TIMES: 8PM & 10:30PM
TICKETS: $35 AND $25. Can be purchased online at: www.bluenote.net
WHO: Jack DeJohnette is widely regarded as one of jazz music's greatest drummers, recently praised by The New York Times' Ben Ratliff as looking "ever more like one of the most important musicians in the last 40 years of jazz". In his early years on the Chicago scene, he led his own groups and was equally in demand as a pianist and as a drummer, collaborating with most major figures in jazz history, most notably John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and Betty Carter. An expert at a number of instruments, DeJohnette is also skilled at nearly every musical style, from R&B to rock, various world music, reggae, bebop and free improvisation. He is also no stranger to leading bands of his own, last year alone saw the debut of two new projects; The Jack DeJohnette Quartet (featuring Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Jerome Harris) and The Latin Project (featuring Don Byron, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerome Harris, Edsel Gomez and Luisito Quintero). In addition to his own recordings, he can be heard on such diverse projects as "The Out of Towners" with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock to as Alice Coltrane "Translinear Light" to Meshell Ndegeocello's, "Dance of the Infidels".
Ravi Coltrane- tenor and soprano saxophonist, bandleader, and composer - has fronted a variety of jazz lineups, recorded critically-hailed albums as leader, produced recordings by other artists - including his mother, worked as sideman for jazz luminaries, overseen important jazz reissues, and founded an independent record label. Seventeen years since finding his life's path, it seems music was Ravi's destiny from the outset.
Born the second son of John and Alice Coltrane in 1965 in Long Island, New York and raised in the Los Angeles area, he was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. Starting in middle school, Ravi began playing clarinet, though he grew up hearing a variety of music. In 1991, Ravi hooked up with Elvin Jones, his father's renowned drummer from the 60's and received his first taste of the jazz life. Within a year, he relocated to New York City and began playing with a variety of players.
In 1997, after performing on over thirty recordings as a sideman, Ravi entered the studio to record his first album as leader. Moving Pictures was his well-rounded debut on RCA Victor, leading Ravi to assemble his first touring group and to travel widely in North America and Europe. In 1999, he married Kathleen Hennessy and his son William was born. From the Round Box, Ravi's second album as leader, was released in 2000 and was warmly received by critics and revealed a growing sense of self-challenge, balancing esoteric covers with compelling originals.
Most recently, Ravi was the driving and guiding force behind his mother Alice Coltrane's return to recording after a 26-year hiatus; Translinear Light, featuring performances by Alice and Ravi along with Charlie Haden, Jack Dejohnette, James Genus, Jeff Watts, Oran Coltrane and others, was released in late September, 2004 on Impulse!. In addition to working and traveling with his own group, Ravi recently has made several guest performances with McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Michael Brecker, George Duke, Stanley Clarke Jeff "Tain" Watts, Branford Marsalis, Mark Turner, Jacky Terrasson and others.
ABOUT JAZZREACH: Established by musician, H. Benjamin Schuman in 1994, JazzReach is a nationally recognized, New York City-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, creation, teaching and performance of jazz music.
Through the presentation of captivating live multimedia educational programs for young audiences, dynamic main-stage concerts for general audiences and informative clinics, workshops and master-classes for student musicians and ensembles, JazzReach is ardently committed to fostering a greater appreciation, awareness and understanding of this vital American art form.
Since the premiere of its debut program in 1997, JazzReach has quickly established itself as one of America's leading arts organizations dedicated to jazz. Our innovative programs have successfully served over 155,000 young people nationwide in partnership with many of our nation's premiere performing arts presenters and have received unanimous praise from educators, students, parents, the media and arts professionals alike.
