Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival Schedule
Friday, September 18, 2009
Regattabar at the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street, Cambridge
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Ahmad Jamal
Friday, September 18, 2009, 7:30 p.m.Regattabar at the Charles HotelOne Bennett Street
Cambridge MA 02138 [Map]
Ahmad JamalCelebrated pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal continues his performance schedule around the world, as he has for well over the last four decades. Noted for his outstanding technical command and identifiable sound as a piano stylist, Jamal impresses fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. He was a child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3; he began formal studies at 7. While still in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African American concert singer and teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1951, he formed his own group, the Three Strings (later renamed the Ahmad Jamal Trio), and was signed by John Hammond to Columbia's Okeh Records. The trio's classic live album Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me climbed to number three on the pop charts. In the wake of But Not for Me's success, Jamal opened his own club, the Alhambra. In the years since, he's recorded album after album with various labels, most recently Birdology, Dreyfus, and Telarc.
$28 -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Ahmad Jamal
Friday, September 18, 2009, 10:00 p.m.Regattabar at the Charles HotelOne Bennett Street
Cambridge MA 02138 [Map]Celebrated pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal continues his performance schedule around the world, as he has for well over the last four decades. Noted for his outstanding technical command and identifiable sound as a piano stylist, Jamal impresses fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. He was a child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3; he began formal studies at 7. While still in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African American concert singer and teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1951, he formed his own group, the Three Strings (later renamed the Ahmad Jamal Trio), and was signed by John Hammond to Columbia's Okeh Records. The trio's classic live album Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me climbed to number three on the pop charts. In the wake of But Not for Me'ssuccess, Jamal opened his own club, the Alhambra. In the years since, he's recorded album after album with various labels, most recently Birdology, Dreyfus, and Telarc.
$25
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Regattabar at the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street, Cambridge
Beantown Jazz Festival
-
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Ahmad Jamal
Saturday, September 19, 2009, 7:30 p.m.Regattabar at the Charles HotelOne Bennett Street
Cambridge MA 02138 [Map]Celebrated pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal continues his performance schedule around the world, as he has for well over the last four decades. Noted for his outstanding technical command and identifiable sound as a piano stylist, Jamal impresses fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. He was a child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3; he began formal studies at 7. While still in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African American concert singer and teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1951, he formed his own group, the Three Strings (later renamed the Ahmad Jamal Trio), and was signed by John Hammond to Columbia's Okeh Records. The trio's classic live album Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me climbed to number three on the pop charts. In the wake of But Not for Me's success, Jamal opened his own club, the Alhambra. In the years since, he's recorded album after album with various labels, most recently Birdology, Dreyfus, and Telarc.
$28 -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Ahmad Jamal
Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:00 p.m.Regattabar at the Charles HotelOne Bennett Street
Cambridge MA 02138 [Map]
Ahmad JamalCelebrated pianist/composer Ahmad Jamal continues his performance schedule around the world, as he has for well over the last four decades. Noted for his outstanding technical command and identifiable sound as a piano stylist, Jamal impresses fellow musicians and record buyers alike with his innovative, minimalist approach. He was a child prodigy who began to play the piano at the age of 3; he began formal studies at 7. While still in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African American concert singer and teacher Mary Cardwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. He joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1951, he formed his own group, the Three Strings (later renamed the Ahmad Jamal Trio), and was signed by John Hammond to Columbia's Okeh Records. The trio's classic live album Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing: But Not for Me climbed to number three on the pop charts. In the wake of But Not for Me's success, Jamal opened his own club, the Alhambra. In the years since, he's recorded album after album with various labels, most recently Birdology, Dreyfus, and Telarc.
$25
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Cafe 939
939 Boylston Street, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Alex Wintz and Jordan Seigel
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 8:00 p.m.Cafe 939939 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
Jazz Revelation Records (JRR) presents two artists from its latest release, Dedication. JRR is student-run, artist-driven record label created to present the top jazz composers and performers at Berklee College of Music. Gathered from all over the globe, JRR artists speak the language of jazz in a new way. Their youth, passion, and commitment are the launching pad for a new direction in an established tradition.
Alex Wintz
Born in California and raised in the New York/New Jersey area, Alex Wintz began learning guitar at the age of four. He has had the opportunity to be mentored by such great teacher/musicians as Vic Juris, Mick Goodrick, Don Braden, Ron Jackson, Hal Crook, and Dave Santoro. He currently attends Berklee on a full scholarship. Awards of note include 2006 NFAA ARTS Award for Jazz, 2006 Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship, 2007 Berklee Guitar Achievement Award, and Most Outstanding Jazz Soloist category in the Down Beat Student Music Awards. He has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Most recently, Wintz was a semifinalist in the Montreux International Guitar Competition in Switzerland. His trio currently performs regularly in the Boston area.
