Wednesday, October 1
David Chesky: Jazz In The New Harmonic
With Jazz in the New Harmonic, David Chesky and his band of all-star jazz musicians fuse 21st century classical harmonies with the city’s rhythms to offer a new approach to jazz. The album, featuring the same band set to appear at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, received numerous awards for its provocative and cerebral approach to the classical/jazz blend. Chesky’s patient, angular harmonies are elevated by a solid groove in the group’s foundation, relying on heavy bass vamps from Peter Washington and a steady pulse from drummer Billy Drummond. Tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson and trumpeter Terell Stafford also assist with creating something new and refreshing on the album and during this one-night-only performance.
Cover: $35
Student Cover: $25
Thursday – Sunday, October 2 – 5
Matt Wilson 50th Birthday Celebration
Matt Wilson is a phenomenal drummer who has played with, and been praised by, a seemingly endless list of contemporary jazz greats. In addition to his instrumental skills, he receives constant praise as a bandleader and a creative force who experiments and pushes both sidemen and genre boundaries alike, while remaining widely accessible. For his opening sets on Thursday, October 2, he features the appropriately colorful music of his Arts & Crafts quartet. Friday, October 3 brings Topsy Turvy, his regular quartet plus special guests including alto saxophonist Tia Fuller, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes and pianist Aaron Diehl. This special lineup features playful, interactive soloists and ensemble members perfectly poised to tackle this “pre-bop” project, emphasizing the “little big band” sound of the 1930s and 1940s. Saturday, October 4, Wilson continues with “Open House,” an aptly titled group of heavy hitters from multiple corners of the jazz world. The group includes serial poll-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano, rising star avant-garde guitarist Mary Halvorson, world-class vibraphonist and bandleader Stefon Harris, and Peter Washington, the veteran bassist for artists like Art Blakey and Bill Charlap. Sunday, October 5, for the last night of our 50th birthday celebration, Wilson brings it home, joined by bass veteran Buster Williams and outstanding pianist Geri Allen.
Cover: Thursday, Friday and Sunday $40, Saturday $45
Student Cover: $25
Monday, October 6
Manhattan School of Music Concert Jazz Band
Ezz-Thetic Thoughts: The Music of George Russell
Justin DiCioccio, Conductor
The Manhattan School of Music has long been a fixture in the New York music scene and prides itself to be one of the first conservatories in the United States to acknowledge the prime importance of jazz as an art form. The Manhattan School of Music Concert Jazz Band features some of the world’s most talented emerging artists. These talented young musicians prove that the spirit of swing is alive and well, and that the future of jazz is in extremely capable hands. Tonight, the band takes on the music of NEA Jazz Master George Russell, the great 20th century pianist, composer, and musical theorist.
Cover: $35
Student Cover: $15
Tuesday, October 7
Champian Fulton Quartet
Change Partners CD Release Party
Vocalist and pianist Champian Fulton brings her classic, swinging jazz to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola for a CD release celebration. She will showcase her effortless voice, humor, and upbeat and classic song selection (including Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin). Fulton’s crowd-pleasing, award-nominated voice is supported by equally impressive piano chops (quite a feat when featured simultaneously), along with a killer backing band (Stephen Fulton, flugelhorn; and Mark Johnson, drums). This is the type of traditional vocal/piano jazz that never goes out of style, perfect for the intimacy of Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.
Cover: $30
Student Cover: $20
Wednesday, October 8
Dan Block Quintet
Mary Lou Williams & Benny Carter Meet Hard Bop
Saxophonist Dan Block is a classically-trained jazz chameleon, stylistically versatile and extraordinarily skilled on multiple wind instruments. Though highly regarded as a classical player and in such eclectic settings as Haitian music and on Broadway, Block is still perhaps most well-versed in jazz tradition, ranging from early New Orleans to modal jazz and beyond. In this vein, he has worked extensively with artists like Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks (1920s and 1930s big band repertoire), guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, and vocalist and keeper of the American Songbook, Michael Feinstein. After recently honoring Duke Ellington in a refreshingly unique and highly praised tribute project, Block now extends this reputation for Mary Lou Williams & Benny Carter Meet Hard Bop.
Cover: $30
Student Cover: $20
Thursday – Sunday, October 9 – 12
Nicholas Payton Trio
GRAMMY® Award-winning trumpeter, pianist, and composer Nicholas Payton is considered one of the top voices of our time. In addition to his work with artists ranging from Trey Anastasio and Ray Brown, to Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, and Wayne Shorter, he has also been a successful bandleader since his early 20s. Ten years ago in October 2004, he performed at the opening of the brand new Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. Proficient in settings from solo performances and duos all the way to 21-piece big band and his own full orchestral work, Payton always gives his full attention and respect to the task at hand. Tonight he treats guests at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola to his trio, featuring two of the most in-demand and constantly creative rhythm section players in jazz—bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart.
