World's Finest Jazz Club & Restaurant
131 West 3rd Street
NYC 10012 www.bluenotejazz.com
***25th ANNIVERSARY***
SEPT 19, 2006 to NEW YEARS 2007
ETTA JAMES, TAJ MAHAL TRIO, CHICK COREA, MCCOY TYNER & PHAROAH SANDERS, ANDRE PREVIN, TOOTS THIELEMANS, JANE MONHEIT, DR. JOHN, JIMMY HEATH with BILL COSBY and more...
Throughout the fall and winter of 2006, the Blue Note Jazz Club will celebrate its 25th Anniversary with the friends and artists who have helped maintain the venue's status as the world's finest jazz club and restaurant. For the last twenty-five years, the Blue Note name has been synonymous with top-notch jazz, an inviting atmosphere, and fantastic food. Boasting clubs in Milan, Italy; Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka in Japan; and in Manhattan's historic Greenwich Village, Blue Note has played host to the music's greatest names and continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century.
When Blue Note opened back in 1981, jazz was considered a dying art form, as clubs were disappearing all over New York City. To describe restaurateur and businessman Danny Bensusan's idea to open a jazz club in the West Village of Manhattan at that time as “audacious" would have been an understatement. The major acts that had once filled clubs on 52nd St. and elsewhere during jazz's hey-day opted to play at festivals and concert halls over the jazz clubs, which were quickly becoming obsolete.
Enter Blue Note--where the concept was different than any other club in the city. Blue Note's primary goal was to bring the big names back into a jazz club with an intimate setting where interaction between the artist and the crowd was close and comfortable. In addition, Blue Note sought to replace the typical underground, dingy jazz clubs of the time with a modern, supper-club style venue. From the start, the likes of Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughn, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Hartman, Billy Eckstine, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Ray Brown, George Benson, and countless other legends flocked to Blue Note's stage, many of them returning to a club for the first time in decades.
These artists and many more came back again and again to perform at the club, not only because of the large crowds that lined up at the door to see them, but because of the feeling that when they played Blue Note, they were home. There's an indescribable, almost magical feeling when one sees a show at Blue Note. What makes Blue Note so special - beyond its historical significance to the music and New York City - comes from the notion that on a given night, anything can happen. Over the years, patrons have witnessed the likes of Stevie Wonder come on stage for an impromptu serenade, Bill Cosby run up to announce the band, and Tony Bennett sit in the audience to watch his favorite performers, and so much more. It's been a hangout for legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Charles. Pop legends such as Sting and Billy Joel have come to pay their respects to Blue Note to join their favorite jazz musicians on stage. The result is an entire audience who could say “I was at Blue Note when ..." and patrons keep coming back to see what might happen on any given night.
After twenty-five years, Blue Note has become a cultural institution of New York City, and has supported and educated the community since its inception. Blue Note's worldwide presence has contributed to the city's tourism, bringing in jazz fans from Asia, Europe and South America. Its success can be attributed to Danny Bensusan, who has worked tirelessly with his family and staff to build jazz's most famous franchise, Blue Note International. During Blue Note New York's 7th anniversary year, the dream of a Blue Note in Tokyo came to fruition through Blue Note International, with legendary vocalist Tony Bennett as the first week's act. Following Tokyo's success, Blue Note Osaka was opened in 1990 followed by Blue Note Nagoya in 2002, satisfying the need for jazz clubs in Japan. Blue Note added a list of festivals in Japan and cruises around the world to its growing list of accomplishments. In 2003, the franchise opened Blue Note Milan in Italy, bringing the Blue Note name to an astonishing total of three continents.
In addition to the big names and acts that come through the club as performers and fans, Blue Note has opened its doors to the emerging jazz artists of New York City with the Monday Night series. This series has turned into a new “scene," giving up-and-coming jazz artists a chance to perform on a stage graced by jazz's biggest names. Monday Night's are living proof that jazz is alive and well, and Blue Note believes that supporting the music's progression will keep it that way. Jazz has changed shape and form since its inception, taking on elements of rock, funk, dance, and hip-hop music over the years. To remain on the cutting edge, Blue Note launched the Late Night Groove Series, featuring soul, hip-hop, R&B, and funk artists twice a week. While the series has remained true to jazz tradition by ensuring improvisation, the house is always packed with fans of all genres of music.
Perhaps even more importantly, Blue Note has dedicated itself to the education of its patrons. In 2004, the venue furthered its commitment to enrich and educate by initiating its Master Classes. Master Classes allow the public to engage and interact with a master artist and learn from that artist about his or her own music as well as about composition, artistry and musicianship.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Blue Note has invited its must loyal and popular artists to perform. The anniversary is a tribute not only to the history of the club, but also to the jazz musicians who once graced the stage with their presence and have passed on. Come help celebrate Blue Note's 25th Anniversary by joining us for these incredible acts!
Below is a list of confirmed artists and dates for the Main Events, Late Night Groove Series, and Sunday Brunches.