Jordan Seigel
From Westlake Village, California, Jordan Seigel started playing piano when he was five years old. Now at the age of 20, Seigel has performed at various prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, the Berklee Performance Center, the Jazz Bakery, and the Playboy Jazz Festival. At Berklee, he has received several honors, including the Alex Ulanowski Award and the Jazz Performance Award. Seigel has been fortunate enough to study with Aaron Goldberg, Hal Crook, Russ Ferrante, Joanne Brackeen, and Danilo Perez.
$10, general admission
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
The Branford Marsalis Quartet
Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 8:00 p.m.Berklee Performance Center136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
Branford MarsalisShortly following the release of what had already been described as their greatest work to date, Metamorphosen, the Branford Marsalis Quartet's personnel changed for the first time in over a decade. With the departure of protean drummer, Jeff "Tain" Watts, the bandleader was faced with the enormous task of finding another drummer, and what he found in 18-year old Justin Faulkner was nothing short of astonishing. The "new" Branford Marsalis Quartet includes Faulkner on drums, Eric Revis on bass, Joey Calderazzo on piano, and, of course, Branford Marsalis on saxophone.
$41, $35
Thursday, September 24, 2009
David Friend Recital Hall
921 Boylston Street, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Love and Hunger: The Music and Life of Billie Holiday
Thursday, September 24, 2009, 7:00 p.m.David Friend Recital Hall921 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
An original play written and performed by Berklee students, Love and Hunger: A Play with Music about the Life and Work of Billie Holiday is a collaboration between the Advanced Theater Production Workshop, taught by Liberal Arts associate professors Rebecca Perricone and Amy Merrill, and the Billie Holiday Ensemble, taught by Percussion professor Terri Lyne Carrington.
Amy Merrill
Amy Merrill has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College and is a talented and successful playwright. She has recently collaborated with Si Kahn on the play Silver Spoon. She is a member of the Opera and Musical Theater Initiative (NOMTI), participates in networking sessions sponsored by Opera America, is the regional representative to the Dramatic Guild, and is actively involved in selecting directors for local theaters. Merrill has written and produced the plays Cigareets and Whiskey, Driving on the Left Side: A Reggae Play, Miss Betty Lee in Her Hour of Need, and Silver Spoon. (See stagesource.org/pages/49_amy_merrill.cfm.)
Rebecca Perricone
Rebecca Perricone has an M.F.A. in theater from Cornell University and is a vocalist and professional actor with Broadway, T.V., and repertory credits, including performances with Mostell and Austin Pendleton. Her recordings include Love at Last. She also serves as the artistic director of Framingham Community Theater. (See cdbaby.com/cd/rebeccatunes.)
Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Lyne Carrington is a drummer, composer, producer, and clinician. Her debut CD Real Life Story received a Grammy nomination. She has toured for over 20 years with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Al Jarreau, Stan Getz, David Sanborn, Joe Sample, Cassandra Wilson, Clark Terry, Dianne Reeves, and more. Carrington also received an honorary doctorate from Berklee, her alma mater, in 2003. (See terrilynecarrington.com.)
$10, general admission
Friday, September 25, 2009
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
The Godfathers of Groove, Featuring Special Guests David Sanborn, Kevin Mahogany, and Amina Claudine Myers
Friday, September 25, 2009, 7:30 p.m.Berklee Performance Center136 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston MA 02115 [Map]
The Godfathers of the GrooveThe Godfathers of Groove
Previously known as the Masters of Groove, the Godfathers of Groove is an all-star group composed of Reuben Wilson on the Hammond B3, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums, and Grant Green Jr. on guitar.
In the late '60s, organist Reuben Wilson began ascending to his current status as a "godfather" of acid-jazz with On Broadway, the first in a string of albums for Blue Note Records. With these recordings Wilson, revealed a command of funk that helped redefine the soul jazz movement.
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie landed a gig with Aretha Franklin in 1970—the beginning of an unparalleled career. Since then, Purdie has been a regular guest in the studios of the stars of jazz, soul, and rock, working together with Paul Butterfield, Larry Coryell, Miles Davis, Hall & Oates, Al Kooper, Herbie Mann, Todd Rundgren, Cat Stevens, Steely Dan's Aja, Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, B.B. King, "Sweet" Lou Donaldson, Joe Cocker, and Hank Crawford, to name a just a few. No other drummer in the last three decades has seen the interior of a recording studio as often as Purdie. Purdie has laid down the beat on more than 3,000 albums to date.
As the son of the late legendary jazz guitarist Grant Green, Grant Green Jr. was exposed to exceptional musicianship and superb guitar playing right from the start. Growing up in the Palmer Woods section of Detroit, he enjoyed a constant parade of jazz greats streaming through his living room, and at the age of 5, he played his first chords. Grant eventually settled in New York. His ability to blend funky grooves with the melodic soul-jazz and blues made him a popular session player and musician's musician.
David Sanborn
Renowned and revered the world over as one of the greatest saxophone players of all time, two-time Grammy winner David Sanborn is an artist whose music has inspired countless other musicians while creating a body of work that spans the genres of rock 'n' roll, r&b, pop, and jazz. A naturally gifted performer, Sanborn has helped defined the saxophone's modern sound while influencing a generation.
Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Sanborn was inspired by the rich legacy of great Chicago blues artists who would play their way through town. Before he had finished high school, he had played with names such as Albert King and Little Milton. Since then he has performed with the Butterfield Blues Band, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, and James Taylor. Throughout the nineties and into the present, Sanborn has continued to tour and record, having amassed a wide and enthusiastic fan base around the world.
Amina Claudine Myers
Pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, actress, and educator Amina Claudine Myers has proven herself adept in the creative musical arts. She is well known for her works involving voice choirs, voice and instrumental ensembles, and performances in any combination of formations.
Since 1976 Myers has resided in New York, where she has moved into the theater realm, writing pieces for this medium and acting and composing music for a number of off-Broadway productions. She has recorded and/or performed with Archie Shepp, Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra, James "Blood" Ulmer, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Muhal Richard Abrams, Lester Bowie, and Bill Laswell. She currently has nine recordings released under her own name.
Kevin Mahogany
Kevin Mahogany's arrival in the early '90s on the jazz scene created an unprecedented stir and resurgence of vocal jazz. He grew up listening to the richly diverse musical sounds of his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, and recorded three well-received albums with Enja, the independent German label, before signing with Warner Brothers in 1995. His self-titled Warner debut received a host of accolades to include Newcomer of the Year (Penthouse) and the first of four nominations as No. 1 Jazz Singer of the Year (Down Beat Critics Poll).
In 2003 and 2004, Mahogany, along with Kurt Elling, Jon Hendricks, and Mark Murphy, toured extensively as the Four Brothers. Mahogany now tours in various configurations and conducts jazz clinics around the world.
$45, $35, $25, reserved seating
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane/Hartman
Friday, September 25, 2009, 8:00 p.m.Scullers Jazz Club400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 02134 [Map]
Kurt EllingBerklee BeanTown Jazz concertgoers get a rare treat this year: four chances to hear a special performance, "Dedicated To You"—Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman, Featuring Joel Frahm and the Laurence Hobgood Trio. The original 1960s era recording captured lightning in a bottle when the two legends came together, and Elling has made it his mission to put his own mark on what was a seminal moment in jazz history.
Elling's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an astonishing technical facility and emotional depth. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free-form improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry.
One of Elling's major contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of putting words to improvised solos of jazz artists. Elling, who has earned eight Grammy nominations, has set the solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, and others to his own deeply spiritual and compelling lyrics, an approach that reminds us of the beauty of the original music and opens us up to a fresh vision.
Elling's new Concord recording, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, celebrates a 45-year-old collaboration between saxophonist John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman. The two jazz legends recorded several tracks on one day in March 1963, and the result quickly became a jazz classic. Elling's Dedicated to You features his take on several of the original tracks, including "Autumn Serenade" and "You Are Too Beautiful."
During his four Berklee BeanTown concerts, Elling will be accompanied by his frequent collaborator, pianist Lawrence Hobgood, and by saxophonist Joel Frahm.
$28 -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane/Hartman
Friday, September 25, 2009, 10:00 p.m.Scullers Jazz Club400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 02134 [Map]Berklee BeanTown Jazz concertgoers get a rare treat this year: four chances to hear a special performance, "Dedicated To You"—Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman, Featuring Joel Frahm and the Laurence Hobgood Trio. The original 1960s era recording captured lightning in a bottle when the two legends came together, and Elling has made it his mission to put his own mark on what was a seminal moment in jazz history.
