1/2 Price Night for Students. Tickets available at the door with valid I.D.

“…ready to take [the] jazz world by storm.” – Times Union

Bassist Ben Williams moves fast.  A Washington DC native, the recent Michigan State grad has already won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, a contract with Concord Records, become a sought-after sideman for like likes of Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, and most importantly, has launched a budding career as a bandleader of esteem.  With his warm, woody and enveloping tone, Williams embarks on a musical exploration of contemporary times encompassing jazz, soul, pop, hip hop and go-go, while making his own rules of the road.  Released in 2011, State of the Art (Concord Records) is his debut album as a leader.

As an energetic six year old, it was Williams’ curiosity that led him down the musical path. His mother worked for Congressman John Conyers (an avowed jazz lover) on Capitol Hill, so when she took the young Ben into the office one day on his school break, a watchful eye was in order.  While rambling around Conyers’ office, Williams discovered a huge object that instantly captured his imagination.  A shiny upright bass, like nothing he had ever seen.  He tapped on it.  He popped a string.  He climbed up on it.  “What is this thing?” he wondered.   It was a fateful encounter.

“Its low frequency attracted me,” Williams recalls, “the way the instrument felt when I touched it…then later, just the feeling of playing a groove.  When you play a bass the whole instrument vibrates.  It almost feels like the spirit of another human being.  It’s like dancing with somebody and being in full contact with them.  And the sound of the instrument appealed to me…it’s warm and deep and it resonated with me.”

This bass Wunderkind brings stately flair to the quiet dignity of the bass, and with his aptly named band, Sound Effect, in tow for his Kuumbwa Jazz debut, Williams’ curiosity still shines through in his expressive arrangements and choice of material.

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CALENDAR INFO
Ben Williams & Sound Effect

DATE: Thursday, March 15, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $20/Adv $23/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Kelly Johanns-DiCillo
Kelly.johanns@concordmusicgroup.com
(215) 464-2313 x 2470

# # #

Tour Cancelled
Toots Thielemans/Kenny Werner Duo
Monday, March 12

It is with great sadness that Belgium harmonica legend Toots Thielemans has decided to cancel his entire US tour. He was scheduled to perform at Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz on Monday, March 12, 2012. Thielemans, who will be 90 this year, is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century. In 2009 he became a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master, the highest honor for a jazz musician in the United States.

Refunds available at place of purchase.

For more information call (831) 427-2227.

# # #

Nellie McKay “I Want to Live!”
Thursday, March 8
Kuumbwa Jazz

“…postmodern cabaret…” – NPR Music

Gaily skipping from one genre to the next, without being pigeonholed to any, Nellie McKay is one of the most captivating musical artists performing today.  A singer, songwriter, comedienne, actress and ukulele player to boot, 29 year-old McKay has released five albums since 2004, each a delicious left-turn from the previous.  Whether it be a tribute to Doris Day or from the tutelage of rocker David Byrne to a tune from her new musical “I Want to Live”, her songs have a knack for beckoning fans in with sly innuendos, slapstick wit and serious musicality.

As an actress, Nellie McKay has won a Theatre World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in the Broadway production of Threepenny Opera and has performed onscreen in the film PS I Love You.  She has also written original music for the Rob Reiner film Rumor Has It and contributed to the New York Times Book Review.  Her music has also been heard on the TV shows Weeds, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Priviledge and Nurse Jackie.  In 2010, the Chase Brok Experience produced a ballet of her third album Obligatory Villagers.

Home Sweet Mobile Home is McKay’s latest album of all-original material and features the musical wanderlust, lyrical playfulness and unique point of view that has characterized her music since her breakthrough debut Get Away From Me.

