Vocalist, songwriter, and producer Eugenie Jones is known for bringing her own teacup to the jazz scene, filled with sparkling soul that she mixes with her every song — a straight-ahead blend that enhances her original compositions, as well as traveled standards.
Jones, residing in Seattle for more than a decade, will make her way to Brooklyn for one night only at Sistas’ Place (456 Nostrand Avenue) on Oct. 24 for two sets, at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
She’s recorded six albums to date and collaborated with NEA Jazz Master Reggie Workman, Bernard Purdie, Lonnie Plaxico, Julian Priester, and Bobby Sanabria. She has won two Earshot Jazz Vocalist of the Year awards, received the Jazz Journalists Association’s Jazz Hero Award (2023), and is a Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame inductee.
This will be a night of intimate soul-swinging music that will linger into memorable moments. For reservations, call 718-398-1766.
After 17 years, the Cookers remain one of the most exciting collaborative ensembles today. Many of these cats were on the NYC 1960s transformation scene, when jazz was busting loose in all directions. Their then-roaring young voices extended those musical forms into new dimensions and inventions.
The members of the Cookers represent their own personal university of the now that features trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, tenor sax Azar Lawrence, pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Billy Hart.
This dynamic collective will perform at the Smoke Supper Club (2751 Broadway) Oct. 21–25. Each member of the Cookers has spent time leading his own series of groups as well, and each has a keenly individual sound, but it’s the unmistakable power of teamwork that makes this music so commanding and resonates with a kind of depth and beauty that speaks of the seasoned track record of its principals (combined, the group has more than 250 years of experience in the jazz world and has been a part of more than 1,000 recordings).
“It’s a joy after all these years with these great cats to still find ways to sound different, and keep the music moving forward with new interpretations,” said Hart. “We keep looking for the new based on our past experiences that push us into new territories.”
For showtimes and reservations, visit smokejazz.com.
Attending concerts, being captivated by good music, and leaving in a positive state of mind is what concerts are all about. Such will be the case when witnessing the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band jazz ensemble on Oct. 22 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The internationally acclaimed Native American singer, bandleader, and actor Keefe has performed with the likes of Tony Bennett, Bonnie Raitt, and Esperanza Spalding. Her performances celebrate the diversity and vitality of Indigenous people in jazz, past, present, and future. The ensemble also celebrates the legacy of underrated pioneers like Coeur d’Alene jazz icon Mildred Bailey and Jim Pepper (Kaw and Mskoke heritage).
Keefe grew up on the Nez Perce Reservation; was introduced to Billie Holiday at an early age; and later discovered Bailey, who became a major inspiration. Bailey gained her reputation as the “Queen of Swing” early on, and was one of the first female vocalists to be regularly featured with a big band, joining Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra in 1929. Billie Holiday didn’t join Benny Goodman’s Orchestra until 1933 — two years before Ella Fitzgerald joining Chick Webb’s Big Band at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom.
Pepper, saxophonist, composer, and singer (who died in 1992), was also a fierce jazz contributor who played with saxophonist Joe Lovano in drummer Paul Motian’s band. Motian described Pepper’s playing as “post-Coltrane.” Don Cherry was among those who encouraged Pepper to infuse more of his Native culture into his music.
“It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide,” according to the “Who Are Indigenous Peoples?” fact sheet of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “Practicing unique traditions, they retain social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Considering the diversity of indigenous peoples, an official definition of ‘indigenous’ has not been adopted by any U.N.-system body.”
In essence, “Indigenous” becomes yet another buzzword, like “colored,” “ethnic,” “people of color,” or “Hispanic.” Oddly, Indigenous, in describing a people, coincides with W.E.B. Du Bois’s statement: “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” In America, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. noted, people unfortunately are judged by the color of their skin, despite their achievements or contributions to society.
Keefe is part of a historically rich legacy that is ever-evolving through many before her, including Bailey and Pepper — Native Americans whose ancestors lived in the Americas for thousands of years, developing a variety of cultures, languages, and political systems long before Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1492. As a source of reference, read Roxanne Dunbar‑Ortiz’s “An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States,” which reframes U.S. history through Native resistance, colonial violence, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Keefe’s ensemble represents the resilience of her ancestors; their relentless insistence on freedom; a musical story of triumph and pain, joy and hope; a vibrant tapestry of unique nuances — all of which she effortlessly blends with jazz sounds. She sings with passion and charisma, leaving audiences both inspired and educated.
Those in South Florida should take time to experience Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band. For tickets, visit Kravis.org.
