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WINTER | Spring | Summer | Fall

January 6
Singer Tierney Sutton at the Kennedy Center
Multi-talented singer and arranger Tierney Sutton brings her batch of newly adapted standards to Kennedy Center Jazz. Listen as Sutton and her trio work through her favorite music -- especially her favorite Sinatra.

January 13
Mike LeDonne at Smoke in New York
Smoke is a happening jazz room near Columbia University in Manhattan that features Organ Grooves weekly. The A-team is a quartet made up of Mike LeDonne on the Hammond B-3, joined by tenor sax player Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Kenny Washington.

January 20
Trio da Paz at the Caramoor Jazz Festival
Trio da Paz is composed of three extraordinary musicians from Rio who live and work around New York. The jazz group features guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Nilson Matta, and percussionist Duduka da Fonseca.

January 27
The Jazz Academy at Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Five select young ensembles spend ten days in the mountains of Colorado rehearsing and playing for each other and the lucky people of Aspen. Bassist Christian McBride heads this all-star faculty and Yujin Cha (WBGO) and Justin Peacock (KUVO) are our all-star recording engineers.

February 3
Winard Harper at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club
Dr. Billy Taylor's number one drummer leads a great band of his own! The music comes from his CD Come Into the Light. JazzTimes magazine's reviewer calls this music "the unmistakable sound of a top-flight band that has come into its own and is capable of going just about anywhere musically."

February 10
Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Terrace Theater
Ooh la la, Dee Dee Bridgewater sings love songs in French as part of the Kennedy Center Jazz series.

February 17
Joe Locke at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, Calif.
While the music comes in waves, listen to Down Beat's number one Vibist Joe Locke as he plays in an intimate music room across the street from the Pacific Ocean. His quartet includes Geoff Keezer on piano.

February 24
A J and R Music Festival in New York
This giant music store presents live in-store sets from groups with new CDs, including Trio Mundo, Don Byron, and more.

March 3
Highlights from the 2004 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival
The crowd-pleaser of the 2004 festival, Karen Briggs seduces the audience on violin with a unique, flamboyant blend of pop, jazz, funk, and world beat.

March 10
Roy Haynes's "Birds of a Feather" at N.J. Performing Arts Center
This drummer's career began with Charlie Parker (Bird), Lester Young, and Sarah Vaughan. This month Haynes turns 79, and he's still the epitome of style and swing.

March 17
Tenor Saxophonist Dave Ellis at Filoli Jazz
The Bay Area shares a top talent with JazzSet. His CD State of Mind won Outstanding Jazz Album in the 2004 California Music Awards. Mr. Ellis won the 2003 San Francisco Weekly Music Awards for best jazz artist. Dave Ellis's music is "a superb example of today's small jazz combo," says Bud Spangler, producer of the Filoli Jazz series.

March 24
Dena DeRose with Guest Eddie Henderson at the 2004 San Jose Jazz Festival
The San Jose Mercury News described Dena DeRose in concert as "…special. As a singer, she is direct, clear-voiced and knows how to put across a song. As a pianist, she eats up the keyboard without making a show of it… What soul!" Also performing is Latin Grammy nominated keyboardist and flutist Jovino Santos Neto.

March 31
The Dave Holland Big Band at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club
Winner of the 2004 Best Large Ensemble Award from the Jazz Journalists Association as well as a 2002 Grammy award. Here, bassist Dave Holland's big band performs as part of the Kennedy Center Jazz series.

Winter | SPRING | Summer | Fall

April 7
Cyrus Chestnut & Friends @ Dizzy's Club Coca Cola
The jazz standards "Jitterbug Waltz" and "Body and Soul" get the Cyrus Chestnut treatment in this powerful performance. Chestnut is known in the jazz community for his unique, and sometimes humorous, approach to making music.

April 14
Terence Blanchard: Tribute to Dizzy @ 2004 Monterey Jazz Festival
Blanchard pays homage to jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie by joining with trumpeter Jon Faddis, trombonist Slide Hampton, and Dizzy's former bandmate, tenor saxophonist James Moody, to premiere a thoughtful suite in three movements: "Vicissitudes," "Samba La Diz," and "Three Sweet Notes."

