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| Jazz Saxophonist Antoine Knights Performs At Blues Alley Jazz Saxophonist Antoine Knight promises to make this a "Knight" to remember… Knight will make his debut performance and join the ranks of great jazz musicians performing at the world's famous Blues Alley, one of the nation's finest jazz and supper clubs on Tuesday, June 26, 2012. "To be selected to play at one of the most prestigious jazz venues is an honor and privilege. A lot of great jazz luminaries have made history at Blues Alley and it's an honor to play at the nation's finest jazz club, " says Knight. Founded in 1965, Blues Alley is the nation's oldest continuing jazz supper club, having showcased internationally renowned concert hall artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Grover Washington Jr., Ramsey Lewis, Charlie Byrd, Maynard Ferguson and Eva Cassidy in a small intimate setting. Located in the heart of historic Georgetown in an 18th century red brick carriage house, Blues Alley offers its patrons a unique ambiance, reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1920's and 30's. Open seven days a week, Blues Alley specializes in authentic Creole cuisine, steak and seafood dishes (Dinner served from 6:00 pm). Knight is well on his way to becoming one of jazz music's most influential saxophonist. An Atlanta-based versatile musician, he has played in front of thousands and entertained the crowds with his funky jazz style. Since the release of his debut album, he has shared the stage and played with numerous luminaries including: Angela Bofill, Najee, Kim Waters, Ronnie Laws, Miki Howard, Vesta, Steve Oliver and Marcus Johnson. He received his first big break when he was hired by Producer Norman Connors to play for Angela Bofield and Jeane Carne. He also played in the house band for the Atlanta Falcons football team in the early 2000s, performed regularly for hundreds of VIPs, appeared at the Atlanta Jazz Festival in 2007 and 2010, the Suwannee Jazz Festival, Atlanta Wings Festival, Wednesday Wind-Down Series in Centennial Olympic Park, numerous jazz spots on the Atlanta jazz circuit and numerous locations on the East Coast. His musical influences include: Art Porter, John Coltrane, Gerald Albright, Everett Harp, Najee and Kim Waters. Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, Knight's musical journey was tapped into at age 11. His childhood was filled with music - starting with an 8-track tape his aunt had of Junior Walker and continuing on through his dad's John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley albums. While in high school, he was active in the marching and symphonic band, but he lost interest after high school. After graduating from college (Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University), he went back to playing his saxophone and the rest is history. While promoting his first CD "In the Red", Knight received national recognition when it aired in over 50 cities across the country, which catapulted Antoine into becoming Atlanta's first independent artist to get picked up by Radio One Broadcasting, on the station formerly known as WJZZ 107.5 FM. "Music is what I have to give of myself as a person. I must be able to tell my story like nobody else. I'm not trying to impress anybody. Playing to "impress" is self-gratification. When I play, I play to bless God's people. It is a gift that I have, " says Knight. Knight released his sophomore CD, "Walk Da Walk", in 2010 and it still receives phenomenal responses from audiences across the country. Knight's, "Walk Da Walk", was featured nationally on the "Weather Channel" as the "Artist of the Month" and highly ranked on Atlanta's jazz radio station, WCLK. "For me, "Walk Da Walk", is a journey of my testimony that has never ended. I've been battle tested and will emerge stronger and ready for whatever lies ahead. We all have had testimonies and journeys that we've walked, and "Walk Da Walk" is my way of conveying my own experience through music, " says Knight. Stay tuned. He is just getting started. He recently landed his debut acting role in the African-American remake of "Steel Magnolias", set to be released later this year on Lifetime, alongside Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah, Emmy winner Alfre Woodard, Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, and Grammy winner Jill Scott. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |