exodus to jazz Fall 2009 line-up
JANUARY 29 AND 30, 2010 - "MONK - THE PLAY'
Exodus To Jazz is pleased to present two performances of MONK, the Off-Broadway play authored by acclaimed playwright Laurence Holder and starring Audelco Award winning actor, Rome Neal. This dramatic bio-play is a one-character tour de force about Thelonious Monk, the genius pianist often called the High Priest of bebop.
Show and Ticket Information
Two Performances: 8:00PM on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010
Show Venue: Riverview Ballroom, Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside
120 Main Street East, Rochester, New York 14604
Ticket Prices: Reserved Seats - $25; General Admission - $20; Students - $10
Ticket Outlets: All Wegmans “That’s T.H.E. Ticket” locations;
TicketWeb.com (search “MONK – The Play”);
E-mail order (Reserved Seats only) to Exodustojazz@aol.com
For information: Call (585) 733-7685
The following excerpt from New York City jazz critic Ron Scott’s review typifies the responses to MONK.
“MONK IS SUPERB”
“In this one-man show, Neal delivers a riveting emotional portrayal of Monk with 90 pulsating minutes of sheer brilliance. Neal’s dynamic monologue introduces the musician’s sensitivity; he becomes Monk, reflecting the pain of living as a musician, rendering insightful tidbits and heartfelt memories. Neal encompasses his characters’ mannerisms, his dancing, and a hip monotone voice swinging with words ricocheting in Monk’s mind of deep thoughts. He brings the same creative intensity to MONK that Jamie Foxx brought to his Oscar winning portrayal of Ray Charles.
Laurence Holder, an American playwright, poet and director, has written a powerful play that fits Neal better than an Armani suit. Holder was awarded an Audelco Award “Best Writer” for his play The Mandela Saga; his plays Zora Neale Hurston and MONKnBUD, a three-character study of the relationship between Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell were welcomed with critical acclaim.
Bill Lee (Spike’s father) - a talented bassist who performed with Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, and Art Blakey, and scored the films Do The Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues and School Daze - composed the music for MONK”. - Ron Scott, Amsterdam News Jazz Critic
I look forward to welcoming you to this Off Broadway experience in Rochester.
Happy New Year! Jose DaCosta
FEBRUARY 5, 2010 - THE CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO
A favorite among area jazz fans, Cyrus Chestnut returns to Rochester for two separate engagements in which his trio will display a unique breathe of musicianship from swing to spiritual. His Feb. 5 th Exodus To Jazz performance will be a straight-ahead jazz format; his Feb. 6 th engagement at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church will be a gospel jazz tribute to the church’s 100 th anniversary.
www.citypaper.com/music/story.asp?id=19460Venue: Riverview Ballroom
Showtime: 8:00 PM (one show with two one-hour sets)
www.myspace.com/cyruschestnut
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010 - THE JEREMY PELT QUINTET
Jeremy Pelt, a DownBeat Poll Rising Star two consecutive years, is firmly established at the pentacle of today’s jazz trumpeters. Composing for his three bands, Jeremy Pelt creatively brackets the post-bop era influences of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. He will perform during the first Exodus To Jazz Sunday matinee show (4:00PM) and feature tunes from his new CD - “Men of Honor” - scheduled for a January 2010 release.
Venue: Riverview Ballroom
Showtime: 4:00 PM (Sunday Matinee; one show with two one-hour sets)
MARCH 12, 2010 - GABRIEL ALEGRIA AFRO-PERUVIAN SEXTET
Gabriel Alegria and the Afro-Peruvian Sextet return for their third ETJ engagement. They excited previous ETJ audiences with a fascinating polyrhythmic formula that continues to generate worldwide acclaim. The sextet promises another engaging display of Afro-Peruvian music that will certainly further expand their local fan base.
