Come join us on the Somerset County Courthouse Lawn (corner of Grove and East Main Street) for Somerville's First Annual Jazz Fest, Sunday, September 13th between 1 & 6 pm.
Hosted by WBGO's premier DJ, Sheila Anderson, Jimmy Heath will headline the festival, and featuring top name jazz performers, Gretchen Parlato Trio, Harry Allen Quartet and Sherman Irby “Organomics” .
The middle brother of the Heath jazz family and the leader of the quartet.
Awarded 3 Grammy nominations and 3 honorary doctorates.
He has played and recorded with many of his legendary contemporaries including John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.
He is a respected arranger and is credited with 130 compositions and 12 CD’s as a leader.
Jimmy’s compositions have been played and recorded by Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Cannonball Adderley, Chet Baker, Clark Terry, Dexter Gordon, Milt Jackson, Yusef Lateef, Blue Mitchell and Jazz @ Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Her second album, In a Dream, will be released Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Her sound mixes Jazz, Brazilian, and African elements, creating a unique style all her own.
Winner of the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition.
In 2001, Gretchen was the first vocalist to be accepted into the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, where Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard and Herbie Hancock served as the selecting judges.
“… she's a singer with a deep, almost magical connection to the music," says jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
Harry Allen is a world class tenor saxophone jazz soloist with over 30 recordings.
Harry has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe and Asia.
The Harry Allen - Joe Cohn Quartet won the New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Combo Performance of 2006 and was nominated for Best Jazz Combo by the Jazz Journalists Association for the same year.
Sherman Irby performs as alto saxophonist for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and tours with his quartet and his group “Organomics”.
Mr. Irby has recorded five albums to date: Full Circle (Blue Note), Big Mama’s Biscuits (Blue Note), Black Warrior (BWR), Faith, and most recently Organ Starter.
The New York Times voted his record, Big Mama’s Biscuits, as one of the top 10 records of 1998.
More information on your host, Sheila Anderson:
On Air Personality for WBGO Jazz 88
Organizer of long-standing summer jazz at The Newark Museum and other jazz events
Author & creator of “Art of Jazz” television program
Come join us on the Somerset County Courthouse Lawn (corner of Grove and East Main Street) for Somerville's First Annual Jazz Fest, Sunday, September 13th between 1 & 6 pm.