Elling's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an astonishing technical facility and emotional depth. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free-form improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry.
One of Elling's major contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of putting words to improvised solos of jazz artists. Elling, who has earned eight Grammy nominations, has set the solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, and others to his own deeply spiritual and compelling lyrics, an approach that reminds us of the beauty of the original music and opens us up to a fresh vision.
Elling's new Concord recording, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, celebrates a 45-year-old collaboration between saxophonist John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman. The two jazz legends recorded several tracks on one day in March 1963, and the result quickly became a jazz classic. Elling's Dedicated to You features his take on several of the original tracks, including "Autumn Serenade" and "You Are Too Beautiful."
During his four Berklee BeanTown concerts, Elling will be accompanied by his frequent collaborator, pianist Lawrence Hobgood, and by saxophonist Joel Frahm.
$28
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Free Outdoor Festival
Corner of Massachusetts and Columbus Avenues, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Berklee Salsa Ensemble
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 12:00 p.m.Dunkin Donuts Stage594 Columbus Ave
Boston MA 02120 [Map]Come dance to the tropical rhythms of the Berklee student Salsa Ensemble, directed by Bernardo Hernández, assistant professor. Hernández, who has played with a wide range of innovative artists, has led the group in a string of performances throughout the Boston area. The ensemble features Berklee's best student performers of salsa.
Hernández has worked as a composer, arranger, and producer of music for Radio Caracas TV musicals and the WCVB-TV Boston talk show Aqui, and has written jingles and arrangements for singers and orchestras in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Hernandez has recorded as a leader for CBS and Polydor.
He has performed with Soledad Bravo; Vicky Carr; Chekeré; Tito Gomez; Humano; Antonio Lauro; Israel Lopez; Victor Mendoza; Pablo Milanes; Dan Moretti; the Pampero Studio Orchestra; the Pan-American and Palladium 51 big bands; Los Pleneros del Coco; Tito Puente, Jr.; Ismael Miranda, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez; Oscar Stagnaro; Cecilia Todd; Bebo Valdez; Roberto Vizcaino; and Nancy Wilson.
Hernández is an alumnus of Berklee and the Jose Angel Lamas Music Conservatory in Caracas, Venezuela.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Berklee City Music All Stars
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 12:00 p.m.Target Stage681 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
The Berklee City Music All-Star Ensemble is composed of the best and brightest City Music students, all of whom have attended Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program on full-tuition scholarships. The ensemble performs multiple genres of contemporary music, including jazz, pop, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues.
Free -
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Ashanti Munir
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 12:00 p.m.Berklee Stage732 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Ashanti MunirAshanti Munir's powerful voice has earned her comparisons to Lalah Hathaway. She's still riding high from the success of her 2008 debut CD, Balance, which received rave reviews internationally. The single "I'm Staying Home Tonight" was a dance floor favorite in the UK, and Balance was #18 on Solar Radio's Best of 2008 chart in London. A native Bostonian, Ashanti was nominated for a 2006 New England Urban Music Award, and won the historic Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in 1992. She was a background vocalist for Michael Buble at the Verizon Center in Manchester, N.H. and has opened for Johnny Kemp, Alyson Williams, Esperanza Spalding, Freddie Jackson, Helen Rogers, and Terri Lyne Carrington.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
The Donna McElroy Quartet
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 12:50 p.m.Target Stage681 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Donna McElroy is an arranger/background vocalist on gold and platinum releases "Why Haven't I Heard From You?" by Reba McIntyre; "We Shall Be Free" by Garth Brooks, "Addictive Love" by BeBe and CeCe Winans, and "House of Love" by Amy Grant. She is the recipient of Grammy nomination for Bigger World (WB), a Dove Award for Songs from the Loft (Reunion), and a 1993 Best Actress Award for the Circle Players' performance of Sister Mary Regina (Nunsense). Television appearances include Arsenio Hall, Tonight Show, and Grammy Awards.
Lately, McElroy's been doing more in her community and in the Boston area; hosting a website for pedagogical support for new singers; developing an American Negro spirituals curriculum for the Voice Department at Berklee; and working to raise money for the schools and young music students in the Ivory Coast, West Africa.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Marcus Santos and Bloco AfroBrazil
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 1:00 p.m.Columbus Avenue (Street Performance)688 Columbus Avenue
Boston MA [Map]
Bloco AfroBrazilLed by Marcus Santos, Bloco AfroBrazil takes to the streets of Boston throughout the outdoor festival day, mixing traditional Brazilian grooves like samba, maracatu, and baião with funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop. Always one of the most visible and high-energy groups of the day, The group consists of more than 20 of the most talented percussionists and musicians in New England.
