introduction

Atlanta Jazz

This section focuses on Atlanta jazz musicians, jazz events in Atlanta, and Atlanta jazz clubs. While this is currently a work-in-progress, it's my hope that the following articles will eventually provide a decent introduction to the Atlanta jazz scene: Atlanta Jazz - upcoming events // Atlanta Jazz - jazz musicians // Atlanta Jazz - jazz clubs // Atlanta jazz highlights - Summer 2009 // Atlanta Jazz - jam sessions // Atlanta Jazz - concert videos // Atlanta Jazz - promotion ideas // Atlanta Jazz Festival #32, 2009 // Atlanta Jazz - links

ATLANTA JAZZ | continually updated

Atlanta Jazz - concert videos

Note: The following introduction to this Atlanta jazz concert videos page was originally written on December 12, 2007.

For the past few months, I've been kicking around the idea of adding an Atlanta concert journal to this jazz blog. In the journal I'd list each Atlanta jazz concert that I attend, the musicians' names, and some notes about the performance. My goal for the journal was to provide a resource where people could go to get an idea of type type of music they'll hear when they attend an Atlanta jazz concert. For instance, if somebody is unfamiliar with Mace Hibbard and they'd like to know what type of music he plays at Churchill Grounds, they could come to the Atlanta jazz concert journal page of my jazz blog and see that the previous week he played a set of fantastic straight-ahead jazz with some of Atlanta's best jazz musicians. For some people, that extra bit of information might be just what they need to make the decision to attend an event.

While I liked the idea of a Atlanta concert journal, I wasn't entirely convinced that I'd be able to adequately describe each event. And then it occurred to me... I shouldn't just write about the concerts, I should record video clips and share them online. Finally, a decent excuse to buy myself one of those cool ultra-compact cameras!

Below you'll find various Atlanta jazz video clips that I shot with my a Canon PowerShot SD850 or Panasonic Lumix ZS3 (the new HD videos). You can check this page of my jazz blog for new jazz video clips or you can subscribe to my videos on YouTube.

JANUARY 9, 2010
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

The following clip includes piano and saxophone solos from the John Sandfort Quartet's performance of "Twins," an original composition that John wrote for his children. In addition to John Sandfort on saxophone, you'll hear Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.

JANUARY 2, 2010
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Bassist, Will Goble, led a concert with North Carolina-based saxophonist, Chad Eby, and David Potter on drums. Kevin Bales was in the audience and eating dinner when Will Goble called him up to the stage to perform "Time After Time." Not bad for a spur of the moment performance, eh?

NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

The Chris Burroughs Collective performed at Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included Russell Gunn and Dashill Smith on trumpet, Kenny Banks on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. In this clip you'll hear the band perform "Au Privave," with trumpet and piano solos and some trading between Russell Gunn and Chris Burroughs at the end.

NOVEMBER 14, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought his quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight, where they performed several of Mace's original tunes. In this clip you'll hear "Rude On Purpose" which in a round about sort of way, was named after yours truly. The next time he decides to name a tune after me, I'm going to suggest "Super Cool and Awesome." The band includes Melvin Jones on trumpet, Kevin Bales on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.

JULY 29, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Chesarek, was back at Churchill Grounds for his weekly Wednesday night gig. Since their usual saxophonist was out of town, Mace Hibbard was kind enough to sit in with the band. The band also included Nick Rosen on piano, Jacob Deaton on guitar, and Craig Shaw on bass.

watch videoThirty-One's
You'll hear guitar, piano, saxophone, and drum solos in this performance of Justin Chesarek's original composition, "Thirty-One's."

watch videoDodd's Dissension
This tune, another original by Justin Chesarek, was my favorite tune of the night. I especially like the way it builds to Mace Hibbard's solo at the end. Enjoy!

JULY 15, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoNew Swing
Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Chesarek, performs with his quintet every Wednesday at Churchill Grounds. On this night, the band included Akeem Marable on saxophone, Jacob Deaton on guitar, Nick Rosen on piano, and Craig Shaw on bass. In this clip you'll hear the band perform "New Swing," an original composition written by Justin Chesarek. Unfortunately, the clip ends during the guitar solo due to YouTube time limits.