A recipient of The Humane Society’s Doris Day Music Award in recognition of her dedication to animal rights, McKay is known as an outspoken and fierce advocate for feminism, civil rights and other deeply felt ideals.  This spring, Nellie premiered her latest project reflecting those ideals.  “I Want to Live!” is a musical biography of Barbara Graham, the third woman to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin Prison.  Based on the 1958 movie of the same name, “I Want to Live!” combines McKay’s skills in a show much deeper than its surface might suggest.  Of the show, Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote: “In the most lighthearted way [she] evoke[s] a heartless environment of social injustice in which people who fall through the cracks are invisible to everyone else.”  And, as Michael Musto of the Village Voice simply states, it’s “pretty darned unique.”

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CONCERT INFO
Nellie McKay “I Want to Live!”

DATE: Thursday, March 8, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $25/Adv $28/Door, No Jazztix or Comps
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Carla Parisi
kidlogicmedia@gmail.com
(973) 563-8204

# # #

Wednesday, May 16, 9:00 pm
Brad Mehldau Trio

$28/Adv $31/Door
No Jazztix or Comps
Door at 8:30 pm

“…admired as one of the most adventurous pianists to arrive on the jazz scene.” - LA Times

Since the 1990’s, prolific pianist Brad Mehldau’s most consistent output has taken place in the trio format.  Since its inception in 1996, his trio has released a series of five records on Warner Bros. titled The Art of the Trio.  As a solo piano performer, Mehldau has also released modern classics such as Elegiac Cycle and Places, which include both solo piano and trio material.  His newest project Ode (Nonesuch) – to be released March 12, 2012 – features 11 songs composed by Mehldau specifically for his trio bandmates: bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard.

www.bradmehldau.com

Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 pm

Brad Mehldau Trio
$28/Adv $31/Door
No Jazztix or Comps
Door and Dinner beginning at 6:00 pm

“…admired as one of the most adventurous pianists to arrive on the jazz scene.” – LA Times

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau has recorded and performed extensively since the early 1990s. Mehldau’s most consistent output over the years has taken place in the trio format. Starting in 1996, his group released a series of five records on Warner Bros. entitled The Art of the Trio. Mehldau also has a solo piano recording entitled Elegiac Cycle, and a record called Places that includes both solo piano and trio songs. Elegiac Cycle and Places might be called “concept” albums. They are made up exclusively of original material and have central themes that hover over the compositions. His newest project Ode (Nonesuch) – to be released March 12, 2012, features 11 previously unreleased songs composed by Mehldau written specifically for bandmates bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard.

www.bradmehldau.com

The Benny Golson Quintet featuring: Nnenna Freelon, Mike LeDonne, Ray Drummond and Jason Marsalis
Monday, March 5
Kuumbwa Jazz

Pre-concert talk with Aritst-in-Residence Renata Bratt beginning at 6:30 PM.
This concert is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
“Virtually every solo by Golson is a textbook tour de force.” – The Boston Globe
A multitalented and internationally famous jazz legend – composer, arranger, lyricist, producer and NEA Master, Benny Golson is an outstanding bop tenor saxophone player who has also made major contributions to the world of jazz as a composer, penning iconic jazz standards such as Killer Joe, I Remember Clifford and Along Came Betty. He is one of the true innovators of jazz. The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship is the highest honor that our nation bestows on jazz artists. Benny Golson received his Jazz Master Award in 1996.

Born in Philadelphia in 1929, Golson was first grabbed by jazz when he was 14 years old and heard Lionel Hampton’s big band. While a teen he played with several other promising musicians such as John Coltrane (a childhood neighbor, both playing in the same group together), Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones. Golson went on to cut his chops playing with a who’s who of the jazz elite: Benny Goodman; Dizzy Gillespie; Lionel Hampton; Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers.

During Golson’s 50+-year musical career, he has recorded over 30 albums and 300 compositions. He has also been an in demand composer and arranger for an eclectic list of musicians including Count Basie, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Itzhak Perlman, The Animals, Mama Cass Elliott and others. His creativity also led Golson to a successful career providing soundtrack for commercials and for television series such as M*A*S*H, Mission: Impossible and The Bill Cosby Show.

