Chris Botti Interview with Blue Note Blogger

Interview by Jonathan Kantor - Publicist & Marketing Director, Blue Note Jazz Club

Layout by Keith Henry Brown - Art Director, Blue Note Jazz Club

11/11/11 - Top 11 Moments at the Blue Note in 2011

In Honor of today’s date, 11/11/11, today we are posting the TOP 11 Blue Note Jazz Club MOMENTS of 2011 thus far. This year has been so full of special events and surprise artists that it was hard to choose just eleven, so feel free to share your own in the comment sections below. If you’ve taken video, pictures, or have something to say, go ahead and post it! Here’s our list, in chronological order:

1.   MS. LAURYN HILL – January 3 – 5: This was by far the fastest selling show of the year, which is not surprising considering the rarity of seeing Ms. Hill and the intimacy of the Blue Note. The show was reviewed extremely positively, and yes, she did perform “Killing Me Softly.”

2.       ROBERT GLASPER with LUPE FIASCO, MOS DEF & KANYE WEST  - February 26: The show was billed as the Robert Glasper Experiment put together by AMI and Jill Newman Productions, and in addition to special guest Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def was rumored to be in the house. Then, Kanye West walked up the stairs, and 30 minutes later, all three were on stage freestyling…yes, this was at the Blue Note! If you haven’t seen this video, watch it now (courtesy of OkayPlayer/The Revivalist).

3.       CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF JAMES MOODY – March 28: James Moody wasn’t just an incredible jazz musician – he was one of the warmest, kindest, most gracious human beings ever to walk through these doors. He was so generous with his time and treated every person he met with dignity and respect. He left this world too soon in December of 2010, and on March 28, Moody’s wife Linda hosted a benefit concert for the Moody Scholarship Fund at the Blue Note featuring Bill Cosby, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Barron, John Lee, Paquito D’Rivera, Antonio Hart, Frank Wess, David Sanborn and just about every great musician in New York City. The tribute was poignant on a musical and emotional level, and we’ll be having another one next year at the same time with all of the money going to the Scholarship Fund.  Here’s a picture from the evening.

4.       BLUE NOTE JAZZ BENEFIT FOR JAPAN - April 18 & 19: On March 11, Japan was hit by a tsunami that caused thousands of deaths and devastating destruction. New York City, along with the rest of the world, quickly came to Japan’s aid with an outpouring of support. The artistic community in particular sprang into action, with benefits popping up all over the city. Japan-born Blue Note talent buyer Seiko Kinoshita, who also worked at our Blue Notes in Japan, put together The Blue Note Jazz Benefit For Japan at the Highline Ballroom which received so much support from artists and ticket buyers that they added a second night. Both evenings featured high-profile acts like McCoy Tyner, Madeleine Peyroux, Ron Carter and Renee Fleming, with 100% of the proceeds going to Japan’s Relief & Recovery Fund. Here, hundreds of prominent musicians wrote to Blue Note Tokyo about their love and support for Japan during their most trying times.

5.       GEORGE DUKE, AL JARREAU & ESPERANZA SPALDING – May 14: Longtime collaborators George Duke and Al Jarreau, the latter appearing at the Blue Note for the first time, joined forces for a week at the club. On May 14, the band was joined by recent Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist, bassist Esperanza Spalding. Click here for the set list from that evening, and here is a picture of the pair signing autographs at the gift shop.

6.       INAUGURAL BLUE NOTE JAZZ FESTIVAL – Month of June: June 2011 marked the first Blue Note Jazz Festival, which took the jazz world by storm as the city’s largest festival. “In its inaugural year, the Blue Note Jazz Festival is already a juggernaut,” wrote the Wall St. Journal, remarking on the 100 performances in 15 different venues all over New York City. The festival, which featured Brian Wilson, Chaka Khan, Dave Brubeck, Chris Botti, The Roots and so many more, was promoted in taxi cabs, on banners at the club and all over the city.

7.       THE ROOTS with…DAVE CHAPPELLE? – June 22: For one night only, Jill Newman Productions presented The Roots with Rakim & Black Thought performing the seminal hip-hop album Paid In Full on its 25^th anniversary. Talib Kweli and Razel were in the audience and jumped on stage, but most surprising of all, legendary comedian Dave Chappelle showed up and actually talked to the audience from his seat. He made a few funny comments, but mostly gushed about what it was like to be a kid and hear Paid In Full for the first time. But most importantly, The Roots were on the Blue Note stage, and here’s some proof in video form.

8.       THE CRAZIEST NIGHT OF THE BLUE NOTE JAZZ FESTIVAL – June 24: There was one night that stuck out during the Blue Note Jazz Festival for the sheer volume of shows and talent presented on stages throughout the city. Dee Dee Bridgewater plus Chrisette Michele at Town Hall, Maya Azucena at The Highline Ballroom, Youssou N’Dour at Terminal 5, Milton Nascimento at Rose Hall in Lincoln Center, Roberta Flack at BB Kings, and Estelle and The Recessionals Jazz Band at the Blue Note. It took four tweets just to tell followers who was playing that night!

