by renowned Brazilian composers.
Matta is known for his work with Trio da Paz, Don Pullen African Brazilian Connection, Joe Henderson, Yo Yo Ma, and Nilson Matta’s Brazilian Voyage. Neto is a master pianist, flutist, composer, arranger, and conductor from Rio de Janeiro. They are joined by percussionist Ami Molinelli as a special guest, enriching the contagious rhythm of the dynamic duo for this rare collaboration.
The center’s number is 707-473-9150. For more information on days and time of sets visit https://notoriousjazz.com/event/nilson-matta-jovino-santos-neto.
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The Jazz Voyager
This week I caught a plane to the home of country music where jazz has taken a footing. This Jazz Voyager is at the Nashville Jazz Workshop to hear Lizzie Thomas sing her heart out. The New Yorker will be unveiling unconventional and adventurous songs that she has recorded with some of her favorite artists as a duo.
Reminiscent of Tony Bennett’s endeavors, however, instead of vocalists, this vocalist has chosen to pair with a few of the finest instrumentalists in the business. They are Russell Malone, Helio Alves, Ron Carter, Cafe Da Silva, Ron Affif, Dezron Douglas, Wayne Escoffery, Rossano Sportiello, Guilherme Monteiro, Noriko Ueda, Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf and John Di Martino.
The organization was founded in 1998 as the Nashville Jazz Institute by Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer, and opened with a handful of students. The program was based on a workshop model developed by Mechem and Spencer growing out of their dissatisfaction with traditional academic jazz education. The workshop model is based on a journeyman/apprentice approach.
The club’s number is 615-242-5299. For more information on days and time of sets visit https://notoriousjazz.com/event/lizzie-thomas.
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