The 10th Annual Frank Morgan Taos Jazz Festival

World-renowned Musicians From Far and Near.

6 Concerts, 4 Days, 3 Venues…

November 13 - Taos Country Club

Red-Hot and Red featuring Doug Lawrence

Jazz Native Americans Steve Figueroa, piano; Milo Jaramillo,bass and David Flores, drums.
Doug Lawrence, tenor saxophone

2 Free shows :

2:00 PM (doors), 3:00 (show)– Reservations required*
6:00 PM (doors), 7:00 (show)– Reservations required*
We begin taking reservations on November 6. https://www.taosjazz.org/contact

Joined by Doug Lawrence... Guaranteed to Heat things up on Day One.

Back by popular demand– and with the extra added attraction of saxophone powerhouse Doug Lawrence, Red Hot & Red will kick of the Festival in style. They opened the 2023 Festival and knocked everyone out with their colorful blend of Jazz, Latin and R&B. All three musicians have Native American roots. Bandleader and pianist Steve Figueroa hails from Laguna Pueblo. Bassist Milo Jaramillo is from Isleta Pueblo, and drummer David Flores' family roots date back to the Indigenous Native American and Sonoran Mexico desert Yaqui Tribe.

Doug Lawrence, New Mexico's own world-renowned sax master, has performed with a head-spinning roster of famous musicians, from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett and Joey DeFrancesco to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Aretha. In 2023, Doug was inducted into the New Mexico Music Hall Of Fame. This year he  won a Grammy® as a featured soloist, along with the rest of the Count Basie Orchestra, for Large Ensemble Jazz Album of the year.You'll enjoy the music in the classy setting of Taos Country Club– with delicious dining options and drinks on the  menu.

November 14 - Taos Center for the Arts, 7:30pm

Direct from France! Django Festival Allstars

Dorado Schmitt, violin; Samson and Amati Schmitt, guitars; Franko Mehrstein, guitar; Gino Roman, bass.

“Sensational... a standout! The hottest swinging band at the Newport Jazz Festival." —Downbeat Magazine

Founded by the revered gypsy guitarist and violinist Dorado Schmitt, the Django Festival Allstars (DFA!) pay homage to the “hot jazz” of legendary gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. This brilliantly cohesive group of world-class musicians has developed their exciting and refined sound for the past 20 years, performing at top concert halls and festivals to standing ovations worldwide. Their driving, swinging style harkens back to the 30s and 40s in Europe, where Django Reinhardt teamed up with the great jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli– and made an indelible mark on the world of swing jazz. Their Hot Club Quintette of France was one of the greatest musical partnerships in European Jazz history.
‘Hot Swing’ has its roots in American popular music and in the reverence for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and other top American jazz figures. The DFA take the essence of that Hot Swing into the 21st century with their own creative interpretations, arrangements, and original compositions. There’s nothing like The Django Festival Allstars to bring pure JOY to an audience . Their music reaches right into your heart and brings ‘smiles’ a mile wide… it's ‘happy’, infectious music and full of love. For this concert, DFA features Dorado Schmitt and Sons – Samson Schmitt and Amati Schmitt, guitars, plus Francko Mehrstein, guitar, and Gino Roman, bass.

$30 / $25 (members)
$25 Family Ticket (parents and kids 18 and under)

Tickets

November 15 - Harwood Museum, 7:30pm

Direct from Japan! Tadataka Unno in a solo piano jazz performance

“Rhythmic versatility infused with vibrant melodic intuition" - Jeff becker, Jazz Sensibilities