9.       RAY BROWN TRIBUTE BAND – August 16 – 21: Ray Brown is considered one of the founding fathers of the Blue Note, helping to bring some of the biggest artists to play here like Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie at a time when those artists were only playing concert halls. Fittingly, the Ray Brown Tribute Band is one of the hardest swinging bands around, featuring Christian McBride (a protégé of Brown), Dee Bridgewater, Benny Green and Greg Hutchinson, all of whom performed with the maestro at various points before his untimely passing in 2002. Concertgoers gushed that it was one of the best shows they’d ever seen at the club. Here’s some video footage of the band and coupled with interviews of the band members talking about Ray Brown.

10.   PAT METHENY – October 11 – 16: “This is the first time I’ve played a club in New York in 30 years,” Pat Metheny told a captive audience at the Blue Note in October. Joined by bassist Larry Grenadier, Metheny played electric and acoustic guitar, dabbled for one song on his Pikasso guitar and played his final tunes of the night with the Orchestrion, which was among the most impressive and unique musical feats ever to grace (or fit on) the Blue Note stage. One of the highlights of the week was Pat sitting by himself on stage, sound-checking his acoustic guitar with the beautiful, haunting melody of the theme song from the film Cinema Paradiso. Check out a New York Times review of the show here.

11.   CHICK COREA 70^th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION – November 1 – 27: Not even midway through the run, Chick has already logged over 50 hours on the Blue Note stage including performances and rehearsals. So far he has performed with Return To Forever Unplugged, a trio with Brian Blade and Gary Peacock (pic here), with the Five Peace Band ft. John McLaughlin and Kenny Garrett (check www.facebook.com/bluenotenyc for pictures), and in duos with Bobby McFerrin (rehearsing Beatles tunes video here). Incredibly, there is so much more to come: Chick and Gary Burton with the Harlem String Quartet, the For Miles Band featuring Miles Davis band alumni, The Flamenco Heart band, duos with Marcus Roberts and Herbie Hancock, and finally the Original Elektric Band. Certainly one of the biggest and best celebrations ever at the Blue Note.

Have something to say? Share it here, and happy 11/11/11!

Wall Street Journal: Weekend Conversations w/Jazz Legend Chick Corea

Beloved jazz artist Chick Corea of Miles Davis's band and "Return to Forever" sits down with WSJ's Jim Fusilli to discuss his upcoming gigs at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City.

NYTimes: The Jazz Chameleon, in All His Colors

By NATE CHINEN

Chick Corea, the ebullient and eternally youthful pianist, bandleader and composer, turned 70 this year. Being a jazz musician, he’s bound by custom to celebrate this mile marker on the bandstand, aglow in retrospection. Had there been a corporate-sponsored jazz festival in New York this summer, he probably would have headlined Carnegie Hall sometime around his birthday, on June 12. Instead he’s taking over the Blue Note for most of November, beginning on Tuesday: two sets a night, in 10 different configurations, with collaborators old and new. It’s the more fitting option by far.

Mr. Corea has trained his public to expect nothing less of him. His career is among the most kaleidoscopic in jazz, encircling everything from plunging postbop to chamberesque Latin hybridism to superheated fusion. He’s among the most productive figures of jazz’s last 40 years, a worthy luminary with the instincts of a tinkerer, more committed to inquiry than to resolution.

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JazzTimes: Chick Corea to Play Month-long Residency at Blue Note

By Jeff Tamarkin

Chick Corea will celebrate his 70th birthday year throughout November with a month-long residency at New York’s Blue Note, featuring 10 different configurations in more than 40 performances. The extended gig also marks the 50th anniversary of Corea’s debut in Greenwich Village.

Among the scheduled performances are Corea with Herbie Hancock, Marcus Roberts, 
Bobby McFerrin, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, Gary Burton, John McLaughlin and a special Return to Forever unplugged gig. The full schedule is below.

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Examiner: Q&A with Chick Corea on his 70th Birthday Celebration

By Justin Tedaldi

A DownBeat Hall of Famer, NEA Jazz Master and 16-time Grammy winner, living legend Chick Corea has flourished for over four decades as a celebrated jazz pianist and composer. The Massachusetts native first made a name for himself as a sideman in the 1960s with artists like Blue Mitchell, Stan Getz and Miles Davis, and in the 1970s he founded Return to Forever, one of the world’s premier fusion acts.

To celebrate his seven decades, New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club is holding a month-long 70th Birthday Celebration residency from Nov. 1-27, which includes a lineup of 10 different groups and more than 30 musicians. Included on the guest list are Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, the Five Peace Band with John McLaughlin, and a special unplugged appearance from Return to Forever.

In this exclusive interview, I spoke with Corea about the gigs, his thoughts about turning 70, the reason Return to Forever initially disbanded, and his first conversation with Miles Davis.

What are your thoughts about playing for a whole month at the Blue Note?