Venue: Riverview Ballroom
Showtime: 8:00 PM (one show with two one-hour sets)
APRIL 2, 2010 - ANNIE SELLICK AND TRIO'
Vocalist Annie Sellick was a pleasant discovery for people who enjoyed her Sept. 2007 Exodus To Jazz performance with Paradigm Shift. Accompanied by her regular working group, Annie’s upcoming show will enable her to more thoroughly present the stage personality and vocal style that have garnered numerous “Best Jazz Artist” awards from the Nashville media.
Venue: Frontier Hall
Showtime: 8:00 PM (one show with two one-hour sets)
All Show Locations: Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, 120 Main Street East, Rochester, New York 14604
Ticket Prices: Reserved - $25; Gen. Adm. - $20; Students - $10
Ticket Purchase: Ticketweb.com; E-Mail - ExodusToJazz@aol.com ; Phone - (585) 733 7685
"TOMORROW'S MEMORIES ARE BORN TODAY; LET'S KEEP LIVE JAZZ ALIVE, IN "DOWNTOWN ROCHESTER'
DECEMBER 18 - THE FREDDY COLE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SHOW
Exodus To Jazz is pleased to present The Freddy Cole Christmas Holiday Show on Friday, Dec. 18, 2009 at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside. The legendary Freddy Cole will enrich the Christmas season with his signature renditions of holiday classics and selections from the Great American Songbook.
Freddy Cole has become one of the living giants of jazz. The feature article in this month’s Downbeat magazine affirms why he is one of the most respected performers on today’s jazz scene. He does not apologize for similarities that invoke his brother, Nat “King” Cole. Freddy plays piano and sings; when performing on stage, the guitar, upright bass and drums are in the configuration popularized by Nat. Freddy’s authentic elegance, suave and distinctly unique vocal phrasings, however, have enabled him to become a jazz legend is his own right.
In the early 1950’s, Freddy began performing regularly in New York City; he cultivated a large foreign audience with numerous engagements abroad during the 1970s and 1980s. With twenty albums released since 1990, the current phase of his career represents his most productive in terms of recordings.
Guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey comprise the rest of the stellar quartet that “never fails to satisfy” (N.Y. Times).
The Radisson Hotel is the place to be Dec18th for a Christmas show in which holiday classics are performed with elegance.
NOVEMBER 19 - PARADIGM SHIFT WITH BOBBY MILITELLO
Exodus To Jazz invites you to treat a friend to enjoy Paradigm Shift featuring special guest, Bobby Militello, Thursday, November 19th at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside. Promising another upbeat performance, the popular Rochester-based trio of guitarist-leader Mel Henderson, keyboarder Gerry Youngman and drummer Sean Jefferson reunites with Dave Brubeck’s acclaimed saxophonist for shows at 8PM and 10PM.
Great “Two for One” Value - Treat A Friend
If you have attended an ETJ show in the past, one friend (attending for the first time) will be admitted free for each reserved seat or general admission ticket you purchase. If you are purchasing a ticket to your first ETJ show, you and one friend will be admitted for the price of one ticket. Either way, it’s great “two for one” entertainment value.
Paradigm Shift
Mel Henderson has performed with many jazz greats including Jack McDuff, Clark Terry, Eric Alexander, Wycliffe Gordon and Dr. Lonnie Smith; he leads Paradigm Shift’s worldwide touring engagements and the group’s recording relationship with the German label, Nagel Heyer Records. Gerry Youngman has shared the stage as both a trumpeter and organist with many top names in jazz including Lou Donaldson, Chuck Mangione, Wycliffe Gordon, Thad Jones and Fred Wesley. Sean Jefferson, the newest trio member, brings several years of freelancing experience that includes performances with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jeff Tyzik, Alvin Parris III and Regina Carter. www.paradigmshiftjazz.com
Special Guest
Bobby Militello was asked by Dave Brubeck to audition of his Quartet in 1982; they’ve been playing together ever since. Prior to his work with Brubeck, he toured with the Maynard Ferguson band from 1975-79. In addition to being the saxophone/flute stalwart of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, B. Militello has appeared with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Chuck Mangione, Bill Holman and Bob Florence, among his many noteworthy engagements. www.bobbymilitello.com
The reunion of Paradigm Shift and Bobby Militello promises an up-tempo display of bebop, fusion, blues and funk that will live up to the trio’s stated objective: “ Making music that's provocative, accessible and just darn fun.”
