Friday Evening September 16, 2011 7:30PM - 09:30 PM
Dida   Enrico Granafei	7:30 pm	Dida with special guest Enrico Granafei   Dida : Vocalist and Guitar Tal Ronen : Bass Colin Stranahan : Drums     At the age of 23, guitarist and singer Dida has already established herself as one of the most in-demand musicians in Israel. After graduating from the prestigious jazz department of the Thelma Yellin High School in Tel Aviv, Dida was chosen by the Israeli Army to serve as an outstanding musician. After her release from the Army, Dida relocated to the U.S. to pursue a music career.  She received a full scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Boston as well as a scholarship from the New School University in NYC, where she is currently studying.  In the short time she has been in NYC, Dida has already played at some of the city’s most prestigious jazz clubs and recorded her first CD for the Italian label Red Records with Gregory Hutchinson on drums and guest trumpeter Roy Hargrove. She performs at the festival with Tal Ronen on bass and Colin Stranahan on drums and special guest Enrico Granafei.    Harmonica virtuoso, classical guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, composer Enrico Granafei has a long history of musical experience which encompasses both Classical Music and Jazz. Enrico After earning  a degree in classical guitar from the Conservatory of l’Aquila in Italy , Enrico started to broaden his horizons by discovering Jazz through the harmonica   His love for Jazz led him to New York City, the world capital of Jazz,. In1992 Enrico earned a masters’ degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he was the only student of Toots Thielemans .   Enrico’s latest accomplishment is his work on Hands-Free-Chromatic Harmonica. The revolutionary instrument invented by Vern Smith allows him to play Chromatic Harmonica and Guitar at the same time, something that  nobody has ever done before in Jazz.   Enrico has also been the owner and musical director of the prestigious Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, New Jersey (USA), the most important Jazz venue in the state, since 1999.
Bob Devos Oscar Perez	8:30 pm	Bob DeVos and Oscar Perez with the West Orange/NJ All Stars featuring Mike Lee, Ed Howard, Vince Ector and more, with Special Guests Pam Purvis, Kevin Burke and other vocalists Featuring: Bob Devos: Guitar Oscar Perez: Piano Mike Lee: Saxophone Ed Howard: Bass Vince Ector: Drums Special Guests Vocalist: Pam Purvis, Kevin Burke: Vocals and others   With long, blues-drenched lines, a warm, fat sound, and a horn-like, melodic approach, West Orange-based guitar powerhouse Bob DeVos has a strong following for his innovative work both in and outside of the Hammond B3 organ genre.  His recent HighNote/Savant Records releases were on the top ten jazz charts for 46 weeks.  Hailed by critics as “the thinking man’s guitar hero,” Bob has played with a who’s who of jazz legends both in and outside of the Hammond B3 organ genre, including Richard “Groove” Holmes-Sonny Stitt, Jimmy McGriff-Hank Crawford, and The Charles Earland Band with Eric Alexander, as well as many modern players.  In recent years he has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola. Pianist Oscar Perez is a New York City native whose training has been as diverse as his musical tastes.  During his high school years, he studied with two very prominent classical pianists, Robert Harris (Julliard faculty) and Edgar Roberts (NYU faculty).  He was later a student of Danilo Perez and Sir Roland Hanna at the New England Conservatory and the Aaron Copland School of Music, respectively.  He has spent recent years traveling and playing in the musical groups of Wicliffe Gordon, Virginia Mayhew and Steve Turre.
Saturday September 17, 2010 1:00PM - 09:00 PM
Joe Alterman Marcus Miller	01:00 pm	Swiss Global Young Lions: Joe Alterman/Marcus Miller Band                                                        Joe Alterman: Piano Marcus Miller: Saxophone   Joe Alterman, a 22 year-old graduate of New York University, was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been playing piano since the age of five.  Since first falling in love with jazz in his early teenage years, Joe has had the opportunity to learn from and play with many of his heroes, including Don Friedman, Houston Person, James Cammack, John Scofield, Ralph LaLama, Brian Lynch and Dr. Billy Taylor.  He has performed at venues around the world, including Milan’s Blue Note, New Orleans’ Preservation Hall and Emory University’s Schwartz Center, and he has led groups at such venues in New York City as the Blue Note, the Iridium and Cornelia Street Café.  He was also recently selected by famed pianist Bill Charlap to perform at the summer 2011 Jazz In July festival at New York's 92nd Street Y.  His debut CD as a leader, Piano Tracks, Volume One, was released in the fall of 2010. Young up-and-coming multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Marcus Miller integrates influences as disparate as jazz, hip-hop and electronic music into a unified whole.  He grew up in South Orange, New Jersey studying jazz saxophone under Bruce Williams and by age 13 was playing in local venues. He took a brief hiatus from music, studying mathematics at Harvard and working for a short period at a multi-billion dollar hedge fund. Returning to music, he formed MultiMinds Productions, a hip-hop duo with college roommate Mike Philson, and took an internship under Bassy Bob Brockman to study engineering and music technology.  In addition to playing the saxophone, he began to take up some other instruments and incorporate his experiences as a rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and mixer into his own unique style, which he calls Wave Music.  Marcus has performed in New York City, London, Los Angeles, Montreal and Ireland, both as a leader and sideman.