Bloco AfroBrazil is a Boston-area ensemble dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the vibrant Afro-Brazilian carnival traditions of Bahía, a state in northern Brazil where 90 percent of the population is of African descent. Carnival in Bahía's capital city of Salvador centers around the blocos Afros, or carnival clubs, that provide the musical "voice" of this celebration. As the blocos Afros parade throughout Salvador, they pick up revelers, promoting the traditional notion that Carnival is a time to join in, a time when rules can be broken and social barriers crossed. In some years, Carnival parades in Salvador have included up to 340,000 participants.
The energetic Marcus Santos leads Bloco AfroBrazil, which delivers captivating performances to its audiences. Born and raised in the city of Salvador, Santos grew up in the blocos Afros tradition. After performing with Brazilian groups like Mambolada and Jheremmias, he won a scholarship to attend Berklee. Upon his arrival, Santos founded Bloco AfroBrazil and its parent organization, AfroBrazil, dedicated to keeping Brazilian percussion traditions alive in the United States. Marcus has performed with artists such as the Gypsy Kings and Paquito D'Rivera.
Bloco AfroBrazil was recently nominated for a Boston Music Award for Best World Music Act.
Free -
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Elan Trotman
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 1:20 p.m.Berklee Stage732 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Elan TrotmanBarbados native and saxophonist Elan Trotman has made a name for himself as one of New England's up-and-coming jazz artists. His reputation was cemented in 2008 when he was named Best Jazz Artist at the New England Urban Music Awards. He has performed, recorded, and toured with an elite group of artists, including vocalists Roberta Flack and Brian McKnight and saxophonist Kirk Whalum. Trotman also serves as musical director, saxophonist, and keyboardist in the band led by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
Trotman is a graduate of Berklee and a music teacher in the Boston public schools system.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Donald Harrison New Orleans
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 1:30 p.m.Dunkin Donuts Stage594 Columbus Ave
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Donald HarrisonIn the classic jazz genre, Donald Harrison is the originator of the nouveau swing style, which merges acoustic swing with modern r&b, second-line, hip-hop, New Orleans African American roots culture, and reggae rhythms. Harrison is a proven master of many musical genres and has written and performed many innovative classic jazz compositions. Some of his compositions are now part of the standard repertoire of jazz. He has also written and performed as a hip-hop MC. His influence on the whole rap culture as an early mentor of the Notorius B.I.G. on the science of rap and life was documented on VH-1. He is also a master singer/dancer in traditional New Orleans culture.
Today the 47-year-old saxophonist is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of these times, yet he remains inextricably tied to his New Orleans roots. Harrison has also discovered and nurtured some of the finest young jazz musicians like the young trumpeter Christian Scott, Mark Whitfield, Dwayne Burno, Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, as well as rap icon the Notorious B.I.G.—his neighbor in Brooklyn for eight years. In the new millennium, Harrison has written and performed major orchestral works. Recently he has performed with his own groups as well as with the Head Hunters, Jennifer Holliday, Larry Coryell, and the Art of Four with Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, and James Williams.
Free -
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Joe Louis Walker
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 2:00 p.m.Target Stage681 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Joe Louis WalkerBorn and raised in San Francisco and now based in Westchester County, New York, Joe Louis Walker is one of the most heralded blues artists of our time. Walker is a true blues virtuoso whose skills as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer have earned him a dedicated legion of fans around the world. He's recorded with B.B. King, James Cotton, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Steve Cropper, Ike Turner, and Branford Marsalis, among many others in a storied career that covers 18 solo albums, two live DVDs, and a number of compilations and guest appearances. He's played on two Grammy Award-winning albums and won three Blues Music Awards (formerly known as W.C. Handy Awards). In addition to his hot-ticket shows in the U.S., Walker has become an international ambassador for the blues overseas, having played at countless festivals throughout Europe, South America, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Yoron Israel: David "Fathead" Newman Tribute
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 3:00 p.m.Berklee Stage732 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Yoron IsraelDrummer, percussionist, composer, band leader, and educator, Yoron Israel, a native Chicagoan, is one of the most gifted and sought-after musicians in the music industry today.
Israel's exciting and tasteful drumming, along with his compositional talents, are spotlighted throughout his CDs. They are: Basic Traneing (Ronja Music Company), Chicago (Double Time), Live at the Blue Note (Half Note), A Gift for You (Ronja Music Company) He brings his unique influences and experiences in the jazz, Latin, gospel, funk, r&b, and orchestral idioms full circle with his compositions, arrangements, repertoire, and ensemble concepts. Israel is the assistant chair of percussion at Berklee College of Music.
Over the past 10 years, Israel has performed regularly with the late David "Fathead" Newman in a variety of settings. He is featured on Newman's last four recordings. Joining Yoron in his septet for the BeanTown Jazz Festival will be a number of other great musicians with long associations with Newman and his music, including Marcus Belgrave (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Howard Johnson (baritone saxophone), Bill Easley (flute, tenor, and alto saxophones), Dave Leonhardt (piano), and John Menegon (bass).
David "Fathead" Newman, legendary saxophonist/flutist and composer, was a prominent member of the Ray Charles band in the fifties and sixties and a renowned bandleader in his own right thereafter. He passed away on January 20, 2009 at age 75.
For more information visit Israel's website.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Jane Bunnett, featuring Hilario Duran
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 3:10 p.m.Dunkin Donuts Stage594 Columbus Ave
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Jane BunnettBy the early 1990s, Jane Bunnett had become a regular visitor to Havana's music venues; she was incorporating Cuban musicians, beginning with the pianist Hilario Durán, into her Toronto bands; and she had released her first Cuban-influenced album, 1991's Spirits of Havana. Since then, Bunnett has moved from strength to strength, touring internationally and recording a string of critically lauded albums. Her comfortable house in Toronto's west end has become a home away from home for a growing number of extraordinary young Cuban musicians who've migrated to Toronto. Bunnett, playing only soprano saxophone, is cast sometimes as lyric lead balladeer, sometimes (as on the Canadian folk tune "She's Like a Swallow") as a bold and surprising jazz soloist. Most of the material is ancient; Bunnett's choices and the contexts in which she places these tunes are consistently fresh.
Hilario Durán was born in Havana, Cuba in 1953 into a musical family and surrounded by various musical influences. Durán's grandmother played guitar; his mother studied piano, and his father, Hilario Durán Senior, played guitar and sang throughout his lifetime. Durán started playing the piano by ear when he was 8. He studied at the Arnadeo Roldan Music Institute in Havana, studying tumbao with Evaristo Aparicio, composition and conducting from German Pifferrer, and orchestration from Guillermo Barreto. He formed a group in the 1970s called Los De Siempre, which melded traditional Cuban elements with those of modern jazz. He joined Arturo Sandoval's band from 1981 to 1990. He also worked with Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra and Michel Legrand. From 1995 he worked as a solo artist in Toronto, Canada, and has collaborated over the course of his career with Tata Guines, Changuito, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Jorge Reyes, Roberto Occhipinti, Larry Cramer, John Patitucci, Michael Brecker, Regina Carter, Dave Valentin, Juan Pablo Torres, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Hugh Marsh, Carlos "Patato" Valdés, Lenny Andrade, Quartetto Gelato, and the Gryphon Trio. Durán was nominated for Juno Awards in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, winning in 2005 for New Danzon. In addition to his many awards, nominations, and treasured honours, Durán received a 2007 Chico O'Farrill Lifetime Achievement Award from Latin Jazz USA in the United States for his outstanding contributions to Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin Jazz.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Berklee P-Funk Ensemble with Lenny Stallworth
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 3:35 p.m.Target Stage681 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Lenny StallworthBerklee students will perform the music of classic funk band George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic.
Lenny Stallworth
Bassist Lenny Stallworth is a member of Willow Entertainment and leader of Flipside and Funk Mob in New England. Over his career, Stallworth has performed with Najee, Maceo Parker, Donald Brown, Ann Nesby, and Donnell Jones. He has also recorded with Rohn Lawrence, Teddy Riley, Ray Benzino, and Brian McKnight. Stallworth is an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music.
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Berklee Tower of Power Ensemble with Wayne Naus, Special Guest Little Joe Cook
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 4:30 p.m.Berklee Stage732 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Wayne NausExcept for the real Tower of Power, this is probably the only band in the world that plays extensive repertoire of Tower of Power's Music because horn parts are virtually unavailable anywhere. The band was founded in September 2000 by renowned trumpeter, faculty member Wayne Naus, as an ensemble class at Berklee College of Music. The ensemble members were auditioned among the best musicians at Berklee. The ensemble has played at Berklee Encore Gala, Boston Grammy Award Reception, Boston Fleet Pavilion, and Berklee Performance Center.
