Tucson
Arizona
Tucson Jazz Festival 2024
Arts and Entertainment
December 19, 2023
From: Tucson Jazz FestivalThe 2024 HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival
Join the 10TH ANNIVERSARY Party JANUARY 12-20, 2024
Schedule of Events:
TJF OPENING PARTY FEAT. ARMEN DONELIAN QUARTET
Armen trained as a concert pianist at the Westchester Conservatory of Music in White Plains, NY with director Michael Pollon. “Michael was my second father, for music,” Donelian recalls. His studies lasted for twelve years and included regular solo recitals and several concertos with local symphonies, culminating in a 1968 graduation recital featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev.
Armen Donelian broke into the Jazz world with Santamaria’s vibrant Afro-Cuban Jazz octet. Several North American tours and recordings ensued, including Santamaria’s Afro-Indio and Sofrito which includes three Donelian compositions and was nominated for a 1976 Grammy Award as the Best Latin Jazz Album. Donelian also performed on Mongo and Justo and A La Carte.
Come celebrate the opening night of the Tucson Jazz Festival with a special cocktail hour with the Armen Donelian Quartet! Arturo Sandoval performs across the street at the Rialto Theater at 8pm, so come get in the mood with some more live jazz and cocktails at the Century Room! Doors open at 5pm with live music starting at 6pm.
Free General Admission to Tucson Jazz Festival members!
DATE: Jan 12 2024
TIME: 6:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $15-$25
SECRET JAZZ SERIES – NEO FREE JAZZ
THE SECRET JAZZ SERIES’ INTENTION IS TO FOSTER PROGRAMMING BETWEEN THE DANISH JAZZ SCENE AND THE TUCSON MUSIC SCENE.
Kresten Osgood
Kresten Osgood is well-respected in the global jazz scene as one of the hardest working jazz musicians from Denmark. He is a drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with a wide and diverse group of artists from all over the world. He has received many of the Danish music awards there are to receive.
With an endless appetite for discovery and exchange within the medium of music, he is an improvisational chameleon with a dynamic and bright energy that goes deep in his practice in how he engages with both his fellow musicians and the audience.
He is a treat to witness…or play with. To get a sense of this, one need only review the long list of artists he has collaborated with including, but not limited to Sam Yahel, Jason Moran, Jim Black, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marc Dresser, Kristian Leth, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Peter Bro?tzman, Monty Alexander, Bob Moses, Tisziji Muñoz, Tim Berne, Ben Street, Tony Scherr, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Sam Rivers, Billy Preston, Oliver Lake, Chris Cheek, Charles Davis, Paul Bley, Thomas Morgan, Yusef Lateef, Henry Grimes, Goodiepal, Bent Fabricius Bjerre, Ed Thigpen, Jakob Bro, Goran Kajfes, Karen Borca, Senyawa, Masabumi Kikuchi, Mary Redhouse, Todd Clouser.
Thöger Lund
Thøger Lund, a musician and transplant to Tucson, came up in the Danish jazz scene and is uniquely situated to be ambassador to such a series. This year will be the second version of what we hope to grow into a lasting and evolving tradition, The Secret Jazz Series.
DATE: Jan 12 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: The Lounge at the Temple of Music and Art
330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $20-$50
ARTURO SANDOVAL 10-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER
A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, ARTURO SANDOVAL was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.
He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards.
DATE: Jan 12 2024
TIME: 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Rialto Theatre
318 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $42.00-$85.00
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/ARTHUR VINT QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH ARTHUR VINT AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 12 2024
TIME: 10:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
TJF JAZZ JAM
Get ready for an electrifying experience like no other! The Annual TJF Jazz Jam is back.
This event pairs all our TJF artists together in unique ensembles throughout the day. The atmosphere will be charged with an irresistible energy, as the best jazz musicians from around the globe create a truly unique experience that can only happen within a festival. This event has quickly become a fan favorite and is your chance to be front row to unforgettable experiences through the art of jazz.
SCHEDULE
SET 1 12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
Emcee – Ken Peplowski
SET 2 1:00 PM – 1:50 PM
Emcee – Lewis Nash
SET 3 2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Emcee – Alex Kautz
SET 4 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Emcee – Brice Winston
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm
LOCATION: Hotel Congress Plaza Stage
311 East Congress Street Tucson, AZ 85701 USA
Cost: $40
ISAIAH J. THOMPSON TRIO
Isaiah J. Thompson is the winner of the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz of the American Pianists Association. Originally from West Orange, New Jersey, the pianist, bandleader and composer began studying at The Calderone School of Music from an early age. Soon after, Isaiah continued his studies with Jazz House Kids and NJPAC Jazz For Teens and was later admitted to The Juilliard School graduating with both his Bachelor’s in 2019 and Master’s of Music degrees in 2020.
Isaiah has performed with major artists, including Ron Carter, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Steve Turre and Buster Williams. His recording debut was featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records’ Handful of Keys album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and he has since released multiple recordings as a leader.
He worked on the Golden Globe nominated soundtrack for Motherless Brooklyn, was named a Steinway Artist and has been awarded other accolades including, the 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and second place in the 2018 Thelonious Monk Competition. As a performer, Isaiah tries to emit love, spirit and respect and convey his personal experiences through his artistry and his everlasting love of jazz.
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 7:00PM & 9:00PM
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $35-$45
SECRET JAZZ SERIES – MORE STRAIGHT AHEAD THAN FREE
THE SECRET JAZZ SERIES’ INTENTION IS TO FOSTER PROGRAMMING BETWEEN THE DANISH JAZZ SCENE AND THE TUCSON MUSIC SCENE.
Kresten Osgood
Kresten Osgood is well-respected in the global jazz scene as one of the hardest working jazz musicians from Denmark. He is a drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with a wide and diverse group of artists from all over the world. He has received many of the Danish music awards there are to receive.
With an endless appetite for discovery and exchange within the medium of music, he is an improvisational chameleon with a dynamic and bright energy that goes deep in his practice in how he engages with both his fellow musicians and the audience.
He is a treat to witness…or play with. To get a sense of this, one need only review the long list of artists he has collaborated with including, but not limited to Sam Yahel, Jason Moran, Jim Black, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marc Dresser, Kristian Leth, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Peter Bro?tzman, Monty Alexander, Bob Moses, Tisziji Muñoz, Tim Berne, Ben Street, Tony Scherr, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Sam Rivers, Billy Preston, Oliver Lake, Chris Cheek, Charles Davis, Paul Bley, Thomas Morgan, Yusef Lateef, Henry Grimes, Goodiepal, Bent Fabricius Bjerre, Ed Thigpen, Jakob Bro, Goran Kajfes, Karen Borca, Senyawa, Masabumi Kikuchi, Mary Redhouse, Todd Clouser.
Thöger Lund
Thøger Lund, a musician and transplant to Tucson, came up in the Danish jazz scene and is uniquely situated to be ambassador to such a series. This year will be the second version of what we hope to grow into a lasting and evolving tradition, The Secret Jazz Series.