Golson lectures and conducts workshops due to his passion of teaching jazz to young and old alike. Honored with doctorates from numerous universities, he has taught around the world including being sent around the world on a cultural tour by the U.S. State Department.

Joining Golson is Grammy-nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon. Freelon has been hailed as the “international voice of jazz”, having performed with Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Take 6, Al Jarreau as well as presenting a stellar a cappella performance on the Grammy Awards telecast. She has performed everywhere from The White House to Carnegie Hall to the Monterey Jazz Festival. Freelon’s voice can be heard on the hit TV show “Mad Men”. Golson’s quintet also includes Mike LeDonne – piano, Ray Drummond – bass and fellow NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis – drums. Jason Marsalis received his Jazz Master Award, along with the entire Marsalis musical family (father Ellis, and brothers Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo) in 2011.

Benny Golson’s forte is as a live performer where he continually knocks it out of the park with every solo, with every tune. It’s a treat when a jazz legend makes an appearance in our area; it’s an honor when Benny Golson comes to town.

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CONCERT INFO
The Benny Golson Quintet featuring: Nnenna Freelon, Mike LeDonne, Ray Drummond and Jason Marsalis

DATE: Monday, March 5, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIMES: 7:00 & 9:00 PM
PRICE: $28/Adv $31/Door, No Jazztix or Comps; 9:00 PM: ½ PRICE NIGHT FOR STUDENTS. AT THE DOOR ONLY.
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Jason Franklin
newdayinjazz@aol.com
(912) 441-6072

# # #

La Voz de Tres
An intimate evening of Latin Jazz
Thursday, March 1
Kuumbwa Jazz

Jazz musicians from Latin America – and South America in particular – have been popping up all over the radar screen lately with some fresh and inspiring takes on the jazz genre. Vocalist Natalia Bernal is one of the rising stars in this Latin jazz wave. Starting by singing her father’s Chilean, Argentine and Peruvian folk songs at an early age, she soon was taken by the sounds of Brazilian music, fusion and Latin jazz.

After high school, Bernal moved to the entertainment center of Santiago City, Chile to attend a music college and started making a name for herself while developing her musical identity. Winning the Latin American Scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in 2003 allowed her to experience the fertile musical environment of Berklee and to work with some of the top names in the jazz world. Producers and composers were taken with her singing and lyric writing and she was included in several CD projects.

Now a resident of New York City the young vocalist and her trio blend the infectious rhythms and nuanced songwriting traditions of Brazil, Chile, Cuba and other Latin American countries with the spontaneous and exhilarating improvisation and interplay of jazz. Her dynamic band includes keyboardist Mike Eckroth (of John Scofield’s New Quartet) and seven-string guitar wizard Jason Ennis. The trio has just released their first CD La Voz de Tres a project of familiar bossa-novas, boleros, tangos, Andean folk tunes, jazz standards and original compositions, weaving an intriguing cross-cultural tapestry.

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CONCERT INFO
La Voz de Tres

DATE: Thursday, March 1, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $18/Adv $21/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Sandy Sloan
sandy@kuumbwajazz.org
831-427-2227

# # #

Sunday, March 11, 7:00 pm

Nicki and Tim Bluhm Duo
Plus: Bryn Loosley and the Back Pages
and Blisses B

Doors: 6:30 pm

Tickets: $15/Adv $17/Door

Advance Tickets at: www.eventbrite.com and Streetlight Records, 939 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz

Tim & Nicki Bluhm are the husband/wife team of singer/songwriter Nicki Bluhm–the “It Girl” of the San Francisco music scene–and Tim Bluhm, singer/songwriter/guitarist of rock band The Mother Hips. Drawing from a vast songbook of originals and covers, the duo blends the honky tonk harmonies of California country with West Coast folk and acoustic Americana, interlaced with vocal nuances that inspire pin-drop attention. Their success is a testament to their special chemistry and to the singing and playing strengths of two individuals in a riveting duet experience.

