DIXIE KARAS QUINTET

Dixie Karas — vocalist Ted Karas — guitar Steve Weingart — keyboard Bill Jackson — bass John Taylor — drums

Get ready to be captivated by the mesmerizing melodies of Dixie Karas and her talented quintet at Caffe Vivace this November! Experience an unforgettable evening as Dixie Karas takes the stage, enchanting the audience with her soulful voice and a repertoire of favorite Jazz and Adult Contemporary tunes. Mark your calendars now for a night of musical magic you won’t want to miss. Join us at Caffe Vivace and let the rhythms of jazz and soul sweep you away on a journey of pure musical delight! A $10 drink minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the total for beverages purchased by the party does not meet the minimum.

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AL WEST JR. & FRIENDS

Al West Jr. — vocalist Greg Chako — guitar David Lloyd — bass Michael Meloy — drums
Conceived in Mississippi, born in St. Louis, Misouri and raised in Chicago, Illinois he is a jazz vocalist whose journey follows the genealogy and geography of this uniquely American musical art form. His silky smooth vocals and classic-man vibe naturally suit his expansive repertoire. Al interprets a broad range of selections from the Great American Songbook with emotion, sensitivity, and vitality that poignantly conveys each story. Straddling classic and contemporary jazz worlds, he easily moves from intimate lounge settings to larger performance halls.

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LINDSEY WEBSTER

An American jazz, R&B, and pop singer. Her first single, “Fool Me Once”, reached number one on the Smooth Jazz chart at Billboard magazine (2016), making her the first vocalist since Sade’s 2010 “Soldier of Love” to have a #1 vocally-driven song in the primarily instrumental format. Since then Webster has scored six Top 5 hits, including “Where Do You Want To Go” (#1), Back To Your Heart (#2), Open Up (#3), Next To Me (#3), & Love Inside.

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Requisites

Joanne Grauer Trio ~ Joanne Grauer | By Eddie Carter

I love piano trios, and I was listening to a little-known title after dinner a few nights ago, which became the inspiration for this morning’s column. Joanne Grauer Trio (Mode Records MOD-LP-113) marks the debut of a young pianist named Joanne Grauer, whose musical education began at age five. Her brother and dad were professional musicians, and she started classical training at age twelve. Her musical education took a turn towards jazz while studying with Sam Saxe, a West Coast piano instructor who broadened her knowledge of the challenging dynamics of jazz piano. Listening to Hampton Hawes, Horace Silver, and Johnny Williams further moved her toward a career as a jazz pianist.

On her first date, she is joined by Buddy Clark on bass and Mel Lewis on drums. My copy is the 1988 US Mono reissue on VSOP Records (VSOP #58). The opener is an original by  Joanne titled Mood for Mode. The trio introduces the song at a relaxing tempo that continues through the melody and is sure to get the listener’s toes tapping. Joanne is up first and swings so easily, while Buddy and Mel’s exemplary support follows her like a shadow. Buddy has the next solo and makes his point by generating a good feeling. Joanne returns for a few concluding thoughts before the theme’s return dissolves slowly into nothingness.

The pace picks up for Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s, Have You Met Miss Jones? The trio begins with a lively introduction and melody, leading to Joanne’s vivaciously spirited opening statement. Buddy and Mel engage in a short, joyous conversation until the threesome’s closing chorus takes the song out. Invitation by Bronislaw Kaper and Paul Francis Webster is given a regal treatment by Joanne, who performs the song alone. She brings out the jazz standard’s sensitivity and delicacy in a beautifully romantic rendition that is sure to linger in the listener’s mind and heart long after it is over.

The first side finale, Happy Is the Sheepherder by Marv Belew, is full of good spirits from the start of the ensemble’s cheerfully sunny melody. Joanne takes the reins and gives an optimistic, upbeat interpretation ahead of the restatement of the theme, during which Buddy makes a brief comment before the ending. Side Two takes off at a fast clip with I’ll Remember April by Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, and Don Raye. The trio swings with authority in the brisk opening chorus. Joanne sets a jubilant mood in the opening solo, then shares a spirited exchange of ideas with Mel ahead of the trio’s reprise and fadeout.

Dancing Nitely by Bill Holman takes the trio’s foot off the accelerator with a soothing introduction that gets into a simpler groove on the melody. Joanne leads off with a carefree, light-hearted performance, followed by Buddy, who eases into the second statement. The leader has a few more things to say preceding the trio finishing it out. I’m Glad There Is You by Jimmy Dorsey, and Paul Madeira is a beautiful love song from the forties. Joanne brings the song to life with a gorgeous solo introduction segueing into the trio’s tender melody. As the song’s only soloist, she delivers an intimately delicate interpretation, with Buddy and Mel complimenting her every note into the peaceful ending.

The Song Is You by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II ends the album on an upbeat note with the trio in perfect harmony on the energetic melody. Joanne takes flight in the song’s only solo with a vigorous performance that’s thrilling from start to finish into the reprise and climax. Red Clyde supervised The Joanne Grauer Trio, and Dayton Howe was the recording engineer. The album has a superb soundstage that transports the musicians to your listening room with stunning fidelity. Joanne Grauer’s next release wouldn’t hit stores until seventeen years later, and she has only a few titles in her discography.

But if what I heard on this album is an indication, I’ll certainly be on the lookout for those other releases. If you’re a fan of piano jazz as I am and are in the mood for an album to help you unwind after a long day or week. I invite you to check out The Joanne Grauer Trio on your next record shopping trip. It’s a delightful album that would make a terrific complement to your day or evening’s listening and become a welcome addition to your jazz library!

~ Joanne Grauer – Source: Album liner notes by Joe Quinn ~ I’m Glad There Is You, Have You Met Miss Jones, The Song Is You – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2023 by Edward Thomas Carter

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SARAH KING

Sarah King is champagne. A charming, flirtatious clown, Sarah delights her audiences with an effortless voice that tickles notes, time traveling from the 1920s-40s. She has sung and danced her way from crowded subway platforms and smokey speakeasies to secret parades and abandoned water towers,  from the hilltops of France, to the beaches of Brazil, from The Boom Boom Room to Lincoln Center.

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