Cover: Thursday and Sunday $35, Friday $40, Saturday $45
Student Cover: $25
Monday, October 13
Sarah Mckenzie Quintet Featuring Ingrid Jensen
From Berklee College of Music
Sarah McKenzie, a pianist, vocalist, and composer in her twenties (who just graduated from Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship), makes her Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola debut tonight. McKenzie’s latest album, Close Your Eyes, won the Best Jazz Album ARIA award (Australian GRAMMY), and she has already toured with artists like Michael Bublé, Chris Botti, John Patitucci, and has performed her own material with The Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. Praised for her mature instrumental and vocal phrasing, this internationally rising star demonstrates experience beyond her years. With repertoire featuring originals and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Mercer, and more, expect a nice array of straight-ahead and pop-tinged vocal jazz.
Cover: $30
Student Cover: $15
Tuesday, October 14
Joe Saylor Presents: Love Songs of the ’20s and ’30s
Joe Saylor is a drummer and bandleader heard regularly at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola Late Night Sessions–when he’s not busy touring around the world, most often with Jonathan Batiste’s Stay Human Band. Saylor’s New Orleans-influenced style is funky and lighthearted, with an infectious sense of swing that can only be contrarily described as both driving and laid-back in its feel. Joining Saylor will be Jerry Weldon, of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Harry Connick, Jr. Big Band, and Bruce Harris, a young and prolific sideman most recently seen on Broadway in the critically-praised After Midnight.
Cover: $30
Student Cover: $20
Wednesday – Thursday, October 15 – 16
Kuumba Collective
The South African Songbook: SA to USA
In collaboration with Carnegie Hall and part of the Ubuntu Festival
South African vocalist Nicky Schrire and North American saxophonist TK Blue (a longtime friend and scholar of South African Jazz) will perform a series of classic pieces from South Africa’s Jazz Songbook. In collaboration with Carnegie Hall and part of the Ubuntu Festival, this will be a special performance showcasing the multi-directional global influence of American jazz music. London-born, South-African raised Nicky Schrire is consistently hard to classify, often drawing comparison to jazz influenced folk artists, and TK Blue has spent a career performing classic jazz, Afro-Caribbean music, South African music, and more around the world.
Cover: $35
Student Cover: $25
Friday – Sunday, October 17 – 19
DIVA with Special Guest Cynthia Scott
SWINGIN’ IT FORWARD!
Led by energetic drummer Sherrie Maricle, DIVA exudes the excitement and force found in the historic big band tradition. With New York as their home base, DIVA performs all over the world, playing contemporary, mainstream big band jazz composed and arranged to fit the individual personalities and styles of the musicians themselves. Audiences can expect to hear high-energy performances packed with unique improvisation, spontaneity, and an emphasis on fun. With special guest Cynthia Scott, a vocalist endlessly praised and employed by artists from Ray Charles to Wynton Marsalis, this is going to be a lively weekend at the club!
Cover: Friday and Sunday $40, Saturday $45
Student Cover: $25
Monday, October 20
Closed for private event.
Tuesday, October 21
Juilliard Ensemble
The Juilliard School has been a destination for world-class music education since its founding, and these incredible young musicians will exemplify that legacy at Dizzy’s. The Juilliard School Jazz Ensemble features some of the world’s most talented emerging jazz artists, many of whom are already professional musicians. No stranger to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the ensemble has also performed at noted venues such as the Blue Note and Alice Tully Hall. These gifted young musicians are proof of jazz’s bright future.
Cover: $25
Student Cover: $15
Wednesday, October 22
Gordon Au’s Grand St. Stompers
Monk Institute alumnus and trumpeter Gordon Au, called “comfortable in any idiom and fearless,” leads this New York-based, New Orleans-style hot jazz band. The Stompers are loved not only for their authentic performances of vintage jazz tunes dating back to the 1920s, but also for their jazzy versions classical, Disney, TV, film, and even pop music, as well as their own exciting originals. At the forefront are singers Molly Ryan, lauded as “a critic’s favorite” by the Wall Street Journal, and Tamar Korn, praised for her daring improvisational wit.
Cover: $35
Student Cover: $25
Thursday, October 23
Ann Hampton Callaway
The Sarah Vaughan Project CD Release Celebration
Ann Hampton Callaway is one of the preeminent voices of the American Songbook, a tireless performer who has reached acclaim on Broadway, in theaters, on television, and in a variety of concert halls and jazz clubs around the country. Tonight we celebrate the release of The Sarah Vaughan Project: Live at Dizzy’s, recorded live last year with the same world-class band. Sarah Vaughan, the NEA Jazz Master and GRAMMY® Award-winner also known as “Sassy,” or “The Divine One,” is an all-time favorite jazz singer of incalculable influence. It takes courage to dedicate a full concert to this legendary vocalist, but Callaway has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to cover diverse and extraordinarily challenging material with taste, humor, and technical strength.