Bryn Loosley misspent much of his youth as frontman for raucous roots rockers Buffalo Creek, playing dives all over Northern California, singing songs about girls and booze, and selling their three albums out of his sweet brown van. But after seven years, Bryn left town. He sold the van. He moved to Portland, Oregon, and later to Santa Cruz, California, to write and perform on his own, and with his band, the Back Pages. He teaches middle school. He writes and performs catchy, poppy, Americana songs about the presidents, and the months of the year, and sometimes still about girls. In 2011, Bryn won a Gail Rich Award, given to artists who inspire the diverse and culturally-rich community of Santa Cruz. The award is cool, but sometimes, he misses the van.

Blisses B, rooted firmly in the city that embraces music in all forms imaginable, introduces another compilation of genre-crashing rock and psychadelia with their second full-length album, Thirty Days, Sixty Years. Debuted on Nov. 13, 2010, the album was recorded, produced, and engineered entirely by the San Francisco-based quartet.Thirty Days, Sixty Years explores the mathematical parameters that define our lives — weekends, vacations, adolescence, adulthood, the reality of how much time we have left on this earth — and the personal equations that result from the many caveats that can extend and shorten most of these time frames. Are we spending our time wisely, with the right people, and in the right place? What are we giving back?

www.timandnickibluhm.com

www.brynloosley.com

www.blissesb.com

Friday, March 2, 8:00 PM

The House Jacks

Doors: 7:30 PM

$17.50 general/$10 students (with I.D)

Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com   

The House Jacks are a pioneering a cappella rock band featured in the audio clips of NBC’s “The Sing Off” and ESPN’s Monday Night Football, watched by tens of millions of Americans. The band has been interviewed in top media outlets including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox; they have performed with the likes of Ray Charles, James Brown, LL Cool J, The Neville Brothers, and Cosby, Stills, and Nash, at venues including Carnegie Hall, The House of Blues, Fenway Stadium, The World Expo, and Candlestick Park; and they have performed and/or recorded commercials for celebrities and corporate clients like President Bill Clinton, Aaron Spelling, AT&T, Coca Cola, and Verizon Wireless.

www.housejacks.com

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Tuesday, February 28
at the Rio Theatre

“…like one deep, rich, resonant and proud voice.” – New York Times

Grammy-winning vocal sensation Ladysmith Black Mambazo endures as the primary torch-bearer of a Zulu a-capella tradition known as Isicathamiya. The octet draws its graceful, understated storytelling from the mining and prison encampments of Apartheid-era South Africa. A 1970 radio broadcast first landed them time in the studio. Hundreds of international appearances since have established Ladysmith as a globally-renowned institution. The group has been nominated for a stunning 16 Grammy Awards (including their latest release Songs From A Zulu Farm / Best World Music Album) and won four. Ladysmith is a true phenomenon that has come to be synonymous with “world” music.

By his own recollection, bandleader Joseph Shabalala’s penchant for Zulu harmonies came to him through a series of dreams. Upon sharing his discovery with fellow vocalists in a choir known as Ezimnyama (“the Black Ones”), a trademark sound was born virtually overnight. Shabalala eventually re-named the group after his family’s hometown of Ladysmith. “Black” is symbolic of strength, and “Mambazo” is Zulu for axe; apparently the ensemble had a knack for chopping down its rivals in Durban and Johannesburg-based choral competitions.

At the outset, Ladysmith Black Mambazo was a regional act, primarily performing at weddings and other local ceremonies. But as word got out, they were invited to record, first for Radio Zulu and later for Gallo Records, Africa’s oldest and most successful independent label. A debut full-length LP entitled Amabutho (Gallo, 1973) became the first album by black South Africans to achieve gold status. Subsequent recordings have earned platinum sales.

In the mid 1970’s, Shabalala’s conversion to Christianity took the group on a new tack; they expanded their repertoire of traditional African harmonies to include spiritual music and even hymns. Nevertheless, their fan-base continued to grow. By the early 1980’s, Ladysmith was so popular that the South African government permitted them to represent the nation at a European music festival. In turn, they would tour West Germany, and begin capturing the attention of a wider western audience.

