NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart, the iconic drummer and elder statesman, appears at Dizzy’s (10 Columbus Circle) March 13–15. He will be joined by tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, along with members from his original quartet: pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street.
Hart enjoys an illustrious career, having earned an international reputation for his defining contributions with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi Sextet from 1969–73, and his inventive playing with Miles Davis on the pioneering fusion journey “On the Corner” (Columbia Records, 1972). His extensive resumé includes stints with Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Fortune, Wayne Shorter, and Pharoah Sanders (playing on his celebrated album “Karma” (Impulse!, 1969)).
Hart’s drumming style changed the concept of drumming with his own distinctive groove that pushed hot, swinging rhythms for Eddie Harris and Joanne Brackeen, or the behind-the-beat ballads of song stylist Shirley Horn.
For reservations, visit jazz.org.
There are quite a few young singers on the horizon who deserve to be heard; one such rising influence is Vanisha Gould. She appears at Dizzy’s one night only on March 16, with two shows, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Gould has a unique style that immediately captivates any listener within distance of her alluring vocals. Gaining a reputation for her heartfelt writing and modern approach to jazz storytelling., she has captured new fans around the world during her tours throughout Europe and Russia, and with performances in Sweden, Denmark, and the Nordic regions.
In 2023, Gould received the Jazz Gallery Composition Residency Commission, expanding her vision toward multi-movement works that integrate text, voice, and visual storytelling.
Her vocals fall somewhere between Abbey Lincoln, Cassandra Wilson, and perhaps a little Pearl Bailey. She prefers her own originals or songs that most of us have never heard — those little gems that managed to slip by the top 40 list. Her latest album, “She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth,” leans into her daring vocal style that highlights her undeniable authenticity, an enthralling voice that lingers in the shadows after she’s left the stage.
For reservations, visit jazz.org.
Another jazz voice comes to Dizzy’s on March 19: the vocals of Latin Grammy-nominated vocalist and composer Claudia Acuna. She brings a blend of South American folk traditions with jazz and world music, drawing on her homeland sounds of Chile and dancing in the many sounds and cultures of New York City. She will be accompanied by pianist Manu Koch, bassist Carlos Henderson, and drummer Yayo Serka.
Whether reimagining jazz standards, interpreting beloved Latin American ballads, or infusing Afro-Caribbean rhythms with depth and nuance, Acuña captivates with her burnished bronze tone and expressive storytelling, creating a performance that feels both intimate and deeply moving.
Visit jazz.org, for reservations.
Miles Davis was oozing hipness — the epitome of coolness, revolutionary thought, independent swing, speed racer, boxer, Black genius, the shape-shifter, the innovative instigator who heard music in his head when he wasn’t even listening.
He flourished in bebop; manipulated cool jazz into the birth of the cool, inaugurated jazz fusion with defiant vengeance, dazzled us to the galaxy’s end with the impressive sounds of his First Great Quartet and the audacity to have the Second Great Quartet. Everybody sums it up by saying that Miles was a bad MF. To quote actor Brock Peters as Jack Johnson on Miles’s LP “Jack Johnson” (Columbia Records, 1971). “I’m Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion of the world, I’m Black, they never let me forget it. I’m Black all right. I never let them forget it.”
Miles will linger in the Milky Way’s Band pit, inspiring new sounds for generations who dare independence. We celebrate the centennial of Miles’s birth as his legacy soars high in the sky, where angels drink Bitches Brew and dance On the Corner to Kind of Blue!
His centennial will be celebrated with the NEA Jazz Masters: A Tribute to Miles Davis, on March 20 at Flushing Town Hall’s annual NEA Jazz Masters concert (137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY).
It will be led by the legendary trumpeter/flugelhorn player and composer Jimmy Owens and his fellow NEA Jazz Masters: alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kenny Barron, and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, along with rising jazz talents guitarist Michael Howell and bassist Kenny Davis.
Owens informed me during a recent phone interview that the NEA Masters will perform some of Miles’s earlier repertoire, like “All Blues,” “Freddie Freeloader,” and later stuff like “Tutu” and Full Nelson.” They will also add commentary about Miles, his music, and various experiences.
“I first met Miles at age 15, when my father took me to see him for a matinee at Smalls Paradise, in Harlem,” recalled Owens. “It was very special. Miles invited me onstage to play with him, I played ‘Walkin’ and then Cannonball and Coltrane joined. That was a very important moment to me and my musical growth.”
Owens earned real, sanctified super-status the day a little sports car came up behind him, honking and honking, as he and his boys left Music & Arts H.S. and were walking to the subway station. The little sports car pulled up next to the curb, and as the window rolled down, everyone could see it was Miles Davis — what! Miles offered Owens a ride home to the Bronx. The next day, he was the talk of the entire school; even teachers were speaking to him. “Man, what a feeling that was. After that, Miles and I became casual friends,” said Owens. “He was one of our great geniuses, who changed the music many times, and he was a great trumpet player.”
For more information, visit flushingtownhall.org or call 718-463-7700 x222.