Cover: $40
Student Cover: $25
Friday – Sunday, October 24 – 26
Crescent City Samba featuring Joe Saylor
Joe Saylor is one the most dynamic and exciting percussionists around today. He has performed and/or collaborated with Wynton Marsalis, Dwayne Dolphin, Roy Hargrove, Lenny Kravitz,
Ellis Marsalis, Questlove, and Mark O’Connor among others. Saylor is also a member of the Stay Human Band, a ground-breaking jazz ensemble founded by his longtime friend and colleague Jonathan Batiste; and he holds the drum chair in Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks Orchestra. For these special concerts, he explores the connections between early New Orleans jazz and Brazilian samba.
Cover: Friday, and Sunday $40, Saturday $45
Student Cover: $25
Monday, October 27
The Fraternal Order of the Society Blues
Tribute to Carolina Slim
The Fraternal Order of the Society Blues pays tribute to Carolina Slim, the well-loved bluesman and New York City cultural icon. For decades, Slim performed in the New York City subway, dressed to the nines, for a job he took very seriously; “I don’t got to play in the subway. I want to play in the subway.” Since the 1990s, Fraternal Order guitarist and singer Jeremiah Lockwood had been his sidekick (starting at age 14), and Lockwood is now paying tribute to the blues hero who passed away earlier this year. Joining Lockwood in the Fraternal Order is percussionist Ricky “Dirty Red” Gordon, whose musical associations run from Carolina Slim himself to the Wynton Marsalis Group. Rounding out the blues trio is harmonica blower and singer Ernesto Gomez, of the Brotherhood of the Jug. Join us at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola for a special night of low-down, no-frills blues.
Cover: $30
Student Cover: $15
Tuesday – Wednesday, October 28 – 29
Ramptones’ Organic Roots Octet
Kenny Rampton’s last appearance at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola left audiences with an itch for more of the group’s irresistibly groovy hybrid of jazz, funk, blues, and gospel music. Led by trumpeter extraordinaire Kenny Rampton–known both as a bandleader and as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Mingus Big Band–the group includes legendary blues guitarist and vocalist Bill Sims, fellow JLCO member Elliot Mason, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and an inspired, almost aggressively funky rhythm section of Brian Charette, Dan Stein, and Tony Mason.
Cover: $35
Student Cover: $20
Thursday – Friday, October 30 – 31
Prestige Records 65th Anniversary
Featuring Helen Sung Trio
Thursday Special Guests: Seamus Blake and Mike Rodriguez – Music of Miles Davis
Friday Special Guests: Steve Nelson and John Ellis – Music of Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Red Garland, Modern Jazz Quartet, and Eric Dolphy
Helen Sung is a mighty force on piano, an adept soloist who combines her classical background with a passionate dedication to jazz and the feel of swing. Winner of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and featured in 2011 on Wynton Marsalis’ “Who’s Got Next: Jazz Musicians to Watch” list, Sung’s career has exploded since she entered the scene in the last decade. Though she currently works with top-shelf bands such as the Mingus Big Band and T.S. Monk Band, she has received the highest praise for her own albums, which have featured both originals and inspired interpretations of compositions from Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Fiddler on the Roof, and Thelonious Monk (the latter of which, not surprisingly, seems to be a favorite source of material). Joined by very special guests each night, these concerts open Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola’s four-day celebration of Prestige Records’ 65th anniversary.
Cover: Thursday and Friday $40
Student Cover: $25
WHERE:
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, 5th floor, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.
HOW:
Call or visit www.jalc.org/dizzys.
Prices vary. Dinner served nightly.
General Admission: $20-$45 (unless noted otherwise);
Students: $5-$25 with valid student ID (selected sets only);
Late Night Session: $5-$20.
Minimum of $10 applies to all.
WHEN:
Headliner sets are 7:30pm, 9:30pm (unless noted otherwise).
Late Night Session Schedule:
Scheduled at 11:30pm every Tuesday through Saturday, Late Night Session features some of jazz’s most talented up and coming artists, with a special invited jam session. Hosted by vocalist Michael Mwenso, on Thursday and Saturday nights only. Full Price: Tuesdays and Wednesdays $5; Thursdays and Fridays $10; and Saturdays $20. Student Price: Tuesday – Friday $5; and Saturday $10.
Tuesday – Saturday, September 30 – October 4
Late Night Session: The New Wonders
Tuesday – Saturday, October 7 – 11
Late Night Session: Michela Marino Lerman: Redezvous in Rhythm
Tuesday – Friday, October 14 – 17
Late Night Session: Sammy Miller and the Congregation
Saturday, October 18
Late Night Dance Session: Michael Mwenso with Sammy Miller and the Congregation
Tuesday – Saturday, October 21 – 25
Late Night Session: Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: Virgo Tenors
Tuesday – Saturday, October 28 – November 1
Late Night Session: Julian Lee
SPECIAL OFFERS:
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola continues the Hot Fives Special — $5 cover — during the Late Night Session sets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — a great way for patrons to hear some of the most talented young jazz performers while enjoying spectacular views of Manhattan.