JUNE 18, 2009
Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313

watch videoAu Privave
Marcus Printup joined bassist Will Goble's trio as they played to a capacity crowd at Studio 281. The band also included Austin Johnson on piano, and David Potter on drums. It was great to see such a large turnout for this event, and it got even better when Marcus Printup engaged the audience for some call and response, as you'll hear in the end of this recording. If you listen closely, you might even be able to hear several members of the audience as they sing along to the melody of "Au Privave" at the end. That was especially cool, because the band didn't even play the head to "Au Privave" when the tune began; they played "Now's The Time" (although you won't hear that part in this clip). This audience knows their jazz!

MAY 16, 2009
Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313

watch videoMack The Knife
Atlanta jazz bassist, Will Goble, brought a talented group of young musicians together for this concert at Studio 281. The band included Miguel Alvarado on saxophone, Austin Johnson on piano, and David Potter on drums. They played a nice assortment of tunes including a couple by Ornette Coleman, some originals, and a few standards. In the following video you'll hear one of the standards as the band performs "Mack The Knife."

MARCH 28, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoHallowed Ground
Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought a quintet to Churchill Grounds. The band included Melvin Jones on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Marlon Patton on drums. The band played several original tunes, including this clip of "Hallowed Ground" by Mace Hibbard.

FEBRUARY 20, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoDig
Atlanta jazz trumpet player and educator, Melvin Jones, brought a quintet to Churchill Grounds. The band included John Sandfort on saxophone, Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Justin Chesarek on drums. It was a wonderful night of jazz as you'll hear in the following rendition of "Dig".

FEBRUARY 18, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoRhythm-A-Ning
A graduate student at Georgia State University, drummer Justin Chesarek has been playing every Wednesday night at Churchill Grounds for the past couple of months. For a young guy, he really seems to have his act together, both musically and professionally. I expect to hear a lot more from him as time goes on. In this clip you'll hear Justin Chesarek's quartet on the tune "Rhythm-A-Ning". The band includes Kurtis Adams on saxophone, Dan Gilormo on guitar, and Craig Shaw on bass.

FEBRUARY 8, 2009
SOJA House concert

watch videoClose Your Eyes
Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, was the featured artist for a recent SOJA Jazz in the Home concert. Joining Laura was a fantastic group of musicians, including Marcus Printup on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums. In thisclip you'll hear them perform "Close Your Eyes".

JANUARY 17, 2009
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoCaravan
Anyone familiar with the Atlanta jazz scene knows that Kevin Bales is one of the best piano players in town. I've seen him play several times around town, but for a variety of reasons, I was never able to get a video clip... until now! This clip is from a performance of "Caravan" with Joe Gransden on trumpet, Craig Shaw on bass, and Clay Hulet on drums. The clip begins with Joe playing the head and then Kevin takes a solo.

NOVEMBER 8, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoRemembrances of Things Past
Atlanta jazz saxophonist, Mace Hibbard, brought a great quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included, Melvin Jones on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Marc Miller on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums. They played a mix of originals and standards, including this original tune by Mace Hibbard. Here's "Remembrances of Things Past".

OCTOBER 8, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

watch videoListen Here
David Ellington brought his trio to Twain's tonight for what will hopefully be the first of many Wednesday night Twain's performances. The band featured David Ellington on organ, John Bagnato on guitar, and Chris Burroughs on drums. They played a great mix of jazz/soul/funk tunes in the style of late 60's and early 70's-era Jack McDuff, Eddie Harris, and Jimmy Smith. Speaking of Eddie Harris, in the following clip you'll hear the band play Eddie's composition "Listen Here".

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoClose Your Eyes
Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, performed at Churchill Grounds to celebrate the release of her debut CD. In the following clip, Laura Coyle sings "Close Your Eyes" with Mace Hibbard on saxophone, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums.

