NYC Winter Jazzfest presents:
Jan
13
with Artemis & Allison Miller Boom Tic Boom
Mon January 13th, 2020
7:30PM
Main Space
Minimum Age: 18+
Doors Open: 6:30PM
Show Time: 7:30PM
Event Ticket: $25
Day of Show: $35
Ticketing Policy
All ticket sales are final. No refunds or credits.
Kevin Eubanks, Orrin Evans Duo
Kevin Eubanks Official Website | Kevin Eubanks on Facebook | Kevin Eubanks on Twitter
Kevin Eubanks, guitarist and prolific composer. He is well known by many as the former Music Director of The Tonight Show band, appearing on the show 18 years (1992 – 2010). His laid back style and affability seems to belie the concentration and focus that have made him successful both as a consummate musician and a household name for late-night TV viewers.
Kevin was born into a musical household in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist with a Masters Degree in music education. She has taught both privately and in the school system, until her recent retirement. Vera’s brother, the late Ray Bryant, was a journeyman jazz pianist who recorded and toured with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Sarah Vaughan not to mention a hit records of his own. Kevin was thus exposed to world-class music in his formative years as he began violin lessons, his first instrument, at age seven. His brother Robin, is a trombonist, arranger and tenured professor at Oberlin College and brother Duane is consistently influencing so many younger musicians as a trumpet teacher and continues to expand his recording career. Kevin also studied the trumpet before making his commitment to the guitar which was solidified with his entrance to the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston from which he has received an ‘Honorary Doctorate’ degree. He has also received an ‘Honorary Doctorate’ degree from Redlands University in California.
Kevin moved to New York after attending Berklee College of Music where his career kicked off in earnest. He started playing with some of the greats of Jazz, including Art Blakey, Slide Hampton, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Ron Carter and others. In addition to working in other bands, Kevin become the leader of his own group and traveled to Jordan, Pakistan, India and Kuwait on tours sponsored by the US State Department, not to mention the European/Japanese Jazz circuit which so many artists frequent.
His first album as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label when Kevin was 25. It documented a sophisticated, nuanced voice on the instrument, and was graced by the presence of some peers who are still performing with him today: tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore,(Tonight Show Band member) and his brother Robin. Kevin’s cousins, the late bassist David Eubanks and the pianist Charles Eubanks, also appeared on the recording, which was so well received that it lead to a seven record recording contract with the GRP label, owend by Dave Grusin and the late Larry Rosen. Those recordings, based largely upon Kevin’s compositions, gained him a wide audience through extensive radio airplay and touring. It showed the range of his skill on both acoustic and electric guitar. Kevin become a full-time bandleader, and traveled the world with his group.
In 1992, Kevin moved to the West Coast to join The Tonight Show Band featuring Jay Leno. In 1995, Kevin was asked the lead the band. His versatility and open minded approach enabled him to write and choose music that satisfied the huge and varied audience for the show. He assumed the role as Leno’s sidekick, sometimes participating in skits, and his engaging personality as well as his musicianship drew attention. The position afforded Kevin the opportunity to work with great and popular musicians from all genres. As a result of living close to LA, Kevin has become involved in writing scores for both TV movies and full-length independent feature films. He loves to do volunteer work for charities and maintains an active relationship with the organization dearest to his heart, The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. He has appeared on various TV shows from Hollywood Squares to VIP to Girlfriends, Days of Our Lives, Royal Pains, HGTV, Oprah’s OWN, The History Channel, to name a few. But his passion is clearly seen when he is on stage performing as he continues to embrace his true passion, the love of music.
A strong advocate for music education, Kevin served as the Artistic Director of the Jazz In The Classroom Program for The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz from 2010 – 2012, where he worked with young up-and-coming middle and high school musicians in the Los Angeles public schools. “Young people need to be able to express themselves in ways that educate, uplift, and inspire self-confidence,” Eubanks remarked. “It’s important that everyone in the neighborhood gets to see that.” He also hosted the 2013 NEA Foundation Gala. He has taught at the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp, the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, Rutgers University, and at the Charlie Parker School in Perugia, Italy as well as hosting master classes at many colleges and universities.
In November, 2010, Kevin released the CD Zen Food (Mack Avenue Records) that debuted in the Top Five on the Billboard Jazz Chart and was Kevin’s fastest selling record ever. In February, 2013 his CD The Messenger (Mack Avenue Records) was released, garnering a 2014 NAACP Image Award nomination for “Outstanding Jazz Album.” That same year, he toured extensively as a member of Dave Holland’s PRISM. In March 2015, the acclaimed Duets (Mack Avenue Records), with fellow guitarist Stanley Jordan, was released to rave reviews and concert performances. His next project, the highly-anticipated upcoming CD East West Time Line is set for release on April 7, 2017 (Mack Avenue Records).
In addition to club/concert touring Kevin has begun presenting at conferences around the country not only as a musician but also as a motivational speaker to people of all ages.
As one of the most accomplished guitarists of his or any generation, Eubanks has deservedly become known to millions through music, TV, and what so many artists know so well, “lots of hard work.”
