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The John Birks Gillespie Auditorium, dedicated
to the late jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, is located within the
New York City Baha’i Center. Beginning on January 6, 2004,
the anniversary of Dizzy’s death, his former pianist and
musical director, Mike Longo, is presenting weekly jazz concerts every Tuesday evening at 8:00 and 9:30 PM.
You will literally be transformed by the
thundering swinging sound of The New York State of the Art
Jazz Ensemble.
You won’t want to miss their next appearance on Tuesday,
May 13, 2008.
The NYSAJE will be featured on some Tuesday nights, and other major jazz artists such as Charlie Persip, Warren Chiasson, Chip White, Freddie Hendricks, Benny Powell, Annie Ross, Jimmy Owens, Daoud David Williams and many others will headline on other Tuesdays. Check the schedule below for the exciting lineup of upcoming shows.
Admission is $15.00 per show, $10.00 for students.
Tickets will be sold at the door. Advance tickets may be purchased
by credit card only by calling 212-222-5159.
Tuesday, May 6: Quarteto Moderno with guitarist/vocalist Richard Boukas and
saxophonist Felipe Salles
Quarteto Moderno is a cutting-edge contemporary Brazilian Jazz ensemble
which presents fresh interpretations of samba, baião, choro, frevo,
maracatu, marcha and guarânia. A creatively rich crossroad featuring
original compositions of acclaimed guitarist-vocalist Richard Boukas,
saxophonist Felipe Salles and bassist Leonardo Cioglia, they are joined by
ubiquitous drummer Adriano Santos. The group also performs staple Brazilian
repertoire of legendary composers from Pixinguinha to the living genius
Hermeto Pascoal. Tonight is Quarteto Moderno’s premier performance.
Tuesday, May 13: Mike Longo’s 18-piece Big Band “The NY State of the Art
Jazz Ensemble” with vocalist Miss Hilary Gardner
This is the big band that thrilled a sold-out house this past October at
Dizzy Gillespie's birthday celebration and was voted "Band of the Year" in
the 2004 Brazilian Jazz Poll. You will be delighted by the NYSAJE's
repertoire from their latest CD "Oasis", that topped the charts at # 7 in
December 2004 and remained in the top 20 for an unprecedented 16 weeks. And
you won't want to miss Hilary Gardner’s renditions of some jazz classics as
well as some new compositions and arrangements.
Mike Longo has performed with a list of jazz legends that include saxophone
great Cannonball Adderley, Henry Red Allen, Coleman Hawkins, George
Wettling, Gene Krupa, Nancy Wilson, Gloria Lynn, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe
Williams, Jimmy Rushing, James Moody and many others. It was in the mid-60s
when Longo’s trio was playing at the Embers West, that Roy Eldridge told
Dizzy Gillespie about this new pianist he had heard. Dizzy came to hear him
play and soon asked him to become his pianist. This started a life-long
musical relationship and friendship. From 1966 through 1975, Longo worked
exclusively as Dizzy’s pianist and musical director. Mike left the
Gillespie group officially in 1975 to venture out on his own, but continued
to work for Gillespie on a part-time basis until his death in 1993. Since
that time Mike has recorded numerous albums and CDs on various labels with
some 45 recordings with artists such as Gillespie, James Moody, etc. At
present he has over 20 solo albums to his credit. He is sought after as a
music instructor and is in demand for jazz clinics and concerts at
universities and music schools throughout the world, and has appeared
regularly at the Lincoln Center’s new jazz room “Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.”
Longo is founder and President of Consolidated Artists Productions (CAP), an
independent recording label, dedicated to allowing artists to pursue the
types of projects that are in line with their career objectives. All of the
artists represented by CAP (over 70) are extraordinarily talented, both as
composers and performers. Longo’s latest venture, Jazz Tuesdays, is
dedicated to allowing artists to retain creative control of their work and
providing students and the general public with an opportunity to hear “world
class jazz at affordable prices.”
Tuesday, May 20: The Mike Longo Trio
in a Special Tribute to Oscar Peterson
Featuring Mike Longo – one of Oscar’s
premiere students
And two of Oscar’s side-men:
Paul West on bass and Ray Mosca on drums
Join us for some heavy swing and a special tribute to the great Oscar
Peterson by the Mike Longo Trio - three musicians who were intimately
associated with Oscar. Mike Longo has performed with a list of jazz legends
that include saxophone great Cannonball Adderley, Henry Red Allen, Coleman
Hawkins, George Wettling, Gene Krupa, Nancy Wilson, Gloria Lynn, Jimmy
Witherspoon, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, James Moody and many others.
Tuesday, May 27: The Lou Caputo Big Band
Lou Caputo, a native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has been a professional
musician for over thirty years. He has done almost every kind of job that a
musician can be asked to do. A multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets
and flutes) he has performed in show bands with the likes of Lou Rawls,
Frankie Valli, Shirley Basey, Jack Jones, Bobby Short, Frankie Avalon, and a
host of others. As well as the many of the famous Motown acts like the
Temptations and the Four Tops. Aside from this he has performed along side
of Salsa legends like Candido, Bobby Sanabria and Lou Perez.
However, playing jazz is really closest to Lou’s heart. He has had the
opportunity to perform with people like trumpeter Richard Williams, pianists
Duke Jordon and Jaki Byard, drummers Walter Perkins and Mousey Alexander (in
his short-lived big band), vocalist Joe “BeBop” Carroll and Dakota Staton,
bassist Chris White (including a Carnegie Hall appearance). He has spent
time in the Glen Miller band under the direction of Clem DeRosa as well as
the Harry James Big Band. He has had the good fortune to record with jazz
legend Dr. Billy Taylor on guitarist Ray Rivera’s album Night Wind
Lou has had the pleasure of performing in the Richie Cole Octet. Another
high point is playing Birdland with the Ellington Band under the direction
of Paul Ellington and Jack Jeffers. Through the years Lou has appeared in
many of the area’s leading jazz clubs as both a leader and side man. He
also played for former President Bill Clinton on the occasion of Clinton’s
50th birthday.
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