This Friday, June 13th, jazz legend and Buffalo native Juini Booth returns home to give a concert performance at Pausa Art House. Juini's prolific artistry in jazz spans nearly fifty years. Born in Buffalo as Arthur Edward Booth, Juini has been playing bass with the good fortune of performing with jazz greats throughout the past four decades beginning at the age of 16.
The list of jazz greats Booth has performed with is akin to a who’s who of jazz. They include Thelonious Monk, Chuck Mangione, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Harris, Coleman Hawkins, Albert Ayler, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Shelly Manne, Charles Tolliver, and Chico Freeman. His artistry also includes works with the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Juini is heralded as a deep spiritually gifted bass performer, arranger, and composer. His repertoire ranges from elements of bebop/hard bop to effusive free jazz. It is no wonder he has played with many of the greats throughout the past forty years. He received the Mingus-Zimmerman Award sponsored by ISB (International Society of Bassists) for Most Imaginative Performance in the Free Choice Category Music Curator at Hallwalls. Booth currently resides in New York City and his efforts is spent on composing new works for contrabass, and collaborative projects with artists of other disciplines, as well as teaching and recording. Juini also tours extensively in Western and Eastern Europe as well as performs solo bass concerts in the U.S., Canada and Japan.
Joining Juini on Friday will be master drummer and Buffalo native Carmen Intorre, Jr. Carmen has played throughout the world with several jazz greats and is a highly sought after drummer. Most recently, Carmen has been touring throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. with guitarist Pat Martino and jazz organist Pat Bianchi. In addition to Carmen, Grammy-award winning and Buffalo’s
adopted jazz artist George Caldwell will be on piano. Forming what is sure to be a dynamic trio for us all to enjoy and undoubtedly be a memorable performance.
Here is a video clip of Juini Booth performing with McCoy Tyner at the Montreaux Jazz Festival I 1973:
Buffalo native and jazz great will appear Friday at Pausa Art House beginning at 8pm. Admission is $10 and Pausa Art House is located on 19 Wadsworth Street in the Allentown district of Buffalo. It is sure to be an exceptional time of welcoming home a native son.
Keep Jazz Alive In WNY!!