When Paul Simon ventured to South Africa pursuing a vision of an album featuring Zulu harmonies, Joseph and Ladysmith jumped at the opportunity to reach popular listeners on the international scene. The ensemble’s contributions to Graceland were recorded in London and despite allegations that Simon and Shabalala were in violation of a cultural boycott, the record’s massive success initiated a whole new era for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as well as a number of other South African musicians.

Much has changed in the twenty-odd years hence: three records produced by Paul Simon, numerous key collaborations, several Grammy nominations, performances at a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and most significantly of all, the fall of Apartheid. Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s latest release is the basis for this rare Santa Cruz appearance. Indeed, Songs From A Zulu Farm (Razor & Tie, 2011) continues to embody the unshakable resolve of a people who have always cultivated beauty in the face of oppression.

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CALENDAR INFO
Ladysmith Black Mambazo

DATE: Tuesday, February 28, 2012
PLACE: Rio Theatre
ADDRESS: 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRICE: $45/Gold Circle, $30/General
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Jim Walsh
walsh@bighassle.com
(212) 202-0272

# # #

Saturday, April 14, 7:30 PM

Ashwin Batish

Performing with: Keshav Batish (Son), Meena Batish (Sister) and other Special Guests

Keshave Batish Trio opening

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Doors: 7:00 PM

$22/Adv $35/Gold Circle

Advance Tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com or by phone (831)  479-9421.

Ashwin Batish is an extraordinary sitarist and tabla player. He received training in the North Indian classical tradition from his father S.D. Batish and later created his own unique fusion of Indian classical sitar with pop, rock, jazz, calypso, funk… an example of a few hybrids he excells at. He is famous for such songs as the Bombay Boogie, Raga Rock, Raga Jazz, Casbah Shuffle and Sitar Mania.

www.ashwinbatish.com

Saturday, April 7, 7:30 PM

Over The Rhine

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Doors: 7:00 PM

$22/Adv

Advance Tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com or by phone (831)  479-9421.

A husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Karin Bergquist, otherwise known as Over the Rhine, is something rare and wondrous – an intimate epic.

www.overtherhine.com

Wednesday, March 21, 7:30 pm

The Celtic Society of Monterey Bay Presents:

Dervish

Tickets: $23 advance/$25 at the door, or $20 to Celtic Society members

Advance tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com

Tickets can also be purchased at More Music at 512 Front St., or can be reserved at (831) 336-9810, or by contacting Bob Breheny at (408) 847-6982 or celtsoc@aol.com

From Sligo in the wild West of Ireland, Dervish has long stood at the forefront of traditional Irish bands. From high energy tunes played with virtuosic, intuitive fluidity on button accordion, fiddle, flute, bouzouki, mandola and mandolin to beautifully measured songs, from charming lyrics of life and love to inspiring melodies that lift audiences from their seats, all the elements are drawn together by vocalist Cathy Jordan’s masterful stage presence. Her stories to the songs and interaction with the audience draw people into the music in a way very few performers can achieve.

Befitting one of the great ‘live’ acts in Irish music, Dervish’s most recent release, “21 Years… From Stage to Stage,” features concert material from Sebastopol, California and Sligo, as well as including a DVD of a performance on Irish TV from Dublin. As the Irish Times declared, “The musical integrity makes the group a formidable heir to the throne abandoned by The Bothy Band, if not a serious contender for The Chieftains’ international space… Simply a brilliant and uncluttered testimonial to music imagination and talent.”

For more information, visit www.dervish.ie

Saturday, March 17, 7:30 PM

Dayan Kai and Band

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Doors: 7:00 PM

$18/Adv $30/Gold Circle

Advance Tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com or by phone (831)  479-9421.