It’s just totally invigorating and exciting and great, and I mean that. My friends that were able to join me that are going to play with me are such great people and inspiring musicians. The whole thing is like being in heaven, you know? With all this creativity to get into, it’s the ultimate pleasure to have. It’ll be a lot of work, for sure, but it’ll be a lot of fun, mainly.

Which shows are you looking most forward to?

I’m looking forward to everything; I don’t even know where to start. I’m halfway through preparing right now. Unfortunately, I had a few weeks off before the gigs started, and I was able to put a setlist together and try to organize it a bit, but I’m looking forward to the whole thing. There’s some kind of new configurations that’ll be interesting. I worked with Paul Motian and Eddie Gomez for a couple of weeks earlier this year at the Blue Note—we made a recording there—but Paul ended up not being able to make it, and Eddie didn’t have the schedule to do it at that slot, so I found Gary Peacock, who I haven’t played since, wow, the ’70s, I guess.

But then leading to replace Paul because he wasn’t able to make it, I found that Brian Blade had a day open in his schedule before coming in with the Five Peace Band. So it’s going to be Brian and Gary Peacock. Now that’s going to be very interesting to me; that’s a whole new thing. I’ve also got Gary Burton and the Harlem String Quartet. We recorded one track with the Harlem String Quartet for our new duet recording, so for the whole three nights with the string quartet, we’re going to review some of the lyrics and music that we’ve made in the late ’70s and early ’80s, whenever that was, and a couple of new things that I wrote for the sextet.

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Jazziz: Chick's Birthday Bash at the Blue Note

From November 1-27, Chick Corea will perform more than 40 times with 10 different lineups at the Blue Note in Manhattan. Basically, the Greenwich Village club will be hosting a month-long celebration of the keyboardist’s 70th birthday, and, as the schedule below clearly indicates, some of the most fabulous jazz talent on the planet will be joining in the festivities.

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Pollstar: Chick Corea’s 70th Birthday Party

In November Chick Corea will celebrate his 70th birthday with four weeks of concerts featuring 10 different groups and 30 musicians. The party includes Herbie Hancock,Bobby McFerrin, Return To Forever, Five Peace Band and more.

The bash takes place at New York City’s Blue Note between Nov. 1-27. The jazz club hosted Corea’s 2001 three-week residency marking his 60th birthday. The sold-out run of dates was recorded and then released in 2003 as the two-CD set Rendezvous in New York.

During the four weeks of dates, each night that is booked will features two performances with one show at 8 p.m. and a second at 10:30 p.m.

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The Revivalist: Chick Corea November Residency at the Blue Note

This year Armando Anthony “Chick Corea” turns 70 years old, and for the celebration of his life, he will be playing a month long residency throughout the entirety of November at Blue Note. Once a member of Miles Davis’ band, and one of the pioneers of the so-called fusion era, which merged jazz and electric rock music, Corea, the venerable pianist and keyboardist is one of the most celebrated jazz players in history.

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Examiner: Frank Gambale returns to his roots with R2F IV world tour, new ‘Soulmine’ album

By Carol Banks Weber

Frank Gambale is a strange mix of star and fan, Über-confidence and wide-eyed wonder. In his 26-some-odd years as a legendary guitarist and role model, he’s done a lot to advance the progress of play with his Sweep Picking Technique and Tuning System. He’s played with only the best there is, touring the world several times over, hitting the finest jazz festivals, nightclubs and concert halls, and helping to put out albums that would mark historical territory, as well as shape young minds who would then grow up to become stars themselves.

He’s done all this as a member of an elite jazz-fusion club,and as a diehard fan of that club. In most circles, that’s called living your dream. Single-handedly, the Australian wonder changed the entire landscape for rising guitarists in 1975 with his Sweep Picking Technique. The technique enabled guitarists the world over – once they painstakingly mastered it through tons of practice – to play faster, better, but with more ease and freedom of expression. Many before him had tried, but could only pull off one or two licks before giving up.

A Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) “Student of the Year” back in the day, Gambale used what he knew to help others through instructional books and DVDs, teaching gigs, and a line of his own guitars. To this day, he’s still revolutionizing the industry, with his Gambale Tuning System, which allows guitarists to achieve chordal capabilities of the piano on their fret board.

Besides developing techniques and gear, Gambale always turned heads wherever he jammed and whomever he jammed with. He’s collaborated with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, winning a Grammy and two Grammy noms in the process, Vital Information, Stu Hamm and Steve Smith, Billy Cobham, the Mark Varney Project, Maurizio Colonna, and GRP—not to mention his own critically acclaimed albums, about 20 of ‘em. And he’s not done yet. By Valentine’s Day next year, he and his wife BOCA will release “Soulmine,” featuring sexy vocals, positive lyrics, R&B jazz-funk stylings, and his signature racy guitar.

