The Jazz Voyager

The Jazz Voyager is on the way cross-country to Northern California to the major port of the region, a city that sits across the bay from San Francisco known as Oakland. Within the confines of the city resides one of the world’s most respected jazz venues, Yoshi’s. In 1972 what started as a 27 seat restaurant has evolved into a 310 seat venue that has earned a reputation as the Bay Area’s premier location for great Japanese cuisine and jazz music.

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, who was formerly known as Christian Scott, is a two-time Edison Award winning, six-time Grammy Award nominated, Doris Duke Award in the Arts awardee, and will be taking the stage this evening for one night only. He is a trumpeter, sonic architect, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments. This voyager will be in the audience to witness what new he has to bring.

The venue is located at 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607. For more information you are invited to visit https://notoriousjazz.com/event/chief-adjuah.

More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,trumpet

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Gene Shaw was born Clarence Eugene Shaw in Detroit, Michigan on June 16, 1926. He played the piano and trombone as a child and didn’t begin playing the trumpet sometime around 1946 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie’s Hot House while recovering from injuries sustained in the army.

He attended the Detroit Institute of Music, and studied with pianist Barry Harris. In his hometown he played with Lester Young, Wardell Gray, and Lucky Thompson. His move to New York City in 1956 had him playing with Charles Mingus’s Jazz Workshop a year later and among his credits with the bassist are Tijuana Moods, East Coasting, where he used a Harmon mute, although he was initially wary of using it, given its association with the sound of Miles Davis.

Later that same year over a fight with Mingus, he destroyed his instrument and quit music. Not returning to playing until 1962, Gene formed his own ensemble. He retired again two years later, then returned to music once more in 1968.

As a leader he recorded three albums between 1962 and 1964 on the Argo label titled Breakthrough, Debut in Blues and Carnival Sketches. As a sideman with Mingus he also recorded three albums, East Coasting and A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry on the Bethlehem label in 1957, and Tijuana Moods in 1962 on RCA.

Trumpeter Gene Shaw, who was an active member of the Chicago Gurdjieff society and a student of Fourth Way psychology, including its music,  died in Los Angeles on August 17, 1973.

More Posts: bandleader,history,instrumental,jazz,music,trumpet

ETIENNE CHARLES CREOLE ORCHESTRA

Last season, trumpet master, inexhaustible band leader, and fashion icon Etienne Charles lit up The House of Swing with his Appel Room performance of Carnival: The Sound of a People. Now, he returns to Dizzy’s Club leading his Creole-inflected big band featuring master practitioners from across the globe. Expect a spirited set of new music designed to pull every listener of every generation from their seat to their feet. 

The Orchestra

Etienne Charles, music director/trumpet
Nathaniel Williford, Austin Muthyala, trumpet
Anthony Hervey, trumpet  (6/15 and 6/16)
Summer Camargo, trumpet 6/15 and 6/16)
Trunino Lowe, trumpet (6/14 only)
Geoffrey Gallante (6/14 only)
Sam Keedy, Rashaan Salaam, Gina Benalcazar-Lopez, trombone
Rob Edwards, trombone (6/14 only)
Dion Tucker, trombone (6/15 and 6/16)
Godwin Louis, Jordan Pettay, alto saxophone
John Ellis, tenor saxophone
Joseph Herbst, tenor saxophone, libriarian
Paul Nedzela, baritone saxophone
Alex Wintz, guitar
Andre White, steel pan
Axel Tosca, piano
Brandon Rose, bass, vocals
Harvel Nakundi, drums
Dennis Collins, vocals (6/16 only)
Katie Oberhotlzer, vocals (6/16 only)

More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,orchestra,preserving,travel,trumpet,vocal

JOE GRANSDEN BIG BAND

More Posts: adventure,club,ensemble,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,trumpet,vocal

KEYON HARROLD

Jazz St. Louis Creative Advisor and Ferguson native Keyon Harrold returns home to present his brand new commission to close our ’23/24 Season! This season grand finale will see the illustrious musician debut Jazz St. Louis’ much-anticipated, first-ever solo-commissioned work, written to reflect Keyon’s experiences during his  momentous three-year appointment with Jazz St. Louis. Do not miss Harrold take the stage to share with the world a new work that promises to be unique and thoughtful.

Harrold grew up one of sixteen children in a family that prioritized music and community across generations. His grandfather was a police officer who retired to found a drum and bugle corps for local youth, both of his parents were pastors, and nearly all of his siblings sing and perform music to this day. At eighteen, the McCluer High School alum left Ferguson for New York City to enroll in The New School. In New York, he landed his first major gig with Common, an audition he secured on the recommendation of his New School classmate Robert Glasper, and an experience which he says broadened his musical horizons beyond jazz to include funk, Afrobeat, R&B, and hip hop. Harrold was soon performing with stars like Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Beyonce, Mac Miller, Rihanna, Eminem, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, and Chaka Khan.

Harrold has been key in advancing community engagement and broadening our organization’s audience of ardent jazz appreciators. Whether Jazz St. Louis patrons are harmonizing to a soothing rendition of the Bee Gees tune “How Deep Is Your Love” live with PJ Morton, or soaring with inspiration from a Whitaker Jazz Speaks exploration of how hip hop radiated from an iconic disco sample, many indelible memories are being made during Harrold’s extraordinary tenure. This boundary-expanding partnership and commissioned work is all made possible with gracious support from the Mellon Foundation.

More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,trumpet