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Saturday, May 1 - Jackie Ryan with the Amina Figarova Quartet
Jackie Ryan is a talented singer who has performed at jazz venues throughout the world. Ryan has a deep, earthy voice; she delivers ballads with a sensuous passion and swings with intensity on up-tempo tunes. She is fluent in five languages including Portuguese, so her material is wide ranging. Her latest recording is entitled ?This Heart of Mine,? and it features special guests Toots Thielemans, and Ernie Watts. Appearing with Jackie Ryan at The Jazz & Blues Company is the superb pianist Amina Figarova and her quartet. Figarova also performs all over the world, and we have been happy to present her group here for a number of years now. They performed and toured with flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny, and have recorded a number of albums, including the hot ?Night Train? on Munich Records. Her husband, Bart Platteau, is a gifted jazz flutist, and their music swings hard, yet they know how to share their enjoyment of the music with their audiences. The appearance of vocalist Jackie Ryan with the Amina Figarova Quartet will be a rare performance together, and not to be missed!
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Saturday, May 8 - Winard Harper Sextet
The Jazz and Blues Company is extremely proud to present drummer Winard Harper and his sextet for his debut in Carmel. Harper is an exciting performer who started playing professionally with Dexter Gordon in 1982. Later, while performing with Johnny Griffin, vocalist Betty Carter heard him and hired him for her band. He learned much during his four years with Carter, and soon founded his own group with his brother Philip. Critic Leonard Feather labeled the Harper Brothers Band as one of ?the most brilliant new jazz groups? in jazz at the time. Harper?s incredible technique on the drums and cymbals make him ?As tasteful a drummer as one could ask for,? according to Jeff Kaliss of ?Jazz Times.? His sextet?s most recent recording on the Savant label is entitled ?A Time for the Soul.? If you like the style of Art Blakey, don?t miss hearing Harper and his group for some hard driving, high energy, incredible music.
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Saturday, May 22 - Taylor Eigsti Trio
The phenomenal young pianist Taylor Eigsti and his trio return to The Jazz & Blues Company for an exciting evening of music. Eigsti got his start performing when he was eight years old, opening for pianist David Benoit. He moved on to performing with Dave Brubeck, James Moody, Bobby Hutcherson and many others. Recently he has opened shows for Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Kevin Mahogany, and Al Jarreau. His trio includes Jason Lewis on drums and John Shifflett on bass. Last July, they released a new CD entitled ?Resonance? with a performance at Yoshi?s. Eigsti has been busy with performing with this group and The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, as well beginning jazz studies at US, and teaching at The Stanford and San Jose State Jazz Workshops! The All Music Guide says ?Eigsti is full of fresh enthusiasm, ideas, and formidable technique.? Don?t miss these incredibly talented musicians who create very their own brand of exciting music!
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Tuesday, May 25 - Flutology: Frank Wess, Ali Ryerson, and Holly Hofmann, with Tootie Heath, Peter Washington, and Mike Wofford
Jazz great Frank Wess will make his first appearance at The Jazz and Blues Company as part of the group Flutology, with fellow flutists Ali Ryerson and Holly Hofmann. Wess is renowned as part of Count Basie?s saxophone section for many years, and his solos on the flute with the Basie band set the standard for all jazz flutists that have followed, including the outstanding Ali Ryerson and Holly Hofmann. This incredible trio has released an album on Capri Records called ?First Date,? and from their music, we hope there are more dates to follow! At the Jazz and Blues Company, we have always been blessed by showcasing many great flute players, including Ryerson and Hofmann, and to add legendary Frank Wess is a great privilege, and this trio proves that jazz flute is alive and well, and swinging hard as ever. To make the evening even more impressive, the rhythm section will include very talented veterans Tootie Heath on drums, Peter Washington on bass, and Mike Wofford on piano.
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Saturday, June 5 - David Friesen Trio
Bass virtuoso David Friesen is an amazingly gifted performer with the soul of a poet. His incredible technique, creativity, and lyricism lift him to a level that very few musicians of any instrument can reach. His career has been long and interesting, for Friesen is one that never rests musically, always looking ahead to the next musical challenge. He resides in Oregon, and has worked for a number of years with fellow Oregonians, pianist Randy Porter and drummer Alan Jones. Although Friesen has appeared here many times, this will be the debut appearance of Friesen with his trio. The group?s 2001 CD, ?The Name of a Woman,? was critically acclaimed as ?one of the 5 best jazz CDs for 2001 by the ?Jazz Times? Critics? Poll. The relationship between all three musicians is truly special, as they create music that not only shows off their musical flexibility and improvisational skills, but also their sensitive interpretations and interactions. Nat Hentoff of ?Jazz Times Magazine? says Friesen?s current trio creates ?a remarkable creative interplay that is the essence of jazz as a continually evolving language.? David Friesen is truly an artist with a gift to share, so come to The Jazz and Blues Company to hear these fantastic musicians and their original, inspiring music.
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