MONDAY, MAY 9 TO SATURDAY, MAY 14, FROM 10 AM TO 6 P.M.
ENVISIONING JAZZ
Photographs by Kwame Brathwaite, curated by Erica Agyeman
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts
Free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
The rich history and diverse expressions of jazz can be attributed to a dedication
to musical innovation and improvisation. Kwame Brathwaite, a photographer with over
50 years of photojournalistic experience in Harlem, captures some of the pivotal
moments of innovation and improvisation in jazz history. This special exhibition
is on view in the lobby of the Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the
Arts. Artwork on display is for sale by the artist.
Exhibit information: 212-854-1324 or
artsoutreach@columbia.edu
MONDAY, MAY 9 AT 9 P.M.
MONK AT MINTON'S
Minton's Playhouse
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar
Descendant of jazz royalty, T.S. Monk re-creates a classic cutting contest and long-into-the-night
jam session with an all-star house band.
TUESDAY, MAY 10 AT 7 P.M.BLAZING TONGUES: THE SINGERS & WRITERS OF LENOX LOUNGE
Queen Esther, vocals; Farrah Griffin, words
Lenox Lounge
No cover charge. Two drink minimum. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED.
The music of Billie Holiday and writings of Zora Neale Hurston.
TUESDAY, MAY 10 AT 8:30, 10 & 11:30 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Akiko Tsuruga Trio
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Akiko Tsuruga is a jazz composer, Hammond B-3 organist and pianist from Osaka, Japan.
She made the "Rising Star Organist" ranking in the Downbeat top ten for young talent
in 2010.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 AT 7 P.M.
BATTLE OF THE BIG BANDS & SWING DANCE COMPETITION
featuring the George Gee Swing Orchestra and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra
with special guest artists
The Alhambra Ballroom
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar & Food Available
Two of the biggest, "baddest" bands around duel for bragging rights in this classic
battle. Swing dance enthusiasts from throughout New York City hit the dance floor
to show off their moves egged on by the crowd's cheers. Best dancers walk away with
a cash prize. (Click here to register in advance)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 AT 7 P.M.
Blazing Tongues: The Singers & Writers of Lenox Lounge
Marcelle Davies-Lashley, vocals; Carl Hancock Rux, words
Lenox Lounge
No cover charge. Two drink minimum
The music of Dinah Washington and writings of James Baldwin.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 AT 7:30 P.M.
AMATEUR NIGHT AT THE APOLLO
Apollo Theater
Tickets: $19, $25, $29
The Apollo Amateur Night debuted in 1934 and launched the careers of jazz greats
such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and is still today the world's quintessential
talent competition. Who will be the next Apollo legend? Who will win the $10,000
grand prize? At Amateur Night, you tell the performers to be good or be gone!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 AT 8:30, 10 & 11:30 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Jerry Weldon / John Tendy Quartet
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Jerry Weldon, a tenor saxophonist and featured soloist of the Harry Connick Jr.
Orchestra, and John Tendy, tenor saxophonist, jazz producer and founder of the Index
Jazz record label, bring their quartet to Showman's for hard-swinging, improvisational
fun.
THURSDAY, MAY 12 AT 7 P.M.
INSPIRED INNOVATION: STANLEY CROUCH
Minton's Playhouse
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar; Seating at 6 p.m.
An intimate dinner and straight ahead conversation with celebrated cultural critic
and journalist Stanley Crouch: unfiltered and on point.
THURSDAY, MAY 12 AT 8:30, 10 & 11:30 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Derrick James Trio
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Derrick James's sound is a powerful melding of classic acoustics, rogue gypsy street
music, and clever, catchy lyrics.
THURSDAY, MAY 12 AT 9 P.M.
INSPIRED INNOVATION: JONATHAN BATISTE TRIO
Minton's Playhouse
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar
This young pianist, composer and bandleader delivers a set of standards from Armstrong
to Ellington to Monk, plus startlingly original riffs on his own Louisiana roots.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 8 P.M.