Tadataka Unno is one of Japan’s most acclaimed jazz pianists. From early childhood and into his twenties, he focused on the piano, and the roots and culture of jazz. Eventually he landed in NY City and his jazz future exploded. Quickly embraced by the jazz community, he met and was mentored by George Cables. His path to international prominence was furthered by a second mentor, piano legend Hank Jones. Soon after, he joined the famed Jimmy Cobb Quartet and performed, recorded and toured the world with the master drummer. That led to associations with more great names in jazz including trumpeter Roy Hargrove, with whom he worked for the last two years of Mr Hargrove’s life.
Then a terrible thing happened. Early in the pandemic, when Asian hate crimes were on the rise, Unno was brutally attacked by eight teenagers in a NY city subway station. He almost lost his life. Physically and emotionally broken, he took his wife and newborn son back to Japan. Home again and gradually feeling stronger, he recorded "Get My Mojo Back" to critical acclaim. Finally, thanks to music colleagues George Cables, Doug Lawrence and Jerome Jennings, Tada performed with the Taos Festival Allstars in last year’s Taos Jazz Festival. The music was joyful and life affirming. Now Tadataka Unno returns to the US– direct to Taos– for the 2024 Taos Jazz Fest. He's still on his journey back, as he says… “I keep fighting for love…with music."

Tickets

November 16,  Taos Center for the Arts, Matinée show– 3:00 PM

Grace Kelly's Family Matinée Specially priced for you and the kids!

With Ana Petrov, piano and keyboards; Cooper Appelt, acoustic and electric bass; Anthony Fung, drums

“Grace Kelly is a jazz innovator… Making jazz young” –BILLBOARD Magazine

Here's an amazing opportunity for your kids to see star singer and saxophonist Grace Kelly onstage– and maybe even be exposed to live jazz for the first time.  And who better to make it exciting than saxophonist-singer-songwriter-composer-band leader Grace Kelly! What a way to fall in love with jazz!
In addition to being a world-traveling jazz and pop superstar, Grace is also an experienced educator. Her collaboration with Leo P in their innovative online "Saxy School” has a huge following. And last year she became the youngest member of the Board of Trustees of the Berklee College of Music.
Grace's kind of jazz is young, exciting and accessible. She and her dynamite band wll dip into jazz, pop, latin, blues and even hip-hop. She will play a medley of her "Gracified Arrangements" – songs that are featured on her upcoming album, "At the Mov?ies… Grace Kelly With Strings." You'll discover how she takes a familiar song and transforms it into a jazz song!? Most of all, she'll entertain and inspire your kids… and THRILL YOU with the full-on Grace Kelly experience!

$30 / $25 (member)
$25 Family Ticket (parents and kids 18 and under)
Bring the whole family! Buy in advance or pay at the door.

Tickets

Evening Show – 7:30 PM

Grace Kelly - Festival Finale

With Ana Petrov, piano and keyboards; Cooper Appelt, acoustic and electric bass; Anthony Fung, drums

"both a virtuoso musician and a cultural phenomenon." - Jazz Sensibilities

Saxophonist, singer, songwriter, composer, and band-leader Grace Kelly is a one-of-a-kind talent with an enormous and ever-expanding range. Her interests have so many offshoots, you might even say she's "genre-fluid.” Touted for her scorching sax stylings and purring vocals, Grace dips into classic jazz, electro-pop, and classy ballads… and her current passion: movie music. You'll hear it all in her upcoming performance.
Grace has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel- Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, Jon Batiste and Wynton Marsalis. As a solo artist Grace has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 15 acclaimed albums and a resumé that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl as well as being part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – all before reaching her mid-20s. In addition to her virtuosity on alto and soprano saxes, last year she was named "Rising Star on the Baritone Sax" by Downbeat.
Grace plans to play selections from her March 2024 release, “At The Movies: Grace Kelly with Strings”, which was inspired by “Charlie Parker with Strings.” You'll hear fresh new arrangements of her favorite movie music (Disney Medley, Back To The Future) and songs by legendary film composers and contemporary artists like Billie Eilish (No Time To Die from the latest James Bond film) fully merging it with her signature sound. "She invokes nostalgia while pushing the boundaries of jazz" - Jazz Sensibilities. This is Grace's 10th annual appearance in the Taos Jazz Festival. We fully expect more surprises from this fabulous talent.
“A jazz innovator… Making jazz young” – BILLBOARD
“Charismatic and immensely talented… all the chops in the world.” –DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

$30 / $25 (member)
$25 Family Ticket (parents and kids 18 and under)

Tickets

Date : November 13-16, 2024

Locations :
Taos Country Club, 54 Golf Course Drive, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557
Taos Center for the Arts, 133 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571
Harwood Museum Of Art, 238 Ledoux Street,Taos, NM 87571

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