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: The Lounge at the Temple of Music and Art
330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $20-$50
CALEXICO AND THE TSO JOSÉ LUIS GOMEZ, CONDUCTOR
Praised by NPR for their “sprawling, cross-cultural indie rock,” Calexico has spent the better part of the past three decades exploring the dusty musical borderlands of the American Southwest, crafting singular, cinematic songs as mysterious and magnificent as the arid desert landscapes that inspired them. Founded in Tucson, AZ, by guitarist/singer Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino, the band has received widespread acclaim with a string of arresting, evocative records that have blurred the lines between their roots, rock, and Latin influences.
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 7:30 pm
LOCATION: Linda Ronstadt Music Hall
260 S Church Ave Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $29-$89
2SAXY GRACE KELLY + LEO P W/SPECIAL GUESTS – MOLOKO
2SAXY is a unique collaboration between two internationally acclaimed saxophonists, Grace Kelly and Leo P, who blend their remarkable skills and distinct styles to bring an unparalleled level of “saxiness” to the music scene. Known for their individual accomplishments, including sold-out international tours, lauded albums, and television appearances, they join forces to create a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Grace, with her impressive discography and numerous accolades, brings her inventive electro jazz-pop stylings, while Leo P, recognized for his virtuosic baritone sax playing and agile dance moves, adds his signature dynamic energy.
2SAXY’s fusion of musical talent, colorful hairstyles, and irresistible stage presence results in a captivating performance style that is as visually stimulating as it is audibly. Their videos, featuring hit parody pieces such as “Battle of the Saxes” and “Sax Wars,”, improvised musical walks, as well as original music like the fan-favorite “Fish & Chips,” have collectively attracted tens of millions of views worldwide. Together, Grace Kelly and Leo P’s unique synergy as 2SAXY continues to push the boundaries of jazz, funk, and performance art, delighting audiences with their innovative approach to the saxophone.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly, a gifted singer, saxophonist, songwriter, and band leader, has made a profound impact on the jazz world with her 14 successful albums, sold-out concerts, and numerous performances, including on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Kelly, the youngest member of the Board of Trustees at Berklee College of Music as of 2022, has performed over 1000 shows in 35 countries, collaborating with celebrated artists such as Lin Manuel-Miranda, Dave Brubeck, and Huey Lewis. Her accolades include “Song of the Year” at the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, numerous recognitions in the Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll, multiple ASCAP Composer Awards, Boston Music Awards, and International Songwriting Awards.
Kelly’s pioneering approach to electro-jazz-pop and engaging digital content has positioned her at the forefront of the fusion scene, likened to names like Snarky Puppy and Jacob Collier. Her latest album, “All That I Need”, embodies the courageous spirit and was heavily inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem “And Still I Rise”. Kelly’s dedication to social causes is evidenced in her work, notably in the song “We Will Rise”, dedicated to women’s rights advocacy. Her forthcoming project, “At The Movies: Grace Kelly with Strings”, due to be released in spring 2024, merges her love of movie music with her signature sound. Beyond her live performances, Kelly’s dynamic online presence showcases her talent and showmanship, attracting millions of views and allowing her to connect with her fans on a deeper level.
Leo P
Leo Pellegrino, widely known as Leo P, is a renowned American saxophone player from Pittsburgh, famous for his unique dance moves, constantly evolving hairstyles, and matching outfits. Leo attended the Manhattan School of Music and in 2015 started performing full-time in the New York City subways, which eventually catapulted him to international fame through viral videos with bands Lucky Chops and Too Many Zooz.
Leo’s subway performances culminated in successful collaborations, including recording and live performances with Beyoncé, as well as recording with Diplo. His band’s song “Warriors” earned a spot in an international commercial for the Google Pixel 2 and was named “Song of the Week” by the BBC. In 2017, Leo’s outstanding performance at the BBC Proms’ tribute to Charles Mingus at Royal Albert Hall established him as a distinctive force in the music scene. His ability to blend virtuosic saxophone playing with agile dance movements continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Moloko
Moloko aims to drop-kick you in the chest with grooves in the most respectful way. Heavily inspired by the works of Yoko Kano’s Cowboy Bebop soundtrack and Chucho Valdés with Irakere, the fellas of Moloko are always down to make a good thing happen. New music coming soon. Estimated time of EP release: November
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 8:00 pm
LOCATION: 191 E Toole Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $35-$40
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/ALEX KAUTZ QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH ALEX KAUTZ AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 13 2024
TIME: 11:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
BOSSA NOVA WAVE – DIEGO FIGUEIREDO AND KEN PEPLOWSKI
Playing the music of the famous album “Jazz Samba” from 1962 that launched the Brazilian Bossa Nova craze in North America, and more. The original album featured Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz. It was an explosion of Grammy’s and Billboard hits including “One Note Samba”, “Desafinado”, and “Wave”.
Diego Figueiredo
Grammy-nominated Diego Figueiredo (pronounced fig-a-ray-doe) is considered one of the most talented guitar players in the world today. He is the winner of several important competitions including the Montreux Jazz Competition and the VISA Prize. His music is a fusion between Jazz, Bossa Nova and Classical. Diego’s unique interpretations, along with his phenomenal technique and emotion, has created an explosion of adoring fans and concert goers. Diego has performed in over forty countries around the world.
Ken Peplowski
The litany of musicians Ken has collaborated with includes Mel Torme, Leon Redbone, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Madonna, James Moody, Steve Allen, Woody Allen, and many more. Ken Peplowski has recorded over 50 CDs as a soloist, and 400 as a sideman.
DATE: Jan 14 2024
TIME: 2:00 pm
LOCATION: Rialto Theatre
318 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $35
ALEX KAUTZ BRAZILIAN JAZZ QUARTET
Fabio Gouvea – Guitar John Ellis – Sax, Tenor and Soprano Hamish Smith – Bass Alex Kautz – Drums
Best known for his musicality, groove, and a profound understanding of a variety of styles, percussionist, educator and composer Alex Kautz has found a unique musical voice as a result of his passion for jazz and world music. Alex has been an important part of the NY competitive music scene for the last decade and has played and/or recorded with some of the top artists in the industry today including Tim Ries, John Patittucci, Jon Cowherd, Nilson Matta, Steve Willson, Lenny Andrade, Chico Pinheiro, Fabio Gouvea, Adam Rogers, Helio Alves, Victor Prieto, Lionel Loueke, and Tim Hagans to name a few. Alex has also led his own groups where he explores the sounds and textures of Brazilian music mixed with jazz and he is currently working on his first solo album. A Magna *** Laude graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Alex received the “Best Achievement merit Scholarship” while attending the prestigious institution in pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Music.
DATE: Jan 14 2024
TIME: 7:00PM & 9:00PM
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $25-$30
SECRET JAZZ SERIES – LISTEN TO THAT OLD PIANO
THE SECRET JAZZ SERIES’ INTENTION IS TO FOSTER PROGRAMMING BETWEEN THE DANISH JAZZ SCENE AND THE TUCSON MUSIC SCENE.