Currently, the man is on a world tour with Chick Corea’sReturn To Forever IV Band (Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Jean-Luc Ponty). The world tour kicked off last February, and reunited him with many of his colleagues from past adventures – Gambale was on Corea’s Elektric Band for a significant period in the ‘80s, and has played with Ponty. The band will conclude their world tour back in New York City, at the Blue Note, for a month-long birthday jamfest for Corea’s 70th, which will give Gambale even more to do – playing RTF and Elektric Band material.

Chick Corea’s Return to Forever IV kicked off in February of this year, with their world tour starting in Australia. How did you end up on this band and in this tour? I got a call from Chick inviting me to play. I have a long history with Chick from the Elektric Band and I have been a huge fan of RTF for as long as I can remember. So it was a welcome call.

You’ve worked with Chick Corea in his Elektric Band. What’s it like coming back to that environment, Chick’s world?

In this group, I am seeing Chick in a different light. RTF is clearly a collaborative band with Lenny and Stanley and Chick all having written music for RTF and each of them giving input on the arrangements. In the Elektric Band, all the music was Chick’s and so he was the clear band leader and roughly 15-20 years older than all of us. It’s great viewing him in this light and getting to see him amongst his peers.

Playing with Chick Corea isn’t a walk in the park. Describe his collaborative style—I imagine he has high expectations, is he a perfectionist? As with any great, serious musician, the expectation is high. I am the same way with my bands. Music at this level is serious. It’s the musical equivalent of the speed and precision of Formula 1 car racing, or skydiving, or intellectual conversation in the sense that, no one is fooling around. We love what we do and it’s exhilarating at this level. Of course it’s fun, too. We’re all perfectionists and the performances reflect that.

Back in … the ‘80s? Chick asked you to join his Elektric Band – after Return to Forever kind of folded – a jazz-rock fusion band. At the time, you were teaching and had several instructional books and DVDs out there. What in particular led to his picking you out of the crowd, was it the techniques you developed in those instructional books/DVDs, or did you do any shows where he caught your performance?

I already had two solo albums out when I auditioned for Chick — “Brave New Guitar” and “A Present For The Future,” which were gathering momentum, and being recognized by great musicians such as Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, amongst others. I had also just gotten off tour with Jean-Luc Ponty. I think one of the things that attracted Chick to my playing was that he thought I was unique. I originated a way to play the guitar that has become standard in the guitar lexicon of techniques. But technique is one thing, and musicality is quite another. When I tell people that I never practiced technique, they scratch their heads. I only practiced musical concepts. These musical concepts may have been extremely difficult to play on the guitar, so they required enormous technique, but MUSICAL CONCEPT was the driving force! ... the huge desire to play a musical idea on the guitar that was in uncharted territory. So when Chick heard me play, he understood immediately what he was hearing, he really got it. It has resulted in a very long and rewarding musical journey for both of us. 

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Wall Street Journal: Jazz's 70-Year Flavor of the Month

By WILL FRIEDWALD

In his early years, before he established himself as one of the leading bandleaders and composers in contemporary jazz, Chick Corea played keyboards in several incarnations of Miles Davis's band. Davis created more variations of music than any jazz musician before him, and in that sense he was a direct inspiration for Mr. Corea's polyglot career.

Even more than Davis, Mr. Corea has expressed himself in countless, widely disparate ensembles, in formats ranging from world-music ensembles to bebop trios to free-form collectives to symphony orchestras. Throughout November, he'll lead 10 of these combinations in a monthlong celebration of his 70th birthday at the Blue Note club on West Third Street.

The difference between Miles Davis and Chick Corea is that the former went through stages (Mr. Corea was present when Davis made his transition into electric music with "Bitches Brew" in 1969) and never looked back. Mr. Corea, by contrast, set an example for the current generation in that many of his divergent bands have run parallel to one another. At roughly the same time he was playing what became known as "fusion" with Davis (which was, among other things, an attempt to expand jazz's fan base into stadium-sized audiences), he was also creating some of the least "commercial" music of his career in Circle, the exceptional avant-garde collective he shared with multireed maverick Anthony Braxton.

As for foundations, the Massachusetts native said the forthcoming Blue Note series—and his multidimensional career—were only possible because of New York and its position in the jazz world. "I first moved to New York because all my musical heroes were here," the 16-time Grammy Award-winner said this week from his home in Clearwater, Florida. "New York in the '60s meant Miles, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and the Jazz messengers, Charles Mingus; Count Basie was here; Duke Ellington was playing! New York is still the crossroads of jazz."

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ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO TAYLOR EIGSTI SOLO PIANO - THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT on SEPT 26 at 10:30PM!

ENTER TO WIN

2 FREE tickets to see TAYLOR EIGSTI SOLO PIANO - THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT on Sept. 26 at 10:30pm.

Taylor Eigsti is turning 27. So what do we do? Throw the piano star a birthday party, of course! But he's the entertainment...solo piano!