WYCLIFFE GORDON'S JAZZ à LA CARTE
featuring Wycliffe Gordon, music director,
with Carla Cook and Nikki Yanofsky, vocals; Savion Glover, tap; Grace Kelly, sax;
Corey Wilcox, trombone; Temple University Big Band, Robbie Todd, MC
Apollo Theater
All Tickets: $10
In 1934 the Apollo opened with "Jazz à la Carte," a variety show featuring Ralph
Cooper, Benny Carter and his orchestra and "16 Gorgeous Hot Steppers." Now, this
classic Apollo entertainment makes a comeback under the guiding genius of composer,
performer, arranger extraordinaire, Wycliffe Gordon. A medley of music by a hit
parade of leading Apollo big bands: Benny Carter, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and
Cab Calloway opens the show; hosted by Comedian Robbie Todd and his rich collection
of renowned variety show characters.
What follows is a series of acts, featuring top contemporary talent - vocalists
Carla Cooke and Nikki Yanofsky, tap savant Savion Glover, sax wunderkind Grace Kelly,
and trombone prodigy Corey Wilcox, among others. Ken Roberson provides the evening's
show-stopping choreography. Gordon himself contributes inspired new riffs that play
up the Apollo's exhilarating past, present and future.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 9 P.M.
FATS WALLER DANCE PARTY: SMALL'S PARADISE TRIBUTE
featuring Jason Moran, piano & Meshell Ndegeocello, vocals/bass, with Mark Kelley,
bass; Marvin Sewell,guitar; Charles Haynes, drums; Lisa Harris, vocals; Leron Thomas,
trumpet; Corey King, trombone
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
All Tickets: $10 Tickets
With its first-class musical acts, elaborate floorshows, dancing waiters and famously
integrated audience, Small's personified the excitement of Harlem nightlife during
the "Roaring Twenties." It was a magnet for top talent and Fats Waller, stride master
and composer of countless standards, was a star among stars. MacArthur Genius Award-winner
Jason Moran and multiple Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello and, along with a full
band and DJ, re-imagine Waller's historic style and swing tunes in a 14-karate tribute
that mixes music, social dancing, and a Small's-inspired sense of "only-in-Harlem."
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 9 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Seleno Clarke/Harlem Groove Band
with David Lee Jones, alto sax; Roger Coles, drums; Gerald Brazel, trumpet; Joe
Friedman, guitar
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Seleno Clarke, a fixture in Harlem clubs for 30 years, hammers the Hammond with
sweet swelling sounds and arrangements that elicit passionate solos from all hands.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 10 P.M.
GERI ALLEN "JAMS" WITH TIMELINE
Featuring Geri Allen, piano
with Kenny Davis, bass; Kassa Overall, drums; Maurice Chestnut, tap; and special
guests Don Byron, clarinet; Jaimeo Brown, drums; JD Allen, sax; Chris Sholar, guitar
Apollo Music Café
All Tickets: $10
Cash Bar opens at 9 p.m.
The Harlem jazz scene of the 40s and 50s was notorious for its after-hours "jam
sessions," fertile improvisational proving grounds for established soloists and
new talent. American post bop, jazz pianist and producer Geri Allen takes the "jam"
to new ground with her band and special guests Don Byron and Jaimeo Brown Transcendence.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 10 P.M.
REVIVE DA LIVE: LATE NIGHT AT MINTON'S
Minton's Playhouse
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar
Saxophonist Greg Osby, a shining beacon among the current generation of jazz musicians
handpicks the houseband for an invigorating night of non-stop music that conjures
up the spirit of the jazz tradition that forged the Minton's legacy.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 11 P.M.
FATS WALLER DANCE PARTY: SMALL'S PARADISE TRIBUTE
featuring Jason Moran, piano & Meshell Ndegeocello, vocals/bass
with Mark Kelley, bass; Marvin Sewell, guitar; Charles Haynes, drums; Lisa Harris,
vocals; Leron Thomas, trumpet; Corey King, trombone
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
All Tickets: $10 With its first-class musical acts, elaborate floorshows,
dancing waiters and famously integrated audience, Small's personified the excitement
of Harlem nightlife during the "Roaring Twenties." It was a magnet for top talent
and Fats Waller, stride master and composer of countless standards, was a star among
stars. MacArthur Genius Award-winner Jason Moran and multiple Grammy nominee Meshell
Ndegeocello and, along with a full band and DJ, re-imagine Waller's historic style
and swing tunes in a 14-karate tribute that mixes music, social dancing, and a Small's-inspired
sense of "only-in-Harlem."
FRIDAY, MAY 13 AT 11 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Seleno Clarke/Harlem Groove Band
with David Lee Jones, alto sax; Peter Velera, tenor sax; Sean Cameron, drums; Sharef
Clayton, trumpet; Sean Mahoney, guitar
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Seleno Clarke, a fixture in Harlem clubs for 30 years, hammers the Hammond with
sweet swelling sounds and arrangements that elicit passionate solos from all hands.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 1 P.M.
VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF JAZZ
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts
Free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
Since its inception, jazz music has inspired artists to represent the arrangements
of its rhythms and nuances of its tone through photography, painting, collage, and
other media. Join curator, scholar, and author Professor Robert O'Meally, photographer
Kwame Brathwaite, and curator Erica Agyeman for a brief discussion addressing the
visual representations of jazz.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 2 P.M.
JAZZ AND THE SPIRIT: THE ARTS OF HARLEM IN THE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS IMAGINATION
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts
Free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
From the Spirituals, through Blues and Jazz and right on up to Hip Hop, religion
has occupied a place of privilege in black musical repertoires. At the same time,
Harlem—that premier staging ground of African-American cultural expression—has in
many ways figured pre-eminently as a sacred place and space in American history.
Wedding these themes together, Professor Marcellus Blount, composer, pianist, arranger
Courtney Bryan, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III and historian Josef Sorett explore
the spiritual dimensions of Harlem's aesthetic legacies and contemporary vitality.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 5 P.M.
WYCLIFFE GORDON'S JAZZ à LA CARTE
featuring Wycliffe Gordon, music director
with Carla Cook and Nikki Yanofsky, vocals; Savion Glover, tap; Grace Kelly, sax;
Corey Wilcox, trombone; Temple University Big Band, Robbie Todd, MC
Apollo Theater
All Tickets: $10
In 1934 the Apollo opened with "Jazz à la Carte," a variety show featuring Ralph
Cooper, Benny Carter and his orchestra and "16 Gorgeous Hot Steppers." Now, this
classic Apollo entertainment makes a comeback under the guiding genius of composer,
performer, arranger extraordinaire, Wycliffe Gordon. A medley of music by a hit
parade of leading Apollo big bands: Benny Carter, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and
Cab Calloway opens the show; hosted by Comedian Robbie Todd and his rich collection
of renowned variety show characters.
What follows is a series of acts, featuring top contemporary talent - vocalists
Carla Cooke and Nikki Yanofsky, tap savant Savion Glover, sax wunderkind Grace Kelly,
and trombone prodigy Corey Wilcox, among others. Ken Roberson provides the evening's
show-stopping choreography. Gordon himself contributes inspired new riffs that play
up the Apollo's exhilarating past, present and future.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 7 P.M.
(COUNT) BASIE'S LOUNGE RE-CREATED
Hosted by Cynthia Holiday
Nectar Wine Bar
$10 Tickets; Cash Bar
A true musician's hang known for jazz and whiskey, legendary band leader Count Basie
gave legitimacy to this tiny neighborhood spot that boasted a classy atmosphere.
Always packed and frequented by jazz luminaries, Dizzy, Big Nick, Sarah, and Carmen,
even Ray Robinson came through, musicians and vocalists would come uptown to network
with their own at one of the few places run by a woman. Basie's Lounge held its
own against its more notorious neighbors packing the place with major talent. This
special night, re-creating the sensational élan of the original, features an open
mic for jazz vocalists hosted by Cynthia Holiday, with special appearances by finalists
from the Jazzmobile Vocal Competition: Lynette Washington, Brianna Thomas and Ty
Stephens.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 8 P.M.
WYCLIFFE GORDON'S JAZZ à LA CARTE
featuring Wycliffe Gordon, music director
with Carla Cook and Nikki Yanofsky, vocals; Savion Glover, tap; Grace Kelly, sax;
Corey Wilcox, trombone; Temple University Big Band, Robbie Todd, MC
Apollo Theater
All Tickets: $10
In 19304 the Apollo opened with "Jazz à la Carte," a variety show featuring Ralph
Cooper, Benny Carter and his orchestra and "16 Gorgeous Hot Steppers." Now, this
classic Apollo entertainment makes a comeback under the guiding genius of composer,
performer, arranger extraordinaire, Wycliffe Gordon. A medley of music by a hit
parade of leading Apollo big bands: Benny Carter, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and
Cab Calloway opens the show; hosted by Comedian Robbie Todd and his rich collection
of renowned variety show characters.