Kresten Osgood
Kresten Osgood is well-respected in the global jazz scene as one of the hardest working jazz musicians from Denmark. He is a drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with a wide and diverse group of artists from all over the world. He has received many of the Danish music awards there are to receive.
With an endless appetite for discovery and exchange within the medium of music, he is an improvisational chameleon with a dynamic and bright energy that goes deep in his practice in how he engages with both his fellow musicians and the audience.
He is a treat to witness…or play with. To get a sense of this, one need only review the long list of artists he has collaborated with including, but not limited to Sam Yahel, Jason Moran, Jim Black, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marc Dresser, Kristian Leth, Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Peter Bro?tzman, Monty Alexander, Bob Moses, Tisziji Muñoz, Tim Berne, Ben Street, Tony Scherr, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Sam Rivers, Billy Preston, Oliver Lake, Chris Cheek, Charles Davis, Paul Bley, Thomas Morgan, Yusef Lateef, Henry Grimes, Goodiepal, Bent Fabricius Bjerre, Ed Thigpen, Jakob Bro, Goran Kajfes, Karen Borca, Senyawa, Masabumi Kikuchi, Mary Redhouse, Todd Clouser.
Thöger Lund
Thøger Lund, a musician and transplant to Tucson, came up in the Danish jazz scene and is uniquely situated to be ambassador to such a series. This year will be the second version of what we hope to grow into a lasting and evolving tradition, The Secret Jazz Series.
DATE: Jan 14 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: The Lounge at the Temple of Music and Art
330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $25-$50
EMMET COHEN TRIO AND LEWIS NASH AND THE SOUL JAZZ ALL-STARS
Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal figures in music and the related arts. Downbeat praised the “nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary” he employs to communicate with other musicians and audiences at what he terms “the deepest level of humanity and individuality.” Leader of the “Emmet Cohen Trio” and creator of the “Masters Legacy Series,” Cohen is an internationally acclaimed jazz artist and dedicated music educator.
Emmet Cohen is the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis. He was a finalist in the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition. Cohen has appeared at major international jazz festivals and at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall and Washington’s Kennedy Center, in addition to headlining at the Village Vanguard and other major New York jazz clubs. For many years he was Hammond B-3 Organist-in-Residence at Harlem’s SMOKE jazz club. During the lockdown he created “Live From Emmet’s Place,” a weekly livestream that received millions of internet views worldwide. Cohen is a Mack Avenue artist.
A Suzuki piano student at age three, Cohen holds jazz piano degrees from the Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) and the University of Miami (B.M.). Emmet Cohen has performed, recorded, or collaborated with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath, Tootie Heath, Houston Person, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Herlin Riley, Lea DeLaria, and Bill T. Jones.
Lewis Nash and the Soul Jazz All-Stars
Lewis Nash –Drums
“Rhythm Is My Business” is the title of his 1989 debut recording as a bandleader, and legendary drummer Lewis Nash is all about the business of keeping rhythm. Universally recognized as one of the great drummers in jazz history, his illustrious career now spans over four decades. In 2017, Nash joined the jazz studies faculty at Arizona State University, where he was named the Bob and Gretchen Ravenscroft Professor of Practice in Jazz. His Soul Jazz All-Star musicians include Bobby Floyd on the keyboard, Ricky Woodard on sax, and Russell Malone on the jazz guitar.
Bobby Floyd –Keys
The passion with which Bobby Floyd plays piano, organ and keyboards are the result of his natural ability discovered at the age of two, his love of music, and years of practice. Whether performing jazz or gospel, as a soloist, with a trio or big band, his feel is unique and inspirational leading him to many distinguished appearances around the world.
Ricky Woodard –Saxophone
Rickey Woodard is a Los Angeles based jazz saxophonist. He began his career touring with the Ray Charles Orchestra from 1980 to 1988 and then settled in Los Angeles where he is a mainstay of the Los Angeles jazz scene. He toured with Horace Silver in the 1990s and has worked with top artists including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, John Legend and Diana Krall.
Russell Malone –Guitar
An adept jazz guitarist with a clean attack and fluid, lyrical style, Russell Malone often plays in a swinging, straight-ahead style, weaving in elements of blues, gospel, and R&B. Malone first began playing guitar around age four on a toy instrument, quickly graduating to the real thing. Over his career he has worked with Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick Jr and Diana Kroll.
DATE: Jan 14 2024
TIME: 7:30 pm
LOCATION: Rialto Theatre
318 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $30.00-$45.00
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/BENNY BENACK III QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH BENNY BENACK III AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 14 2024
TIME: 11:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
DOWNTOWN JAZZ FIESTA
TJF2024 invites you to partake in our annual FREE festival, the Downtown Jazz Fiesta, now relocated to a vibrant new setting at Corbett’s. With 2 stages, the day will be filled with music featuring top-notch local and national artists. The lively streets will also host local food trucks ensuring a delightful experience for music enthusiasts and families of all ages.
This year, don’t miss the electrifying performance by TJF Artist in Residence, Ken Peplowski, who will be collaborating with the University of Arizona Studio Jazz Ensemble headlining the event. Renowned as one of the finest saxophone players of his generation, Mr. Peplowski is not only an exceptional musician but also a remarkable teacher.
Anticipate a day filled with dancing, singing, and smiles. All that’s missing is you! The festivities kick off at 11 am and continue into the night. We can’t wait to welcome you to this unforgettable celebration.
SCHEDULE
Corbett’s Stage
11:00 AM Mariachi Rayos del Sol de Tucson High
12:15 PM Arthur Vint and Associates
1:45 PM Kresten Osgood Trio
3:30 PM Delbert Anderson Quartet
5:30 PM Ada Redd Austin
7th Street Stage
11:30 AM Mr. BoogieWoogie – Bourbon St. Bash
1:00 PM Katherine Byrnes
2:30 PM Zona Libre
4:30 PM Ken Peplowski, Artist in Residence w/ UA Jazz Big Band
DATE: Jan 15 2024
TIME: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
LOCATION: Corbett's
340 N. 6th Avenue Tucson, AZ 85705
CENTURY ROOM JAZZ ORCHESTRA FEAT. BENNY BENACK III QUARTET
Century Room Jazz Orchestra
Inspired by the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the 17-piece CRJO performs classic big band repertoire every Monday night at the Century Room starting at 7pm. Expect music from the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Thad Jones/Mel Louis Jazz Orchestra and much more with a special guest vocalist!
Arthur Vint (drums) Scott Black (bass) Angelo Versace & Peter Saxe (piano) Matt Mitchell (guitar) Joseph Rader (bari sax) Brice Winston & Kevin Ravellette (tenor sax) Eric Nakanishi & Simeon Roth (alto sax) Jordan Robison, Joshua Schanie, Benjamin Constantinides, Max Goldschmid (trombone) Alex Melnychuck, Anthony Gibes, Tony Belletti, Jason Carder (trumpet)
Benny Benack III
By age 32, Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the postbop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. This duel-threat ability was recognized by the 2022 Downbeat Critics Poll where he appeared as not only the #2 Rising Star Male Vocalist, but a top Rising Star Trumpeter as well. His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he’s a highly capable pianist as well.
Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the YouTube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award-winning “8-Bit Big Band”. In early 2020 he released A Lot of Livin’ to Do, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut One of a Kind. This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose Grammy-award-winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes. His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world.
Alongside his global touring as a straight-ahead/contemporary bandleader, Benny has appeared as a trumpet soloist in more commercial circles alongside Josh Groban, Ben Folds, fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi, Ann Hampton Callaway and more. He’s been featured at Birdland, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Mezzrow, Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, and other leading New York venues, and has also been a special guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, and the Minsk Philharmonic Orchestra. He made his television debut in NBC’s short-lived, SNL-inspired variety show “Maya & Marty” playing in the in-studio band led by acclaimed bassist & Broadway arranger Charlie Rosen. More recent TV credits include “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” where he frequently performs in the House Band. His global recognition has been bolstered by recent live-streaming concerts at Smalls Jazz Club, where he maintains a weekly residency, as well as frequent appearances on fellow young lion Emmet Cohen’s “Emmet’s Place” weekly show.
Third in a generational line of Pittsburgh jazz notables, Benny follows in the footsteps of his trumpeter/bandleader grandfather, Benny Benack, Sr. (1921-86), and his father Benny Benack, Jr., a saxophonist/clarinetist who gave the young Benny his first professional experience. Benny, Sr. hailed from a Pittsburgh lineage that also produced Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn and so many more. He recorded the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 theme song “Beat ’Em Bucs” and toured with Tommy Dorsey and Raymond Scott, among others. Benny III returns to Pittsburgh often to perform, saluting his family forebears and the jazz heritage as a whole, nonetheless staking his bold and highly individual artistic claim. He is an endorsing artist with Torpedo Bags cases, CarolBrass flugelhorns, as well as various menswear fashion lines including X-Suit, Alain Dupetit, Proper Cloth & Vittone.
DATE: Jan 15 2024
TIME: 7:00PM & 9:00PM
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $25-$35
SEAN MASON QUARTET
When Sean Mason speaks about music, you can hear the notes falling into place. The cadence of his ideas unfolds with deliberate tempo, each exploring and resolving tension like an inspired chord progression. On his debut album, The Southern Suite, he emerges as a guiding luminary, shining his introspective command as both a pianist and composer through the historic lens of jazz to create a work that distills the essence of the genre for our time even as it points the way forward.
“This album is situated at the intersection of ‘renaissance’ and ‘street culture’” explains Mason. “Each song represents a deviation from traditionalism and the cultural norms that I often felt forced to conform to, leading me to embrace the convergence of such paradoxical concepts and embody them through the musical language.” The Southern Suite portrays a resolution of these polar forces and is a bold statement of purpose from Mason, a generational talent well on his way to becoming a leading pianist/composer of his time.
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sean took to the piano at the late age of 13, teaching himself by ear to play the styles of music he was most attracted to. His approach quickly evolved into a highly original language. Sean’s unique voice in jazz is steeped in the sound of the South, allowing an extended time for groove while also displaying a vocabulary far beyond his years. As a bandleader, he leads the Sean Mason Quartet, a band assembled to play Sean’s original music, which has been described as highly melodic and infectious.
“I first got into music by going to church every Sunday, but the movie Ray was the catalyst for me to actually begin playing piano,” recalls Mason. “My grandmother gifted me a small Casio piano and from there I began teaching myself to play, studying for countless hours and devoting concentrated time on developing my sound.” During his time in North Carolina, Sean met jazz legend Branford Marsalis, who was immediately taken by Sean’s musicality and recommended he move to New York. “I told my brother [Wynton Marsalis], ‘Be on the lookout for this kid,’” Marsalis recalls. Upon his arrival, Sean hit the ground running, quickly securing performances and residencies at some of New York’s most prestigious jazz clubs, all while attending The Juilliard School.
The genesis of Sean’s debut album The Southern Suite came from an all-star quintet that Mason handpicked: Tony Glausi (trumpet), Chris Lewis (tenor saxophone), Felix Moseholm (bass), and Domo Branch (drums). Mason recalls, “It was during the first rehearsal that we realized how special of a group we were. We had only played through my first two songs when we all stopped, looked at each other, smiled… and said, ‘Whoa—we should record this.’ From there, I got the ball moving for us to record an
album, but before we ever got into the studio, we went on an incredible two-week tour. We were fortunate to have that time together, as it gave us a chance to fully internalize the music before recording.”
It helps that the melodies contained within The Southern Suite are timeless; they are as fresh as anything out there, and yet they sound so familiar. They take their influence from the jazz tradition and possess an x-factor that puts them in their own category—a magical junction of the lowdown blues joint, the wooden pew of the Black Baptist church, and the glamor of a Broadway score: uptown elegance intermingled with downtown grit.
Tracks like “Lullaby” directly invoke Sean’s respect for family and the Southern tradition. “I grew up with my grandmother living across the street from me, and we had a very close relationship,” Sean recalls. “After her passing, one way that I processed my grief was through composing ‘Lullaby’. This song is a reminder of the love we shared and the joy of her existence. I was intentional about composing a ballad that described love the way I experienced it in the South—from the understanding that ‘family always comes first.’”
The more up-tempo “Closure” finds Mason again wrestling with duality, as the composition represents “… the end of a chapter. It communicates a ‘**** you with a smile’, that I have the freedom to break the rules while still honoring my musical ancestors. It’s rooted in gospel nostalgia—intersecting the rhythm of swing with contrapuntal techniques of classical music.
The music on The Southern Suite is a rich evocation of life, including all its inherent contradictions and complexities—those of nuanced optimism and subtle melancholy. Mason contends, “This album is a nod to my influences while equally asserting that I won’t be constrained to one thing.”
DATE: Jan 16 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $25-$30
DELBERT ANDERSON QUARTET
Enjoy an evening of gallery viewing, Navajo Art, and Dine’ inspired Jazz Music. Your price of admission also includes delicious appetizers, paying homage to the rich culinary heritage and flavors gifted to us by indigenous cultures.
Doors open at 6pm. Cash Bar will be available.
Delbert Anderson Quartet is led by Navajo(Diné) Jazz Trumpeter and Composer, Delbert Anderson. He is both a leader and innovator in today’s contemporary Jazz scene and a Diné culture bearer. His work brings forth traditional Diné songs once sung in Diné social circles called “spinning songs,” and captures their voice in the language of jazz and funk.
Through the support of visionary multi-cultural Jazz fusion drummers and bassists, Anderson builds safe havens for Diné melodies to converse with various styles and pathways for expression. In all their forms, compositions are guided by the time-immemorial Diné principles of Hózhó-harmony, beauty and balance with self, other and nature and K’é or kinship. In this way, Anderson connects across genre and culture, all the while, remaining steadfast in a signature sound that is as strong as the centuries of traditions it was built upon.
“By mining traditional Navajo “spinning songs” of love, healing and courtship, and marrying them to jazz and funk lines, Anderson and his trio have taken a place at the forefront of a vibrant Native American jazz scene.” – Michael Powell, New York Times.