AUGUST 26, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

watch videoBirdlike
Several of my favorite jazz musicians dropped by to attend the Twain's jazz jam session including Mace Hibbard, Kemba Cofield, Laura Coyle, Justin Varnes, Russell Gunn, and Marcus Printup. As you'll see in this clip, Russell Gunn, Joe Gransden and Marcus Printup took the stage for an awesome rendition of Freddie Hubbard's "Birdlike".

AUGUST 22, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoI Just Found Out About Love
Atlanta jazz vocalist, Kemba Cofield, was joined by the well known saxophonist and educator, Victor Goines, on this great night at Churchill Grounds. The backing band included Tyrone Jackson on piano, Brandy Brewer on bass, and Kinah Boto on drums. In this clip, the band performs "I Just Found Out About Love".

AUGUST 19, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

I've been going to the Twain's jazz jam session just about every week since it began a few months ago. I'm continually amazed at the number of talented musicians who show up night after night to play and hang out. Tonight was a special treat for me, when around 11:00pm I noticed Marcus Printup walking in with his trumpet case. I've been a big fan of his for several years but I've only seen him play live twice. Not only did I get to see and hear Marcus Printup play tonight, but I also had the pleasure of talking to him for 15 minutes or so. He was very talkative and even seemed genuinely interested in answering my dorky trumpet-related questions! Marcus Printup told me he'll be spending more time in the Atlanta area so catch him if you can.

watch videoEye of the Hurricane
In this clip, you'll hear Joe Gransden and Marcus Printup soloing over "Eye of the Hurricane." The entire clip was 22 minutes long so I had to edit out a bit in order to make it under the YouTube 10-minute maximum. And now, nine minutes of jazz trumpet greatness...

JULY 25, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Melvin Jones brought a fantastic quintet to Churchill Grounds tonight. The band included Melvin Jones on trumpet, Clarence Johnson on saxophone, Brian Hogans on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Che Marshall on drums. And if that wasn't enough, after a couple of tunes Victor Goines (of Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra fame) arrived and joined the band on stage! As you'll hear in the clips below, it was an incredible night for jazz in Atlanta.

watch videoYes or No
In this clip, Victor Goines, Melvin Jones, and Clarence Johnson take solos on the Wayne Shorter classic, "Yes Or No".

watch videoCherokee
Victor Goines and Clarence Johnson lead the band on "Cherokee". Victor Goines was actually one of Clarence Johnson's first saxophone teachers, dating back to when Clarence was in high school. Knowing that, it was especially cool to see and hear them playing to together.

JUNE 24, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

watch videoIn A Sentimental Mood
Tonight was yet another great night of music at Twain's. There were a lot of musicians there to jam, including Clarence Johnson, Melvin Jones, Brian Hogans, Kemba Cofield, Janet Metzger, and Bernard Linnette. This clip features Kemba Cofield and Melvin Jones on "In A Sentimental Mood".

JUNE 10, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

Once again, the jazz jam session at Twain's was the place to be tonight! Lots of great Atlanta jazz musicians showed up to jam, including Clarence Johnson, Mace Hibbard, Wes Funderburk, Che Marshall, Laura Coyle, Ede Wright, Kemba Cofield, and Janet Metzger. There were also plenty of amateur musicians who made their way up to the bandstand. This is hands down the best jazz jam session in Atlanta right now. Be sure to check it out soon!

watch videoCaravan
In this clip, Wes Funderburk and Clarence Johnson perform "Caravan".

watch videoWhat Is This Thing Called Love
In this clip, Clarence Johnson performs "What Is This Thing Called Love".

JUNE 7, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoYou're Everything
Laura Coyle had her Churchill Grounds debut this weekend, performing three nights in a row! Her band included, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. In this clip, you'll hear Laura Coyle's rendition of "You're Everything" from Return To Forever's "Light as a Feather" album.

