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Pianos Dominate October’s Mood at the Vanguard
With Jason Moran, Bill Charlap and Geoffrey Keezer
at the Keyboards
Trumpeter Tom Harrell to Close the Month
For Immediate Release: Three very different pianists appear at the Vanguard in October; beginning with the gutbucket and roadhouse blues of Jason Moran (September 27 – October 2). He is followed by the elegant and romantic Bill Charlap who performs for two weeks (October 4 -9 and 11 -16). The modern and intelligent Geoffrey Keezer is next (October 18 – 23) and the captivating trumpeter Tom Harrell closes the month (October 25 – 30).
Sept. 27 – Oct. 2: Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
October 4 – 9: Bill Charlap Trio - Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
October 11 – 16: Bill Charlap Trio - Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
October 18 – 23: Geoffrey Keezer Trio - Mike Pope, Terreon Gully
October 25 – 30: Tom Harrell Quintet - Jimmy Greene, Michael Cochrane, Ugonna Okegwo, Neal Smith
The Village Vanguard is located at 178 7th Ave. South, betw. W. 11th St. & Waverly Pl. For further info and availability call 212 255 4037.
Sun. through Thurs. students with valid ID pay $15, subject to availability, call ahead
Showtimes are: 9 & 11 PM (Tues.-Fri., Sun.) (Late set 12:30 AM on Saturday, for some shows, call ahead)
Tues - Thurs shows $20 cover w/ $10 minimum; Fri –Sat shows $25 cover w/$10 minimum
Coming to The Village Vanguard in November 2005:
November 1 – 6: Robert Glasper Trio
November 8 – 13: Jeremy Pelt Quartet
November 15 – 20: Lou Donaldson w/Dr. Lonnie Smith
November 22: - 27: Brad Mehldau Trio
November 29 – December 4: Jim Hall Trio
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon - September 27 – October 2: Moran is Playboy’s 2005 Jazz Artist of the Year and Down Beat’s 2004 Critics Poll Winner for Rising Jazz Star. Rolling Stone has said that Moran is “shaping up to be the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” The name ‘Bandwagon’ indicates a group of guys who enjoy playing and also an image of taking a ride together, which is certainly true of Bandwagon members Moran, Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Speaking of the Bandwagon’s 2003 live album, which was recorded at The Village Vanguard, Moran says. “The sound is perfect. The room is very tight—Tarus is three feet away, Nasheet is four feet away. We're on top of each other but we have this chemistry, this conversation. A lot of words are being spoken at one time and you can feel how the audience is reaching for it” The Bandwagon’s new CD, “Same Mother” was released on Blue Note in February 2005 “Same Mother” comes about through invocations of gutbucket and roadhouse blues as an organizing principle. The album's title comes from a comment Moran's wife Alicia had made in a discussion about Savion Glover. “She said that jazz movement and blues movement in dance both came from the same mother, and I thought, that's exactly it—because blues and jazz are both music where you can directly express yourself." Blues and jazz were the first recorded music styles where black people could play and say what they wanted. Jason Moran Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen on bass, Nasheet Waits on drums and Marvin Sewell on guitar, live at The Village Vanguard
Bill Charlap Trio - October 4 – 9 & 11 – 16: Time Magazine has written about Bill Charlap “ (he) approaches a song the way a lover approaches his beloved. He wants to know its origins, its shape, its moods. He wants to view it from every angle—melody, harmony, lyrics, verse. He even wants to hear about its romantic history—what other improvisers have done with it. When he sits down to play, the result is an embrace, an act of possession.”
Charlap regards his latest Blue Note release, Bill Charlap Plays George Gershwin: The American Soul, as a follow-up to his much acclaimed 2004 release, Somewhere: The Songs Of Leonard Bernstein. He notes that both Gershwin and Bernstein were unique American men of music who belonged in several different worlds at once: Broadway, Jazz, Tin Pan Alley and the European Classical tradition." The difference was that Gershwin came out of Tin Pan Alley and Broadway and aspired to create a great classical work—a symphony or an opera. Bernstein started as a composer-conductor in the European tradition and longed to write popular songs and jazz, which he achieved by way of Broadway. Gershwin had to work up to opera, Bernstein had to work up to musical comedy, but their careers have interesting correlations. Plus they were both uniquely New York characters; dynamic, tireless individuals who surrounded themselves with a cult of personality—and they both were 20th Century superstars.
As leader, Charlap’s debut album came in 1994 with Along With Me, followed by Souvenir in 1995, Distant Star in 1996, All Through The Night in 1997. In 2000 Charlap had its first major-label breakthrough with the highly acclaimed Written in the Stars (Blue Note). Charlap has worked with such artists as Benny Carter, Clark Terry and Frank West and was sought after as an accompanist for singers such as Tony Bennett, Carol Sloane, and Sheila Jordan. At the Vanguard Charlap will be joined by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums.
