Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Duke Jones was born Albert Jones on May 6th in White Plains, New York. The nickname was given to him by his favorite aunt due to his love of music at an early age. He began learning trumpet at the age of nine and played in elementary school through high school. He formed a band with The Lewis Brothers and Sharon Bryant that ultimately became Atlantic Starr.
Jones attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, studying music and film. He worked the New York club circuit and continued his studies with traditional island rhythms, calypso and soca at the University of Virgin Islands. He was influenced by Kenny Dorham, Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan, Benny Bailey and Miles Davis.
He would go on to tour Japan, Europe and Africa, working with The Temptations, Angela Bofill, Larry Coryell and Marion Meadows. He has collaborated and recorded with August Darnell, and drummer Norman Connors. Duke served as Vice President of Creole Records, a label started with then band mate August Darnell (Kid Creole). In 2005, he formed Café Soul All-Stars, recording their debut album Love Pages which featured George Benson, Roy Ayers and Kenny Garrett among others.
Trumpeter and flugelhornist Duke Jones continues to perform, record and collaborate with his music.
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JEREMY PELT QUARTET
The trumpeter studied classical trumpet as a child and focused on jazz after playing in a high school jazz ensemble. He studied at Berklee College of Music. Among those he has performed with are Ravi Coltrane, Roy Hargrove, Greg Osby, and Cassandra Wilson.
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is back in sunny Miami, Florida for a visit to the Koubek Center that sits on the campus of Miami Dade College. This historic landmark remains true to its pioneering heritage, the celebration of its multicultural community with workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, concerts and more.
This evening I will have the pleasure of hearing vocalist Leesa Richards, who has performed with Gerald Austin, Peabo Bryson, and Dionne Farris as well as toured worldwide with Whitney Houston. Also on the night’s ticket is trumpeter Jean Caze, who has worked with Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Al Jarreau, Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval, and George Duke, to name a few. Both Leesa and Jean bring with them their own quartets.
The venue location is 2705 SW 3rd Street, 33135. For tickets and more information go to https://notoriousjazz.com/event/leesa-richards-quartet-jean-caze-quartet.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jacques Butler was born on April 29, 1909 in Washington, D.C. but didn’t pick up the trumpet until his late teens. He began playing professionally with Cliff Jackson and Horace Henderson in New York City, then joined Marion Hardy’s Alabamians in 1931 for a year.
Leading his own ensemble in New York and touring from 1934-1935, Jacques also made recordings with Willie Bryant before relocating to Europe in 1936, where the two performed together until 1939. During that period he played with Frank “Big Boy” Goudie as well as with his own bands. He would tour Scandinavia before WWII and in 1940 he became well known in the Norwegian jazz community, and while visiting Oslo he recorded one 78 rpm. Returning to New York City that same year he played and recorded with Mercer Ellington, Art Hodes, Mezz Mezzrow, and Bingie Madison.
After a brief stay in Toronto he moved back to Europe in 1950, remaining there until 1968 as a regular at the La Cigale club in Paris, France. He appeared in the 1961 Paul Newman/Sidney Poitier film Paris Blues. In the 1970s he came home to the States and was seen working often in New York City, as a sideman with Clyde Bernhardt among others, and in the studio.
Trumpeter and vocalist Jacques Butler, who was sometimes listed as Jack, died in 2003. The date of his death is unknown.
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LEESA RICHARDS QUARTET & JEAN CAZE QUARTET
As a part of Miami’s vibrant music scene, singer/songwriter Leesa Richards grew up in music-rich Detroit and started showing an inclination towards the arts at a very early age. “My parents listened to a lot of jazz and I would record myself over and over singing along to Nancy Wilson records,” she says. But when she saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she knew she wanted to be a dancer. She graduated from University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a degree in dance and began her career on stage performing with a variety of dance companies.
She began honing her vocal chops with soul greats Gerald Austin and Peabo Bryson and contemporary soul maverick Dionne Farris. Her first world tour was as a dancer with legendary singer Whitney Houston after which she combined her love for music and dance to earn the role of Mary Magdalene in the national tour of the Broadway musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, earning critical acclaim which led to featured performances throughout the US and Europe.
Renowned jazz trumpeter Jean Caze, stands as a prominent figure in today’s jazz scene. His magnetic performances have graced stages alongside icons such as Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Al Jarreau, Roy Hargrove, Arturo Sandoval, and George Duke, among others. Currently serving as the featured soloist for Michael Bublé worldwide, Jean’s musical journey traces back to his roots in Queens, NY, where his passion ignited at the age of nine. By his senior year, he showcased his talent on national television with “Chicago” on NBC.
Jean’s dedication to his craft earned him scholarships, accolades, and widespread recognition, culminating in a Bachelor’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and a Master’s from Florida International University. Noteworthy achievements include securing second place in the 2007 Thelonius Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition and claiming victory in both the 2004 National Trumpet Jazz Competition and the 2006 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition.
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