MAY 27, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

Twain's was definitely the hot spot tonight. Shortly before the second set began, a slew of Atlanta's finest jazz musicians arrived, including Melvin Jones, Russell Gunn, Che Marshall, and Anton Harris. If that wasn't enough, Brian Hogans and Lee Hogans are back in town and they were at Twain's too. What a great night for jazz in Atlanta!

watch videoWell You Needn't
In this clip, Lee Hogans (trumpet) and Brian Hogans (piano) solo over "Well You Needn't".

watch videoBirdlike (1 of 2)
This clip features solos by Melvin Jones, Brian Hogans (saxophone), and Lee Hogans over the tune "Birdlike".

watch videoBirdlike (1 of 2)
Last, but definitely not least, we've got Russell Gunn's solo on "Birdlike" which came directly after Lee's solo in the previous clip (YouTube limits videos to 10 minutes so I had to break it up).

MAY 20, 2008
Graveyard Tavern - 1245 Glenwood Avenue, Atlanta, Ga 30316

Tonight, Atlanta jazz organist, David Ellington, was joined by Clarence Johnson on saxophone, John Bagnato on guitar, and Darren Stanley on drums. The band was fantastic, and it was great to hear John Bagnato for the first time. Like David and Clarence, John Bagnato is also from New Orleans -- he's also a terrific musician. I'll definitely try to catch John in the future.

watch videoCherokee
In this clip, you'll hear Clarence Johnson and Darren Stanley take solos on Cherokee. This is a great example of Clarence's ability to play pretty much anything he wants at any moment in time and have it sound absolutely incredible. Damn!

MAY 10, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoCherokee
Atlanta jazz trumpeter, Joe Gransden, led a great performance at Churchill grounds tonight. The band included Sam Skelton on saxophone, Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Clay Hulet on drums. In this clip, Joe Gransden and Sam Skelton perform "Cherokee" as a duet.

watch videoThe First Time
Joe Gransden leads the band on one of his original compositions, "The First Time".

APRIL 29, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

watch videoEye Of The Hurricane
There was another great turnout of musicians at the Twain's jazz jam session tonight. In this clip, Atlanta jazz trumpet player, Joe Gransden, leads the house band on "Eye Of The Hurricane". You'll also hear Tyrone Jackson on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.

APRIL 22, 2008
Twain's Billiards and Tap - 211 E Trinity Place, Decatur, GA 30030

Every Tuesday night, Joe Gransden leads a jazz jam session at Twain's Billiards and Tap in Decatur. If you haven't already, you should definitely check out the Tuesday night jam sessions at Twain's. I've been to two of them so far and both nights the turnout was great and so was the music!

watch videoBlack Orpheus
Atlanta jazz vocalist, Laura Coyle, sings "Black Orpheus" with Joe Gransden on trumpet, Ede Wright on guitar, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.

APRIL 12, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

watch videoBye Bye Blackbird
David Ellington leads a trio performance of "Bye Bye Blackbird". You'll hear solos by Clarence Johnson on saxophone, David Ellington on organ, and Chris Burroughs on drums.

APRIL 1, 2008
Graveyard Tavern - 1245 Glenwood Avenue, Atlanta, Ga 30316

I first heard David Ellington play during the 2008 Future of Jazz Competition in February. David sounded great that night so I was happy to learn that he's playing at the Graveyard Tavern. According the the schedule of events on David's website, he routinely invites a variety of musicians to sit in with the band. On this night, one of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians, Mace Hibbard (saxophone), was there along with Chris Burroughs on drums. As you'll hear in the clips below, the music was fantastic!

watch videoDavid Ellington Trio - Have You Met Miss Jones
In this clip, you'll hear organ and saxophone solos as the band plays "Have You Met Miss Jones".

watch videoDavid Ellington Trio - Anthropology
This clip features solos by all of the musicians on "Anthropology".

