A bevy of more great jazz hits the Greater Buffalo region this week and beyond. We will be celebrating Veterans Day, hearing world-class music, presenting interesting concepts, and supporting good causes.
Highlights
Fredtown Stompers, Thursday, November 8 at 7 pm at Carnegie Arts Center
The hot traditional jazz band winning fans throughout the WNY regions makes an appearance at the Thursday Night Jazz Series at Carnegie Arts Center in North Tonawanda. See this talented young group perform traditional jazz with a modern twist.
JazzBuffalo Presents Institute for Creative Music Collective Performs Bjork, Friday, November 10 at 8 pm at Pausa Art House
JazzBuffalo is pleased to present a truly creative collective of young jazz artists. Including Rising Star on trombone Nick Finzer. Famed trombonist and mentor Wycliffe Gordon called Finzer “a new voice [in] the pantheon of upcoming trombone greats in the making.” The Institute for Creative Music was formed in Rochester in 2011 by two Eastman School of Music alumni, drummer Chris Teal and trombonist Nick Finzer, and has since toured throughout the United States presenting educational programming, original music, and jazz-influenced arrangements of contemporary artists including Prince, Radiohead, and Imagine Dragons. Now living and working in Northwest Arkansas and New York City, respectively, Teal and Finzer make an appearance at Pausa Art House. Joining pianist Nick Weiser, saxophonist Doug Stone, and bassist Kyle Vock. Here is a clip of the IFCMC arrangement of a Bjork tune:
JazzBuffalo and My Cousin Tone’ Salute Veterans, Saturday, November 11 at 7:30 pm at Pausa Art House
JazzBuffalo and My Cousin Tone’, the 9-piece jazz ensemble together for 8 years, pay a special tribute to our Vets on Veterans Day. The ensemble includes jazz vocalist Mary McMahon. Note the special earlier time start to accommodate our Veterans. There will also be a special admission of only $3 for all Veterans. Sons, daughters, families, and friends – bring your Veterans out to Pausa Art House on Saturday, November 11 for a night of honoring their service to our country!
JazzBuffalo Presents The Hot Club of Buffalo at the Hotel Henry Jazz Concert Series, Wednesday, November 15 at 7 pm
Buffalo’s premier Gypsy Jazz Band, The Hot Club of Buffalo, makes an appearance at the cultural icon of the Hotel Henry. Fresh off their self-entitled CD, they are keeping the tradition of gypsy jazz going strong. Steeped in the tradition of Django Reinhardt, be sure to not to miss this group in this setting. Tickets are going fast so act soon to be part of what is sure to be a record turnout at the Hotel Henry. And, be sure to get tickets for the dynamic Joe Policastro Trio, the band from Chicago making a tour stop here in Buffalo:
Hotel Henry Jazz Concert Series include:
The Hot Club of Buffalo on November 15: Tickets
The Joe Policastro Trio on November 29: Tickets
Spyro Gyra, Wednesday, November 15th at 8 pm at Tralf Music Hall
The iconic legendary smooth jazz and jazz fusion band, founded in Buffalo in the mid-1970’s, makes a return appearance in Buffalo at the Tralf. With two original core members going strong in Jay Beckenstein on sax and Tom Schuman on keyboards. The band continues to crank out smooth jazz/jazz-fusion songs as they have for over 40 years. Tickets are $24 to $44. (Here is a rare video of the 1979 version of the band that included the late great Jim Kurzdorfer on bass – and how I remembered the band's fresh sound then)
Beyond Jazz – Stephane Wrembel
Guitarist and Gypsy Jazz artist Stephane Wrembel visit Buffalo on Friday, November 10th at 9:30 pm at Sportsmen Tavern. Here is further information: Noted guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembel makes a return to Buffalo for another concert at The Sportsmen's. He has composed 3 scores for Woody Allen, performed at the Oscars with Hanz Zimmerman, and recently sold out Carnegie Hall with a program he curated that featured guest's Al DiMeola and Stochelo Rosenberg. He’s been called “a revelation” by Rolling Stone. Woody Allen recruited him to score the theme to the 2012 Academy Award-winning film Midnight in Paris, and he performed live during this year’s Oscar telecast. To say that French-born guitarist/composer Stephane Wrembel—who learned his craft among the Gypsies at campsites in the French countryside—has already had a remarkable career would be an understatement. But this virtuoso, who is now Brooklyn-based, has truly just begun to make his mark as one of the most original guitar voices in contemporary music. The trio, French ConeXion, will perform in a brief opening for Wrembel to get the evening underway. A video to get an idea of just who Wrembel is:
Beyond Jazz – Chris Botti
Classical and Pop Star trumpeter Chris Botti comes to Buffalo to perform with the BPO at Kleinhans Music Hall on Friday, November 10 at 8 pm. Botti has become a superstar in the pop world and has played with the likes of Barbara Streisand – but certainly has jazz chops as well.
