Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour Comes to the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia

“[Steve] Wilson is a consummate player whose bright but husky, legato attack and evenness over the whole horn recall the singing, lead alto quality of Benny Carter. His soprano sound is round, controlled and always in tune; his flute, big and piping...He takes his time while improvising, executing fluid, shapely ideas." –Down Beat

The Blue Note 7, an all-star septet of some of jazz’s finest musicians, celebrates the 70th Anniversary of Blue Note Records in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Friday, April 3, 2009 at 8pm. Led by Blue Note Records artist and pianist Bill Charlap, the group will explore classic tunes by Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter and many others.

The Blue Note 7 also commemorate Blue Note Records’ legacy with the January 2009 release of Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records, an eight-song collection of classic Blue Note repertoire re-envisioned by the septet, and a 51-city North American tour. Blue Note Records’ catalog of music features an array of legendary performances and albums that have indelibly shaped the jazz landscape. The premier label in the history of jazz, Blue Note Records was formed in 1939, and over the course of the next 30 years recorded the works of the greatest artists in jazz—Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock and many others.

The ensemble of contemporary jazz greats will perform under the musical guidance of one of jazz’s foremost pianists, musical director and current Blue Note recording artist Bill Charlap. Charlap’s trio has become the quintessential interpreter of the Great American Songbook; his latest album, Live at the Village Vanguard (2007), was nominated for a Grammy® Award. Joining Charlap on stage, guitarist Peter Bernstein has participated in over 60 recordings and has toured with notable artists such as Diana Krall, Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau. Tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, the son John and Alice Coltrane, has worked on preserving the legacy of both his parents as well as shaping his own quartet through four albums.

The drummer of choice for an eclectic array of artists, Lewis Nash boasts an extensive discography of over 300 recordings which includes projects with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Roy Hargrove. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton started as a young protg of Wynton Marsalis and has since collaborated with the New Orleans Collective, the Kansas City Band and in a trio with Christian McBride and Mark Whitfield, among many others. Bassist Peter Washington kicked off his career as part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and has continued to perform as a member of the Tommy Flanagan Trio and the Bill Charlap Trio. Steve Wilson, alto saxophonist and flutist, has been a member of both the Dave Holland Quintet and Chick Corea’s Origin, and has brought his distinctive sound to more than 100 recordings.

“When [Bill Charlap] sits down to play, the result is an embrace, an act of possession..." –Time Magazine

“A modernist who has absorbed a wealth of jazz [and] those influences are couched so well, resulting in a unique sound, best described as ‘elusive beauty.’" –Down Beat

Peter Bernstein, guitar
Bill Charlap, musical director and piano
Ravi Coltrane, tenor saxophone
Lewis Nash, drums
Nicholas Payton, trumpet
Peter Washington, bass
Steve Wilson, alto saxophone