Cecil Payne

$5 cover. Vocalist Dana Lauren is still a student at Berklee but has already been earning critical raves singing at top venues with renowned trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Dana's Myspace

$5 cover. Renowned bassist/composer Mario Pavone brings his newest all-star group to Hartford. The wave-making young drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey makes his premiere at Black-eyed Sally's. Mario    Mike   Lauren   Peter   Tyshawn

You've never heard a group like this! Brandee Younger defies all genres and labels, often playing harp with jazz, classical and hip-hop musicians. She performs with many jazz luminaries, including Ravi Coltrane, Charlie Haden, Reggie Workman, Kenny Garrett and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Famous for his big and propulsive sound on bass, Dezron Douglas tours worldwide but still finds time to play hometown gigs with this killin' combo. Brandee   Dezron   Lummie   poster

Longtime favorites Norman Gage and Kenny Reed lead this hard-swinging quintet. Hartford straight-ahead at its best!

$5 cover. Steve Slagle's career spans his early experience with legends Machito, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman and Cab Calloway to his work with Steve Kuhn, Charlie Haden, Milton Nascimento and Joe Lovano. His continuing partnership with guitarist Dave Stryker has resulted in a series of acclaimed recordings and performances worldwide. website

Featuring Warren Byrd and Jay-B

Lee Mixashawn Rozie pays homage to his Native American and African heritage through his unique approach to saxophone that is both adventurously experimental and deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. website

$5 cover. Saxophonist Ken Fowser & vibraphonist Behn Gillece first made names for themselves in Philadelphia sitting in at local clubs like Chris' Jazz Cafe and Ortlieb's Jazzhaus. Now based in NYC, they play with many top musicians, including David Hazeltine, Ryan Kisor, Joe Magnarelli, Joel Frahm and Steve Wilson. Ken and Behn currently host the Tuesday night late session at the famed Smalls jazz club.

"Ken Fowser/Behn Gillece Quintet wins Generations International Competition" read more

Late Change: Behn Gillece is unable to make tonight's show. Bruce Harris will join the group on trumpet.

Now NYC-based, Hartt grad Seth Lewis returns to showcase original compositions and standards featuring Hartford's own globe-trotting Steve Davis on trombone. Special guest Neal Smith on drums.

Guitarist Sean Clapis (Hartt '09) has become well-known locally playing with musicians such as Steve Davis, Mark Templeton, Rogerio Boccato and Nat Reeves. Sean also teaches at the Artists Collective and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Come welcome Sean home from the summer jazz scene in Spain, where he's made quite a name for himself in recent years.

Conga-Bop combines the sensibilities of hard-bop with Caribbean rhythms, creating a vibrant sound that is both latin and jazz. Drummer, vibist & composer Ed Fast leads this group through an exciting array of originals, plus classics by legendary artists such as Cal Tjader, Tito Puente and Hilton Ruiz. website   listen

Pianist, composer and arranger Chris Casey is on the faculty at The Hartt School. He has played with many leading musicians, including Jackie McLean, Claudio Roditi, Slide Hampton and Houston Person and has had compositions commissioned by Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller, Steve Davis, PBS Television and others.

Lee Mixashawn Rozie pays homage to his Native American and African heritage through his unique approach to saxophone that is both adventurously experimental and deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. website

Vocalist Dana Lauren is still a student at Berklee but has already earned critical raves singing with renowned trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Jaleel Shaw on sax is well-known for his work with the Mingus Big Band, Dave Holland and the legendary Roy Haynes. Come hear Jaleel up close and personal between gigs at Lincoln Center and Tanglewood. $5 cover
Dana's Myspace    Jaleel's website

July 6, 13, 20, 27 & August 3

Free concerts in Bushnell Park from 6pm
Jazz at Black-eyed Sally's from 8:30pm

info about Bushnell Park concerts...

Come celebrate renowned composer Mario Pavone's all-star kick-off for his 2009 tour of European jazz festivals.

Among the top trombonists in jazz today, Steve Davis lives right here in Hartford but travels the world leading his own bands, as a member of the famed cooperative group One For All and in killing all-star big bands led by such legends as Jimmy Heath and Slide Hampton. Steve's website

Latin jazz great Mongo Santamaria discovered vocalist Shawnn Monteiro in San Jose, signing her on the spot to tour with his band for two years. Since then Shawnn has performed with a prestigious list of jazz notables, including Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, Frank Foster with the Basie Band, Nat Adderly, Kenny Barron and many others. Shawnn's website

Drummer Winard Harper's sextet appears regularly throughout the United States, from the Kennedy Center to the legendary West Coast jazz clubYoshi's and major jazz festivals. At age 20 Winard joined Dexter Gordon's group. He then continued with Betty Carter before forming the very popular Harper Brothers Band. Winard continues to be one of the most sought after drummers in jazz today, both as leader and working regularly with Dr. Billy Taylor, Ray Bryant, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Wess and Jimmy Heath.