Orrin Evans Official Website | Orrin Evans on Facebook
Born in Trenton, NJ but raised in Philadelphia, acoustic pianist Orrin Evans was among the “Young Lions” of straight-ahead jazz who emerged in the 1990s. His main focus is hard bop, although he has occasionally detoured into soul-jazz and R&B when backing such vocalists as Denise King and his wife, Dawn Warren. Influenced by McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, among others, Evans graduated from high school in the early 1990s and studied at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ before going on to study privately with Kenny Barron and be employed as a sideman by Bobby Watson, Ralph Peterson, Duane Eubanks, singer Lenora Zenzalai-Helm and others. Evans recorded his first CD as a leader, The Orrin Evans Trio, for his own Black Entertainment label in 1994. After that, he signed with Criss Cross and recorded Justin Time in 1997, Captain Black in 1998 and Grown Folks Bizness in 1999. Listen to the Band followed a year later, with Blessed Ones and Meant to Shine following soon, continuing his yearly release schedule. Now a member of The Bad Plus, Evans tours frequently with trio while also acting as bandleader of his own trio and the Captain Black Big Band.
Artemis
Hailing from America, Canada, Israel, Chile and Japan: ARTEMIS is an international all-star group featuring six of the top performers on the jazz scene today: pianist and musical director RENEE ROSNES, trumpeter INGRID JENSEN, clarinetist ANAT COHEN, tenor saxophonist MELISSA ALDANA, bassist NORIKO UEDA and drummer ALLISON MILLER. Forget about gender! This is a significant and serious band that plays with passion, power and sensitivity. They will bring their collective artistry to the world, throughout 2020, with unforgettable performances of high-wire interplay and pure joy.
“One of Sunday’s clear highlights was a set by the super-group Artemis, a collective whose members — pianist Renee Rosnes, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, clarinetist Anat Cohen, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Allison Miller — can all regularly be heard leading their own bands. Their set played like an expertly crafted mixtape, moving from a knotty version of Thelonious Monk’s “Brilliant Corners” to a surprisingly dramatic arrangement of the Beatles’ ‘Fool on the Hill.’”
– ROLLING STONE
“Two all-female ensembles scored high marks with festival-goers on Sunday. At the Fort Stage it was Artemis, the all-star sextet named for the Greek goddess of wilderness and the hunt. With a powerhouse frontline of trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana and clarinetist Cohen, and a solid rhythm section of pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Allison Miller, they turned in a swinging rendition of Monk’s “Brilliant Corners” and delivered a twist on the Beatles’ ‘Fool On The Hill.’”
– DOWNBEAT
Allison Miller Boom Tic Boom
Allison Miller Official Website | Allison Miller on Twitter | Allison Miller on Youtube
NYC-based drummer/composer/teacher Allison Miller gathers inspiration from a wide array of genres. Coming from the Jazz tradition, she engages her deep roots in improvisation as a vehicle to explore all music. Described by critics as a charismatic and rhythmically propulsive drummer with melodic sensibility, Miller has been named “Rising Star Drummer” and “Top 20 Jazz Drummers” in Downbeat Magazine’s acclaimed Critics Poll. Her band, Boom Tic Boom, is a 2014 recipient of Chamber Music America’s “Presenter Consortium for Jazz Grant” and is proudly sponsored by Mid- Atlantic Arts Foundation.
Boom Tic Boom, featuring pianist Myra Melford, violinist Jenny Scheinman, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, cornet player Kirk Knuffke, bassist Todd Sickafoose, and Miller on drums and composition, is currently celebrating it’s fourth release, Otis was a Polar Bear (2016, RPF). The New York Times says, “(Otis was a Polar Bear) is a smart, engaging new album.”
Previous releases include 5am Stroll (2005), Boom Tic Boom (2010), Live at Willisau (2012), and No Morphine No Lilies (2013) -“No Morphine No Lilies demonstrates that her (Allison Miller) craftiness as a percussionist is met by her ingenuity as a composer and group conceptualist.” -The New Yorker.
Boom Tic Boom has been met with critical acclaim receiving 4.5 stars from Downbeat and making “Top 10 Jazz Albums” lists for Downbeat, The LA Times, Jazz Journalists Association, and Something Else. The band has been featured on WNYC’s New Sounds with John Schaefer, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series with Bob Boilen, JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, The Checkout: Live with Josh Jackson, and festivals such as Stanford Jazz, SF Jazz, Willisau, Saalfelden, Iowa City Jazz, Reykjavik Jazz, Ear Shot-Seattle, Mary Lou Williams- Kennedy Center, Edgefest, Mass Moca, Pioneer Valley, and Redwood Jazz Alliance.
While breaking from band leading, Miller focuses on collaborations, co-directing
Celebrate and Holler and Bam with Toshi Reagon, Honey Ear Trio with Jeff Lederer and Rene Hart, Speak with Rachna Nivas and Michelle Dorrance, And Still You Must Swing with Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, and Ink with Camille A. Brown. She is also a proud member of the Bessie award winning show, The Blues Project with Dorrance Dance and Toshi Reagon’s Big Lovely.
As a side-musician, Miller has been the rhythmic force behind such mainstream artists as Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile, Toshi Reagon, Joey Arias, the Meredith Vieira Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Pino Daniele, Erin McKeown, Jill Sobule, and Martha Redbone; and her jazz skills have been embraced by everyone from organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith and vocalist Patricia Barber to avant-garde trailblazer Marty Ehrlich, Steven Bernstein, Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas, and Ben Goldberg.
Miller is a three time Jazz Ambassador of the US State Department and is on Yamaha’s Top 30 Clinicians List. She conducts clinics and master classes throughout the world and teaches at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Jazz Camp West. Her lessons and writings have been published in The Huffington Post, Modern Drummer, Jazz Times, DRUM, Tom Tom, and Drummer UK.
In 2008 Miller founded the Walter Salb Memorial Musical Scholarship Foundation in honor of her late teacher and mentor. The foundation annually provides a monetary award to a promising young musician directed toward furthering their studies in music.
Miller endorses Yamaha drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, and Evans drumheads.