The Jazz Voyager

The coast to coast flight has the Jazz Voyager sleeping on the red eye heading east for a taste of jazz in the town where the tea party took place, Beantown as some call it or Boston, Massachusetts. The venue is Scullers Jazz Club and it has a small stage  where jazz and soul legends as well as new talent perform in this intimate supper club with a background of river views.

This week I’ll be in the company of pianist, composer and arranger Jon Cowherd who is best known as the co-founder and co-director of Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band. He has worked extensively as an arranger, producer, songwriter and accompanist with a vast range of artists, such as Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield and Lizz Wright to Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones, Glen Hansard and more.

Scullers Jazz Club is located at 400 Soldiers Field Road 02134. For more information visit https://scullersjazz.com.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI

Nduduzo Makhathini grew up in the lush and rugged hillscapes of umGungundlovu in South Africa, a peri-urban landscape in which music and ritual practices were symbiotically linked. The area is significant historically as the site of the Zulu king Dingane kingdom between 1828 and 1840. It is important to note that the Zulu, in fact the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing. This deeply embedded symbiosis is key to understanding Makhathini’s vision.

The church also played a role in Makhathini’s musical understanding, as he hopped from church to church in his younger days in search of only the music. The legends of South African jazz are deep influences as well, Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, and Abdullah Ibrahim. “The earlier musicians put a lot of emotions in the music they played,” he says. “I think it may also be linked to the political climate of those days. I also feel there is a uniqueness about South African jazz that created an interest all around the world and we are slowly losing that too in our music today. I personally feel that our generation has to be very conscious about retaining these nuances in the music we play today.”

Through his mentor Mseleku, Makhathini was also introduced to the music of John Coltrane’s classic quartet with McCoy Tyner. “I came to understand my voice as a pianist through John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme,” he says. “As someone who started playing jazz very late, I had always been looking for a kind of playing that could mirror or evoke the way my people danced, sung and spoke. Tyner provided that and still does in meaningful ways.” Makhathini also cites American jazz pianists including Andrew Hill, Randy Weston and Don Pullen as significant influences.

The Band: Nduduzo Makhathini – Piano | Zwelakhe Dumas Bell Le Pere – Bass | Francisco Mela – Drums

Cover: $80.00 | Dinner & Show

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SHERYL BAILEY QUARTET

Her own trio, The Sheryl Bailey 3, is a modernized version of the organ trio-“the ultimate organ trio” according to JazzInside Magazine. In addition to their 15-year plus residency at NYC’s 55 Bar, they have toured China, Canada, Europe and the US. She also tours the world as a member of David Krakauer’s “Ancestral Groove”. A partial list of others with whom she has performed and recorded with includes Richard Bona, George Garzone, Lincoln Goines, Kim Plainfield, Bill O’Connell, Mike LeDonne, Irene Cara, Lea Delaria, Jack Wilkins, Howard Alden, Shingo Okudaira, Ingrid Jensen, Dwayne Burno, Tommy Campbell, Simon Woolf, Alex Garnett and Ken Peplowski.

Sheryl is a Professor at Berklee College of Music, and at the Collective in New York. In keeping with Sheryl’s philosophy of “giving back”, her 2011 quartet release, “For All Those Living” donates 20% of sales to the Ronald McDonald House of NYC. She has been an Artist in Residence at countless other programs, including NYU, Bates College, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Towson University, the LA Music Academy and GIT. In 2009, Mel Bay published her book Moveable Shapes: Concepts for Re-Harmonizing II-V-I’s. She has also developed a complete curriculum in jazz improvisation for interactive cyber study via Truefire’s Guitar Sherpa program, The Bebop Dojo. In addition she has top selling courses available from Mike’s Masterclasses, Jazz Guitar Society, JamPlay, and Truefire.

Featuring Ian Froman, Ron Owanski, Mike Fahn

Cover: $25.00

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DEBO RAY

Grammy-nominated, vocalist extraordinaire Debo Ray is an immersive musical and visual experience. She has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages: Newport and Monterey Jazz, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and more.

Her versatility from neo-soul/R&B to jazz, pop, classical/opera and rock is unmatched. In a Boston Globe feature, music critic Jon Garelick asks: “Is there anything Debo Ray can’t sing?” as well as describing her “emotional expression and charismatic stage presence”.

Debo recently completed recording her first album of original contemporary R&B material which she co-wrote along with, among others, Grammy winning producer Prince Charles Alexander.  Each song tells a bold, unique story musically and lyrically.

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FIERY STRING SISTAS

At the core of Firey String Sistas are three powerhouse women, Nioka Workman (founder),Marlene Rice and Mala Waldron. Together they infuse world, global funk, ‘head bopping’ soul and Jazz music to produce a unique sound for violin, cello, bass, piano and percussion. The Firey String Sistas extend from 3 to 5 members, featuring cutting edge acoustic and electric musicians. The ‘Sistas’ presentations include tone portraits of the current times, reflections of women’s culture and a celebration of family traditions. The ensemble’s first recording received overwhelming critical acclaim with the press saying; “ ….there’s enough energy in Firey StringSistas to fire up a constellation….deeply personal, naturally expressive playing….whets the appetite for further releases.” – Raul da Gama (Jazz daGama ). “,….eight fun and swingingoriginals.

The team literally shows pluck…a treat” -George Harris (Jazz Weekly) “ ….. a charming and delectable work by .. supremely talented musicians. It is simultaneously accessible and sophisticated, poignant and erudite and, as such, should have a wide appeal. It certainly whets the appetite for more to come…..” -Hrayr Attarian (All About Jazz) . After the success of CD “That’s What She Said” , the Firey String Sistas have begun to record their sophomore CD with dedications to icons, Maxine Waters, Michelle Obama and Mal Waldon This CD also includes surprise features of renowned Jazz artists sprinkled in. Firey String Sistas are recipients of the South Arts Jazz Tours 2023 for performances at Outpost Performing Center, Albuquerque and SITE Museum, Santa Fe Jazz Collective in New Mexico.

Tickets: $35.00~$110.00

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