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Mary Stallings at Smoke Jazz Club
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Mary Stallings at Smoke Jazz Club

Tonight at Smoke Jazz Club featuring vocalist Mary Stallings with Emmet Cohen – piano, Peter Washington – bass, and Joe Farnsworth – drums, was a true jazz event with ample chance to hear each artist solo and improvise. Unified interactions between Stallings, piano, bass, and drums were superbly executed and characterized by focused listening, rhythmic unity, improvisational interchanges, refinement, and a collective sense of musical accord. Along with the vocal sophistication and inspiration of Stallings’s lead, the instrumental trio created a vibrant and harmonious musical tapestry showcasing the exquisite refinement of the music and their respective profound artistry. It was a great night of jazz!

Australian Jazz Pianist Matt Baker
Cabaret
Victoria L. Dammer

Australian Jazz Pianist Matt Baker

The incredibly personable Baker, currently living in New York City, was accompanied by an all-star band from the local jazz scene, including Grammy-nominated vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, 3rd generation jazz musician trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III, guitarist Max Light, Kevin Hailey on double bass and Curtis Nowosad on the drums.

The Art Bath Artist Salon Series
Dance
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

The Art Bath Artist Salon Series

The Art Bath Salon Series program was 21st century-multimedia at its finest, but with the intimacy of the Parisian salons made famous by the likes of Gertrude Stein, Gustave Courbet, and Franz Liszt. In this inviting artistic environment with stimulating badinage, patrons experienced and marveled at film, sculpture, painting, dance, photography, and music created by world-class artists and performers.

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz of Lincoln Center Orchestra
Jazz
Victoria L. Dammer

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz of Lincoln Center Orchestra

Lovers of live jazz didn’t have to drive to a New York City venue last week, thanks to the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) hosting the world-renown Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis.

Tony Kadleck Big Band at Birdland
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Tony Kadleck Big Band at Birdland

Swinging big band music was hot in Manhattan! From the moment the Tony Kadleck Big Band began their set at the Birdland Jazz Club, we tapped our toes and jumped to a tasteful, tight, polished sound, solid rhythm section, cats burnin’ solos, and sophisticated superb arrangements by trumpeter and band leader Kadleck.

Kathryn Farmer at Swing 46
Cabaret
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Kathryn Farmer at Swing 46

If the 17-piece Kevin Blanq big band and Kathryn Farmer were not enough to get you in the mood for smooth swinging and dancing, the urbane, bespoke, and suave dancer extraordinaire Manuel Rojas appeared to deliver a dance lesson at 8:30 as a second band, Swing a Delic arrived on stage. With Rojas, it was time to revel in the legacies of Al Minns and Frankie Manning with Lindy Hop, swing outs, tuck-in-turn, jazz, tap, sugar foot walk, breakaway, and swing dance….dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum, dum-dee-dum. Revelers thronged to the dance floor as the buoyant and joyous Rojas drew them in.

Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts
Choral Music
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts

For the first time in 35 years, Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts returned to the stage. Envisioned initially by Ellington as a “Festival of Grace,” provenance for Sacred Concerts is informed by a broad spectrum of jazz, classical and choral music, spirituals, dance, gospel, and blues. Ellington’s compositional product in this venue consisted of a triptych of 34 songs originally recorded in 1965, 1968, and 1973 respectively. It can be argued that an august Ellington facing his mortality considered his Sacred Concerts among his most significant works.

Ben Wendel Quartet at the Village Vanguard
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Ben Wendel Quartet at the Village Vanguard

Wendel’s songs are strikingly original, expressive, and extraordinarily inventive. His ideas and improvisations are freely chromatic, virtuosic, and organic, and he employed subtle be-bop idioms when it suited him. His facility is so commanding that he regularly reaches into the stratosphere of the tenor saxophone’s extended range. Notably, he can express ideas with the restraint of Lester Young while employing the pyrotechnics of Charlie Parker.

The Bill Charlap Trio at Birdland
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

The Bill Charlap Trio at Birdland

Charlap is a virtuoso with full command of his musical voice on the piano who, with his fellow artists, lifted spirits and touched hearts. Fitting his artistic soul and imagination, Charlap played with passion, rich cinematic grace, and delicacy. His fiery offerings were an elegant, eloquent creative commentary that created energy and excitement.

Conrad Herwig and The Latin Side All-Stars
Jazz
Edward A Kliszus, Editor-in-Chief / Music and Arts Critic

Conrad Herwig and The Latin Side All-Stars

Trombonist/composer Conrad Herwig and the Latin side all-stars ascended the stage to deliver their first musical offering. Splendid charts, extended improvisation, artistic interaction, virtuoso performances, a tight horn section, and a solid rhythm section immediately lit the room. A powerhouse of Latin rhythmic fire by drummer Robby Ameen and percussionist Mauricio Herrera on congas ignited an astounding sojourn.

Mary Stallings at Smoke Jazz Club

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