	2:00 pm	Houston Person Quartet Houston Person : Saxophone     Dubbed by Bob Porter “the natural heir to the Boss Tenor crown worn so long and so well by Gene Ammons,” Houston Person knows the music business inside out, from booking his own tours to producing his own albums.   Person has recorded everything from disco and gospel to pop and r&b in addition to his trademark, soulful hard bop.  After years as producer and house tenor for HighNote Records and touring with the late Etta Jones, Person is now known as a master of popular songs played in a relaxed, highly accessible style reminiscent of the great Ben Webster. Growing up in Florence, South Carolina, he played piano before switching to the tenor sax at age 17. He went on to study music at South Carolina State College and later pursued advanced studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.  As a member of the United States Air Force band stationed in Germany, he played with Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton and Don Ellis, later working as a sideman for organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith in the mid 1960s.  Person built his reputation as a leader with a series of soulful recordings for Prestige in the ‘60s.  However, for a large part of his career he was best-known for his legendary partnership with the great vocalist Etta Jones, which lasted over 30 years.  He has performed with vocalist Barbara Morrison, Ernie Andrews, Ernestine Anderson, Della Griffin and Dakota Staton and recorded with Etta Jones, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Dakota Staton, Horace Silver, Charles Earland and Joey DeFrancesco.  He has recorded over 75 albums as a leader on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse, which became HighNote Records. Houston’s latest recording, So Nice, isscheduled for October 2011 release.
Kate Baker Vic Juris	3:00 pm	Kate Baker/Vic Juris Quintet Featuring Ralph LaLama, Anthony Pincotti, Harvie S and pianist TBA   Kate Baker : Vocals Vic Juris : Guitar Ralp LaLama : Saxophone Harvie S : Bass   Kate Baker is an internationally renowned jazz singer who has performed at the Carini Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the JVC Jazz Festival.  Her distinctive vocal style and lyrical expression have made her one of today’s most sought-after singers.  Kate also performs with Richie Cole’s Alto Madness Orchestra.  “Kate Baker’s phrasing and rhythmic concept are brilliant.” – Newsday Vic Juris is one of the world’s premier jazz guitarists.  Since his emergence on the scene in the 1970s, his international career has included associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Phil Woods, Jimmy Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Michel Legrand, Chico Hamilton, Gary Peacock, Richie Cole, Mel Torme, Eddie Jefferson, Bireli LaGrene, and, since 1991, the renowned David Liebman Group.  Juris is also one of the leading jazz educators in the world and has written two highly regarded guitar books published by Mel Bay.  He currently teaches at The New School and Rutgers University and has conducted clinics throughout the U.S. and Europe. Bob DeVos and Oscar Perez with the West Orange/NJ All Stars featuring Mike Lee, Ed Howard, Vince Ector and more, with Special Guests Pam Purvis, Kevin Burke and other vocalists
Bill Charlap	4:00 pm	Bill Charlap Bill Charlap : Piano One of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand.  Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz.  Charlap is the artistic director of New York City’s Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd Street Y, and he has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the JVC Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. A two-time GRAMMY nominee, Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist Renee Rosnes.  In the Spring of 2010, Charlap and Rosnes released Double Portrait, a duo piano recording on the Blue Note label.
Ali Jackson Hope Boykin	5:00 pm	Ali Jackson Quintet Featuring Hope Boykin of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater   Ali Jackson: Dummer and Percussionist Hope Boykin: Dancer/Choreographer   Ali Jackson grew up in Detroit, Michigan and, as a youngster, studied with jazz greats Max Roach and Elvin Jones. Numerous times he has been likened to legendary Art Blakey.  Jackson has been the principal drummer and percussionist for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra since 2005.  He has performed and recorded with a wide array of diverse artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Harry Connick, Jr., KRS-1, Marcus Roberts, Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, the Berlin and New York Philharmonic orchestras and the New York City Ballet.
