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| Jill Newman Productions Presents Eight Concerts Following two successful concerts at New York's JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall and the New York Society for Ethical Culture, Jill Newman Productions presents a diverse line-up of exciting music at the Kennedy Center, Highline Ballroom, The Blue Note and Hammerstein Ballroom. The stellar concerts feature Youssou N'Dour, Mos Def, Bilal, Lillias White, Chris Dave, Cecil Taylor and Toshi Reagon. Saturday, August 9, 2008 LILLIAS WHITE Highline Ballroom ~ 431 West 16th Street, New York Doors open at 6pm; Show 8pm Tickets: $45 By Phone: (866) 468-7619 On the Web: http://ticketweb.com In Person: At Highline Box Office from noon to closing Lillias White has been recognized on Broadway with the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Peoples Choice Award and The Outer Critics Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Broadway's Prestigious Quadruple Crown - for her 1997 role as Sonja in the "The Life." In 1990, she won The Obie Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Hennie in "Romance in Hard Times." In addition, she won The Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the national tour of "Dreamgirls." Other theater credits include the Broadway productions of "How to Succeed in Business, " "Once on This Island, " "Rock 'n Roll: The First 5, 000 Years." "Carrie" and "Dreamgirls, " as well as the off Broadway productions of "Crowns, " "The Vagina Monologues, " "Waiting for Godot, " "The Princess & The Black-Eyed Pea, " and "Dinah Was." Lillias White has also gone on the national and international tours for "Ain't Misbehavin, " "Tintypes" and 'The Wiz." Monday, August 11, 2008 CHRIS DAVE TRIO featuring FOLEY & GARY THOMAS Miles Davis Alums Join Chris Dave for One Night Only! The Blue Note ~ 131 West Third Street, New York Doors open at 6pm; Set times are 8pm and 10:30pm nightly Tickets: $20 at tables; $10 at the bar By Phone: (212) 475-8592 On the Web: http://www.bluenote.net In Person: At Blue Note Box Office until closing Chris Dave returns to the Blue Note with a brand new trio featuring bassist Foley and woodwind extraordinaire Gary Thomas. A versatile musician, Dave has held the drum chair in a variety of bands ranging from Mint Condition to the Kenny Garrett Quartet. His band-mates for this special one night only show are both Miles Davis alums (Foley was his last bass player from 1987- 1991). Foley is known for his unique technique, tuning the bass an octave up and playing it more like a guitar, while Thomas is known for his improvising prowess and distinct voice on all of his instruments. Led by Chris Dave, this explosive trio is not to be missed. Friday, August 15, 2008 BILAL with opener BLACK BUDDAFLY Highline Ballroom ~ 431 West 16th Street, New York Doors at 8pm; Show at 9pm Tickets: $30 advance; $35 at door By Phone: (866) 468-7619 On the Web: http://ticketweb.com In Person: At Highline Box Office from noon to closing Like Nina Simone, Bilal is classically trained, he in jazz and big band arrangements and opera voice. This child of hip-hop seeks to approach swing and scat with the same expansion and technique as Ella Fitzgerald. He writes his music, lyric and note. That is worth repeating: Bilal writes his music, lyric and note. Because of all these things-exquisite turns of phrase, embodiment of the feminine, and a rooted understanding of pitch, emotion and the note-that, if all goes as should in these, Bilal is surely one of the most significant artists of our changing times. Tuesday, August 19, 2008 CHRIS DAVE & FRIENDS with special guest MOS DEF Highline Ballroom ~ 431 West 16th Street, New York Doors at 7pm; Show at 9pm Tickets: $35 advance, $38 at door Standing Room Only By Phone: (866) 468-7619 On the Web: http://ticketweb.com In Person: At Highline Box Office from noon to closing Having blessed the scene for over 10 years with his unique musical styling, Chris Dave's musicianship defies classification and places him among the drum-world's best. His articulated beats, intrinsic rhythms and innovative inflections have gained him recognition as one of the most influential and prototypical drummers in the industry today. Chris has been around the world and back playing for and recording with some of music's most established and iconic artists including: Mint Condition, Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard, Dolly Parton, Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Me'shell N'Degeocello, Robert Glasper Trio, Nicolas Payton, TLC, Toni Braxton, Kevin Mahogany, Kim Burrell, Mos Def, Erykah Badu (who he is currently on tour with), Common, Maxwell, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, A Tribe Called Quest, Vicente Archer, Vernel Brown, Munyungo Jackson, Romero Lubambo, Dianne Reeves, Otmaro Ruiz, Michelle Williams, Sa Ra, Geri Allen, Yolanda Adams, Robert Hurst Trio, Donald Brown Trio, Soulful Symphony and Reginald Veal, just to name a few. Friday, August 29, 2008 CECIL TAYLOR Highline Ballroom ~ 431 West 16th Street, New York 1st Show: Doors at 6pm, Show at 8pm 2nd Show: Doors at 10pm, Show at 10pm Tickets Each Show: $28 advance, $30 at door By Phone: (866) 468-7619 On the Web: http://ticketweb.com In Person: At Highline Box Office from noon to closing Cecil Taylor's life simply does not submit itself to the ordinary rules of program biography. Some facts: he was born in Long Island City in 1933. It is recorded that in his early years, the artists he admired included Fats Waller, Erroll Garner, and especially, Bud Powell. His mother grew up in New Jersey and was a childhood friend of Sonny Greer. Therefore, Duke Ellington's influence in the Taylor household was pervasive. As a matter of fact, Cecil Taylor's interest in music is quite cosmopolitan - and the range of his interest in things musical is matched only by his great admiration and intensity of enthusiasm. He attended and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music. In turn, Mr. Taylor has taught or been in residence for long periods at Antioch College, Glassboro State College in New Jersey and the University of Wisconsin. Awards and grants have come his way. He recently revised, musicalized and directed Adrienne Kennedy's play, A Rat's Mass, at New York's La Mama Theatre Annex. He recently completed a new piece for Diane McIntyre's dance company, Sounds in Motion. Sunday, September 21, 2008 MOS DEF The Kennedy Center ~ 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC Doors at 6pm, Show at 7pm Tickets: $20 - $50 By Phone: (800) 444-1324 On the Web: http://www.kennedy-center.org In Person: At Kennedy Center's Hall of States 10am - 9pm, weekdays; noon - 9pm, weekends The consummate artist: musician, emcee, vocalist, producer and actor of stage and screen, Mos Def, produced by Jill Newman Productions, premiered his acoustic project in 2003 and the Mos Def Big Band in January 2007, drawing from original compositions and material by Miles Davis, Beyoncé, James Brown, Gil-Scott Heron and others. Always bending genres to create his own sound, Mos Def flows between hip-hop, jazz and soul while fronting his orchestra of savvy musicians. His face is as familiar as his sound; his acting credits include Be Kind Rewind, 16 Blocks, Something the Lord Made, Lackawanna Blues and Top Dog/Underdog. Tuesday, September 23, 2008 ALL FOR AFRICA Fundraiser featuring YOUSSOU N'DOUR & Special Guests Hammerstein Ballroom ~ 311 West 34th Street, New York Doors at 6pm, Show at 7pm www.allforafrica.com Thursday, September 25, 2008 TOSHI REAGON and BIGLovely Highline Ballroom ~ 431 West 16th Street Doors at 6pm; Show at 8pm Tickets: $17.50 advance, $20 at door $10 Minimum/Person, All Ages General Admission Seated ~ First write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |