In a few days, April will bring us a literal showering of jazz throughout the month. Saturday, April 1 marks the beginning of celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month that will ultimately end with a celebration of International Jazz Day.
Highlights
The Blue Note 8, Saturday, April 1 at Pausa Art House
JazzBuffalo, in association with Pausa Art House, kicks off the month-long celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month with The Blue Note 8. An ensemble that will be dedicated to paying homage to the jazz artists and music of Blue Note Records. For over 75 years, the record label has introduced various forms of jazz to the world. In many ways, defining the sound of jazz we have come to love. On this night, performances will draw from such Blue Note Records jazz artists as Horace Silver, Jackie McClean, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, and John Coltrane. The Blue Note 8 will consist of Lisa Hasselback on piano, Dave Schiavone on sax/flute, Tim Clarke on trumpet, John Hasselback, Jr. on trombone, George Kane on guitar, Bud Fadale on bass, Devin Kelly on drums, and Tony Zambito on percussion. The ensemble will tackle this clip of John Coltrane's only dedicated recording with Blue Note Records, the title track of Blue Train:
Ladies First Jazz Big Band, Women In Music Series, Friday, March 31 at 7:30 pm at Ciminelli Recital Hall – Buffalo State College
See Buffalo’s premier all-women jazz band, The Ladies first Jazz Big Band, in a concert highlight women in music. The event is hosted by the buffalo State Music Department, host of the Women in Music Series. The big band, led by bassist Jennifer May, features many of Buffalo’s stellar female jazz musicians in performing the big band sound, as they have throughout Buffalo and in local festivals.
Northwest Jazz Festival – A Taste of Jazz Fundraiser, Sunday, April 2 from 4 pm to 8 pm, Waterstreet Landing in Lewiston, NY
Make plans to attend the Taste of Jazz Benefit for the Northwest Jazz Festival, Lewiston, NY scheduled for Sunday, April 2 from 4 pm to 8 pm at the Water Street Landing. Each year, the fundraiser is held to offset the more than $150,000 plus it takes to hold the festival and to help keep the festival a free jazz festival for the WNY communities. Entertainment will be provided by The Jacob Jay Quintet, Carina & The Six String Preacher, and My Cousin Tone'. Food from Lewiston restaurants, 50/50 raffles, gift basket auctions, and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $20 presale and $25 day of the event. A perfect Sunday afternoon and evening of jazz in support of one of the top jazz festivals in the region!
Jazz In Town
For contemporary and smooth jazz fans, you can make plans to see the quartet Fourplay at the Buffalo State Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 30th at 8 pm. The group has perhaps the longest tenure of performing in the smooth jazz world with multiple releases. Tickets $37 to $45.
In Friday, March 31 at 7 pm catch the duo of Marc Cousins on bass and Jim Gardner on piano at 7 pm at Merge
The JazzBuffalo/Hollow Bisto First Saturday Jazz Brunch at the Hollow Bistro and Brew in Clarence will feature the French ConeXion Duo of Bernard Kunz on guitar and Jeremy Spindler on accordion on Saturday, April 1st at 11:30 am. Get your reservations in soon.
On Friday, March 31 at 8 pm at Pausa Art House catch some of our young rising stars perform with a mentor. Coming together for a presentation entitled Saxophone Colossus are Jon Lehning, Elliott Scozzaro, and Dave Schiavone on saxophones with Harry Graser on piano, Anthony Henry on bass, and Alex Dube on drums.
If late night jazz fusion and funk is your thing, see The TRUTH, Tiger Chung Lee, and the Vincent James Explosion at Nietzsche’s beginning at 10 pm on Saturday, April 1st
Weekly and Ongoing Jazz
Beginning in 2017, we will list recurring ongoing jazz on the JazzBuffalo website to help free up space in the weekly Jazz In Town website and email editions. This is the link to the page: Weekly Jazz In Town
Upcoming
The First Saturday Jazz Brunch at the Hollow Bistro and Brew will feature the French ConneXion Duo on Saturday, April 1st at 11:30 am. Get your reservations in soon.
The first 3 Mondays in May will see a return of jazz to the Road Less Traveled Theater as JazzBuffalo partners with the theater to bring jazz to downtown Buffalo. Stay tuned for more details soon!
In April, Hallwalls will have the noted trumpet improviser Peter Evans Septet on Monday, April 10th and saxophonist Anna Webber's Simple Trio on Sunday, April 23rd.
The Buffalo Jazz Octet will be performing a CD Release concert on Thursday, April 20th that celebrates their Live at Pausa CD based on a concert held last year.
Take a ride to Geneva, NY for the Geneva Night Out and the Smith Center for the Arts present the 4th Annual Scott LaFaro Day Celebration with a concert featuring the Eddie Gomez Trio on Friday, April 7th at 8:00 p.m. at The Smith Opera House in downtown Geneva.
Look for performances in April at Pausa Art House from Why Not?, Greg Millar Quartet, Bobby Militello Quartet, Star People, the Frontstreet Men, and others.
Drummer Bob Holz and Vision Forward will be making a visit to Buffalo on April 24th as part of their CD Release tour. They will be doing a special tribute to Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouzon on Monday, April 24th at the Sportsmen Tavern. On this latest CD Visions and Friends, it proved to be the last appearance of Larry Coryell on a CD.
April Is Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day
This April will be another year of Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day. JazzBuffalo will be partnering with Pausa Art House to host a series of 5 Saturday concerts and 1 Thursday concert in April to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month. Look for a musical focus on Blue Note, a CD revival, celebrate Women in Jazz, honoring the legacy of Charles Mingus, celebrating the 100th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, and an homage to Erroll Garner. Here's the line-up so far:
April 1: The Blue Note 8 – An ensemble that will include Lisa Hasselback, John Hasselback, Jr. Tim Clarke, Dave Schiavone, Bud Fadale, George Kane, Devin Kelly, and Tony Zambito celebrate the music of Blue Note
April 8: Dave Schiavone/Joe Brancato Quartet: The Return of Hidden Treasures – the quartet's highly acclaimed CD
April 15: Women in Jazz - The Ladies First Jazz Combo led by bassist Jennifer May will celebrate Women in Jazz
April 22: The band What Would Mingus Do? will celebrate the birthday of Charles Mingus,
April 27: 100 Years: Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald performed by the Katy Miner Quintet
April 29: A Retrospective on Erroll Garner performed by Doug "Trigger" Gaston with Sabu Adeyola, Abdul-Rahman Qadir, and Tony Zambito
International Jazz Day
Jazz Appreciation Month also ends with International Jazz Day scheduled for Sunday, April 30th. Started in 2012 by UNESCO to coincide with Jazz Appreciation Month, different international cities have hosted what is called Jazz Day. Herbie Hancock has served as the UNESCO Ambassador to Jazz for International Jazz Day. JazzBuffalo, in association with Pausa Art House, will be hosting a free event for International Jazz Day from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Performers will bring an international focus to this day and will include The Hot Club of Buffalo, the Buffalo Brass Machine, The French ConeXion, and My Cousin Tone'. International model and singer Carmina Suzanne will also be singing a song in French/Italian to add to the international flavor of the event. And, pianist Harry Graser along with jazz vocalist Katy Miner will perform. Donations will be accepted with all proceeds going to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in which the annual MS Walk is on the following Saturday, May 6. Come out and support UNITY and the MS Walk!
Keep Jazz Alive!!