In connection with their work as performers, The Delbert Anderson Trio extends their desire to create cross-cultural safe spaces through outreach, education, and wellness workshops that encourage personal expression and community cohesion.
Khalill Brown– Drums
Khalill Brown(Blackfoot, Cherokee) is a highly versed and technically powerful Funk/Fusion drummer connecting rhythms across styles and cultures. Khalill began his career early opening for Ziggy Marley at age 8 and has played ever since. Even after relearning how to play due to a shattered wrist-Khalill returned to music to open for bands Steel pulse, KRS-One, Snarky Puppy, Stephen Marley and more. His signature style is a reflection of his youth growing up in a family of artists immersed in Reggae and Rasta culture, playing in drumline and decades backing Hip-Hop, Jazz, Funk and Country bands. He brings an effervescent energy with ear-bending timing that seamlessly blends into any ensemble. Khalill offers his music as a way to uplift his audiences in hopes of leaving listeners feeling a little better than when they came.
Michael McCluhan- Bass
Hailing from NY originally – Mike has had a long career playing bass with literally countless artists. Drawing heavily from such varied musicians such as The Grateful Dead to Charles Mingus – Mike is well known for his versatility and his innate ability to play any style of music and play it well. Mike provides music education for various communities through private instruction. Mike provides the jam and groove for DDAT and is excited to share and explore hidden territories of music!
Robert Muller– Piano
Robert Muller is a pianist and keyboardist based in Santa Fe, NM, with experience ranging from smokey local bars to international music festivals. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, where he studied closely with Blue Note jazz great Andrew Hill. After college, he moved to New York City where he performed at venues like the Blue Note and the Knitting Factory with a variety of jazz, neo-soul, and underground hip-hop artists.
Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he performs and records with acts like New Mexico Music Hall of Fame inductee Hillary Smith, U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, Diné jazz musician Delbert Anderson, and contemporary jazz trumpetist Ryan Montaño. His own group Kodama Trio won New Mexico Music Awards for Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Single for their eponymous debut album in
DATE: Jan 16 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Bahti Indian Arts
350 S. Convent Ave Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $65
MIGUEL ZENÓN QUARTET
Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released fifteen recordings as a leader, including the Grammy-nominated Música De Las Américas (2022), El Arte Del Bolero (2021) and Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (2019) and Yo Soy La Tradición (2018). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.
Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year.
As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is a faculty member in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT, as well as the current Visiting Scholar for the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music.
In April 2008 Zenón received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution.
DATE: Jan 17 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $30-$40
MELANIE SCHOLTZ AND AARON RIMBUI – REFLECTIONS ON MAMA AFRICA
The spirit and legacy of Miriam Makeba’s genre-defying pan-African genius continues in the inspired works of South African vocalist Melanie Scholtz and Kenyan pianist Aaron Rimbui. A project that weaves together iconic works associated with Makeba alongside originals by Scholtz and by Rimbui, offers a wide-ranging view into modern African music. Straight-ahead Jazz gives way to live looping effects and prepared piano in a performance that honors Makeba’s music while also embracing a new path forward for contemporary African music.
A Cape Town native, Melanie Scholtz has been a major artist on the South African scene since the early 2000s, releasing five acclaimed albums, working with jazz legend and Miriam Makeba’s one-time husband Hugh Masekela, and touring the world with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 2019.
A timeless artist and towering figure Nelson Mandela called “South Africa’s first lady of song,” Miriam Makeba was pivotal in bringing African music to a Western audience and was a symbol of resistance to minority white rule in South Africa during apartheid.
Melanie Scholtz
Melanie Scholtz is a South African-born, multi-award-winning jazz singer and composer. She started playing the piano from the age of 5 and went on to study Opera at The University of Cape Town Opera School where she graduated *** Laude with a Performer’s Diploma in Opera in 2000.
She has released five successful solo albums and has won many awards; In 2010, Melanie was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz and in 2012, and won all three prizes at the prestigious Jazz Revelations competition as part of the Jazz a Juan Festival in Nice, France.
Melanie was also chosen to be a featured artist in The Great South African Songbook Tour from September 2019- Feb 2020 with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Centre. She was featured in New York, Chicago, Johannesburg, and Vienna.
Her collaboration with Anti-Apartheid activist and poet James Matthews called Freedom’s Child, brought to light the struggles of Apartheid and how by fusing music with these iconic poems, helped them reach a new generation of South Africans.
Melanie has performed all over the world including her native country, South Africa, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United States. She has performed alongside Kurt Elling at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg in 2012, with the Cape Town Philharmonic alongside the late Hugh Masekela in 2015 and jammed alongside Bobby McFerrin at the Anjazz Jazz Festival in Norway in 2011.
She released a new bass and voice record with Norwegian bass player Jo Fougner Skaansar, called Kindred, under the Grappa label in Feb 2022.
Melanie has just recorded a new record with the great Nancy Wilson as a muse in New Orleans in February of this year. Co-produced by artistic director and drummer Adonis Rose, the record is to be released in September of this year.
Aaron Rimbui
Dubbed “the greatest pianist in East Africa” by the major African newspaper Daily Nation, Kenyan multi-instrumentalist and composer Aaron Rimbui is a rising force on the international scene, having collaborated with a global roster of major artists including Deitrick Haddon, Bobby Ricketts, Emmanuel Jal, Suzanna Owiyo and Eric Wainaina. He’s released five superb albums and was music director of the wildly popular East African reality competition show Tusker Project Fame.
DATE: Jan 18 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $30-$40
CHIEF ADJUAH (FORMERLY CHRISTIAN SCOTT)
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah [formerly Christian Scott] is a two-time Edison Award-winning, six-time Grammy Award-nominated, Doris Duke Award in the Arts Award-winner. He is a sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments (including The Stretch Music app, Adjuah Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, Chief Adjuah’s Bow and Chief Adjuah’s N’Goni). He is the founder and CEO of the Stretch Music App and Recording Company. Chieftain and OBA of the Xodokan Nation, Chief Adjuah is the grandson of Louisiana luminary and legend, the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., and Grand Griot of New Orleans and Guardians Institute founder, Herreast Harrison. He is also the nephew of Jazz innovator and NEA Jazz Master saxophonist-composer, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. Adjuah (and his twin brother Kiel Adrian Scott) joined his grandfather’s Guardians of the Flame banner in 1989 at the age 5.
Since 2001, Adjuah has released thirteen critically acclaimed studio recordings, four live albums, and one greatest hits collection. He is widely recognized as the progenitor of the “Stretch Music,” style. A 21st-century approach that asserts genre blindness and an ethnomusicological approach to limitless fusion that heralded NPR to hail him as “Ushering in a new era of Jazz” and JazzTimes Magazine to mark him as “Jazz’s young style God.” and “the architect of a commercially viable fusion”. He has collaborated with a number of notable artists, including Prince, Thom Yorke, Flea, Common, Thundercat, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, Eddie Palmieri, McCoy Tyner, Allen Toussaint, Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, Poncho Sanchez, Robert Glasper, rappers Mos Def (Yasin Bey), Talib Kweli, A$AP Ferg, Wiki, Your Old Droog, Boogie, as well as heralded poet and musician Saul Williams. Adjuah scores music for his identical twin brother, writer/director, and visual artist Kiel Adrian Scott’s filmic works. Scott is a Directors Guild of America Award recipient whose works have been honored with The Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.
