South Florida JAZZ and Bailey Hall Announce Slate of Acclaimed Artists

Davie, Fla. (May 30, 2017) – South Florida JAZZ and Bailey Hall have announced a powerhouse lineup for the inaugural season of “Jazz at Bailey Hall. “

“Based on the musical vocabulary and innovations of its forebears, jazz is always evolving and we have put together a season that features dazzling fusions and straight-ahead jazz,” said South Florida JAZZ President Ronald B. Weber, M.D.  “From the Afro-Cuban-influenced music of the Ignacio Berroa Trio and Jane Bunnett & Maqueque to Monty Alexander’s Island roots and the Brazilian fusion of Trio da Paz to jazz superstars Anat Cohen and Nicole Henry, Jazz at Bailey Hall is a snapshot of where jazz is today and the artists that are creating its future. Notably, five of the six concerts feature international artists – and three women as leaders – confirming jazz as world music.”

Led by a musician known for his surprise musical twists and the ability to build dramatic suspense, the Monty Alexander Trio kicks off the series on Saturday, January 20 at 8 p.m. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander was gigging in Kingston clubs in his teens when he moved to Miami briefly. His playing retains a strong Caribbean influence, both on piano and melodica, but with a significant bebop flavor and bright swinging feeling. Regulars Hassan Shakur on bass and drummer Obed Calvaire complete the band.

Featuring three of Brazil’s most in-demand musicians, Trio da Paz performs on Saturday, February 17 at 8 p.m. Formed in 1990 by guitarist Romero Lubambo, acoustic bass virtuoso Nilson Matta, and Brazil’s swingingest drummer, Duduka da Fonseca, the trio updates the infectious spirit of jazz-oriented Brazilian music with the fusion of North American jazz sensibilities and vocabulary. All three players are seasoned masters of both jazz and Brazilian music and together they have redefined Brazilian jazz with their harmonically adventurous interactions, daring improvisations, and fluid rhythmic undertow.

Four-time Juno Award-winner and two-time Grammy Award-nominee, Canadian soprano saxophonist-flautist Jane Bunnett appears in the series on Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m. Recognized for her artistry and improvisational daring, her exploration and then immersion in Afro-Cuban rhythms and melodies has expressed the universality of music and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been groundbreaking. Bunnett appears with her most recent recording and touring group, Maqueque. The band, which is both a folkloric and jazz fusion, consists of Bunnett and five dynamic young Cuban women instrumentalists and composers.

The Anat Cohen Quartet, helmed by the player voted by the Jazz Journalists Association as Clarinetist of the Year eight years in a row, performs on Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m.  Born in Tel Aviv and raised into a musical family, Cohen attended the finest Israeli schools before matriculating at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Studying clarinet from age 12 and later tenor sax, jazz captured her imagination as she explored Sidney Bechet to Sonny Rollins. Cohen has topped both the Critics and Readers Polls in the clarinet category in DownBeat magazine every year since 2011.

In a special evening, legendary drummer Ignacio Berroa will narrate his documentary film Straight-ahead from Havana and perform with the Ignacio Berroa Trio on Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. Berroa began his musical education at age 11, ultimately studying at Cuba’s National Conservatory. The 1980 Mariel boatlift landed him in New York City where he was soon introduced to Dizzy Gillespie, and spent the next 10 years as Gillespie’s drummer. A great Afro-Cuban drummer, Ignacio has worked with a who’s who of Latin and American artists.

Nicole Henry will lead her quintet in the culmination of the series on Saturday, June 16 at 8 p.m. Possessing a potent combination of onstage charisma, impeccable phrasing and powerful emotional resonance, she has established herself as one of the jazz world's most acclaimed vocalists. Her repertoire includes the Great American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz titles, blues and originals.

“We are excited to partner with an organization with such a strong history for excellence and look forward to many years of collaboration” said Dr. Dan Barnard, associate dean of cultural affairs and director of Bailey Hall.

The six-concert series is available on subscription for $175 - $225. An “Everything Pass” is also available for $385-$500 which includes the entire South Florida Jazz season, the eight-event Bailey Hall Presents slate of music, dance, theater and film as well as six screenings with the film makers in the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.  The Baily Hall Presents season is available on subscription for $165-$240 and the film series subscription may be purchased for $50.  Several packages where ticket buyers make create their own subscriptions from the entire Bailey Hall 2017-18 season are also available.  Student and senior discounts are also available throughout the season.

Subscriptions are available by visiting www.baileyhall.org or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and one hour prior to an event.  Tickets to individual events will go on sale in mid-July.

The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.– BC –

ABOUT BAILEY HALL:
Bailey Hall offers Broward College students, faculty and the South Florida community with highest quality cultural entertainment and programming which is hip, smart, engaging, and authentic. The College uses its various music, theater, and film series to incorporate an academic component for its fine arts and visual arts students through master classes, workshops and participation. Recently, Bailey Hall underwent a $5.6 million renovation to improve the experience, sound and atmosphere.

ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ:
South Florida JAZZ, Inc. (SFJ) is a nonprofit cultural arts organization that incorporated in 1992 to produce the Hollywood Jazz Festival, which terminated in 2005. It is and based in Broward County, but has presented in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, as well.  Current activities, entering its 26th season, focus upon production of a seasonal monthly concert series that migrates to Bailey Hall in 2018, and features critically acclaimed national and international artists. Additionally, SFJ has created several in-school mentoring programs from young children to collegiate music majors. SFJ sponsors master classes and clinics for high school and college students conducted by premier musicians visiting the area in conjunction with SFJ performances. The organization receives grants from Broward County and private foundations in addition to private donation from its membership. Additional information is available at southfloridajazz.org.