The Jazzschool Piano Sale
Hearing the Chester CT Thompson Organ Quartet is an experience like no other. With over twenty-six years playing with the Carlos Santana Band, preceded by ten years with the great Tower of Power, CT brings pure excitement and an unleashed groove to the bandstand. His sound is deep in the pocket and can range from smooth to thunderous in a matter of minutes, always with the incomparable bass work coming from his left hand and left foot. With Howard Wiley (sax), Drew Zingg (guitar), and Deszon Claiborne (drums).
Critically-acclaimed vocalist Ben Jones and Grammy® Award-winning pianist, composer, and arranger Laurence Hobgood come together for an unforgettable evening that celebrates their shared love of music ranging across the Great American Songbook: Broadway, Classic Jazz, Pop, and Classic and Prog Rock. Their shared backgrounds and passions ignite a thrilling musical chemistry, infusing every song with vibrant, innovative interpretations. Jones and Hobgood will deliver fresh takes on genre-spanning classics – songs by Billy Strayhorn, Joni Mitchell, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stevie Wonder, Adam Guettel, Carole King, and even the Bee Gees – with unexpected twists and turns. Together, they create an evening of unparalleled artistry.
JAZZ PIANO MASTERS SERIES
Celebrate the release of Dust (E2/ Edition Records), the new solo piano album by Grammy®-nominated pianist and composer Romain Collin. Collin, who has been praised by NPR as a "visionary composer" and hailed by the Boston Globe as one of the "leading lights of a new breed of jazz players", will perform originals, as well as covers, with his unique and emotive pianistic approach. This special live performance coincides with the opening of an art exhibition at Oakland's Fourth Wall Gallery. This art show, conceived in collaboration with filmmaker Matthew Palmer, was created as a complement to the music of Dust. While the gallery show features 11 music films shot in the California desert, this intimate solo piano concert focuses on the music. Limited-edition vinyl copies of Dust will be available for purchase at the event.
Otonowa, led by Akira Tana, was founded in 2013 to tour and raise funds for the communities devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. The project pays homage to the victims of the natural disaster by presenting traditional and pop Japanese songs that Tana and Otonowa completely transform into modern American jazz instrumentals. Otonowa is Akira Tana (leader/drums), Masaru Koga (reeds and shakuhachi), Art Hirahara (piano), Ken Okada (bass), and special guest artist Jimi Nakagawa (taiko).