DATE: Jan 18 2024
TIME: 7:30 pm
LOCATION: Fox Tucson Theatre
17 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $44-$49
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/PETE SWAN QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH PETE SWAN AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 18 2024
TIME: 10:30 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
LIZZY AND THE TRIGGERMEN
Dubbed “10-piece jazz sensations” (LA Weekly) and “one of the hottest swing bands in LA” (Fox 11), Lizzy & the Triggermen is forging a path like no other.
Underneath the old school glamour is a captivatingly modern band who is just as at home selling out legendary venues like the Troubadour as topping the jazz charts (#3 iTunes) alongside heavyweights like Miles Davis and Kamasi Washington.
Part of Lizzy & the Triggermen’s “time-traveling genius” (Music Connection) is their ability to thrillingly marry the old with the new, simultaneously transporting the audience back in time, and forward. While the band is deeply rooted in the sound and swagger of bands like Basie and Ellington, their music is infused with a myriad of unexpected influences: from R&B to Bebop to Roots to even Broadway. As Lizzy and her musical director, Dan Barrett (who played lead trombone for Benny Goodman), decided from the jump: they weren’t going to pretend like the last 90 years of music hadn’t happened.
At the helm is Lizzy: a charismatic siren with a searing wit and soaring voice. Her “powerhouse vocals” (Broadway World), forged singing opera, recall the great old divas while still sounding completely unique and new. Her songwriting, which Janis Ian likened to Leonard Cohen, is filled with the same biting humor she used to create TV comedies for HBO, Amazon, Legendary, CBS, and the History Channel, garnering multiple Emmy nominations.
But the star power doesn’t stop with Lizzy. It emanates through her entire incredible band, a multi-generational dream team of crushers who are some of the most sought-after musicians in Los Angeles.
DATE: Jan 19 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Hotel Congress Plaza Stage
311 East Congress Street Tucson, AZ 85701 USA
Cost: $25-$30
BILL CANTOS TRIO
The songs of Bill Cantos have been covered by such artists as Ramsey Lewis, Lea Salonga, Patti Austin, Brenda Russell & Bobby Caldwell, Cheryl Bentyne, Flora Purim, Helen Baylor, Mark Winkler, and many others. Bill tours and records with Herb Alpert & Lani Hall, including their Grammy-winning album STEPPIN’ OUT; and toured with Burt Bacharach from 2011 until Burt’s final live shows in 2019. He was a backing vocalist on three world tours with Phil Collins and has also toured with Diane Schuur, Deniece Williams, Kirk Whalum, Freddie Hubbard, and many more.
The legendary Johnny Mandel once said, “Bill comes up with songs I wish I had written – these songs are built to last.” SENSIBILITY, Bill’s latest solo album, is a blend of originals (including new songs written with Bacharach and Mandel) and surprising takes on pop and jazz standards.
A deep love for the music of Brazil runs through Bill’s music and he’s worked extensively with many of Brazil’s best-known artists, including Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, and Gal Costa. He also wrote songs with the legendary Alan and Marilyn Bergman and Mari Falcone for the musical CHASING MEM’RIES.
Bill sang and co-wrote the main title song “All Right Day” for the film HOME RUN SHOWDOWN; has sung on the soundtrack of 100+ films; and recorded as a session player/vocalist with Elton John, Leon Russell, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Bob Dylan, Brian Bromberg, Jay Graydon, El DeBarge and Andrae Crouch. He’s on the commercial music faculty at Azusa Pacific University; originally from San Diego, he received a Masters in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and received their Distinguished Alumni Award.
Several years ago, Bill was excited to arrange & perform a project re-imagining Disney songs old and new in classic jazz style for the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure. 25 songs were recorded both with solo piano and with band (Bill, Peter Erskine, Chuck Berghofer, and Don Shelton). It was so well-received that two albums of the material were released as The Carthay Circle Sessions, acquiring its own set of devoted fans.
The music Bill makes with his trio combines classic jazz, pop, Brazilian influences, vocal scat and piano improv with a unique and exciting energy.
DATE: Jan 19 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $35-$45
CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT
Cécile McLorin Salvant, is a composer, singer, and visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as“a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings”.
Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, theater, jazz, baroque and folkloric music. Salvant is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humor.
Salvant won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010. She has received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for “The Window”, “Dreams and Daggers”, and “For One To Love”, and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album “WomanChild”.
In 2020, Salvant received the MacArthur Fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award. Nonesuch Records released “Ghost Song” in March 2022, and has since gone on to receive two Grammy Nominations as well as appearing on a number of year-end best lists for 2022. On March 24th, 2023 Nonesuch Records released the highly anticipated follow-up – “Mélusine”, an album mostly sung in French, along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, of a French mother and Haitian father, she started classical piano studies at 5, sang in a children’s choir at 8, and started classical voice lessons as a teenager.
Salvant received a bachelor’s in French law from the Université Pierre-Mendes France in Grenoble while also studying baroque music and jazz at the Darius Milhaud Music Conservatory in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Salvant’s latest work, Ogresse, is a musical fable in the form of a cantata that blends genres (folk, baroque, jazz, country). Salvant wrote the story, lyrics, and music. It is arranged by Darcy James Argue for a thirteen-piece orchestra of multi-instrumentalists. Ogresse, both a bio mythography and an homage to the Erzulie (as painted by Gerard Fortune) and Sara Baartman, explores fetishism, hunger, diaspora, cycles of appropriation, lies, othering, and ecology. It is in development to become an animated feature-length film, which Salvant will direct.
DATE: Jan 19 2024
TIME: 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Centennial Hall
1020 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719
Cost: $35-$75
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/MAX GOLDSCHMID QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH MAX GOLDSCHMID AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 19 2024
TIME: 11:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
BLUE NOTE RECORDS 85TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
STARRING THE BLUE NOTE QUINTET
FEATURING GERALD CLAYTON, JOEL ROSS, IMMANUEL WILKINS, KENDRICK SCOTT, AND MATT BREWER
Blue Note Records is celebrating their 85th Anniversary with a US Tour starring “The Blue Note Quintet” – A group brought together to honor the label’s rich history and pave the way for the eclectic artists of today’s roster. 6 Time Grammy Award nominee Gerald Clayton leads the band as Musical Director and Pianist; “Gerald Clayton is one of the most accomplished, distinctive and innovative pianists performing today” says Don Was, the label’s President since 2012. Rounding out the group is vibraphonist Joel Ross, Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, Drummer Kendrick Scott, and Bassist Matt Brewer.