Wayne Naus
Wayne Naus is the leader of Heart & Fire Latin jazz octet (with whom he recorded Chase the Fire) and Berklee faculty group Moksha. He is a touring member for the Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and Lionel Hampton bands. He's performed with such artists as Arturo Sandoval, Gary Burton, Mike Gibbs, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett. He has had solo trumpet performances of the National Anthem for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park and is a U.S. Navy musician.
Naus has RCA recordings with Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson, numerous international television and concert performances, and is the author of Beyond Functional Harmony, published by Advance Music.
He graduated from Berklee in 1976 with a BA in music education, and is currently and associate professor in the Harmony Department. He formed Tower of Power Ensemble in 2000. For the past 15 years, he has taught for the Five-Week Summer Performance Program, the Tower of Power Ensemble, and advanced theory classes.
Little Joe Cook
Born in South Philly on December 29, 1922, Little Joe Cook was the only child of Annie Bell, a blues singer who sang on the carnival circuit with the likes of Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. His fine voice and musical interest started at a young age, and by 12, he formed his first group along with his three cousins called the Evening Star Quartet.
The quartet toured throughout the South with the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Blind Boys, and the Soul Stirrers. Cook then turned his attention to managing a rock group, who would later become his band, the Thrillers. They appeared on American Bandstand with their hits, "Let's Do The Slop," and "Peanuts." The popularity of "Peanuts" continued over the years as the Four Seasons recorded a version of the song and it was used in Skippy Peanut Butter commercial.
After a move to Boston in the late 1960s, he landed a regular gig at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has been performing there for more than 25 years. The scene on the Cantab dance floor is reminiscent of American Bandstand 45 years ago, and the mostly college age crowd love the "Peanut Man." Cook also recently performed with Harvey Robbins's Royalty of Doo-Wop and Rock 'n' Roll show at Symphony Hall in Boston, and in a music poll conducted by the Boston Phoenix, Cook was voted the 2002 best local r&b performer.
Free -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Eguie Castrillo and His Orchestra
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 4:45 p.m.Dunkin Donuts Stage594 Columbus Ave
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Eguie CastrilloGrowing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Eguie Castrillo first showed hints of musical ability playing a tiny organ in his parents' living room. Castrillo began playing the timbales at age 7, profoundly influenced by the music of the great bandleader and percussionist Tito Puente. These days, Castrillo is a high demand percussionist and an authority on the rhythms of the Caribbean countries Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago.
When Castrillo's role model Tito Puente passed away in 2000, he decided to bring the mambo back with new touches. He put together an orchestra for the Latin Big Band concert at the Berklee Performance Center in November 2004. The orchestra played again at Berklee's Performance Center for a full house, doing a show called Latin Meets Jazz, and it also played at Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's Inaugural Ceremony to an audience of 10,0000.
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Defenders of the Groove Featuring Ernie Andrews, Plas Johnson, and Melvin Sparks
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 4:45 p.m.Target Stage681 Columbus Ave.
Boston MA 02120 [Map]
Plas JohnsonM.F. Productions presents Defenders of the Groove, featuring vocalist Ernie Andrews, saxophonist Plas Johnson, and guitarist Melvin Sparks.
Ernie Andrews
Ernie Andrews was discovered at the age of 17 by songwriter Joe Greene in 1947, when he won an amateur show at the Lincoln Theatre on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. With a 300,000-seller hit, "Soothe Me" with "Wrap It Up And Put It Away" on the flip side, Ernie Andrews became a singer to be reckoned with. In 1953, he had another big record with "Make Me a Present of You" with Benny Carter. Ernie's life was profiled in an award-winning documentary, available on video, Ernie Andrews' Blues on Central Avenue, directed by Lois Shelton. Ernie continues to play clubs, concerts, and jazz festivals throughout the world, and often performs in Las Vegas. In 1989 he recorded with Gene Harris and the Philip Morris Superband Live at Town Hall NYC for Concord, and subsequently toured with the band for three months covering five continents. Having the ear to improvise and a rich, resonant voice, Andrews plays his vocal chords as a saxophonist plays his horn. He must be seen to be fully appreciated.
