Dizzy’s Club ushers in the new year with a lineup featuring jazz veterans and up-and-coming musicians. Starting this month, Dizzy’s Club launches Late Night Happy Hour with eats and drinks starting at only $5. Late Night Happy Hour features emerging artists in New York City from Tuesday-Saturday at 11:15 p.m. No reservations are necessary.
DIZZY’S CLUB JANUARY 2020 LINEUP:
GONZALO RUBALCABA TRIO D’ÉTÉ
January 2-5 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Multi-Grammy Award–winner Gonzalo Rubalcaba is one of the great pianists and bandleaders of our time. Rubalcaba has long been celebrated for his exemplary trios, and this group is a relatively new band to join that lineage, boasting two of the most in-demand players on the scene: bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Eric Harland.
Cover: Thurs $40 / Fri, Sat $45 / Sun $40
Student: $25
MONDAY NIGHTS WITH WBGO:
ASHLEY PEZZOTTI QUINTET
January 6 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Ashley Pezzotti is a young jazz vocalist rapidly making a name for herself, and 2019 was quite a year for Pezzotti, with highlights including the release of her critically acclaimed and encouragingly titled debut album We’ve Only Just Begun; a live performance of Wynton Marsalis’ The Ever Fonky Lowdown with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis; and participation in the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program, in which she was mentored by Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jason Moran, Casey Benjamin, Marcus Printup, and Peter Martin. Lovers of the Great American Songbook—and tunes inspired by it—should make sure to see Pezzotti perform live, especially when her quintet is practically a next-generation all-star band, comprising multiple regular Jazz at Lincoln Center headliners.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
WBGO is proud to partner once again with Dizzy’s Club on Monday Nights with WBGO.
The series features talented new artists as well as groups from some of the area’s great college jazz programs.
Each performance is hosted by WBGO announcer Nicole Sweeney.
ED CHERRY QUARTET FEATURING PETER BERNSTEIN
January 7 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
This performance is a masterclass in jazz guitar, featuring Ed Cherry’s first Dizzy’s Club appearance in nearly a decade. Sharing the spotlight is fellow guitar master Peter Bernstein, similarly renowned for his beautiful tone, thoughtfully developed solos, and tasteful, soulful phrasing. The way these players interact makes a strong case for the rare double-guitar formation, and their hard-swinging rhythm section of Dean Torrey and Anwar Marshall brings it all together seamlessly. Cherry is perhaps best known for his long associations with such singular bandleaders as Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Threadgill, Roy Hargrove, and Jimmy Smith, but he’s an elite leader himself, and his partnership with Bernstein gives guitar fans everything they could ask for.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
AMINA FIGAROVA SEXTET
January 8 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Hailing from Azerbaijan, the New York-based Amina Figarova is an internationally influenced—and recognized—composer, pianist, and bandleader. Those three roles come to the forefront in Figarova’s sextets, bands with remarkable chemistry that brings her detailed arrangements to life. Every member of the group stands out as a first-rate individual, but their dedication to Figarova’s eclectic and powerful compositions gives this group its depth of feeling and elite status. The Amina Figarova Sextet has been a hit at major festivals like the Newport Jazz Festival and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
THE BRIANNA THOMAS BAND
“EVERYBODY KNOWS” ALBUM RELEASE
January 9-10 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Soulful vocalist Brianna Thomas returns to Dizzy’s Club to celebrate the long-anticipated release of her sophomore album, Everybody Knows. Thomas is a versatile young performer oozing with personality, and she’s a true audience favorite at Jazz at Lincoln Center, with recent performances including her own headlining shows in The Appel Room, hosting an exclusive Valentine’s Day evening at Dizzy’s Club, and performing as the featured vocalist in multiple concerts with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller.