April 21
Andy Narell & Calypsociation @ the 2005 Portland Jazz Festival
Andy Narell's stunning sound on the Caribbean steel pan can make you forget the instrument's humble origins as the head of an oil barrel. While in Paris, Narell discovered Calypsociation, a large-scale steel pan orchestra, and began writing for it. JazzSet captures this awesome ensemble onstage at McMenamin's Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.

April 28
Jeremy Davenport @ Jazz at the Bistro, St. Louis
In New Orleans, where expectations run high for trumpet players who sing, Jeremy Davenport is known to deliver the goods. He credits his eighth-grade encounter with Wynton Marsalis for his love of the jazz trumpet.

May 5
Hawkins Tribute: Lew Tabackin Quartet at the Terrace Gallery
Lew Tabackin and his Quartet joined with pianist Mulgrew Miller to pay tribute to legendary saxaphonist Coleman Hawkins.

May 12
Bruce Barth Trio @ the Stockholm Jazz Festival
Bruce Barth steps out of his role as accompanist and sideman to take the lead in this performance. Playing his own compositions, along with music by Strayhorn, Mingus, and Monk, Barth and his bandmates leave a lasting impression on the crowd.

May 19
Tim Ries Covers the Rolling Stones @ the Stockholm Jazz Festival
Tim Ries is a highly accomplished saxophonist who has made two tours with the Rolling Stones. At this performance in Stockholm, Reis turns the tables and arranges Rolling Stones music for his jazz quintet, drawing a great response from the audience.

May 26
Eliane Elias @ the Tanglewood Jazz Festival
This cool Brazilian pianist is singing more than she used to. The result is a purring samba and quite an irresistible set. Elias charms the audience at this woodsy summer venue with the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and several North American standards.

June 2
Bill Henderson & His Trio @ The Kennedy Center
While he has played many different characters on TV and in film, the real Bill Henderson is a gracious man who swings mightily with a gorgeous baritone. His smooth sound has been known to make people forget the pettiness of ordinary life.

June 9
Tsunami Relief Pianothon @ Faust Harrison Pianos, New York
On March 6, 2005, nearly 40 pianists played back to back to back in a marathon to raise funds for and awareness of Save the Children's Tsunami Relief efforts. Each performer chose from one of four handcrafted pianos. NPR recorded the entire 13 hours, and on this JazzSet we will hear from Joanne Brackeen, Benny Green, Vijay Iyer and Rodney Kendrick.

June 16
Joey DeFrancesco Honors the Late Jimmy Smith @ Yoshi's
Inspiration comes directly from the ruler of jazz organ, Jimmy Smith (1928-2005), who shares title billing with DeFrancesco on the CD, Legacy, and was to appear at this performance. Guest James Moody joins in this tribute and Bill Cosby sits in on drums.

June 23
Marian McPartland Trio @ Kennedy Center Jazz
McPartland's soulful performance at the Kennedy Center's celebration of the Forties inspired Mike Joyce of the Washington Post to write, "Listening to Marian McPartland reminisce in tempo -– or out of tempo, for that matter -– remains one of the most dependable pleasures jazz has to offer."

June 30
Roy Hargrove @ Kennedy Center Jazz
The trumpeter plays brilliantly at both spirited tempos and on gorgeous, tender ballads. On this set the ballad is "Stairway to the Stars." His high-flying quintet gets an extra lift from guest Mulgrew Miller, filling in on piano.

Winter | Spring | SUMMER | Fall

July 7
The Jazz Academy @ Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Five select ensembles spend ten days in the Rockies, rehearsing and playing music by Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Wayne Shorter. Bassist Christian McBride heads the all-star faculty.

July 14
Joe Locke Quartet @ the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, Calif.
The superb vibesman plays a Sunday afternoon show with Geoff Keezer on piano. Locke pauses to talk about this venue, which has been a room low on hype but high on commitment to fine instrumental music for over forty years.