***MAIN EVENTS*** All Showtimes at 8pm & 10:30pm unless otherwise noted
Sept 19-24 McCOY TYNER TRIO + PHAROAH SANDERS John Coltrane's 80th Birthday Celebration and 25th Ann. Kickoff
Sept 25-27 MICHEL CAMILO + TOMATITO DUO ONLY US APPEARANCE
Sept 28-29 FOURPLAY
Sept 30-Oct 1 ANDRE PREVIN & DAVID FINCK produced by Jill Newman productions
October 2 JABANE ENSEMBLE with special guest TALIB KWELI featuring Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge & TALIB KWELIproduced by Jill Newman Prodcutions
October 3-8 THE RAY BROWN TRIBUTE BAND featuring Christian McBride, Benny Green and Greg Hutchinson + Special Guest DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER
October 9 PABLO ZIEGLER QUARTET + EDMAR CASTANEDA
October 10 ETTA JAMES & THE ROOTS BAND in her Blue Note Debut (8pm)
October 11-15 JIMMY HEATH: LITTLE MAN BIG BAND 80th Birthday Celebration with special guests: BILL COSBY (10/11-12), CLARK TERRY (10/13-14), JAMES MOODY (10/15)
October 16 ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY
October 17-22 THE DIZZY GILLESPIE ALUMNI ALL-STARS featuring Slide Hampton, Roy Hargrove, James Moody, Benny Green, Roberta Gambarini, John Lee, Dennis Mackrel, Paquito D'Rivera
October 23-27 MILTON NASCIMENTO
October 28 DR. JOHN ONE NIGHT ONLY!
October 29 JO THOMPSON & THE J.C. HEARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY WALT SZYMANSKI
October 30-31 KD3: KARL DENSON TRIO
Nov 1-6 TOOTS THIELEMANS & KENNY WERNER with OSCAR CASTRO-NEVES & AIRTO: Special guests each night TBA except:OLETA ADAMS (Nov. 1-2) MADELEINE PEYROUX (Nov. 5)
Nov 7-12 CHICK COREA ELEKTRIC BAND featuring Victor Wooten, Frank Gambale, Eric Marienthal & Dave Weckl
Nov 13 JANE MONHEIT ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Nov 14-19 CHICK COREA: THE LEPRECHAUN BAND - featuring: Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Ravi Coltrane, Frank
Nov 20 AMEL LARRIEUX produced by Jill Newman Productions
Nov 21-26 DAVID SANBORN
Nov 27 Another Side Series: GARY BARTZ / MULGREW MILLER DUET produced by Jill Newman Productions
Nov 28-30 OTTMAR LIEBERT
Dec 1 - 3 CACHAO
Dec 4 FREDDIE HUBBARD and the NEW JAZZ COMPOSERS OCTET - ONE NIGHT ONLY!
Dec 5-10 GAL COSTA
Dec 11-13 TAJ MAHAL TRIO
Dec 14-17 THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER
Dec 19-24 CHRIS BOTTI
***SUNDAY BRUNCH*** All Brunches at 12:30pm & 2:30pm unless otherwise noted
Sept. 24 SHUNZO OHNO GROUP
October 1 JEAN-MICHEL PILC & THE NYU FACULTY QUARTET
October 8 MANNY DURAN SEXTET
October 15 JAY LEONHART, WYCLIFFE GORDON, ERIC REED
October 22 JAY LEONHART, WYCLIFFE GORDON, ERIC REED
October 29 TED CURSON QUARTET
Nov 5 JIM McNEELY & THE NYU FACULTY QUARTET
Nov 12 JUNIOR MANCE TRIO
Nov 19 JAY LEONHART, WYCLIFFE GORDON, ERIC REED
Nov 26 JAY LEONHART & WYCLIFFE GORDON DUO
Dec 10 BENNY POWELL TRIO
Dec 17 FRANK WESS QUARTET
***LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES*** All Shows begin at 12:30am
Sept. 22 BRIAN HAAS, BOBBY PREVITE w/ STEVEN BERNSTEIN, MARCO BENEVENTO & SKERIK
Sept. 23 BRIAN HAAS, BOBBY PREVITE w/ STEVEN BERNSTEIN, MARCO BENEVENTO & SKERIK
Sept. 29 NEIL ALEXANDER & NAIL featuring keyboardist from THE MACHINE
October 6 DJ LOGIC & FRIENDS
October 7 DJ LOGIC & FRIENDS
October 13 GORDON STONE BAND
October 20 ADAM DEITCH PROJECT
October 21 ADAM DEITCH PROJECT
October 27 VIRGINIA COALITION
October 28 SKERIK'S SYNCOPATED TAINT SEPTET
Nov 10 HENRY BUTLER
Nov 11 LIQUID SOUL
Nov 18 WILL CALHOUN & FRIENDS
Nov 24 JOHN ELLIS + GUESTS
Nov 25 JOHN ELLIS + GUESTS
Dec 1 VINX
Dec 2 FRANK & JOE SHOW w/ FAREED HAQUE
Dec 8 JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY
Dec 9 JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY
Dec 16 CHRIS ROB
Dec 22 MIKE CLARK, DONALD HARRISON & JERRY Z
Dec 23 MIKE CLARK, DONALD HARRISON & JERRY Z
Dec 29 SAM KININGER & GUESTS
Dec 30 SAM KININGER & GUESTS
For more information contact All About Jazz.