TO ENTER:

1. EMAIL us at contests@bluenote.net with the subject line
"TAYLOR EIGSTI GIVEAWAY"

2. In the body of your email, include your name and phone number

THAT'S IT! WE WILL CONTACT YOU ON THE MORNING OF 9/26 TO LET YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

Thursday-Sunday This Week: Regina Carter's Reverse Thread

Over the course of her many albums, incessant touring, and various guest appearances and collaborations, violinist Regina Carter has developed into a distinctly diverse musical personality that incorporates a wide range of influences, including classical music, jazz, Motown, pop, and R&B. She has repeatedly toured the world, is the winner of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, has been featured with several symphony orchestras, and has performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Faith Evans, Kenny Barron, and Mary J. Blige.

Regarding her current project, "Reverse Thread," Carter said, "There is an immense amount of amazing music coming from all around the world, much of which is barely accessible," emphasized Carter. "Reverse Thread gave me the opportunity to explore and celebrate a tiny portion of the music that moved me."

With Reverse Thread, Carter takes a giant step forward by making a meaningful musical contribution on her own terms. As her latest release, the album is both a fitting tribute to her inspirations and an exciting glimpse into what might be next this incredible musician.

Hope you'll join us this Thursday - Sunday at the Blue Note for what will surely be a whole lot of incredible music!

Wednesday-Sunday This Week: McCoy Tyner Trio + Gary Bartz /Alfredo Rodriguez Trio

Come and join us at the Blue Note tonight through Sunday for a very exciting, multi-generational double-bill featuring pianists McCoy Tyner and Alfredo Rodriguez, presented by Quincy Jones.

McCoy Tyner's group this week features Gerald Cannon on bass, Francisco Mela on drums, and Gary Bartz on saxophone.

Alfredo Rodriguez's group features Peter Slavov on bass and Francisco Mela on drums.

Hope you'll join us for what will surely be a fun-filled week of music and a whole lot of piano!

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE JON FADDIS QUARTET "TRIUMPH OF TRUMPETS"

The Blue Note is offering FREE TICKET PAIRS to THE JON FADDIS QUARTET "TRIUMPH OF TRUMPETS" shows this week from Wednesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 28 for the 10:30pm sets. Free ticket pairs are first come first served, so act fast while we still have 'em! To win tickets, follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net
2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - JON FADDIS QUARTET"

3. Indicate which 10:30pm set you would like to attend: 8/24, 8/25, 8/26, 8/27 or 8/28

WE WILL CONTACT YOU PROMPTLY IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

All This Week: Jane Monheit with special guest Mark O'Connor

Vocalist Jane Monheit first appeared on Mark O'Connor's In Full Swing recording from 2003. Seven years later, Mark was asked to appear on Jane's recording Home, released on the Emarcy label in 2010. O'Connor will join Jane Monheit at the Blue Note from August 9 - 14, all this week.

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE RON CARTER TRIO + TOM HARRELL "JAZZ MEETS CLASSICAL - DEBUSSY & RAVEL" at the HIGHLINE BALLROOM ON JUNE 28

ENTER TO WIN 2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE THE 8:00pm or 10:30pm DOUBLE FEATURE AT THE HIGHLINE BALLROOM ON TUESDAY, JUNE 28 - RON CARTER TRIO ft. Mulgrew Miller & Russell Malone + TOM HARRELL GROUP: JAZZ MEETS CLASSICAL - DEBUSSY & RAVEL at the Highline Ballroom! The giveaway is first come first served so enter quickly and we'll get back to you by tomorrow afternoon if you are a winner!

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net

2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - RON CARTER + TOM HARRELL"

3. Indicate which set you would like to attend (8:00pm or 10:30pm).

WE WILL CONTACT YOU PROMPTLY IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

Review: Brian Wilson at the Highline Ballroom, Examiner.com

By Jim Bessman
Examiner.com

Brian Wilson played the Highline Ballroom last night as part of its sister club's month-long Blue Note Jazz Festival, and though the two-set show featured his entire current Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin album of Gershwin standards, it wasn't jazz, really, but no less demanding--and rewarding.

The Beach Boys' beloved creative genius brought a 12-piece band of multi-instrumentalists/vocalists--and a local female string section--and all lived up to his contention that it's one of his best bands ever.

The Gershwin album, which was conceived under the aegis of his hero George Gershwin's estate, led off the second set--the first being a breathtaking recreation of Beach Boys classics ranging from the ultra-romantic 1963 ballad "Surfer Girl," his first composition, to the symphonic "Heroes And Villains" of 1967. While Wilson's ability to sing his signature falsetto vocal leads and harmonies is long gone, guitarist Jeff Foskett was downright spooky in mimicking it on hits like "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."

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Vinicius Cantuaria & Bill Frisell at Highline Ballroom, NY Times Review

Enjoying the Quiet Pleasures of a Meeting of Minds
By Nate Chinen

Vinicius Cantuária and Bill Frisell sat facing the audience, but angled toward each other, throughout their calmly transfixing show at the Highline Ballroom on Monday night. Each cradled a guitar — nylon-string acoustic for Mr. Cantuária, electric for Mr. Frisell — and both often had slight smiles on their faces, the sort of expression you might wear while hearing an old friend tell a fondly half-remembered tale. The setting was sparse, but the performance, part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival, conveyed a sense of fullness.