July 21
The Dave Ellis Quintet @ Filoli Jazz in California
The Bay Area shares a top talent with JazzSet. His CD State of Mind won Outstanding Jazz Album in the 2004 California Music Awards. Ellis also won the 2003 San Francisco Weekly Music Awards for Best Jazz Artist. Dave Ellis's music is "a superb example of today's small jazz combo," says Bud Spangler, producer of the Filoli Jazz series.

July 28
Dena DeRose & Jovino Santos Neto @ 2004 San Jose Jazz Festival
The San Jose Mercury News described Dena DeRose in concert as "...special. As a singer, she is direct, clear-voiced and knows how to put across a song. As a pianist, she eats up the keyboard without making a show of it… What soul!" Also performing is Latin Grammy nominated keyboardist and flutist Jovino Santos Neto.

August 4
Randy Weston's African Rhythms @ Kennedy Center Jazz
Pianist Randy Weston has a deep sound, a long career, and a beautiful philosophy: "We're all musicians, and music is the language of the universe." His lovely compositions for quintet resonate globally, reflecting the West Indies influence of his father, the Brooklyn of his youth, and Africa, where he has lived.

August 11
Stanley Jordan @ the NJ Performing Arts Center "Sounds of the City"
Step into a lovely summer evening, joining a plaza full of people spilling into the street in front of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, to hear Stanley Jordan's shimmering guitar work. Some solo, some trio -- his unique tap/touch technique powers his expression, from Mozart to McCartney.

August 18
Benny Green & Russell Malone, Tierney Sutton, and the James Carter Organ Trio @ the Kennedy Center Jazz Festival
In this high-energy show, pianist Benny Green and guitarist Russell Malone set things up, vocalist Tierney Sutton serves some wonderful standards, and the organ trio takes us on a walk down "Soul Street."

August 25
The Stefon Harris Quartet, The Clayton Brothers, and the John Patitucci Trio @ the Kennedy Center Jazz Festival
Harris plays "A Cloud of Red Dust," the Claytons swing with trumpeter Terell Stafford, and Chick Corea's long-time bassist leads his trio with Luciana Souza's pianist, Edward Simon, and Pat Metheny's drummer, Antonio Sanchez.

September 1
The Dave Holland Big Band @ the Kennedy Center Jazz Festival
Winner of the 2004 Best Large Ensemble Award from the Jazz Journalists Association as well as a 2002 Grammy award. Bassist Dave Holland's big band performs as part of the Kennedy Center Jazz series.

September 8
A Mood for Dizzy" by Artist-in-Residence Terence Blanchard @ the Monterey Jazz Festival
Blanchard pays homage to jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie by joining with trumpeter Jon Faddis, trombonist Slide Hampton and Dizzy's former bandmate, tenor saxophonist James Moody, to premiere a thoughtful suite in three movements: "Vicissitudes," "Samba La Diz" and "Three Sweet Notes."

September 15
Brazil: Claudia Villela @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz
From the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, Villela's vocal improvisations skim over five octaves, accompanied by Ricardo Peixoto on guitar. They sing and play the history of Brasil.

September 22
Poncho Sanchez @ Yoshi's in Oakland
Poncho plays the congas, sings and leads his grooving band with two powerhouse guests: Joey DeFrancesco on organ and Fred Wesley on trombone. Dance to Latin, jazz and funk as we revisit this great set recorded on New Years's Eve -- a set that deserves to be on its own CD!

Winter | Spring | Summer | FALL

September 29
René Marie @ the 2005 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center
Vocalist René Marie is a gem. She opens with her own "Red Shoes" and "Disconnect," interprets a page from the Leonard Cohen songbook, then celebrates Nina Simone. A stunning a cappella "Smile"-themed medley is just one of the highlights of this original, intelligent set.

October 6
The Kennedy Center Presents 'Billy Taylor's Diz' Featuring Jon Faddis, Trumpet
Dr. Billy Taylor, the Kennedy Center's Artistic Advisor for jazz, retires from the concert stage with this performance. But he doesn't sound ready to go, as Jon Faddis notes from the stage. On this grand swinging night, Billy and Jon share Gillespie's music and memories of Diz.

