Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Judi Marie Canterino was born on December 18, 1942 in New York City, New York. She began her musical training at the age of seven with classical piano and performed at the Juilliard School of Music through her thirteenth year. Then she turned her studies to voice, training classically through high school.

At 19 she turned her attention to jazz singing and was introduced to Lennie Tristano, with whom she began studying. As part of my jazz training, she would listen to Lennie Tristano perform at the Half Note. Early in her career she sat-in at the club with Zoot Sims, Al Cohen, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Tate, Bud Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Van Dickenson, Major Holly, Milt Hinten, Doc Cheatham, Roy Eldridge, Ross Thompkins, Bobby Hackett and others.

Her style came from mentorship of those previously mentioned and the influences of singers Jimmy Rushing, Billie Holiday, Maxine Sullivan, Rosemary Clooney, Anita O’Day and Frank Sinatra. She took time off from performing to raise a family but remained active in the jazz world, resuming her career with guitarist Joe Puma. She’s appeared around New York and New Jersey.

I have been working with jazz greats Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, Norman Simmons, Chuck Folds, Clark Terry, Mark Shane, Rio Clemente, Joe Cocuzzo, Phil Bodner, Spanky Davis, Bucky Pizzarelli, Kenny Daverne, Kenny Asher and before their deaths, the great Doc Cheatham and Red Richards.

Her debut as a leader was titled Gee Baby and her sophomore project is Live At Maureen’s jazz Cellar. Vocalist Judi Marie Canterino, the Swing Jazz Singer, is still taking the stage to this day.

GRIOTS GALLERY

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YOLANDA RABUN TRIBUTE TO NANCY WILSON

For two nights only the holiday season will honor the contributions of songstress Nancy Wilson as songs are interpreted by the great North Carolina-based singer Yolanda Rabun, while the story of her life is told by Jazz Historian Carl Anthony.

Yolanda Rabun is a Renaissance Woman. A wife, mother, corporate lawyer, and national recording and performing artist, this North Carolina based go-getter lives life on purpose.

Having graduated from a renowned performing arts high school in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Yolanda Rabun honed her singing and stage skills from a young age. She is a fierce songstress and North Carolina based recording artist who also is versatile enough to handle all styles of music, although she favors jazz and soul. She often says, “…people ask me where have I been, and I tell them, I never went away! But I’m so glad you stopped to listen!” Ask any of her supporters, once you hear and experience Yolanda, you are a fan for life.

Tickets: $49.00

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CHARMAINE NEVILLE

The daughter of legendary saxophonist Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers, carries the torch of a rich New Orleans musical legacy. While she is rooted in the city’s vibrant traditions, Charmaine brings her own unique voice to the stage, blending R&B, Jazz, and world rhythms into a sound that’s all her own. Her performances are a reflection of the city’s spirit—bold, diverse, and deeply soulful.

Renowned for her high-energy live shows, Charmaine and her band captivate audiences with an infectious sense of joy and a strong emphasis on audience participation. Whether delivering soulful ballads or rhythm-driven grooves, she creates an unforgettable experience, inviting listeners to feel the music and become part of the celebration. Charmaine Neville’s sound is a true reflection of the Crescent City: timeless, exciting, and impossible to resist.

The Band:
Charmaine Neville – lead vocals, percussion
Amasa Miller – piano, musical director
Detroit Brooks – guitar
Donald Ramsey – bass
Raymond Weber – drums

Two Shows at 7:30pm & 9:30pm

Tickets: $25.00.

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DANNY MIXON QUINTET

The Harlem born pianist gained attention in the 1970s and continues to record and play in New York and abroad. Starting off as a tap dancer he attended the Ruth Williams Dance Studio before enrolling at the High School of Performing Arts with dance as his major. Soon after arriving at the school he switched to playing the piano after being inspired by visits with his grandfather to see jazz artists playing at the Apollo Theater.

At 17 he began his professional career playing behind Patti LaBelle & the Blue Bells. He went on to work with Joe Lee Wilson, Betty Carter, Kenny Dorham, Cecil Payne, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster, Grant Green, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Williams, Eddie Jefferson and Dee Dee Bridgewater. He formed his own jazz trio and recorded with the Piano Choir.

The quintet features vocalist Antoinette Montague, backed saxophonist James Stewart, bassist Bryce Sebastien, drummer George Gray, and Band Leader Danny Mixon on piano.

Two Shows ~ 8:00pm | 9:30pm

Tickets: $35.00 per set

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Cleopatra Brown was born on December 8, 1909 in De Kalb, Mississippi. She moved to Meridian, Mississippi when her father took a position as pastor and in his church she played piano as a child.

In 1919 her family moved to Chicago, Illinois and she began learning piano from her brother who worked with Pine Top Smith, playing boogie-woogie for dances. Around the time Cleo was 14 she worked in vaudeville, as well as taking gigs in clubs. In 1935, she replaced Fats Waller as pianist on New York radio station WABC.

From the 1930s to the 1950s she toured the United States regularly, recording for Decca Records among other labels along the way and recording many humorous, ironic titles such as Breakin’ in a New Pair of Shoes, Mama Don’t Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil, When Hollywood Goes Black and Tan, and The Stuff Is Here and It’s Mellow.

Cleo’s stride piano playing was often compared to Fats Waller and she is credited as an influence on Dave Brubeck, who played during the intermissions of her shows, and on Marian McPartland. She played regularly at clubs in Chicago, toured widely, and recorded for both Decca and Capitol Records.

Brown began to shy away from singing bawdy blues songs because of her deepening religious beliefs. In 1953, she was baptized, retired from music, and became a nurse in 1959. Jazz biographies frequently listed her as deceased due to her absence from music. The song Sweet Cleo Brown was recorded by Brubeck in tribute.

From the mid-1970s until 1981, she performed under the name of C. Patra Brown on radio shows in Denver, Colorado. She replaced boogie-woogie music with slower, inspirational music. She returned to record again, and performed on National Public Radio.

Pianist and vocalist Cleo Brown, who was the first woman instrumentalist to receive the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, and also performed and recorded under the name of Cleo Patra Brown,  died on April 15, 1995, in Denver, Colorado.

GRIOTS GALLERY

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