It lasted about 90 minutes and drew mainly from “Lágrimas Mexicanas” (E1), the album that Mr. Cantuária and Mr. Frisell released early this year. Produced by Lee Townsend, it’s a casually refined collaboration that takes advantage of both musicians’ versatility. In addition to guitar and vocals, Mr. Cantuária plays overdubbed hand percussion; Mr. Frisell plays acoustic and electric guitars and tends to an array of sampled loops. At times it sounds as if they’re working with a band.

That wasn’t the case in the show, and it turned out to be a good thing. Mr. Cantuária played his guitar without a pickup, using an external microphone and no discernible effects. Mr. Frisell flirted with some looping and occasionally used an octave pedal, but in both cases he exercised a scrupulous subtlety. Their roles were consistent: Mr. Cantuária sang and finger-picked a rhythmic scaffolding, while Mr. Frisell improvised light filigree, elevating the songs with his economical phrasing and softly glowing tone.

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Blue Note Jazz Club Celebrates 30th Anniversary (Hamptons.com)

New York City - In honor of its 30th anniversary, the Blue Note Jazz Club is opening its doors throughout New York City during the month of June for the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival. More than 80 shows featuring many artists who have performed at the Blue Note for years will take the city by storm at this year's largest New York jazz festival. More than 60,000 tickets are available.

The festival will feature a diverse group of high-profile artists including Dave Brubeck, Chris Botti, Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Brian Wilson, The Roots, Chaka Khan, Roberta Flack, El Gran Combo, Jon Hendricks, Kathleen Battle, McCoy Tyner, Youssou N'Dour, Bill Frisell, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madeleine Peyroux and many more. In addition to presenting a special series of shows at the Blue Note, the club has scheduled shows at the Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, BB King Blues Club & Grill, Highline Ballroom, Terminal 5, Joe's Pub, Mercury Lounge, Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, The Lehman Center for Performing Arts, and the Katonah Museum of Art.

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Q&A with Brian Wilson

By Justin Tedaldi
Examiner.com

Last year, one of the greatest American composers of the second half of the twentieth century paid tribute to one from the first on the album Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin. This week, fabled Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson salutes George Gershwin in a three-night run at New York’s Highline Ballroom beginning June 11 as part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival. In this exclusive interview, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer sounds off on his musical legacy, his next album, and “Kokomo.”

Examiner: You’ve said that “Rhapsody in Blue” is one of your all-time favorite pieces of music. What do you like most about it?

Brian Wilson: The violin section and pretty harmonies.

Examiner: What kind of an influence has Gershwin’s music and the jazz genre had on you as a songwriter throughout your career? What was the first song you wrote or recorded that was linked to these qualities?

Brian Wilson: He inspired me to write good music. “Heroes and Villains” was completely inspired by that.

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Blue Note Jazz Festival: New York Times Feature

Blue Note Jazz Festival: Wall Street Journal Feature

Q&A with Steven Bensusan on the Blue Note Jazz Festival

By Justin Tedaldi
Examiner.com

As the president of Blue Note Entertainment and its legendary namesake jazz club in the heart of Greenwich Village, Steven Bensusan has spent a lifetime soaking up that most signature of American arts. Kicking off the club’s 30th anniversary on June 1 is the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival, which will showcase a score of jazz giants and other top performers across New York City.

Scheduled performers for the month-long celebration include Dave Brubeck, Chris Botti, Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Roberta Flack, Brian Wilson, Medeski Martin & Wood, El Gran Combo, McCoy Tyner, Youssou N'Dour, Bill Frisell, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madeleine Peyroux, Chaka Khan, and many more. I caught up with Bensusan in this exclusive interview.

Examiner: How did this festival come together?

Steven Bensusan: The Blue Note Jazz Club was founded by my father Danny Bensusan in 1981. This year being our 30th anniversary, we wanted to celebrate the milestone in a big way. We’ve had opportunities to start a Blue Note Jazz Festival before, but this was the first year that there was a real opening for a new mainstream jazz festival. So we decided to fill the void and try our hand at putting together a number of shows throughout New York City in honor of our 30th anniversary. We’ve put together over 80 shows at 12 different venues, including a special series of shows at the Blue Note.

Examiner: Which shows at the festival would you recommend for someone who’s a jazz novice? How about hardcore fans who think they’ve seen it all?

Steven Bensusan: We’re confident that there’s something for everyone at the Blue Note Jazz Festival. People often get introduced to jazz by hearing jazz vocalists first, and we have a number of incredible jazz vocalists performing during the festival. At the Blue Note alone, we have the Manhattan Transfer from June 16- 19, legendary vocalist Jimmy Scott on June 23, followed by Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross on June 27-29 with 17-year-old singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky joining them as a special guest on the 29th. At B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Times Square, we are hosting Diane Schuur, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan and Nancy Wilson, all within a two-week span. We also have some really popular jazz artists like Chris Botti on the festival lineup, who will be performing at the Beacon Theatre on June 23.