Geoffrey Keezer Trio - October 18 – 23: Pianist Geoffrey Keezer’s professional career has spanned many projects and genres. In addition to his nine releases, and constant touring, Geoffrey has also been commissioned to compose several pieces for public performance, including Palm Reader for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Listen Look for the Saint Joseph Ballet, and Variables, a set of variations for piano and string quartet written especially for the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego. Geoffrey continues to work in partnership with world class musicians from all genres. His 1998 release, Turn Up The Quiet, featured Grammy winning vocalist, Diana Krall along with Joshua Redman and Christian McBride. His two latest releases in 2003, Falling Up and Sublime: Honoring the Music of Hank Jones, were both collaborative efforts. Sublime is an ambitious set of duets with Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Benny Green and Mulgrew Miller. Falling Up features several pieces where Geoffrey worked in tandem with master Hawaiian Slack Key Guitarist, Keola Beamer. Praise for Geoffrey's artistry comes from all sides. Time Magazine wrote that Geoffrey possesses “a refreshingly open-eared sensibility in the modern manner, and he has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole." Joining Keezer at the Vanguard will be Mike Pope on bass and Terreon Gully on drums.
Tom Harrell Quintet - October 25 – 30: “What Harrell [does] is spin out improvisational lines filled with instant melodies. Like a lyricist who illuminates phrases with subtle internal rhymes, Harrell's soloing captivates both the hearts and the minds of his listener," wrote The Los Angeles Times.
A salient constant in Tom Harrell's career has been his commitment to advancing his artistry. Recording as a leader since 1976, he has racked up numerous jazz magazine awards, such as top composer and trumpeter, “best jazz album of the year" by Entertainment Weekly, and a Grammy nomination (for his 1999 big band album Time's Mirror). On his 20th album, Wise Children, released in 2003, the trumpeter-bandleader-composer-arranger continued to stretch. He is in the company of his core quintet (tenor saxophonist/flutist Jimmy Greene, pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Ugonna Okego and drummer Quincy Davis) augmented by string players, guests on various brass and percussion instruments and, on four tunes, the top female jazz vocalists of the day: Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Claudia Acuña and Jane Monheit. At the Vanguard Harrell will be joined by Jimmy Greene on saxophone, Michael Cochrane on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Neal Smith on drums.
at the Keyboards
Trumpeter Tom Harrell to Close the Month
For Immediate Release: Three very different pianists appear at the Vanguard in October; beginning with the gutbucket and roadhouse blues of Jason Moran (September 27 – October 2). He is followed by the elegant and romantic Bill Charlap who performs for two weeks (October 4 -9 and 11 -16). The modern and intelligent Geoffrey Keezer is next (October 18 – 23) and the captivating trumpeter Tom Harrell closes the month (October 25 – 30).
Sept. 27 – Oct. 2: Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
October 4 – 9: Bill Charlap Trio - Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
October 11 – 16: Bill Charlap Trio - Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
October 18 – 23: Geoffrey Keezer Trio - Mike Pope, Terreon Gully
October 25 – 30: Tom Harrell Quintet - Jimmy Greene, Michael Cochrane, Ugonna Okegwo, Neal Smith
The Village Vanguard is located at 178 7th Ave. South, betw. W. 11th St. & Waverly Pl. For further info and availability call 212 255 4037.
Sun. through Thurs. students with valid ID pay $15, subject to availability, call ahead
Showtimes are: 9 & 11 PM (Tues.-Fri., Sun.) (Late set 12:30 AM on Saturday, for some shows, call ahead)
Tues - Thurs shows $20 cover w/ $10 minimum; Fri –Sat shows $25 cover w/$10 minimum
Coming to The Village Vanguard in November 2005:
November 1 – 6: Robert Glasper Trio
November 8 – 13: Jeremy Pelt Quartet
November 15 – 20: Lou Donaldson w/Dr. Lonnie Smith
November 22: - 27: Brad Mehldau Trio
November 29 – December 4: Jim Hall Trio
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon - September 27 – October 2: Moran is Playboy’s 2005 Jazz Artist of the Year and Down Beat’s 2004 Critics Poll Winner for Rising Jazz Star. Rolling Stone has said that Moran is “shaping up to be the most provocative thinker in current jazz.” The name ‘Bandwagon’ indicates a group of guys who enjoy playing and also an image of taking a ride together, which is certainly true of Bandwagon members Moran, Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Speaking of the Bandwagon’s 2003 live album, which was recorded at The Village Vanguard, Moran says. “The sound is perfect. The room is very tight—Tarus is three feet away, Nasheet is four feet away. We're on top of each other but we have this chemistry, this conversation. A lot of words are being spoken at one time and you can feel how the audience is reaching for it” The Bandwagon’s new CD, “Same Mother” was released on Blue Note in February 2005 “Same Mother” comes about through invocations of gutbucket and roadhouse blues as an organizing principle. The album's title comes from a comment Moran's wife Alicia had made in a discussion about Savion Glover. “She said that jazz movement and blues movement in dance both came from the same mother, and I thought, that's exactly it—because blues and jazz are both music where you can directly express yourself." Blues and jazz were the first recorded music styles where black people could play and say what they wanted. Jason Moran Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen on bass, Nasheet Waits on drums and Marvin Sewell on guitar, live at The Village Vanguard
Bill Charlap Trio - October 4 – 9 & 11 – 16: Time Magazine has written about Bill Charlap “ (he) approaches a song the way a lover approaches his beloved. He wants to know its origins, its shape, its moods. He wants to view it from every angle—melody, harmony, lyrics, verse. He even wants to hear about its romantic history—what other improvisers have done with it. When he sits down to play, the result is an embrace, an act of possession.”