Keys, Strings, Winds & Skins: A true multi-instrumentalist virtuoso with an outstanding voice to match. Dayan Kai is a Singer / Songwriter, Arranger and Producer with a lifelong commitment to music. Equally versed in Americana, Jazz, World and Rock traditions, Kai’s compositions reflect his vast experience in the industry as both a soloist and versatile accompanist.

www.dayankai.com

Saturday, March 3, 8:00 PM

The Joni Show

11 Musical Acts Interpret the Music of Venerable Songwriter

$20/Adv $25/Door

Advance Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com

Logos Books and Records, 1117 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz and Tiki King’s Ukuleles of Felton, 6235 Highway 9 in Felton

Doors: 7:00 PM

19 of Santa Cruz’s most accomplished musical acts pay tribute to songwriter Joni Mitchell. Each of the 11 featured acts perform selections from the extensive catalogue of Joni Mitchell, a songwriter, composer, guitar innovator and arranger whose influence on popular music is paralleled only by Bob Dylan and the Beatles.

The concert features a wide variety of interpretation of material that spans the breadth of Joni Mitchell’s extensive body of work, including five selections from “Blue,” Mitchell’s groundbreaking 1971 album. 16 other song choices reflect an artistic output that runs from “Song to a Seagull,” Mitchell’s first release in 1968, all the way to “Turbulent Indigo,” her fifteenth full-length album, released in 1994. Mitchell has released two additional CDs of original music since then, most recently “Shine,” in 2007. Many well-known artists have also published tribute recordings.

Featured acts in The Joni Show include:
Amy Obenski, piano and voice
Barry Phillips, cello
Celina Gutierrez and Rhan Wilson, acoustic guitar, voice and electric bass
Ginny Mitchell, guitar and voice and a full band
Jayme Kelly Curtis, open tuned baritone ukulele and voice
Jesse Autumn, Celtic harp, piano and voice
Laura Devine, dulcimer and voice
Mary McCaslin, guitar and voice
Nancy Levan and Bill Walker, acoustic guitar, voice, lap steel guitar and effects
Paula Bliss, guitar and voice
Pipa Pinon, voice

Additional backing musicians include:
Bob Bliss, piano
Bob Burnett, seven string guitar
Bob von Elgg, electric guitar
Daniel Vee Lewis, bass
Jimmy Norris, drums
Shelley Phillips, English horn

Saturday, March 10, 7:30 PM

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Blame Sally

Doors: 7:00 PM

$22/Adv $26/Door

Advance Tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com  or by phone (831)  479-9421.

Blame Sally is a collaboration of four solo female singer-songwriters from San Francisco who have recorded and performed together frequently over the past decade. The members of the group include Pam Delgado (percussion and vocals), Renee Harcourt (guitar, bass and vocals), Jeri Jones (guitar, bass and vocals) and Monica Pasqual (piano, accordion and vocals). The group was formed in 2000, and in 2001, KFOG “began playing the band’s music on the popular ‘Acoustic Sunrise’ show, leading to more gigs and bigger venues”; the band “got national attention through XM Radio and “by the end of 2006, the band was playing more than 50 shows a year.”

www.blamesally.com

“…one of the most discursive saxophonists since John Coltrane.” – Jazz Journalist’s Association

Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Tim Berne was something of a late bloomer, not taking to the saxophone until his college years. Even still, it wasn’t until he heard avant-garde luminary Julius Hemphill that Berne became firmly convinced of the power in the music. He has since perfected his composer / bandleader skills, collaborated with a laundry-list of greats and been recognized by Time Out New York as an “Essential NYC Jazz Icon”.

Berne was born and raised in upstate New York, where he invested most of his time and energy into sports. He had always enjoyed music (especially Motown and Stax-era soul artists like Gladys Knight, Johnny Taylor and Sam and Dave) but never considered himself an active participant until, on a whim, he purchased an alto saxophone while attending college in Oregon. Before long, he taught himself to play, fell in love with jazz, and relocated to Manhattan to apprentice with Julius Hemphill.