For the hardcore fans, we have a fantastic new series at the Blue Note called Spontaneous Construction, presented by Search & Restore. The series takes place every Friday night at 12:30 a.m., it costs only $10, and it brings legendary and up-and-coming jazz musicians together on stage for the first time to create spontaneous improvisatory music on the spot. We also have partnered with JazzReach, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people, to present performances to hundreds of New York City Public School students from June 1-3 at the Highline Ballroom. So there’s really something for everyone at the Blue Note Jazz Festival!

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5 Blue Note Jazz Festival Shows You Shouldn’t Miss, NBC New York

We’re a little more than two weeks away from the kick-off of the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival, the month long event marking the 30th anniversary of the storied venue. More than 80 artists — including some, like Lee Konitz, who have been Blue Note regulars since the club opened — will be performing at venues all over the city, but naturally, we have some favorites.
Here’s our take on five shows you shouldn’t miss:

McCoy Tyner Trio+ Special Guest Savion Glover, June 1, Highline Ballroom (2 shows)
Grammy-stockpiling ivory-tinkler McCoy Tyner is joined by Tony-reaping choreographer/modern day tap-hoofer Savion Glover. Their work together tends to whip audiences into a froth, so it’s no surprise they open the festival, joined by the rest of the McCoy Tyner Trio. Tickets are $75, available here.

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, June 11-13, Highline Ballroom
The batty Beach Boy will perform his 2010 standards album, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, in its entirety along with Beach Boys and solo selections, before heading off on lengthy tours through Canada and Europe. Tickets are $125, available here.

Dave Brubeck, June 13, Blue Note
Do you have any idea how long piano kingpin Dave Brubeck has been playing jazz? Here’s one hint: Almost everyone he’s played with is dead. And another: He celebrated the 50th --50th!-- anniversary of his iconic album Time Out in 2009. And yet the master of the odd time signature can’t stop gigging. His is a roadmap for longevity. Tickets are $75, available here.

Madeleine Peyroux, June 18, Highline Ballroom
Peyroux first commanded attention with her Billie Holiday-style voice, but has proven herself to be much more than a soundalike. Her cozy throwback style expands well outside the confines of jazz — she’s collaborated with kd lang and writes with the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman -- and the French tunes don’t hurt, either. Tickets are $35, available here.

Nancy Wilson, June 25, B.B. King’s
No relation to Brian. Wilson’s name fits effortlessly into a list with greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, and yet she’s one of the only lady singers from that era who you can still catch live, plying her velvety pipes like it’s half a century ago. Go see her. Tickets are $75, available here.

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Blue Note Jazz Festival, The New Yorker

JAMES CARTER PHOTO - COURTESY OF FRAN KAUFMAN

James Carter was at the Blue Note last week with trumpeter Nicholas Payton, James "Blood" Ulmer, Gerard Gibbs and Leonard King on drums. Thanks to photographer Fran Kaufman for sending this fantastic photo of James Carter. For more of her work, go to www.frankaufman.com and check out her WBGO Photoblog HERE

BLUE NOTE JAZZ CLUB 30TH ANNIVERSARY, The Chill Jazz Corner

In honor of its 30th anniversary, the Blue Note Jazz Club is opening its doors throughout New York City during the month of June for the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival. More than 80 shows featuring many artists who have performed at the Blue Note for years will take the city by storm at this year's largest New York jazz festival. More than 60,000 tickets are available. The festival will feature a diverse group of high-profile artists including Dave Brubeck, Chris Botti, Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Brian Wilson, The Roots, Chaka Kahn, Roberta Flack, El Gran Combo, Jon Hendricks, Kathleen Battle, McCoy Tyner, Youssou N'Dour, Bill Frisell, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madeleine Peyroux and many more. In addition to presenting a special series of shows at the Blue Note, the club has scheduled shows at the Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, BB King Blues Club & Grill, Highline Ballroom, Terminal 5, Joe's Pub, Mercury Lounge, Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, The Lehman Center for Performing Arts, and the Katonah Museum of Art.

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Blue Note Jazz Club Unveils Festival, Wall Street Journal

Is jazz a dying art form? WSJ drama critic Terry Teachout once asked in these pages.

Not a chance, according to the Greenwich Village-based Blue Note Jazz Club. In honor of its 30th anniversary, the institution will host the first inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival during the month of June, the club announced this past week. Throughout the month, more than 80 shows featuring established jazz legends and rookie experimentalists will take place across the city.

The club is hosting the Festival to fill the void left by promoter and producer George Wein’s New York Jazz Festival, which usually occurs in June but which is on hiatus this year. Wein himself will perform at the Blue Note’s Festival in mid-June.

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Is jazz a dying art form? WSJ drama critic Terry Teachout once asked in these pages.

