Don’t Miss Vincent Herring Quintet @ Jazz Forum!

Saxophonist Vincent Herring’s intense, soulful, multi-noted style and ebullient swing have excited audiences worldwide. He has appeared on stage and on recordings with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Hayes, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Steve Turre, The Mingus Big Band (2010 Grammy Recipient), Kenny Barron, Nancy Wilson, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, Mike LeDonne, Carl Allen, Ron McClure, and John Hicks among others.

The Vincent Herring Quintet’s Tribute to Freddie Hubbard features Jeremy Pelt, trumpet, Louis Hayes, drums, Dave Kikoski, piano, and Yasushi Nakamura, bass.

Carlos Barbosa Lima and Larry Del Casale present their new CD “Delicado” at the Jazz Forum!

Acclaimed internationally as one of the world’s leading guitar masters, ZOHO recording artist, Carlos Barbosa-Lima is recognized throughout the world for his extraordinary skills as a performer and arranger of a wide variety of music for the guitar.

Although primarily known as a soloist and arranger, the virtuoso guitarist Del Casale completes Carlos Barbosa-Lima’s melodies with panache and verve.

Carlos Barbosa-Lima and Larry Del Casale differ from other groups and the two-guitar format really lets them stretch out as top musicians. The duo has now been performing together for 15 years.

Baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan was born April 4, 1956, in Bethpage, New York. The gifted multi-instrumentalist started his music career by first learning alto saxophone during his teenage years on Long Island.

Today he is critically acclaimed across-the-board and recognized as the major voice on the baritone saxophone. His playing is marked by an aggressive rhythmic sense, an intelligent and creative harmonic approach — and perhaps most importantly – a strong and incisive wit.

The Gary Smulyan Quintet features Eric Alexander, sax, Renee Rosnes, piano, Sean Smith, bass, and Carl Allen, drums.

Fleurine, jazz vocalist and Brazilian music authority, has gained a devoted international following for her “warm, enveloping sound and gentle rhythmic drive” (Los Angeles Times) and her “cunning brand of vocal wizardry” (JazzTimes).

A Dutch native, she spent summers visiting her grandparents and great uncle in Portugal, becoming fluent in Portuguese and leading her first Brazilian cover band in her teens. She went on to become the first singer authorized to translate into English the lyrics of the legendary Chico Buarque, for her spellbinding 2008 Sunnyside release San Francisco (produced by Robert Sadin).

Fleurine is donating nearly all of the proceeds from Brazilian Dream to Estrela da Favela, a small idealistic school located in the troubled Mangueira neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. It is her way of giving back to the country that has inspired her throughout her career.

Over a career of a half-century and counting, Steve Kuhn has earned renown as one of the most lyrical and affecting pianists in jazz, with an unfailingly beautiful touch and a sophisticated sense of swing. “Steve is an original stylist,” points out Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers.

“He’s one of the finest pianists out there today.” Jazziz magazine described Kuhn’s distinctive sound: “Few other pianists, regardless of genre, can tease such an evocative range of timbres from their instrument. Kuhn’s lower register is as dark and rich as Belgian chocolate, and his upper register has the light, translucent quality of ice-cold champagne.”

Solivan has made a name for herself as a hard swinging, passionate, vocalist who has a commanding stage presence and is able to captivate audiences with her joyous exuberance and wit. Having performed and recorded with Christian McBride, Peter Bernstein, Jeremy Pelt, Bruce Barth, Gregory Hutchinson, Johnathan Blake, Xavier Davis, Michael Kanan, Steve Wilson, Gene Bertoncini and Lewis Nash, Solivan has been consistently raising the bar for singers of her generation. 

Jordan Richardson at Blinded by Sound concludes “The exquisiteness, expression and sentiment of her singing are supreme. She is well beyond the go-through-the-motions singers of the genre by an enormous margin.”

Paquito D’Rivera, iconic Cuban American virtuoso of the clarinet and saxophone, composer and fourteen-time Grammy winner in both jazz and classical categories brings his unique blend of a global sensitivity to the Jazz Forum. He is the winner of fourteen Grammy Awards, is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer.

His widespread and eclectic musical tastes include Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies, influences encountered in his many travels, and back to his classical origins. Born in Havana, Cuba, he was a prodigy on clarinet, performing at age 10 with the National Theater Orchestra. By 17, he became a featured soloist with Cuban National Symphony.

From there, he skyrocketed into a career that often has him labeled a “living legend.” Paquito D’Rivera’s discography includes over 30 solo albums and he is the first artist to win Latin Grammy Awards in both Classical and Latin Jazz categories.

Internationally acclaimed contemporary performing artist, composer, educator, author and journalist, he has led original music ensembles for forty years and performed itinerantly as a solo artist. A virtuoso guitarist and vocalist, he is recognized as one of today’s most important exponents and advocates of Brazilian music.

He has performed as a solo guitarist/vocalist at noted venues including B.B. King’s Latin Guitar Festival (Blue Note Jazz Festival) and Global Guitar Fest at Subrosa. In 2016 he presented master class Brazilian Guitar Panorama at the prestigious classical guitar conference New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes College / New School University College of the Performing Arts.

A four-time recipient of the NEA Grant in Jazz Performance, his many guest artist residencies include Harvard, Cornell, Lamont School of Music/Denver, Cincinnati Conservatory, Univ. Louisville, Univ. Toronto, Univ. Arizona/Tucson and National Guitar Workshop.