MARCH 3, 2008
Star Jazz and Blues Lounge - 177 Peters Street, Atlanta, Ga 30313

Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, leads a jam session at Star Jazz and Blues Lounge every Monday night. They had another great turnout of musicians tonight, including Russell Gunn, Melvin Jones, Danny Harper, Julie Dexter, Charlie Robinson, and several talented young musicians. The following clips are just a sampling. As the night went on the music got better and better but with everyone moving to and from the stage it was hard to get a good video clip. If you haven't been to Star Jazz and Blues Lounge yet, I encourage you to check them out on a Monday night.

watch videoBernard Linnette Jam Session - Stablemates
In this clip you'll hear Russell Gunn on trumpet, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, Bernard Linnette on drums, and Ramadan Mu Min on conga.

watch videoBernard Linnette Jam Session - Black Orpheus
Melvin Jones and Danny Harper lead the band on "Black Orpheus." Danny really surprised me with that high "F" at the end of the tune. No matter how much I practice, I'll probably never be able to play one of them in my solos... and definitely not at the END of a tune. Wow!

FEBRUARY 19, 2008
Star Jazz and Blues Lounge - 177 Peters Street, Atlanta, Ga 30313

This year's Future of Jazz Competition takes place at Star Jazz & Blues Lounge. Last night I attended the straight-ahead jazz competition featuring Leeland Davis, Ryan Whitehead, and Mace Hibbard. Of the three, the only person that I hadn't heard before was 19 year-old Ryan Whitehead on saxophone. I don't know what Chris Potter sounded like at 19, but my guess is that Ryan isn't too far away from that. Ryan and his band, featuring Dave Ellington or organ, were excellent! Aside from the terrific music, it was great to see so many people at the concert. The place was packed. While that's certainly good for the venue and the Atlanta jazz scene, it wasn't so great for recording video clips. I would have liked to get clips from each of the musicians but I only have two recordings from Mace Hibbard's set.

watch videoMace Hibbard - When We Last Met
Mace Hibbard plays "When We Last Met," an original composition from Mace's album by the same name. You'll also hear Bryan Leitch on guitar, Louis Heriveaux on piano, Mike Beshara on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.

watch videoMace Hibbard - About Time
Mace Hibbard performs another original composition, "About Time," in the above clip. Mace would go on to win the event securing a performance at this year's Atlanta Jazz Festival.

FEBRUARY 4, 2008
Star Jazz and Blues Lounge - 177 Peters Street, Atlanta, Ga 30313

watch videoBernard Linnette Jam Session - Milestones
Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, led the first Monday night jazz jam session at Star Jazz and Blues Lounge. On this night, about a dozen of Atlanta's jazz musicians showed up to play. The track features solos by Russell Gunn on trumpet, Dennis Springer on saxophone, and Lester Walker on trumpet.

JANUARY 24, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

I saw the Atlanta Jazz choir concert earlier this night and was in the mood to hear some more jazz afterwards. Thankfully, Russell Gunn and his band were playing at Churchill Grounds. In the clips below, you'll hear Russell Gunn on trumpet, Darryl Reeves on saxophone, Takana Miyamoto on piano, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.

watch videoRussell Gunn - Walkin'
I love the confident opening of Russell Gunn's trumpet solo in this video clip.

watch videoDarryl Reeves - Walkin'
Following Russel Gunn on "Walkin'" Darryl Reeves takes a solo in this clip. As you may notice, Takana isn't comping behind Darryl's solo. Waiting for the perfect moment, she waits until the end of the clip to come in and pushes the energy to another level.

watch videoTakana Miyamoto - Minority
Takana Miyamoto plays a piano solo over the jazz standard, "Minority".

JANUARY 23, 2008
Blind Willie's - 828 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306

watch videoScott Glazer's Mojo Dojo - Yardbird Suite
Scott Glazer's Mojo Dojo jazz band performed at Blind Willie's in the Virginia Highland area of Atlanta. On this night, the band featured Scott Glazer on bass, Gordon Vernick on trumpet, Mace Hibbard on Saxophone, Louis Heriveaux on piano, and Yonrico Scott on drums.