Jazz Art and More Benefit
A benefit featuring jazz music and art is being held on Sunday, November 12th beginning at 2 pm at Pausa Art House. Here is the description: In 2015 Joseph Calato, Jr. was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He missed weeks of work and incurred large expenses in his 6 months of treatment at Roswell Park. His loss of work and medical expenses threw him into debt. Thankfully, he is in remission. In March of 2017, his daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. In her 3 months in ECMC and ongoing rehab her father was and is by her side. This benefit is to support the family of Joseph Calato through their medical expenses and loss of income. The benefit will include a jazz performance by Joe Calato, Sr. on vibes, Alec Dube on drums, Harry Graser on piano, and Mark Harris on bass. Fantastic painting of jazz icons and jazz art by Barbara Calato will be auctioned off also. They include auction items: an oil painting of Billie Holiday, a watercolor of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis clock, and a Billie Holliday clock.
Jazz In Town
On Thursday, November 9th at 7 pm you can catch Three Brothers and a Distant Cousin at Pausa Art House
On Friday, November 10th at 7 pm at the Buffalo Distillery, Jazz Night takes place with Dozo My Lady
On Sunday, November 12th at 2 pm at the Buffalo History Museum, the BJC Sextet Plays Bebop will take place
(Be sure to check the Weekly Jazz on the JazzBuffalo website for ongoing jazz.)
Art of Jazz Series: An Evening with Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan (Saturday, December 2nd at 8 pm)
Named “Jazz Guitarist of the Year” 15 times, multiple Grammy Award winner Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most admired and influential musicians in contemporary music. With his unmistakable trademark sound, his collaborations with a staggering range of artists from jazz, rock, film, and beyond—including Paul Motian, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Charles Lloyd, Bonnie Raitt, and John Scofield—have produced dazzling results, as evidenced by Small Town (ECM), his acclaimed recent release recorded live at New York’s famed Village Vanguard with rising bass phenom Thomas Morgan. Individual tickets are now on sale – AND – going fast. Suggest you get your tiicket soon if you do not want to miss this concert. Go here: AOJ: Bill Frisell
Here is a clip of this super duo:
JazzBuffalo Presents World-Class Music This Fall
A JazzBuffalo Presents ANNOUNCEMENT: Two spectacular evenings are planned for the CD Release of "El Coco" featuring an all-star line up of world-class musicians. Two shows on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18 at 8 pm! The concerts will feature world-renowned pianist, arranger, and composer Michel Ferre, who currently tours and arranges for the R&B Star, Lauryn Hill. The concert will also feature international Cuban-born master percussionist Vladimir Espinosa, Cuban-born percussionist and vocalist Armando Arce, the classically trained Cuban-born Lázara Martínez, and Buffalo's own Rishon Odel Northington who tours with Grammy winner NAJEE and the Walter Kemp 3Oh! Look for ticket sales soon. If you enjoyed the recent world-class concert presented by Elio Villafranca – then this is a must see!! Below is a neat video of Ferre and Arce performing together on a Stevie Wonder tune. Get your reserved seats early! For Friday, November 17 go here: "El Coc" 11/17 and for Saturday, November 18 go here: "El Coco" 11/18 where you can reserve your seats!
The Julliard and New York City-based Pete and Will Anderson Trio, who have wowed audiences throughout the country and through their performances at the Jazz At The Lincoln Center make an appearance at Pausa Art House for the first time on November 24th. Below is a clip of the trio performing an amazingly uptempo version of Cherokee. Get your reserved seats here: Pete and Will Anderson
Presented by JazzBuffalo, the dynamic The Amos Hoffman/Noam Lemish Quartet will be making a rare appearance in Buffalo on Sunday, November 26 at Pausa Art House for two shows at 3 pm and 6 pm. In 2013 Amos Hoffman was awarded one of Israel’s most prestigious prizes – The Landau Prize for Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievement in the field of Jazz. The quartet performs unique jazz arrangements of traditional Israeli and Jewish songs with Hoffman on the traditional Oud. In addition, they perform hard swing jazz music. Below is a video of their upcoming CD/Album, in which Buffalo will be one of their first stops presenting this album! Get your reserved seats here: Hoffman/Lemish 3 pm or Hoffman/Lemish 6 pm
French-born Scott Tixier returns to the Buffalo area after his terrific performances at the 2017 CMC Jazz Festival. The jazz violinist has gained award-winning recognition in the jazz world for his unique vision for the violin and his stellar performances. Noted by the prestigious Downbeat Critic's Poll as one of today's Rising Stars in jazz. Tixier will be accompanied by the BluJazz Recording trio – the Walter Kemp 3oh! Receiving rave reviews and airplay on jazz radio stations across the country for their "Dark Continent" CD, the trio has performed in Toronto and Philadelphia to packed audiences. Garnering recognition for their modern jazz sound. A special blending of jazz not to be missed! Get to know Tixier in the video below. Look for ticket availability for 2 shows – 7:15 pm and 9:15 pm plus a VIP option for both shows and meet and greet with Scott Tixier – by going here: Tixier/WK3Oh! Tickets
Keep Jazz Alive!!
