92Y Presents The Soul Jazz Festival in New York City | March 14th-15th, 2014

 
NEW YORK, NY:  92Y announces its first Soul Jazz Festival! Join us for two nights of soul jazz – modern music with a deep foundation in groove and melody and the freedom of improvisation. DJ Logic & Friends kick off the weekend on Friday, March 14, followed by the Joey DeFrancesco All-Star Band. On Saturday, March 15, Brian Landrus Kaleidoscope opens for Grammy® Award winner Esperanza Spalding.
 
Comments Soul Jazz Festival artistic advisor Brian Landrus, “Soul jazz is known for keeping hold of the tradition of jazz, while bringing in aspects of modern popular music, combining improvisation with elements of R ‘n’ B, gospel, blues, and earthy melodies. These artists follow in the footsteps of such influential soul jazz artists as Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Jimmy Smith and I’m thrilled to help bring them to 92Y’s gorgeous concert hall.”
 
DJ Logic & Friends
Lamont McCain: bass
James Hurt: keys
More TBA
 
Joey DeFrancesco All-Star Band
Joey DeFrancesco: organ
Brian Lynch: trumpet
George Garzone: tenor sax
Nir Felder: guitar
Billy Hart: drums
 
Brian Landrus Kaleidoscope
Brian Landrus: baritone and bass saxophones, bass clarinet, bass flute
Rudy Royston: drums
Nir Felder: guitar
Leo Genovese: piano, Rhodes
Lonnie Plaxico: electric and acoustic bass
Mark Feldman: violin
Joyce Hammann: violin
Judith Insell: viola
Jody Redhage: cello
Ryan Truesdell: conductor
 
 
Jazz at 92Y
Thelonious Monk and Art Farmer performed in 92Y’s first jazz concert on April 23, 1955, followed by Sarah Vaughan in 1959. The Jazz Theater Concert Series in 1962 featured John Coltrane, Betty Carter, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans and even a young clarinetist named Woody Allen. 92Y’s second jazz series, Jazz Alive at the Y during the 1980-81 season, included Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman and Gerry Mulligan. Jazz finally found a permanent home at 92Y with the launch of Jazz Piano at 92Y, now called 92Y Jazz, in 1984, followed by Jazz in July in 1985. Both series were under the artistic direction of Dick Hyman. In 2005, Bill Charlap succeeded Dick Hyman as Jazz in July’s artistic director and celebrates his tenth season as artistic director this summer.
 
92Y Soul Jazz Festival is underwritten by Gilda and Henry Block, and Kenneth Kolker z”l.
 
About 92nd Street Y
92Y is a world-class nonprofit community and cultural center that connects people at every stage of life to the worlds of education, the arts, health and wellness, and Jewish life. Through the breadth and depth of 92Y’s extraordinary programs, 92Y enriches lives, creates community and elevates humanity.  More than 300,000 people visit 92Y in New York City annually and many more connect through digital and social media, live webcasts of events, and an extensive archive of stage programs and original content produced for the web, all available on 92YOnDemand.org. A proudly Jewish organization since its founding in 1874, 92Y embraces its heritage and enthusiastically welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. For more information, visit www.92Y.org.