OCTOBER 23 - JOHNNY O'NEAL 'PLAY JAZZ AND SHOUTS THE BLUES"
‘Pianist extraordinaire’ Johnny O’Neal returns to Rochester with a blues-jazz program that will feature his increasingly in demand vocal skills and creative interpretations. Highly active since being cast as Art Tatum in the movie “Ray,” O’Neal was chosen as the sole pianist to perform during the celebration of Tatum’s 100th birthday at the recent Chicago Jazz Festival. Bassist Marion Hayden and drummer Sean Dobbins comprise the trio that promises a highly entertaining evening of jazz and blues.
NOVEMBER 19 - PARADIGM SHIFT FEATURING BOBBY MILITELLO
Rochester-based Paradigm Shift, with guitarist Melvin Henderson, organist Gerry Youngman and drummer Sean Jefferson, return to present more of their provocative, accessible and “just darn fun” music. The trio will feature Bobby Militello, an exciting and inventive alto saxophonist best known for his long tenure as a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
www.paradigmshiftjazz.com; www.bobbymilitello.com
DECEMBER 11 & 12 - "MONK - THE PLAY"
This award-winning bio-play is a one-character tour de force about the enigmatic genius pianist, often called the high priest of bebop. Written by the acclaimed playwright, Laurence Holder, “Monk” features Rome Neal, Artistic Director of the Nuyorican Poets' Theatre Café and recipient of numerous awards for excellence in theatre including an “AUDELCO” for “Monk” and the National Black Theatre Festival’s Lloyd Richards Director’s award.
www.monktheplay.com, www.laurenceholder.com
SEPTEMBER 25 - "THE ELDAR DJANGIROV TRIO"
Exodus To Jazz presents The Eldar Djangirov Trio, Friday, September 25, 2009 at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside. Comprised of leader-pianist Eldar Djangirov, bassist Armando Gola and drummer Ludwig Afonso, the trio will perform two shows – 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM in the Radisson Hotel’s Frontier Hall.
Eldar Djangirov extends the list of exceptional pianists who have performed on the ETJ stage. He returns to Rochester as part of a promotion tour for his recently released CD entitled “Virtue”. Known for his prodigious pyrotechnics and complete immersion into the bebop tradition, Eldar is firmly established in the forefront of contemporary jazz pianists. The stunning original compositions on “Virtue” exhibit Eldar’s heightened level of maturity and affirm the accolades from many legendary jazz masters (including Dr. Billy Taylor, Marian McPartland, Dave Brubeck, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock)…..and he is just 22 years old!
Accompanied by the Cuban-borne rhythm section of bassist Armando Gola and drummer Ludwig Afonso, Eldar promises a thrilling evening of jazz that will garner even more praise:
- Dr. Billy Taylor: “Eldar Djangirov's playing shows brilliancy, complexity, and discipline… he's serious about his music, he's thoughtful about what he does.”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: “…a musician with the aesthetic maturity of a well-traveled jazz veteran…from the torrential, two-handed cascades of Oscar Peterson to the lush, rarefied harmonic language of Herbie Hancock …startling technical command and improbable improvisational flair…”
Join in on what is sure to be a rousing opening of the new Exodus To Jazz season!
Show Summary
The Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside is located at 120 East Main St., Rochester New York, 14604. Tickets (reserved seating - $25; general admission - $20) are available through TicketWeb.com (search for “Eldar Djangirov” or “Exodus To Jazz”). General admission tickets can be purchased for $20 at the door on the night of the show; student tickets are $ 10.00 with a current ID. The Ticketing / Will Call desk will open at 7:00 PM on show night.
For more information call (585) 733-7685.