Cover: $40
Student: $20
RUSSELL HALL PRESENTS THE FEELING OF ROMANCE
January 11 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
With an unfailing groove, blistering chops, an abundance of character, Russell Hall has fast become of the New York City’s preeminent bassists. He’s an old friend of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s, having come up through the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival—and winning “Most Outstanding Bassist” every year. Now he’s an in-demand artist at all of the top venues alongside a tight-knit group of like-minded young musicians, many of whom are featured in this show. As Hall describes this new program:
“The Feeling Of Romance is a show that draws on a myriad of musical stylings including jazz, opera, reggae, and roots music. It is a suite of original songs composed to reflect the ebbs and flows of 21st century love. As we live in a time of conflict, it is vital to present the core of love in the raw, the flawed, and the sublime. With the Lady, the Fool, and the insatiable thirst for love in an age of absurdity, listeners are in for an unforgettable expedition on the journey to the depths of the soul. Be prepared to enter the unknown with this highly interactive, improvised Afropera.”
Cover: $45
Student: $20
BRUBECKS PLAY BRUBECK
January 12 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Since 2010, Darius, Chris, and Dan Brubeck have toured together in salute to the legacy of their father, Dave Brubeck’s. After making their United States debut in 2014 at Dizzy’s Club, they return once again to perform new material from the huge Dave Brubeck catalog, as well as original pieces and well-loved hits like “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Each of these musicians, as well as saxophonist Dave O’Higgins, is a veteran jazz professional in his own right, and together they share a rare firsthand knowledge of one of jazz’s greatest legends: Dave Brubeck.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
ISAIAH J. THOMPSON QUARTET
January 13 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Up-and-coming pianist extraordinaire Isaiah J. Thompson headlines Dizzy’s Club alongside some of the finest young musicians on the scene. It’s a group of exciting and distinctive players who share an admirable passion for the core tenets of jazz: blues, swing, and improvisation. He will perform alongside popular saxophonist Julian Lee, himself a regular headliner at Dizzy’s Club, and bassist Philip Norris and drummer Domo Branch, who, together with Thompson, comprise three-quarters of the Citizens of the Blues quartet, which will perform in Rose Theater in February 2020 as openers for the Branford Marsalis Quartet.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
CHRISTIAN SANDS TRIO
January 14 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
At only 30 years old, pianist Christian Sands already has five Grammy Award nominations under his belt and has spent years recording and touring as a bandleader. Wynton Marsalis was right to have named him a “jazz star of the future,” and he was also a longtime member of the Christian McBride Trio. He returns to Dizzy’s with his trio mates to perform a set of original music and perhaps a few older favorites.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
THE CURTIS BROTHERS
“ALGORITHM” ALBUM RELEASE
January 15 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Luques and Zaccai Curtis are a formidable duo known together as the Curtis Brothers. The pair has made a mark in jazz and Latin music by exploring the blues harmonies and swing rhythms of the Africa-Caribbean-New Orleans lineage that make for a distinct and irresistible fusion. They will celebrate their latest release, Algorithm, which emphasizes their hard bop inclinations with some obvious nods toward the legacy of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Most of the pieces happen to be inspired by and named after diverse mathematical concepts, but the music itself is wonderfully organic, human, and propulsive.
Cover: $35
Student: $25
ATOM STRING QUARTET
January 16 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Atom String Quartet is an internationally renowned group of boundary-pushing string players from Poland. Combining classical and chamber music traditions with Polish folk influences and jazz improvisation, the Atom String Quartet’s music is a stirring, hard-to-define alchemy that will appeal to a wide variety of serious music lovers. In addition to collaborating with top orchestras, composers, and creatives from Europe and beyond, the group has also worked with American icons like Branford Marsalis and Bobby McFerrin. They will perform in concert as a quartet, keeping the spotlight on the heartfelt musical core that has attracted such widespread attention since the group’s inception in 2010.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
WALTER BLANDING QUARTET
January 17-19 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxophonist Walter Blanding returns to Dizzy’s Club. Blanding is not only a world-class saxophonist, as JLCO fans know well, but also an equally gifted composer, arranger, and bandleader. The combination of Blanding’s smart repertoire, unique program concepts, and stellar bands makes him an easy recommendation for any kind of jazz fan—especially now that Blanding is currently in his second year of ambassadorship at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, making any opportunity to catch him in the United States a must-see event.