October 13
Sweet Music in Small Boston Venues: Robert Glasper Trio @ Regattabar; El Eco @ Ryles
"There isn't a young musician with more buzz at the moment than [pianist] Mr. Glasper," writes The New York Times. Blue Note has signed him, and his CD Canvas is out in October. Across the river in Cambridge, drummer Guillermo Nojechowicz from Argentina drives El Eco, with guest Hendrik Meurkens on harmonica. We're club-hopping.

October 20
SFJAZZ Collective: Artistic Director Joshua Redman
Joshua Redman (tenor) leads a stellar, eight-piece group from San Francisco with Bobby Hutcherson, vibes; Nicholas Payton, trumpet; Renee Rosnes, piano. After a spring residency in San Francisco with SFJAZZ, the Collective goes on tour, stopping at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's beautiful concert hall. Must-hear, must-hear!

October 27
"When the Spirits Dance Mambo" with Paquito D'Rivera @ NJPAC, Newark
Paquito (alto and clarinet) presents Las Hermanas Marquez, two sisters who sing and play maracas, and trombonist Generoso Jimenez. Theirs is a lyrical side of Afro-Cuban jazz, full of humor and memories of an earlier Havana. Paquito's band sounds like a small dance orchestra.

November 3
A Tribute to Shirley Horn: "Here's to Life"
The Kennedy Center celebrates 2005 NEA Jazz Master Shirley Horn. John Clayton is musical director. Jeremy Pelt plays "You Won't Forget Me." Lizz Wright sings "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (Sinatra was a Shirley fan). Regina Carter plays "Too Late Now." Stefon Harris plays "A Time for Love." In her velvety whisper, Shirley Horn trumps all with "Yesterday," unforgettably.

November 10
Maria Schneider Orchestra @ the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, MA
After winning a 2005 Grammy in February, Schneider and this orchestra swept four Jazz Journalists Awards in June. The saxophonists alone play 23 instruments from piccolo to contrabass clarinet, and when Schneider needs a sub -- in this case on bass -- she calls the likes of Christian McBride. They play at a century-old theater in the Berkshires.

November 17
Omar Sosa @ Zankel Hall at Carnegie
To open its new underground performance space, Carnegie Hall chose Cuban-born pianist Omar Sosa and his band from the Bay Area. There's an occasional hip-hop edge on Sosa's rolling ocean of music. His piano and the cheers from the audience will lift your radio off the table.

November 24
Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ the 2005 Santa Fe Jazz & International Music Festival
As a young Zulu worker in South Africa, Joseph Shabalala dreamed of male voices singing in harmony. He taught the parts to family members and friends. Over time, their a cappella sound has moved the world. At Santa Fe, Ladysmith Black Mambazo's concert sold out so fast that the festival added a second show. Highlights on JazzSet.

December 1
Makoto Ozone: the Trio @ Kennedy Center Jazz Club
In pianist Makoto's opinion, this set from the 2005 Memorial Day weekend in Washington is "magic." After a year studying composition at the Eastman School of Music, Makoto sounds happy to be improvising. Clarence Penn's drumming is sweet, especially his brushes. With bassist James Genus, this trio's been together six years.

December 8
The Three Baritone Saxophone Band @ 2005 IAJE in Long Beach
Ronnie Cuber, Howard Johnson and Gary Smulyan play Gerry Mulligan compositions in three-part harmony, speeding around tight corners in Mulligan's polished style for a young audience at the International Association of Jazz Education's annual conference, held every January.

Dec. 15
Anton Schwartz Quintet
From a band grooving happily on the longest night of the year -- Winter Solstice 2004 -- cozy up and enjoy the Anton Schwartz Quintet on this edition of JazzSet.

Dec. 22
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Our host sings "What Now My Love," "Autumn Leaves," "The Good Life," "Ne Me Quitte Pas" in French, with accordion, guitar, bass, and percussion. These songs are from her new CD, J'ai Deux Amours / Two Loves Have I.

Dec. 29
Roy Haynes Celebrates Four Score
Pat Metheny has called Roy Haynes "the father of modern drumming." Chick Corea says he's a "national treasure." Haynes has worked with both of these men, as well as Lester Young, Charlie Parker and Sarah Vaughan in his long and successful career. This set celebrates Haynes's musical legacy.

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