Gerald Clayton – Piano
Six-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist, composer and band leader Gerald Clayton earned recent Recording Academy recognition for Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard, his debut release on Blue Note Records. Collaborating over the years with such distinctive artists as Diana Krall, Roy Hargrove, Dianne Reeves, Terence Blanchard, John Scofield, Terri Lyne Carrington, Peter Bernstein, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gretchen Parlato, Ben Wendel, the Clayton Brothers Quintet and legendary band leader Charles Lloyd, Clayton currently serves as Director of Next Generation Jazz Orchestra following service as Musical Director for Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour.
Under the instruction of Billy Childs, Clayton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music following a year of intensive study with Kenny Barron at The Manhattan School of Music. Clayton’s creative spirit honors the legacy of his father, bassist-composer John Clayton. In 2016, he received a Duke University commission to render the Piedmont Blues experience in early 20th Century Durham; Piedmont Blues features a mixed media performance of critical acclaim. In 2019, he received a commission from LACMA to compose a musical pendant for artist Charles White’s “5 Great American Negroes” mural; Clayton titled the project White Cities: A Musical Tribute to Charles White. In January 2020, he began work on the critically-acclaimed score for Sam Pollard’s award-winning documentary MLK/FBI. The emotional resonance of Clayton’s score imbues the film with subtle, lingering moments of struggle and humanity, and helps capture a complex arc of an enduring subject.
Immanuel Wilkins – Saxophone
The music of saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins is filled with empathy and conviction, bonding arcs of melody and lamentation to pluming gestures of space and breath. Listeners were introduced to this riveting sound with his acclaimed debut album Omega, which was named the #1 Jazz Album of 2020 by The New York Times. The album also introduced his remarkable quartet with Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums, a tight-knit unit that Wilkins features once again on his stunning sophomore album The 7th Hand.
The 7th Hand explores relationships between presence and nothingness across an hour-long suite comprised of seven movements. “I wanted to write a preparatory piece for my quartet to become vessels by the end of the piece, fully,” says the Brooklyn-based, Philadelphia-raised artist who Pitchfork said “composes ocean-deep jazz epics.”
Joel Ross – Vibraphone
Joel Ross continues refining an expression that’s true to his sound and his generation. In 2019, the vibraphonist-composer issued his anticipated Blue Note debut, Edison Award-winning record
KingMaker to eruptive critical acclaim, followed by his 2020 release Who Are You? which features his band Good Vibes at their most synchronous. New York Times critic Giovanni Russonello praised the album for the ways it “speaks to a new level of group cohesion…more tangle, more sharing, more possibility.”
The Parable of the Poet, Ross’ third release for Blue Note Records, explores feelings self-awareness — confidence, doubt, regret and forgiveness — through storytellings and retellings. Using collaborative improvising, collective melody and instrumental features, the intuitive band leader spotlights unique attributes of fellow artists Immanuel Wilkins, Maria Grand, Marquis Hill, Kalia Vandever, Sean Mason, Rick Rosato, Craig Weinrib and returning special guest Gabrielle Garo.
Kendrick Scott – Drums
Kendrick Scott was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in a family of musicians. By age 8 he had taken up the drums and he later attended Houston’s renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, a school which has produced an impressive array of musical talent including Scott’s label mates Jason Moran and Robert Glasper, as well pop star Beyoncé and many others. While still attending HSPVA, Scott won several DownBeat Magazine student awards, as well as the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Award from the International Association of Jazz Educators. He was later awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music, where he majored in music education.
Scott has toured with Herbie Hancock, Charles Lloyd, The Crusaders, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kurt Elling, and Terence Blanchard, also appearing on several of the trumpeter’s Blue Note albums including Flow (2005), A Tale Of God’s Will (2007), and Magnetic (2013). Scott’s first two releases on Blue Note as a leader presented his band Kendrick Scott Oracle: We Are The Drum (2015) and A Wall Becomes A Bridge (2019). Scott was also a member of the Blue Note All-Stars, a supergroup formed for the label’s 75th Anniversary featuring Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Lionel Loueke and Marcus Strickland who released the album Our Point Of View in 2017. Scott’s 2023 Blue Note album Corridors finds him paring down to a trio with saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers.
Matt Brewer – Bass
Matt Brewer was born in Oklahoma City and grew up in Albuquerque NM, surrounded by a family of musicians and artists. At the age of 10, Matt fell in love with the bass and began a lifelong study of music. He graduated high school from the Interlochen Arts Academy, and then went on to study at the Juilliard School. He’s travelled the world playing in the bands of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Dave Binney, Gerald Clayton, Ben Wendel, Aaron Parks, Vijay Iyer, Dhafer Youssef, Antonio Sanchez, Mark Turner, Steve Lehman, Ben Monder, and Lage Lund, among many others). He has been a frequent guest lecturer at the Banff Center, and is an adjunct faculty member at the New School University.
DATE: Jan 20 2024
TIME: 2:00 pm
LOCATION: Fox Tucson Theatre
17 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $29-$60
THE BLACK MARKET TRUST
The Black Market Trust are an American Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz group from Los Angeles who combine the sounds of the legendary American crooners and vocal groups with the fire and energy of Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Consisting of five world-class musicians who have traveled the globe recording and performing on the world’s biggest stages and with music’s most renowned artists, The Black Market Trust capitalize on their experience and pedigree to deliver a high energy, crowd pleasing performance filled with some of the best songs ever written.
The live show features material from The Great American Songbook infused with Django’s romantic and virtuosic flavor. Add some intricate vocal harmonies, a dash of Rat Pack-style comedy and it’s clear to audiences why The Black Market Trust have quickly earned a reputation as one of the premier live acts performing in music today. Be transported as they meld two distinctly different vibes- one of a gypsy campfire, the other a slick metropolitan nightclub- into a cohesive, stylish sound.
DATE: Jan 20 2024
TIME: 3:30 pm
LOCATION: Hotel Congress Plaza Stage
311 East Congress Street Tucson, AZ 85701 USA
Cost: $25-$28
LINDA MAY HAN OH QUINTET
Based in New York City, Linda May Han Oh is a bassist and composer who has performed and recorded with artists such as Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Terri Lyne Carrington, Steve Wilson, Geri Allen, and Vijay Iyer.
Born in Malaysia and raised in Perth, Western Australia, she has received many awards such as 2nd place at the BASS2010 Competition, a semi-finalist at the BMW Bass Competition, and an honorary mention at the 2009 Thelonious Monk Bass Competition.
Linda also received the 2010 Bell Award for Young Australian Artist of the Year and was the 2012 Downbeat Critic’s Poll “Rising Star” on bass. She was voted the 2018 and 2019 Bassist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association, as well as the 2019 Up-and-coming Artist of the Year. Linda recently received a Jerome Foundation Fellowship, as well as the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant for 2019. She also was voted 2019 Bassist of the Year in Hothouse Magazine and 202 recipient of the Margaret Whitton Award.
She has had five releases as a leader which have received critical acclaim. Her most recent release “Aventurine” is a double quartet album, featuring string quartet and vocal group Invenio.
