Don’t Miss Houston Person Quartet @ Jazz Forum!

Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the Eubie Blake Jazz Award in 1982.

He spent many years as Etta Jones’ musical partner, recording, performing and touring. There are more than 75 albums recorded by Houston Person as a bandleader, on Prestige, Westbound, Mercury, Savoy, and Muse, and he has most recently been recording on HighNote. See the Houston Person Quartet feat. Lafayette Harris, piano, Matthew Parrish, bass and Vince Ector, drums at the Jazz Forum!

Gerry Malkin is a leader and tenor saxophonist who has performed with Tito Puente, Lew Soloff, Adam Nussbaum, George Colligan, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Ray Vega and Dave Weckl among others.

On stage, Gerry Malkin and Scott Wendholt will be joined by pianist Jeff Pittson, who has worked with many jazz musicians, among them Joe Henderson, Eddie Henderson, Kenny Garrett and Ruth Brown. Also featured will be bassist Mike McGuirk, who’s performed with Billy Drummond and Rob Sheps, and drummer Bobby Leonard who has played with Dave Liebman and The Woody Herman Orchestra. Don’t miss the Gerry Malkin Sextet featuring Scott Wendholt, trumpet, Chris Morrison, guitar, Mike McGuirk, bass, Tony Jefferson, drums and Tito Marrero, percussion at the Jazz Forum!

A select member of jazz’s piano pantheon, Fred Hersch is a pervasively influential creative force who has shaped the music’s course over more than four decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist. He has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair, “an elegant force of musical invention” by The L.A. Times, and “a living legend” by The New Yorker.

A twelve-time Grammy nominee, Hersch has regularly garnered jazz’s most prestigious awards, including recent distinctions as a 2016 Doris Duke Artist, 2016 and 2018 Jazz Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association, and the 2017 Prix Honorem de Jazz from L’Acádemie Charles Cros for the totality of his career.

Sergio Pereira is visiting the Jazz Forum on his upcoming “Nu Brasil” CD release tour!

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sergio Pereira started playing acoustic guitar (violao) at the age of 8 years old, influenced by his older brother who played the guitar and helped him with his first chords. He was also influenced by the music of bossa-nova giants at the time such as Joao Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, Joao Donato, Marcos Valle and many more. Growing up in Rio in the 60’s and 70’s has contributed tremendously to the energy, groove and rhythms reflected in his music today.

His latest album ”’Nu Brasil,” released by ZOHO Music of NYC, includes some of the most well known musicians in the world, such as pianist Helio Alves, flutist Oriente Lopez, harmonica player Gabriel Grossi, Spanish saxophonist Perico Sambeat, singer Paula Santoro, guitarist Marcus Texeira and others.

Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with Morning Prayer, won the New York Jazz Award in 1979 and earned the Stereo Review Record of the Year in 1981 for his album The Outside Within.

Heralded as one of the most important saxophonists of our time, Chico Freeman marked his return to the United States after more than a decade living and working in Europe with a new album and a new group in 2016. Freeman has a thirst to immerse himself in his music and a curiosity to explore, working with different musicians and living in different cultures. He has perfected an immediately recognizable approach to music and composition, blending what he has experienced from his past and providing fluidity into a future of infinite musical possibilities.

Massimo Farao is an Italian jazz pianist who studied with Flavio Crivelli. In 1983 he first visited the United States, where he played with Red Holloway and Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath.

In the 1990s he worked with Tony Scott, Adrian Mears, John Enders, Jesse Davis and Franco Ambrosetti. He also played in the Nat Adderley Quintet on a European tour. In 1993 he recorded his debut album, For Meon, featuring trumpeter Flavio Boltro and in 1995 followed with the album Ciao Baby.