Plas Johnson
Plas Johnson has been one of the most well-known and sought-after saxophonists around the California studio scene. Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, he played in and around New Orleans while growing up, before going on the road in 1951 with the Chartes Brown Blues Band. Plas attended the Westlake School of Music in Los Angeles for a year and a half, when his studies were derailed by an overloaded schedule of record dates. He was brought to the attention of Johnny Otis, who immediately added him to his blues aggregation. Johnny then introduced Johnson to Dave Cavanaugh, who held an influential A&R position at Capitol Records, where he soon became a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol's halcyon years. He joined The Merv Griffin Show band, led by Mort Lindsey, in 1970, where he remained for the next fifteen years. Johnson's recent recordings include his own albums, Hot, Blue & Saxy, Evening Delight, and Christmas in Hollywood, and Keep That Groove Going! on Milestone with Red Holloway. You may also find him around town occasionally with his own group, at jazz festivals around the world, and in the recording studio. Plas Johnson combines some of the best elements of jazz and blues, and is admired and emulated by sax players worldwide.
Melvin Sparks
Over the last 30 years, guitarist Melvin Sparks has played with some of jazz's greatest musicians: David "Fathead" Newman, Lou Donaldson, Hank Crawford, Reuben Wilson, and John Patton are amongst the many. During the 1970s, Sparks backed up Lou Donaldson on the funk/jazz classics "Everything I Play Is Funky" and "Hot Dog." Sparks recorded seven albums of his own and played on over 100 other albums. As a session man for Blue Note and Prestige Records, Sparks laid his signature guitar work on many other musicians' albums without ever being in the spotlight. Sparks continues to perform with the greats, such as Leon Spencer Jr., Mike Clark, and Idris Muhammed and is now breaking out his legendary guitar wizardry with many younger bands and artists such as Galactic, the Greyboy Allstars, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Derek Trucks, and Robert Walter's 20th Congress. Melvin Sparks defined the jazz guitar sound of a generation.
Free
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston
Beantown Jazz Festival
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Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane/Hartman
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 8:00 p.m.Scullers Jazz Club400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 02134 [Map]Berklee BeanTown Jazz concertgoers get a rare treat this year: four chances to hear a special performance, "Dedicated To You"—Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman, Featuring Joel Frahm and the Laurence Hobgood Trio. The original 1960s era recording captured lightning in a bottle when the two legends came together, and Elling has made it his mission to put his own mark on what was a seminal moment in jazz history.
Elling's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an astonishing technical facility and emotional depth. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free-form improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry.
One of Elling's major contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of putting words to improvised solos of jazz artists. Elling, who has earned eight Grammy nominations, has set the solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, and others to his own deeply spiritual and compelling lyrics, an approach that reminds us of the beauty of the original music and opens us up to a fresh vision.
Elling's new Concord recording, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, celebrates a 45-year-old collaboration between saxophonist John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman. The two jazz legends recorded several tracks on one day in March 1963, and the result quickly became a jazz classic. Elling's Dedicated to You features his take on several of the original tracks, including "Autumn Serenade" and "You Are Too Beautiful."
During his four Berklee BeanTown concerts, Elling will be accompanied by his frequent collaborator, pianist Lawrence Hobgood, and by saxophonist Joel Frahm.
$28 -
Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival
Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane/Hartman
Saturday, September 26, 2009, 10:00 p.m.Scullers Jazz Club400 Soldiers Field Road
Boston MA 02134 [Map]
Kurt EllingBerklee BeanTown Jazz concertgoers get a rare treat this year: four chances to hear a special performance, "Dedicated To You"—Kurt Elling Sings Coltrane/Hartman, Featuring Joel Frahm and the Laurence Hobgood Trio. The original 1960s era recording captured lightning in a bottle when the two legends came together, and Elling has made it his mission to put his own mark on what was a seminal moment in jazz history.
Elling's rich baritone voice spans four octaves and displays an astonishing technical facility and emotional depth. His repertoire ranges from his own compositions to modern interpretations of standards, both of which can be the springboard for free-form improvisation, scatting, spoken word, and poetry.
One of Elling's major contributions is as a writer and performer of vocalese, the art of putting words to improvised solos of jazz artists. Elling, who has earned eight Grammy nominations, has set the solos of Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, and others to his own deeply spiritual and compelling lyrics, an approach that reminds us of the beauty of the original music and opens us up to a fresh vision.
Elling's new Concord recording, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, celebrates a 45-year-old collaboration between saxophonist John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman. The two jazz legends recorded several tracks on one day in March 1963, and the result quickly became a jazz classic. Elling's Dedicated to You features his take on several of the original tracks, including "Autumn Serenade" and "You Are Too Beautiful."
During his four Berklee BeanTown concerts, Elling will be accompanied by his frequent collaborator, pianist Lawrence Hobgood, and by saxophonist Joel Frahm.
$28
