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2012 Tour Itinerary
During the 2012 tour we will be visiting the Steinway Piano Music Hall, visiting The Kitano Jazz Club to hear The Jeb Patton Trio, heading up to Harlem to hear Seleno Clark & the Harlem Groove Band at the legion, and GB's Juke Joint to be the audience in a live audio and video recording of a group led by saxaphoist extraordinaire Ian Hendrickson--Smith and much much more! |
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Saturday, March 24th
Orientation Dinner: The Crooked Knife across the street from our hotel (The Thirty-Thirty at 30 East 30th Street).
We hit the ground running upon arrival in New York City. On our first night in the Big Apple, we have the pleasure of seeing “The Music of the Tenor Masters” at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Tenor saxophonists have often been among the most important jazz musicians of their times – from Lester Young and John Coltrane, to Dexter Gordon and Joe Henderson, to name a few. This rare event at JALC teams tenor titans whose influence and power are likewise far reaching. Music director Joe Lovano has had a prolific career showcasing his rough yet sweet sound and edgy contemporary compositions. NEA Jazz Master Benny Golson has planted his legacy as an acclaimed composer of jazz standards and a formidable tenor player, and Bennie Maupin rounds out the tenor royalty, best known for his recordings with Miles Davis, among others. These modern day tenor masters are joined by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Lewis Nash. |
Sunday, March 25th
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After an afternoon of roaming around on your own we will meet up to visit the best kept jazz secret in New York City: The Harlem Legion. Back in the 1950s and '60s, when Harlem was a hotbed of live jazz, such an instrument was de rigueur in most clubs. By the 1970s, however, the organ had fallen from favor, chased from the scene by the more versatile synthesizer.
In recent years, the jazz organ has been making resurgence, and every Sunday night in Harlem you can hear its sweet swelling sounds in the small brick-walled basement of American Legion Post 398. Here, veteran organist Seleno Clarke hammers his Hammond, leading a free-for-all jam session that draws a diverse mix of musicians and fans from all over the city. |
Now in its fifth year, the jam session has lately been drawing more and more music lovers. And no wonder: Clarke, who has played with the likes of Count Basie and George Benson, is warm, welcoming and absolutely ferocious on the B3, which he calls "the grandfather of all electronic instruments." |
Monday, March 26th
Today we will take a tour of the famed New York Steinway Piano Hall. Located on 57th Street, the Steinway building is a designated historic and cultural landmark, and is across the street from Carnegie Hall. Later on, a private concert awaits the group at The Cellar’s sister club in Greenwich Village - Smalls Jazz Club. Band TBA. Smalls was created in 1993 by jazz impresario Mitch Borden; originally a raw basement space that nonetheless quickly became the late-night hangout of choice for a multi-generational assortment of jazz musicians. After being forced to close temporarily, in February 2007 musicians Spike Wilner and Lee Kostrinsky partnered with Mitch with the goal of restoring Smalls back to its original freewheeling and bohemian vibe. |
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To finish off the evening we will visit the famous Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. For 70 years, that alliterative name has swung in 4/4 time, marking the center of the known jazz universe to an international circle of musicians and music fans. To the uninitiated, the small club at the bottom of 15 well-trodden steps below street level may seem little more than a cramped, triangular-shaped room. But to a hip populace it is where the ghosts of past jazz giants still play, where the best living jazz talent aspire to record, and where sound waves seem to reverberate in a manner unlike any other club, anywhere.
We will be hearing the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra play tonight. |
Tuesday, March 27th
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Today we will head to Upper Manhattan to Smoke Jazz and Supper Club. Located off the southern edge of New York's fabled Harlem neighborhood, Smoke presents world-renowned jazz musicians seven nights a week. Candlelit tables, plush velvet banquets, antique chandeliers, and an historic full-length bar create a real jazz vibe to go with the excellent acoustics and sightlines.
Smoke serves the perfect complement to classic jazz—the innovative American Bistro cuisine of critically acclaimed executive chef Patricia Williams. "Patricia Williams has proven that great jazz and great food are not incompatible. The music and the food are each a wonder to behold—truly a feast for the eyes, ears, and stomach.” (Serious Eats NYC). Band TBA. |
Wednesday, March 28th
A Great Day In Harlem is the theme of this day! First, we will experience the authentic southwestern cooking of Miss Mamie. The bright and cozy dining room with its red and white checkerboard tile floor and ruffled strawberry curtains, Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too, is modeled after Miss Mamie Jean Sampson Darden's Alabama kitchen. The New York Post says "On its own or smothered in gravy, Spoonbread's is the best fried chicken in NYC! Or skip the main course entirely and sample some delicious sides like a basket of mildly spicy corn bread, creamy mashed potatoes, grits, or candied yams bathed in orange and pepper. But don't skip the delectable desserts like Miss Mamie's banana bread pudding, fruit cobbler or the apple pie.”
Our evening entertainment will be Amateur Night at Harlem’s famous Apollo Theatre. This weekly event started in 1933 and still thrives today. The legendary venue has launched the careers of icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown and Lauryn Hill. The Apollo continues to maintain its position as the nation's most popular arena for emerging and established African-American and Latino performers. It’s a big, loud party where brave contestants might be cheered or booed. You get to tell the performers to be good, or be gone! |
Thursday, March 29th
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In the afternoon we will be travelling to a private show at Druids Restaurant and Bar in Midtown Manhattan. You will feel like you stepped into a bar from Ireland! Make sure to check out the exhibits of local art on the walls of the main bar/dining area. Clean white tablecloths and grilled meats add a touch of class to the dining room.
In the evening we head to the Kitano Hotel for drinks and The Jeb Patton Trio. Described as both a "young phenom…on piano" and an "absolute great," Jeb Patton has earned a well-regarded reputation in the international jazz community. |
Druids Restaurant and Bar |
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The multi-talented Patton is known as a "player of great expression" and "not one to tread the predictable," as well as a "simpatico accompanist" for The Heath Brothers, an "innovative" arranger, and one who "cuts…[an] impressive swath on his composition, 'Hanna's Mood,'" a tribute to his late teacher, Sir Roland Hanna.
Since moving to New York in 1996, Jeb has also played with Etta Jones, the Faddis/Hampton/Heath Sextet, Winard Harper's group, and Antonio Hart's Quintet, Paul West, Rufus Reid, Peter Washington, Lewis Nash, Steve Nelson, Ralph Peterson, John Ore, Jimmy Cobb, among others. |
Friday, March 30th
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Today we visit GB’s Juke Joint for a live recording with The Ian Hendrickson-Smith Sextet. Alto, Tenor, Baritone Saxophonist and Flutist Ian Hendrickson-Smith has been and continues to be one of the most sought after musicians in New York City. Mostly noted for his remarkable tone, soulful approach and blues driven melodies he's been reaching audiences world-wide through numerous recordings and live appearances.
From 2004 to 2010, Hendrickson-Smith maintained an intense recording and touring schedule as a member of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. He’s performed on virtually every major US TV late night show and has played the world’s premier stages. Ian is currently working towards opening a jazz club in Brooklyn, NY.
Hendrickson-Smith has also worked and/or recorded with Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Bob Dylan, Mofro, Robbie Williams, Boyz 2 Men, Michael Buble, The Charles Mingus Big Band Workshop, Etta James, The Night Crawlers, and many more |
Saturday, March 31st
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Our tour concludes with a private brunch (venue and band TBA). |
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©2011 New York with Weeds Tour |