Guitarist Sean Clapis (Hartt '09) has become well-known locally playing with musicians such as Steve Davis, Mark Templeton, Rogerio Boccato and Nat Reeves. Sean also teaches at the Artists Collective and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Check this guy out before he hits the jazz scene in Spain this summer, where he's made quite a name for himself in recent years.

Longtime favorites Norman Gage and Kenny Reed lead this hard-swinging quintet. Hartford straight-ahead at its best!

One of the most respected pianists of his generation, Anthony Wonsey comes to Hartford to show why he's in high demand with such leading musicians as Kenny Garrett, Carl Allen and Nicholas Payton. Check out some tracks from his Sharp Nine CD, "The Thang"

Master drummer and percussionist Rogerio Boccato has played with the best of the best in both American and Brazilian music. He leads this group beyond Bossa Nova deep into the world of modern Brazilian jazz, especially in tribute to the legendary guitarist and composer Toninho Horta.
Rogerio's website     Kris's website

An all-star group combines Hartford's best with some of the busiest musicians in NYC. Rich's website    Andy's website    Steve's website

Come hear Grammy-nominated vocalist Carla Cook with a killing rhythm section. Special guest Neal Smith on drums. Carla's website    Neal's website

$5 cover. Conga-Bop combines the sensibilities of hard-bop with Caribbean rhythms, creating a vibrant sound that is both latin and jazz. Drummer, vibist & composer Ed Fast leads this group through an exciting array of originals, plus classics by legendary artists such as Cal Tjader, Tito Puente and Hilton Ruiz. website   listen

Sample "Full View" - Ken and Behn's wonderful new CD, featuring Adam Cote & David Hazeltine.

As youths saxophonist Ken Fowser & vibraphonist Behn Gillece made names for themselves in Philadelphia sitting in at local clubs like Chris' Jazz Cafe and Ortlieb's Jazzhaus.

Now based in NYC, they play with many top musicians, including David Hazeltine, Spike Wilner, Ryan Kisor, Joe Magnarelli, Joel Frahm and Steve Wilson, performing at leading venues such as Lincoln Center and Kimmel Center. Ken currently hosts the Tuesday night jam session at the famed Smalls jazz club.

Ken's website    Behn's website    Adam's myspace

“She sings and swings with the unaffected confidence of a genuine jazz improviser”   --Nat Hentoff, Wall Street Journal

"Amanda Carr is a rare singer who gets inside a song's lyrics, convincing you that all the emotions expressed have actually been lived by her"   --Owen McNally, Hartford Courant

$5 cover. Amanda's website

A native of Italy, trumpeter Fabio Morgera has been stirring up the New York scene since the 90s, performing and recording with the best players in jazz today. Check out his 2007 release "Need for Peace" with gorgeous vocals and killing instrumentals. Fabio's website

Kris Jensen has performed with many top jazz artists, including Eddie Henderson, Roy Haynes, George Coleman and Jackie McLean. For years he was a featured soloist with Maynard Ferguson and Big Bop Nouveau, and has also played with Cuba Gooding and "The Main Ingredient", as well as entertainers Ben Vereen, Patti Page, Frank Gorshin and Al Martino. myspace

$5 cover. One of the most influential trumpeters of the last 40 years, Eddie Henderson was a key member of bands led by Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock and Art Blakey before going on to record best-selling albums under his own leadership. myspace

Acclaimed bassist/composer Mario Pavone and his newest working ensemble, the Mario Pavone Double Tenor Quintet, will celebrate the release of their November debut, Ancestors (Playscape Recordings). Mario's Website

...sophisticated, exciting music from a splendid composer and bandleader
    --Chris Kelsey, Jazz Times-Dec 08

...with his mix of energy, synergy and unabashed emotional charge...Pavone creates high-caliber, explosive music
    --Owen McNally, Hartford Courant-Nov 08

One of the top drummers from Russia, Oleg Butman spans the worlds of NYC and Russian jazz leading this first-rate group joining Russian pianist Natalia Smirnova with the well-known American musicians Wayne Escoffery and Richie Goods. This is one show you don't want to miss! Oleg's Website   Wayne's Website

Hartford Jazz Society is proud to observe Martin Luther King's birthday by dedicating this week's jam session to a good cause. Come have fun and help Foodshare fill area food pantries in this time of great need. Donations accepted at the door with a special matching grant from an anonymous source. Foodshare   Press Release