Charlap regards his latest Blue Note release, Bill Charlap Plays George Gershwin: The American Soul, as a follow-up to his much acclaimed 2004 release, Somewhere: The Songs Of Leonard Bernstein. He notes that both Gershwin and Bernstein were unique American men of music who belonged in several different worlds at once: Broadway, Jazz, Tin Pan Alley and the European Classical tradition." The difference was that Gershwin came out of Tin Pan Alley and Broadway and aspired to create a great classical work—a symphony or an opera. Bernstein started as a composer-conductor in the European tradition and longed to write popular songs and jazz, which he achieved by way of Broadway. Gershwin had to work up to opera, Bernstein had to work up to musical comedy, but their careers have interesting correlations. Plus they were both uniquely New York characters; dynamic, tireless individuals who surrounded themselves with a cult of personality—and they both were 20th Century superstars.
As leader, Charlap’s debut album came in 1994 with Along With Me, followed by Souvenir in 1995, Distant Star in 1996, All Through The Night in 1997. In 2000 Charlap had its first major-label breakthrough with the highly acclaimed Written in the Stars (Blue Note). Charlap has worked with such artists as Benny Carter, Clark Terry and Frank West and was sought after as an accompanist for singers such as Tony Bennett, Carol Sloane, and Sheila Jordan. At the Vanguard Charlap will be joined by Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums.
Geoffrey Keezer Trio - October 18 – 23: Pianist Geoffrey Keezer’s professional career has spanned many projects and genres. In addition to his nine releases, and constant touring, Geoffrey has also been commissioned to compose several pieces for public performance, including Palm Reader for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Listen Look for the Saint Joseph Ballet, and Variables, a set of variations for piano and string quartet written especially for the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego. Geoffrey continues to work in partnership with world class musicians from all genres. His 1998 release, Turn Up The Quiet, featured Grammy winning vocalist, Diana Krall along with Joshua Redman and Christian McBride. His two latest releases in 2003, Falling Up and Sublime: Honoring the Music of Hank Jones, were both collaborative efforts. Sublime is an ambitious set of duets with Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Benny Green and Mulgrew Miller. Falling Up features several pieces where Geoffrey worked in tandem with master Hawaiian Slack Key Guitarist, Keola Beamer. Praise for Geoffrey's artistry comes from all sides. Time Magazine wrote that Geoffrey possesses “a refreshingly open-eared sensibility in the modern manner, and he has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole." Joining Keezer at the Vanguard will be Mike Pope on bass and Terreon Gully on drums.
Tom Harrell Quintet - October 25 – 30: “What Harrell [does] is spin out improvisational lines filled with instant melodies. Like a lyricist who illuminates phrases with subtle internal rhymes, Harrell's soloing captivates both the hearts and the minds of his listener," wrote The Los Angeles Times.
A salient constant in Tom Harrell's career has been his commitment to advancing his artistry. Recording as a leader since 1976, he has racked up numerous jazz magazine awards, such as top composer and trumpeter, “best jazz album of the year" by Entertainment Weekly, and a Grammy nomination (for his 1999 big band album Time's Mirror). On his 20th album, Wise Children, released in 2003, the trumpeter-bandleader-composer-arranger continued to stretch. He is in the company of his core quintet (tenor saxophonist/flutist Jimmy Greene, pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Ugonna Okego and drummer Quincy Davis) augmented by string players, guests on various brass and percussion instruments and, on four tunes, the top female jazz vocalists of the day: Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Claudia Acuña and Jane Monheit. At the Vanguard Harrell will be joined by Jimmy Greene on saxophone, Michael Cochrane on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Neal Smith on drums.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
