Perhaps because the Labor Day Weekend is upon us, there isn’t as much jazz scheduled for streaming this week as in previous weeks. What the line-up appears to lack in quantity, it certainly does not lack in quality. Jazz Stream: September 1st – September 7th (we’re allowing for the Monday holiday) has some real gems, including access to a four-day festival in Detroit.
Here is Jazz Stream: September 1st – September 7th:
Wessel “Warmdaddy” Anderson – New Orleans Jazz Museum Balcony – September 1st – 6:00 PM EDT/3:00 PM PDT
If you’ve ever been to New Orleans you know the sound of music seems to fill the air. On Tuesday it will literally fill the air as saxophonist Wessel “Warmdaddy” Anderson will be performing live from the balcony of the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Anderson has been playing jazz for most of his life. After Meeting Wynton and Branford Marsalis, he found his way to Louisiana and shortly thereafter, into a gig with singer Betty Carter. Joining Wynton’s Septet followed shortly thereafter.
He’s released several albums of his own and has also recorded with Marcus Roberts in addition to Wynton Marsalis. I listened to his album Space will writing this column and thoroughly loved it.
This should be a fun way to get ready for the long holiday weekend. The performance will be available on the New Orleans Jazz Museum Facebook page.
Detroit Jazz Festival – Detroit Jazz Festival Facebook and Instagram Pages – September 4th – September 7th
You don’t have to be in Detroit this weekend to experience this year’s Detroit Jazz Festival. They are streaming the full program on both their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also sign up for $20 to Detroit Jazz Festive Live! App and that will not only give you access to this year’s festival, but also to select programming throughout the year.
You can find the entire schedule here, but the following performances stand out to me as ones not to miss:
Justice! – September 4th – 7:15 PM EDT/4:15 PM PDT
This is a four-movement tribute to fighting racism. Traditional spirits open the piece with the last three movements by Chris Collins, Michael Jellick and Robert Hurst.
Pharaoh Sanders Icon – September 4th – 9:30 PM EDT/6:30 PDT
Rodney Whitaker Septet with vocalist Rockelle Fortin featuring the Music of Count Basie and Billie Holiday – September 5th – 8:20 PM EDT/5:20 PM PDT
Something to Live For – Music of Billy Strayhorn – September 5th – 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PDT
Robert Hurst featuring Black Current Jam – September 6th – 8:20 PM EDT/5:20 PM PDT
Michael Jellick Sextet – September 6th – 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT
Joey Alexander Trio – September 7th – 2:55 PM EDT/11:55 AM PDT
The Curtis Taylor Quartet – September 7th – 4:05 PM EDT/1:05 PM PDT
James Carter Organ Trio – September 7th – 5:15 PM EDT/2:15 PM PDT
Robert Glasper – September 7th – 10:15 PM EDT/7:15 PM PDT
Kenny Werner Trio – Smalls – September 4th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PDT
How you know pianist Kenny Werner might depend on what music you listen to most. If you listen to jazz and love the music of Toots Thielemans, you’d know Werner’s playing. If you love Broadway star Betty Buckley and have seen her in concert, you’ve likely seen Werner as her music director.
Whichever way you know Werner, you know he’s quite talented. He and his trio (Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmuller on bass) will perform on Friday from the stage of Smalls in New York City.
Dee Dee Bridgewater: Horace Silver Tribute – SFJAZZ – September 4th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT
This week’s concert on SFJAZZ’s Fridays at Five features one of my favorite singers: Dee Dee Bridgewater. This concert from September 2017 was in celebration of pianist/composer Horace Silver. Her album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver was released in 1995 and she received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.
Silver appears on the album (he passed away in 2014). Bridgewater’s previous husband, Cecil Bridgewater, was a trumpeter working with Silver in the early 1970s.
Bridgewater is dynamic in concert. I’ve seen her perform many times and always look forward to the chance to see her again. This should be a terrific concert.
For those new to this column, SFJazz makes their concerts available for streaming only at 5:00 PM PDT and only on Fridays. To access the concert you have to sign up for either a one-month subscription (for all of $5 which gives you a month of access) or for a one-year subscriptions (for $60 for a year).
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – Blue Note Live – September 4th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT
On March 15th of this year, the last live performance took place at Blue Note in New York before the pandemic forced everything to be closed. The performer of that concert was trumpeter/composer Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. He was celebrating the release of his 2019 album, Ancestral Recall (which is a terrific album you should hear.)
This August a recording of this Blue Note performance was released as an album called Axiom. He was joined by his septet which included Elena Pinderhughes – flute; Alex Han – saxophone; Weedie Braimah – djembefola; Lawrence Fields – piano; Kris Funn – bass; and Corey Fonville on drums.
He has 15 albums as a leader and has also recorded with such artists as Donald Harrison, Nnenna Freelon, Grace Kelly, David Benoit and Marcus Miller.
Blue Note charges $15 to watch the performance. They have an impressive schedule of concerts this fall. I have a feeling many of us will be shelling out $15 to get to watch amazing performances like this one.
If you live in Japan and Asia you will be able to stream the concert on September 5th at 8:00 PM JST.
Melissa Aldana Quartet – Smalls – September 5th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT
Last March we previewed two concerts scheduled at The Soraya by Melissa Aldana. Sadly, they were cancelled as the pandemic become a more serious issue. So rather than recap who Aldana is, I’ll direct you to the preview we posted.
For this concert from Smalls in New York Aldana, who plays tenor sax, is joined by Charles Altura – guitar; Pablo Menares – bass and Kush Abadey on drums.
New Music: Before this column comes to an end, I want to point you in the direction of a new album that was released this week by Bettye Lavette. The album is called Blackbirds and finds the legendary singer performing songs primarily made famous by Black women. Amongst the songs are I Hold No Grudge (Nina Simone), Save Your Love For Me (Nancy Wilson) and Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday).
The title track is, of course, a notable exception as it was a song by The Beatles.
Every song LaVette sings she makes it wholly and uniquely her own. Few singers bring as much raw emotion to a song the way she does. I strongly recommend you take time out to listen to Blackbirds. It’s a terrific album.
That does it for Jazz Stream: September 1st – September 7th. Enjoy this week of jazz.
Photo of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah courtesy of ropeadope.com