DATE: Jan 20 2024
TIME: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
LOCATION: The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $35-$45
TROMBONE SHORTY AND ORLEANS AVENUE
It was after midnight when Trombone Shorty stepped offstage at the House of Blues in New Orleans, but he wasn’t done playing yet. Not by a long shot.
“I had an idea for a new song right after the show,” says Shorty, “so the band and I decided to go straight into the studio and record it that night. We were still sweaty and buzzing from the energy of the gig, and we definitely carried that vibe into the session with us.”
Take a listen to Lifted, Trombone Shorty’s second release for Blue Note Records, and you’ll hear that same ecstatic energy coursing through the entire collection. Recorded at Shorty’s own Buckjump Studio with producer Chris Seefried (Fitz and the Tantrums, Andra Day), the album finds the GRAMMY-nominated NOLA icon and his bandmates tapping into the raw power and exhilarating grooves of their legendary live show, channeling it all into a series of tight, explosive performances that blur the lines between funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock. The writing is bold and self-assured, standing up to hard times and loss with grit and determination, and the playing is muscular to match, mixing pop gleam with hip-hop swagger and second line abandon. Wild as all that may sound, Lifted is still the work of a master craftsman, and the album’s nimble arrangements and judicious use of special guests—from Gary Clark Jr. and Lauren Daigle to the rhythm section from Shorty’s high school marching band—ultimately yields a collection that’s as refined as it is rapturous, one that balances technical virtuosity and emotional release in equal measure as it celebrates music’s primal power to bring us all together.
“I think this is the closest we’ve ever gotten to bottling up the live show and putting it on a record,” says Shorty, whose audiences have grown exponentially in recent years. “Normally when I’m in the studio, I’m trying to make the cleanest thing I can, but this time around, I told everybody to really cut loose, to perform like they were onstage at a festival.”
If anybody knows their way around a festival, it’s Trombone Shorty. Born Troy Andrews, he got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. Shorty’s proven he’s more than just a horn player, though. Catch a gig, open the pages of the New York Times or Vanity Fair, flip on any late-night TV show and you’ll see an undeniable star with utterly magnetic charisma, a natural born showman who can command an audience with the best of them. Since 2010, he’s released four chart topping studio albums; toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani, Ringo Starr, and countless more; played Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk, Newport Jazz, and nearly every other major festival; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, five times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, and at the star-studded Sesame Street Gala, where he was honored with his own Muppet; launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book. Meanwhile in New Orleans, Shorty now leads his own Mardi Gras parade atop a giant float crafted in his likeness, hosts the annual Voodoo Threauxdown shows that have drawn guests including Usher, Nick Jonas, Dierks Bentley, Andra Day, and Leon Bridges to sit in with his band, and has taken over the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s hallowed final set, which has seen him closing out the internationally renowned gathering after performances by the likes of Neil Young, the Black Keys, and Kings of Leon.
“I owe all that to my mother,” says Shorty. “She passed recently, but she continued to inspire me right up until she transitioned, and that’s why I put a picture of her holding me up at a second line on the cover of this album. She lifted me up my whole life.”
As if his New Orleans roots weren’t already deep enough, Shorty decided to take over a recording studio in the Lower Garden District after the release of his latest album, 2017’s Seefried-produced Parking Lot Symphony. Dubbing the space Buckjump in a nod to the second lines he grew up playing in, Shortly immediately set about converting the studio into a freewheeling sonic laboratory, one where he and his friends could push themselves creatively without any artistic or commercial restraints.
“Having my own studio meant that the band and I could capture stuff in the moment any time we were feeling inspired,” says Shorty. “It meant that we could take chances and experiment. I could call the guys up with an idea in the middle of the night and they’d say, ‘We’ll meet you there in an hour!’”
That sense of excitement and liberation is palpable on Lifted, which opens with the addictive “Come Back.” Fueled by a bottom-heavy rhythm section, buoyant keys, and bright flashes of brass, the track pairs a hip-hop groove with hard rock energy as Shorty delivers silky smooth vocals that float effortlessly above the instrumental fray. As its title might suggest, the song is a reckoning with loss and regret, but like much of the album, it refuses to surrender to disappointment, keeping its chin held high as it presses forward and fights for what it wants. The effervescent “What It Takes” gets profoundly funky as it celebrates the strength and growth that can emerge from times of struggle, while the bittersweet “Forgiveness” leans into the band’s R&B side as it works to move on from pain and betrayal, and the blistering “I’m Standing Here” (which features a mind-bending guitar solo from Gary Clark Jr.) rushes headlong into the maelstrom.
“I grew up watching wrestling as a kid,” Shorty says with a laugh, “and I if I was a wrestler, ‘I’m Standing Here’ would be the song they played when I came into the ring. It’s all about standing tall no matter what life throws at you.”
Shorty makes sure to celebrate the good times on the album, too, reveling in the joy of love and friendship and family throughout. The spirited “Might Not Make It Home” commits to letting go and living in the moment; the playful “Miss Beautiful” embraces the thrill of desire while offering a twist on the second line tradition, with an electric bass stepping in for the tuba; and the feel-good “Everybody In The World” (which features the New Breed Brass Band) finds common ground in our universal desire for love and acceptance. But it’s perhaps the electrifying title track, which lands somewhere between Earth, Wind & Fire and Shorty’s old tourmate Lenny Kravitz that best encapsulates the spirit of the album, wrapping earnest emotion in a high-octane package that offers you no choice but to move your body.
“The whole time we were making Lifted, I couldn’t help but think about how much fun it would be to get onstage and play it for an audience,” Shorty recalls. “Usually when I make an album, I record the songs first and figure out how we’re going to present them live afterwards, but with this record I was in the studio imagining the lights flashing on the hits and the audience singing everything back to us. I could see the whole thing in my head.”
For Trombone Shorty, the show never ends. Not by a long shot.
DATE: Jan 20 2024
TIME: 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Fox Tucson Theatre
17 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $57.50-137.50
CENTURY ROOM LATE-NIGHT JAM W/BRICE WINSTON QUARTET
FOLLOWING THE TUCSON JAZZ FESTIVAL’S PROGRAMMING, KEEP THE NIGHT GOING WITH BRICE WINSTON AND HIS QUARTET FOR THE TJF LATE NIGHT JAZZ JAM! ALL TJF ARTISTS ARE INVITED TO THESE JAM SESSIONS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL SHOW UP, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS GUARANTEE, THAT YOU SHOULD.
DATE: Jan 20 2024
TIME: 11:00 pm
LOCATION The Century Room
311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Cost: $10
Date: JANUARY 12-20, 2024
Venues
The Lounge at the Temple of Music and Art - 330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Rialto Theatre - 318 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
The Century Room - 311 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Hotel Congress Plaza Stage - 311 East Congress Street Tucson, AZ 85701
Linda Ronstadt Music Hall - 260 S Church Ave Tucson, AZ 85701
191 E Toole Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
Corbett's - 340 N. 6th Avenue Tucson, AZ 85705
Bahti Indian Arts - 350 S. Convent Ave Tucson, AZ 85701
Fox Tucson Theatre - 17 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701
Centennial Hall - 1020 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719
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