MORE INFORMATION
Farrell Family Jazz-at-the-Athenaeum
Wednesday, June 13, 7:00pm– Benny Green and John Clayton
Thursday, June 21, 7:30pm – Danilo Perez Trio
Thursday, July 5, 7:30pm – Joe Locke and Geoffrey Keezer
Thursday, July 26, 7:30pm – Lounge Art Ensemble: Erskine/Sheppard/Oles
Series: $76 member/$96 nonmember
Jazz returns to the Music Room of the Athenaeum (at 1008 Wall Street in La Jolla) for the library’s annual summer jazz series. The series features rare San Diego appearances by internationally-acclaimed jazz artists. Seating is limited, so early reservations are strongly suggested! For tickets and information, call 858-454-5872.
The series opens on Wednesday, June 13, with the stellar team of pianist Benny Green and bassist John Clayton, who return to reprise their extraordinary February 2006 duo performance at the Athenaeum. This engagement will be presented in two separate performances at 7pm and 9pm. Benny Green is celebrated for his absorption of a wide swath of the jazz tradition, from early stride playing to the hard-bop idiom of the early 1960s. JazzTimes commented that Green’s style features “plenty of playing with Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner and Fats Waller in mind, and plenty of humor…but when he turns the mood reflective, we are reminded that this rollicking pianist is also a master of touch, dynamics, harmonic subtlety and surprising melodic turns.” Bassist John Clayton is known for his co-leadership of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers Quintet, as well as associations with artists such as Diana Krall, DeeDee Bridgewater (including her Grammy award winning CD "Dear Ella"), Natalie Cole, Milt Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Quincy Jones, George Benson, Dr. John, Gladys Knight, Regina Carter, Queen Latifah and many others. DownBeat called him simply, “one of the most accomplished bassists in mainstream jazz.”
The series continues on Thursday, June 21, with the long-awaited return visit by the Danilo Perez Trio, featuring Perez on piano, Ben Street on bass, and Adam Cruz on drums. Perez’s last local appearance as a leader was a memorable performance on the Athenaeum Neurosciences series in September 2001. This extraordinary Panamanian pianist and composer is counted among the most influential and dynamic jazz musicians of our time. His distinctive blend of Pan-American jazz (covering the music of the Americas, folkloric and world music) has attracted critical acclaim and loyal audiences. Danilo’s abundant talents and joyous enthusiasm make his concerts both memorable and inspiring. Whether leading his own ensembles or touring with renowned jazz masters (Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Steve Lacy), Danilo is making a decidedly fresh imprint on contemporary music. Perez has led his own groups since the early ‘90s, and as bandleader has earned three Grammy nominations for his ebullient and innovative recordings. Of his more than 8-year trio collaboration with Street and Cruz, the Boston Phoenix wrote, “No one in the mainstream is played more freely than this trio.” Partial funding for this performance is made through the Western Jazz Presenters Network and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The series continues on Thursday, July 5, with duo performance by New York-based vibraphonist Joe Locke and pianist Geoffrey Keezer. Widely considered to be one of the major voices on jazz “vibes,” Joe Locke has performed and recorded with a diverse range of notable musicians, including Grover Washington Jr, Kenny Barron, Eddie Henderson, Cecil Taylor, Dianne Reeves, and Ron Carter. The Times of London wrote, "There seems little doubt that Locke, with his ability to play cool and funky, heady and relaxed, is set to become the pre-eminent vibraphonist in jazz." AllAboutJazz called him, “a natural on the instrument, an outstanding improviser with great melodic and harmonic sensibility.” Locke has enjoyed a longtime musical collaboration with San Diego-based Geoffrey Keezer. In addition to his work as a leader, Keezer has been a member of the ensembles of Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Ray Brown, and Christian McBride. JazzTimes deemed him “an enormously skilled and creative pianist,” and DownBeat celebrated him for “embodying the notion that 88 keys comprise a creative orchestra.” All About Jazz wrote, "Regardless of context or style, Geoffrey Keezer is consistently inventive and virtuosic, and above all, unfailingly musical."
The series concludes on Thursday, July 26, with the return of the Los Angeles-based Lounge Art Ensemble, featuring drummer extraordinaire Peter Erskine, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and bassist Darek Oles. Originally created by Bob Sheppard and bassist Dave Carpenter as a creative composing and improvising laboratory, the Lounge Art Ensemble has released two albums with Peter Erskine and toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe. Following Dave Carpenter's untimely death, Darek Oles was recruited to keep the band alive and the group has flourished with his addition. Using time-tested jazz standards as a jumping-off point, the LAE continues to explore the possibilities of the horn trio in a most modern and refreshing way, as evidenced by such “unstandard standards” as “I Hear at Rap CD” and “Jung at Heart.” It is West Coast Jazz with a vengeance and an East Coast edge, the music wry, well-balanced, and swinging. The group brings together three top West Coast-based musicians: Peter Erskine, one of the pre-eminent drummers in jazz; Bob Sheppard, known as “a suave, sophisticated player, with a seductive suppleness and sheen to his sound” (DownBeat); and Darek Oles, whose many associations include Charles Lloyd, Bennie Maupin, and Brad Mehldau.
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IMPORTANT: The Athenaeum verifies all transactions for active library membership status and reserves the right to charge the difference in "member" and "nonmember" ticket price. To learn more about the benefits of becoming an Athenaeum member, please visit the Membership section on our website www.ljathenaeum.org/membership.
Tickets can also be purchased by calling the Athenaeum Box Office at (858) 454-5872 or stopping by in person during normal library hours. The library is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday and Monday.
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