Not a chance, according to the Greenwich Village-based Blue Note Jazz Club. In honor of its 30th anniversary, the institution will host the first inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival during the month of June, the club announced this past week. Throughout the month, more than 80 shows featuring established jazz legends and rookie experimentalists will take place across the city.

The club is hosting the Festival to fill the void left by promoter and producer George Wein’s New York Jazz Festival, which usually occurs in June but which is on hiatus this year. Wein himself will perform at the Blue Note’s Festival in mid-June.

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Blue Note Sets Jazz Fest, Variety.com

New York's Blue Note Jazz Club has recruited an array of stars from the jazz and pop worlds to celebrate the club's 30th anni with the maiden Blue Note Jazz Festival.
Artists, many affiliated with the club for years, include jazz stalwarts Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Lee Konitz, Nancy Wilson, McCoy Tyner and Bobby McFerrin, as well as jazz voices of a more recent vintage like Chris Botti and Madeleine Peyroux. Pop, hip-hop and R&B acts to perform include Brian Wilson, Chaka Khan, Roberta Flack, the Roots, Youssou N'Dour and Meshell Ndegeocello.

The shows will take place throughout the city during June, kicking off June 1 at the Blue Note itself with Konitz, Bill Frisell, Gary Peacock and Joey Baron heading a five-night bill. Other venues include Town Hall, Beacon Theater, Terminal 5 and the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts.

"Thirty years ago, I never could have dreamed that the Blue Note would become what it is today," owner and operator Danny Bensusan said of the Greenwich Village club (which has no affiliation with the storied jazz label of the same name). "We're presenting musicians all over New York who have played the Blue Note since the beginning, as well as new ones who we hope will continue to come back for many years."

Fest will include a series at the Mercury Lounge devoted to up-and-coming artists in a variety of genres, as well as the new Spontaneous Construction Series at the Blue Note, which will put young, experimental artists together for the first time.Additionally, the BNJF will sponsor educational programs for non-profit org JazzReach and its Ellington! program at the Highline Ballroom, which will host hundreds of NYC public school students over three afternoons.

For complete fest schedule, go to BlueNoteJazzFestival.com.

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ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE GEORGE CABLES PROJECT ft. JAMES GENUS, JEFF "TAIN" WATTS & CASEY BENJAMIN

The Blue Note is offering FREE TICKET PAIRS to THE GEORGE CABLES PROJECT featuring JEFF "TAIN" WATTS, JAMES GENUS & CASEY BENJAMIN on Tuesday, March 8 for both 8:00 & 10:30pm shows. Free ticket pairs are first come first served, so act fast while we still have 'em! To win tickets, follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net
2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - GEORGE CABLES PROJECT"
3. Indicate which set you would like to attend (8:00pm or 10:30pm).

WE WILL CONTACT YOU PROMPTLY IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

ENTER TO WIN: 2 FREE TICKETS TO SEE THE YELLOWJACKETS ON THURSDAY OR SUNDAY!

The Blue Note is offering FREE TICKET PAIRS to THE YELLOWJACKETS shows on Thursday, Feb. 3 & Sunday, Feb. 6 for both 8:00 & 10:30pm shows. Free ticket pairs are first come first served, so act fast while we still have 'em! To win tickets, follow the instructions below:

TO ENTER:

1. Email your name and phone number to contests@bluenote.net
2. In the Subject Line, please title your email "BN BLOG CONTEST - YELLOWJACKETS"
3. Indicate which set you would like to attend (8:00pm or 10:30pm).

WE WILL CONTACT YOU PROMPTLY IF YOU ARE A WINNER!

Check out what the Yellowjackets ft. Bob Mintzer, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Will Kennedy are all about here:

HAPPY MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY FROM THE BLUE NOTE

From all of us at the Blue Note, here's wishing everyone a Happy Martin Luther King Day.

In this video, the late great pianist Dr. Billy Taylor talks about his friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King and how he came to write the Peaceful Warrior Suite in honor of Dr. King:

Here is the movement "If You Really Are Concerned Then Show It" with tribute clips done by Bret Primack:

Finally, one of the most famous speeches in history that needs no introduction. Full version here:

NEW SERIES STARTING FEB. 4; FRIDAYS @ 12:30AM - SPONTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION SERIES

The Blue Note is proud to announce a new series starting Feb. 4 to take place on Friday Nights in 2011 at 12:30am -

Spontaneous Construction Presented by Search & Restore is a series based on jazz's most important and distinctive element: improvisation. For each Friday night at 12:30am, ensembles are created from a pool of musicians ranging from up-and-coming to legendary, hand-picked to perform as a group for the first time. No rules or boundaries exist - the artists are free to create music on the spot as they see fit. After 30 years as one of the finest jazz club's in the world, the Spontaneous Construction Series brings back the feel of the old Blue Note Late Night Jam Sessions, but with a new and forward-thinking concept.

Feb. 4's Spontaneous Construction will feature:

Reid Anderson, bass

Andy Milne, piano/keyboards

Matt Mitchell, fender rhodes

Tyshawn Sorey, drums

To get tickets for this show click HERE