JANUARY 3, 2008
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Atlanta jazz drummer, Bernard Linnette, filled in for Russell Gunn's band on this Thursday night. With Bernard, you'll hear Kemba Cofield on vocals, Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Leeland Davis on piano, and Craig Shaw on bass.

watch videoKemba Cofield - Caravan
Kemba Cofield sings "Caravan", with solos by Kebbi Williams and Leeland Davis.

watch videoKebbi Williams - Rhythm Changes
Kebbi Williams leads the band on rhythm changes. Going into the tune they play the head to "Oleo" and coming out they play "Rhythm-a-ning". I've heard Kebbi play 3 or 4 times now and every time I thoroughly enjoy the energy he brings to the stage.

DECEMBER 27, 2007
Studio 281 - 281 Peters Street, Atlanta, GA 30313

watch videoRoy Meriwether Trio - Jonah
Studio 281, located in the Castleberry Hill area of downtown Atlanta, often features musicians from other cities. In this clip you'll hear NYC-based jazz pianist Roy Meriwether and his trio perform "Jonah".

DECEMBER 15, 2007
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Atlanta jazz drummer, Justin Varnes, assembled a fantastic group of musicians for a tribute to the music of Cannonball Adderley. In the clips below you'll hear Melvin Jones on trumpet, Mace Hibbard on saxophone, Gary Motley on piano, Brian Hall on bass, and Justin Varnes on drums.

watch videoJustin Varnes Quintet - Limehouse Blues
In this video you'll hear solos by Mace Hibbard, Melvin Jones, and Gary Motley as they perform "Limehouse Blues". A popular version of "Limehouse Blues" was recorded on the album "Cannonball and Coltrane."

watch videoJustin Varnes Quintet - Tribute To The Adderley's
This video features an original tune, "Tribute To The Adderley's," written by Melvin Jones. Melvin told me that he was inspired to write this tune after listening to several Cannonball recordings a few days ago. The tune sounded great and the guys played terrific solos!

DECEMBER 12, 2007
Club 29 - 2272 Lawrenceville Hwy Decatur, GA 30033

watch videoKemba Cofield - Route 66
Kemba Cofield sings a great bluesy version of "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz band. Taking solos, you'll hear Derek White on trombone, Lester Walker on Trumpet, and Dennis Springer on saxophone.

watch videoLondon Arrington - My Funny Valentine
This video features London Arrington on vocals, performing "My Funny Valentine" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz band. Lester Walker takes a solo on trumpet, followed by Louis Heriveaux on piano.

DECEMBER 8, 2007
Churchill Grounds - 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Clarence Johnson III is a professor at Morehouse College. This was only my second time seeing him in concert (the first time was at the 2007 Morehouse Jazz Festival) and I'm already looking forward to his next gig. This guy is phenomenal! As an unexpected surprise, I also got to hear two of my favorite Atlanta jazz musicians: Che Marshall on drums and Ramon Pooser on bass. Rounding out the rhythm section was Val Parker on piano. I hadn't seen Val play before, but he was an excellent addition to the band.

watch videoClarence Johnson - Night In Tunisia
In this video, Clarence Johnson and the band play an exciting rendition of "Night In Tunisia".

watch videoClarence Johnson - Round Midnight (1 of 2)
"Round Midnight" was the second tune played during the first set. The drummer, Che Marshall, was delayed due to an earlier gig with the Atlanta jazz chorus. In this first clip (of two) you'll hear an introduction and solo by Clarence Johnson.

watch videoClarence Johnson - Round Midnight (2 of 2)
In this second "Round Midnight" clip, we've got solos by Val Parker on piano and Ramon Pooser on bass. During Ramon's solo, Che Marshall arrives (you can see him putting his cymbals on their stands). Che comes in at the end of Ramon's solo and really kicks things into high gear. A great finish to a great tune!

DECEMBER 5, 2007
Club 29 - 2272 Lawrenceville Hwy Decatur, GA 30033

watch videoBernard Linnette Interactive - Someday My Prince Will Come
Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz group plays "Someday My Prince Will Come." On order of appearance, you'll hear solos by Dennis Springer (saxophone), Lester Walker (trumpet), and Craig Shaw (bass).

watch videoJulie Dexter - Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
In this brief clip, you'll hear Atlanta jazz vocalist, Julie Dexter, sing "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" with Bernard Linnette's Interactive jazz group.

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