What follows is a series of acts, featuring top contemporary talent - vocalists
Carla Cooke and Nikki Yanofsky, tap savant Savion Glover, sax wunderkind Grace Kelly,
and trombone prodigy Corey Wilcox, among others. Ken Roberson provides the evening's
show-stopping choreography. Gordon himself contributes inspired new riffs that play
up the Apollo's exhilarating past, present and future.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 9 P.M.
FATS WALLER DANCE PARTY: SMALL'S PARADISE TRIBUTE
featuring Jason Moran, piano & Meshell Ndegeocello, vocals/bass
with Mark Kelley, bass; Marvin Sewell,guitar; Charles Haynes, drums; Lisa Harris,
vocals; Leron Thomas, trumpet; Corey King, trombone
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
All Tickets: $10 Tickets
With its first-class musical acts, elaborate floorshows, dancing waiters and famously
integrated audience, Small's personified the excitement of Harlem nightlife during
the "Roaring Twenties." It was a magnet for top talent and Fats Waller, stride master
and composer of countless standards, was a star among stars. MacArthur Genius Award-winner
Jason Moran and multiple Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello and, along with a full
band and DJ, re-imagine Waller's historic style and swing tunes in a 14-karate tribute
that mixes music, social dancing, and a Small's-inspired sense of "only-in-Harlem."
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 9 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Cynthia Scott, vocalist
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per person. NO TICKET REQUIRED. FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVED.
Vocalist Cynthia Scott's most recent CD, "Let the Devil Take Tomorrow," has been
called "a must for any jazz connoisseur."
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 10 P.M.
GERI ALLEN "JAMS" WITH TIMELINE
Featuring Geri Allen, piano
with Kenny Davis, bass; Kassa Overall, drums; Maurice Chestnut, tap; and special
guests Don Byron, clarinet; Jaimeo Brown, drums; JD Allen, sax; Chris Sholar, guitar
Apollo Music Café
All Tickets: $10
Cash Bar opens at 9 p.m.The Harlem jazz scene of the 40s and 50s was notorious for
its after-hours "jam sessions," fertile improvisational proving grounds for established
soloists and new talent. American post bop, jazz pianist and producer Geri Allen
takes the "jam" to new ground with her band and special guests Don Byron and Jaimeo
Brown Transcendence.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 11 P.M.
FATS WALLER DANCE PARTY: SMALL'S PARADISE TRIBUTE
featuring Jason Moran, piano & Meshell Ndegeocello, vocals/bass
with Mark Kelley, bass; Marvin Sewell,guitar; Charles Haynes, drums; Lisa Harris,
vocals; Leron Thomas, trumpet; Corey King, trombone
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
All Tickets: $10
With its first-class musical acts, elaborate floorshows, dancing waiters and famously
integrated audience, Small's personified the excitement of Harlem nightlife during
the "Roaring Twenties." It was a magnet for top talent and Fats Waller, stride master
and composer of countless standards, was a star among stars. MacArthur Genius Award-winner
Jason Moran and multiple Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello and, along with a full
band and DJ, re-imagine Waller's historic style and swing tunes in a 14-karate tribute
that mixes music, social dancing, and a Small's-inspired sense of "only-in-Harlem."
SATURDAY, MAY 14 AT 11 P.M.
SHOWMAN'S LATE NIGHT JAZZ
Cynthia Scott, vocalist
Showman's Jazz Club
No cover charge. Two drink minimum per set, per personVocalist Cynthia Scott's most
recent CD, Dream For One Bright World, has been described as "world changing and
soul moving."
SUNDAY, MAY 15 AT 5 & 7 P.M.
HABANA/HARLEM: PARK PALACE AND THE AFRO-CUBAN LEGACY
featuring Oscar Hernandez and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Harlem Stage Gatehouse
All Tickets: $10 Tickets
Located in East Harlem at the northwest corner of 110th Street and Fifth Avenue,
the Park Palace became the "go-to" place for the growing Latino population. It was
here, in 1940, that Machito and his Afro Cubans made their debut. It was here that
the dynamic "mambo" dance movement was born. This big band event and "salsa party"
pays tribute to the influence of Afro-Cuban music as it made its way to New York
and defined an era. Bring your favorite dance partner and be prepared to relive
La Tradicion of El Rincón Caliente.
*Schedule and Artists Subject to Change
**Photo credits: Lena Adasheva, Mark Seliger, Steven Gregory & Cybel Martin
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