Hemphill proved to be an ideal mentor and imparted Berne with lessons not only on technique and composition, but also on the business side of music, including promotion and recording studio dynamics. All the while, he emphasized the importance of maintaining a spiritual vision and writing one’s own music. As Berne recalls, “it never occurred to me that most people don’t play their own music or aren’t bandleaders.  I thought that was just part of it.” And so, from the start, the burgeoning saxophonist was uniquely qualified to do things his way.

Beginning in 1979, he was producing records on his very own Empire label and recruiting collaborators like Olu Dara, Paul Motian and Bill Frisell. After a pair of well-received records on Italy’s Soul Note Records, Columbia signed him and helped to promote a series of worldwide tours. Berne was gaining international acclaim by the day, but still had plenty to learn, especially in terms of teamwork and group dynamics. In retrospect, he considers much of this early material “fanatically arranged”, and through subsequent projects with the likes of Craig Taborn, Ethan Iverson, David King, Nels Cline and Jim Black, Berne has cultivated ensembles with “the necessary looseness” of a genuine group identity.

This quartet is the culmination of that realization. Clarinetist Oscar Noriega shares the frontline, as well as a knack for spontaneous composition. Pianist Matt Mitchell is, in Berne’s estimation, a “master at managing the transitions, balancing the structural elements and the free elements and cueing the events in the scores.” Percussionist Ches Smith expanded his kit to include tympani, congas and gongs, all of which alternately propel and suspend the band’s intense, long-form improvisations. Snakeoil makes this Kuumbwa appearance hot on the heels of a brand new eponymous ECM release. Two years of wood-shedding preceded the recording of Snakeoil at New York’s Avatar Studios early in 2011. The album highlights Berne’s compositional style – original and avant-garde, yet perhaps more accessible on this outing.

Listen/More Info: http://player.ecmrecords.com/tim-berne-snakeoil

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CALENDAR INFO
Tim Berne / Snakeoil

DATE: Monday, February 27, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $20/Adv $23/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Tina Pelikan
tina.pelikan@umusic.com
(212) 333-1405

# # #

Wednesday, April 4, 9:00 pm

Hiromi: The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips

$29/Adv $32/Door

No Jazztix or Comps

Sponsored by Mateo Lettunich

Doors and dinner beginning at 8:30 pm

“(The album) Voice is yet another absorbing effort from this capricious keyboardist.” – All Music

Alone, Japanese-born virtuoso pianist Hiromi is a force to be reckoned with, but add two more esteemed musical colleagues to the mix and you have a trio of unequaled ability and finesse. With jazz/fusion luminary Anthony Jackson on bass and stone-cold rocker Simon Phillips on drums, this trio is a raucous crew. With the newly released album Voice under their belt, this trio can kick it into high gear like few others.

Listen

www.hiromimusic.com

Wednesday, April 4, 7:00 pm

Hiromi: The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips

$29/Adv $32/Door

No Jazztix or Comps

Sponsored by Mateo Lettunich

Doors and dinner beginning at 6:00 pm

“(The album) Voice is yet another absorbing effort from this capricious keyboardist.” – All Music

Alone, Japanese-born virtuoso pianist Hiromi is a force to be reckoned with, but add two more esteemed musical colleagues to the mix and you have a trio of unequaled ability and finesse. With jazz/fusion luminary Anthony Jackson on bass and stone-cold rocker Simon Phillips on drums, this trio is a raucous crew. With the newly released album Voice under their belt, this trio can kick it into high gear like few others.

Listen

www.hiromimusic.com

Monday, April 30, 7:00 pm

Alfredo Rodriguez Trio

$22/Adv $25/Door

Doors and dinner beginning at 6:00 pm

Sponsored by Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company

“He is one of the best.” – Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones has worked with the most legendary names in showbiz.  An endorsement from him does not come without steep competition.  However, after Cuban-born pianist Alfredo Rodriguez sweet-talked his way stateside to work with the legendary maestro, the accolades just kept coming.  Rodriguez has staked his reputation on his immaculate and prodigious playing, which shines on his debut record Sounds of Space, an eleven-song collection of original material/arrangements.

www.alfredomusic.com