In celebration of International Jazz Day, here is a video from back in 2017, featuring Jan Fečo and I performing his arrangement of the traditional gypsy song Akor e čhaj barikani. That was the first year Jan traveled from the Czech Republic to the Bay Area with trumpeter/composer Miroslav Hloucal to perform with my ensemble. We subsequently recorded an album in 2017/2018, and look forward to doing it again this year - Happy International Jazz Day!
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In 1994, Roy Hargrove released an album with a unique and powerful concept. Entitled With the Tenors of Our Time, it featured no less than six tenor players, all of whom left indelible marks on the history of jazz: Ron Blake, Johnny Griffin, Stanley Turrentine, Joshua Redman, the inimitable Branford Marsalis, and the iconic Joe Henderson. Along with pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, Hargrove gathered together twelve deeply swinging jazz tunes that form the foundation of masterful performances from all of the instrumentalists.
As a fan (or more accurately, devotee) of Joe Henderson's, I loved hearing Shade of Jade on the album, especially as performed by Henderson himself (!!), but I was immediately drawn to Roy's solo for its virtuosic tempo and fearless expression—two musical elements I always need to work on.
Wishing you the same inspiration as you watch the video and I hope you listen to the entire album, which you can find here.
The music carries on and carries us with it!
At SFJAZZ, Wednesday, March 29th 7pm:
Come enjoy the final date of the Spring 2023 Discover Jazz series, celebrating women artists during Women's History Month! Multi-talented guitarist/composer and SFJAZZ educator Terrence Brewer curated these exceptional concert presentations and it's been an honor (and an education) to be included in the performances. This week, the highlighted artists will be Marian MacPartland, Michele Rosewoman, Jessica Williams, Eliane Elias, Renee Rosnes, Hiromi Uehara, and Marilyn Crispell. And don't miss the Discover Jazz series in general! These concerts present artists and their work in context, historical and musical, and deepen our love and appreciation for the fine art of jazz. Click here for tickets
At Hotel Healdsburg, Saturday, April 1st 6-9pm:
Another great jazz supporting city is Healdsburg, and Hotel Healdsburg's ongoing Saturday jazz series features jazz talent from all over the Bay Area (and sometimes beyond!). My trio, featuring Peter Barshay on bass and Greg German on drums, will be there this weekend playing standards, Brazilian music, original music, arrangements of tunes you love...all kinds of exceptionally beautiful music to make you smile. No tickets needed...see you there! Click here for directions
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