Sheila Jordan Steve Kuhn	6:00 pm	Sheila Jordan Quartet Featuring Steve Kuhn with Cameron Brown and Drummer TBA Sheila Jordan : Vocals Steve Kuhn : Piano Cameron Brown : Bass   Born in Detroit, Sheila Jordan grew up in Pennsylvania’s coal-mining country. She began singing as a child and by the time she was in her early teens was working semi-professionally in Detroit clubs. Her first great influence was Charlie Parker – indeed most of her influences have been instrumentalists rather than singers. She was a member of the vocal trio Skeeter, Mitch and Jean (she was Jean), that sang versions of Parker's solos in a style akin to the later Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. After moving to New York in the early ‘50s, she married Parker's pianist, Duke Jordan, and studied with Lennie Tristano, but it was not until the early ‘60s that she made her first recordings. By the late ‘70s jazz audiences had begun to understand her uncompromising style, and her popularity increased, as did her appearances on record, which included albums with pianist Steve Kuhn, whose quartet she joined, and an album, Home, a selection of Robert Creeley's poems set to music and arranged by Steve Swallow. A 1983 duo set with bassist Harvie S, Old Time Feeling, features standards, while 1990's Lost And Found pays tribute to her bebop roots. Her preference for bass and voice led to collaboration with bassist Cameron Brown, with whom she has been performing for more than ten years. They have released the live albums I’ve Grown Accustomed to the Bass and Celebration. Acclaimed jazz pianist Steve Kuhn has worked in many types of settings through the years. He began classical piano lessons when he was five, studied with Madame Chaloff, and at 14 accompanied her son, baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff, on some gigs. He freelanced in Boston as a teenager, graduated from Harvard and moved to New York, where he worked with Kenny Dorham’s group from 1959 to 1960. Kuhn was the original pianist in John Coltrane’s Quartet before McCoy Tyner succeeded him. He was with the bands of Stan Getz (1961-1963) and Art Farmer (1964-1966), moving to Europe in 1967 and returning to the U.S. in 1971. Kuhn doubled on electric piano in the 1970s, recording for ECM, and co-led a group with Sheila Jordan in the latter part of the decade. He formed an acoustic trio in the mid-'80s, which has been his main vehicle ever since. Kuhn has recorded as a leader for numerous labels, including Impulse, Muse, ECM, Blackhawk, New World, Owl, Concord and Postcards.
Romero Lubambo Nilson Matta Claudio Roditi	7:00 pm	Brazilian All-Stars: Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, Claudio Roditi and drummer Alex Kautz    Romero Lubambo : Guitar Nilson Matta : Bass Claudio Roditi : Trumpet Alex Kautz : Drums   Lubambo taught himself through intense research and practice, a fluency in both jazz and Brazilian idioms. He has performed and recorded with many artists, including Diane Reeves, Michael Brecker, Al Jarreau, Kathleen Battle, Herbie Mann, Ivan Lins, Flora Purim and Airto, Paquito D'Rivera and Leny Andrade. Nilson Matta has long been considered one of Brazil's best bass players. Since his arrival in New York in 1985 he has become the first call of many of the top US musicians. Rio-born trumpet and flugelhorn player Claudio Roditi has been on the U.S. jazz scene since studying at Berklee College of Music in 1970. A GRAMMY nominee, he has recorded a dozen albums as a leader.
Nat Adderley Jr. Dave Stryker	8:00 pm	Nat Adderley Jr. Quartet featuring Dave Stryker  Nat Adderley: Piano Dave Stryker: Guitar   Nat Adderley Jr. is best known for his work as producer, arranger, songwriter and long-time pianist and musical director for Luther Vandross.  His compositions include “Stop to Love,” “Wait for Love” and the GRAMMY-nominated “Give Me the Reason.” His many arrangements for Vandross include “Superstar,” “If Only for One Night,” “Creepin’” and the GRAMMY-winning “Here and Now.” He produced numerous recordings for Vandross, including “My Favorite Things,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and the GRAMMY-winning duet with Beyoncé, “The Closer I Get to You” as well as Luther Live at Radio City Music Hall.  He has also written arrangements for Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick.  Adderley has also served as musical director for Ashford and Simpson and worked with Melba More and Angie Bofill. Guitarist Dave Stryker, voted a “Rising Star” for the fifth time in the 2008 Downbeat Critics Poll, has released 20 CDs under his own name. He has also been a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff and Kevin Mahogany. Gary Giddons in the Village Voice calls him one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, moved to New York City in 1980, and joined organist Jack McDuffs group, travelling all over the U.S. for two years in the mid-‘80s.  From ‘86 to ‘95 and from ‘98 to 2000 Stryker played with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, performing at festivals, concert halls and clubs throughout the world.  He currently co-leads the Stryker/Slagle Band with saxophonist Steve Slagle as well as his own trio, the Dave Stryker Organ Trio.  Stryker also teaches privately and at the Outreach Jazz Workshop in Austria, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, the Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop, the Jazz Connections Workshop, and the Veneto/New School Jazz Workshop in Italy.  His book, Dave Stryker’s Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method, is available from Mel Bay Publications.