Cover: Fri, Sat $45 / Sun $30
Student: $25
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER YOUTH ORCHESTRA
January 20 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra (JLCYO) consists of 20 exceedingly talented and dedicated high school students in the Tri-State Area. Members have the opportunity to enhance their musical education with the finest professional training and performance opportunities. The JLCYO rehearses weekly in Frederick P. Rose Hall, the state-of-the-art home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. During these rehearsals, students learn big band repertoire and performance techniques from JLCYO Director Vincent Gardner, as well as members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis
Cover: $45
Student: $30
TBD
January 21
LARRY WILLIS: A LIFE IN JAZZ
January 22 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
This show honors the life and music of legendary jazz pianist Larry Willis, who passed away in September 2019. With music direction by drummer Willie Jones III, who played alongside Willis in Roy Hargrove’s band for many years, the evening will feature a collective of great musicians who performed with and were influenced by the late, great pianist, whom they called “Prof.”
Cover: $30
Student: $20
BENNY GREEN TRIO
January 23-26 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Benny Green is a hard bop pianist carrying on the swinging jazz tradition. A former member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Green also learned under the tutelage of Betty Carter, Freddie Hubbard, and Ray Brown. This experience is evident in his playing and leadership. His internationally touring trio with bassist David Wong and drummer Aaron Kimmel is a shining example of first-rate, no-frills hard bop that captures the driving energy of the canon’s best practitioners.
Cover: Thurs, Fri $40 / Sat $45 / Sun $30
Student: $25
BENNY BENACK III:
“A LOT OF LIVIN’ TO DO” ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
January 27 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Dual-threat trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III celebrates the release of his second album, A Lot of Livin’ to Do. From fast bop burners to slow ballads, the multi-talented 28-year-old is a gifted soloist, a charismatic crooner, and a whole lot in between. Dizzy’s Club was honored to present the release party for Benack’s acclaimed debut album, and now the club keeps the tradition going with this latest release.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
JAMES MORRISON QUARTET
January 28 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Australian trumpeter James Morrison is a world-renowned trumpet virtuoso who has played with legends including Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, and Wynton Marsalis. He has also worked with the London Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, and he has performed for two United States Presidents and Queen Elizabeth II. This level of popularity and demand started early for Morrison, who made his United States debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival when he was only 16 years old.
Cover: $35
Student: $20
BENITO GONZALEZ TRIO: TRIBUTE TO MCCOY TYNER
January 29 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Pianist Benito Gonzalez is an internationally beloved artist who combines a long lineage of American jazz traditions with rhythms from around the world. He’s worked with dozens of the greats, and in this show he brings two of the best rhythm section players to help him pay tribute to his biggest inspiration, pianist McCoy Tyner. Expect to hear an elite trio performing Tyner classics and possibly a couple of inspired originals or even a favorite John Coltrane tune.
Cover: $40
Student: $25
NILSON MATTA’S BRAZILIAN VOYAGE QUINTET
January 30-February 2 | 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Nilson Matta is well known as the world-class bassist of Trio da Paz and as a multi-Grammy Award–wining collaborator with Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D’Rivera, and Herbie Mann, but his solo career as a composer and bandleader is equally noteworthy. His music brings together lush harmonies, contemporary Brazilian rhythms, and expert improvisation across a variety of moods, making “Brazilian Voyage” an apt title for the group. In every performance, Matta’s expert knowledge of the traditions and modern explorations of Brazilian jazz reveals an evolution in which he continues to play a major role.
Cover: Thurs, Fri $40 / Sat $45 / Sun $30
Student: $25
JANUARY 2020 LATE NIGHT SESSIONS + LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR
Doors open at 11:15 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday for the Late Night Sessions featuring some of the most talented up-and-coming jazz artists, with jam sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays. The newly-introduced Late Night Happy Hour includes eats and drinks starting at $5. No reservations necessary.
Thursday-Saturday, January 2-4
LATE NIGHT SESSION: TBD
Tuesday-Saturday, January 7-11
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Charles Turner & Uptown Swing (1/7-1/10)
LATE NIGHT DANCE SESSION: Charles Turner & Uptown Swing (1/11)
Tuesday-Saturday, January 14-18
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Jacob Melsha
Thursday-Saturday, January 21-25
LATE NIGHT SESSION: Carl Maraghi
Thursday-Saturday, January 28-February 1
LATE NIGHT SESSION: TBD
Additional information and the full lineup is available at jazz.org/dizzys.
Dizzy’s Club is located on the 5th floor, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City.
Leave a Reply