"Ray Blue has a majestic presence…when playing, his sense of purpose is obvious. It's one thing to be a good composer it's another to be a great performer. Ray Blue's got the whole package."
— Jean Szlamowicz, Down Beat
Monday Jazz Sessions @ Quinn's will next present the superb, Hudson Valley-based saxophonist Ray Blue in a trio with Ben Paterson on organ and Craig Haynes on drums. A past performer with such artists as the Sun Ra Arkestra, Bernard Purdie, the Cotton Club All-Stars and dozens of others, saxophonist and composer Blue brings a vigor and soulful grace to all his performances, here aided and abetted by a cooking rhythm section in Paterson and Haynes.
As with every Monday jazz session @ Quinn’sthere is no cover charge at the door, but donations for the musicians will be requested and gratefully accepted.
Biographies of the artists follow below. Other concerts as part of the Monday jazz sessions @ Quinn’s for 2014 include:
September 22: Dom Minasi Trio — the storied guitarist, whose work ranges from classic 70′s dates as a leader for Blue Note to the most cutting edges of improvised music, leads a trio of Quinn’s session veterans, bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Jay Rosen;
October 20: Mario Pavone Trio — the legendary bassist Pavone, veteran of countless groups ranging from Paul Bley to Anthony Braxton to Thomas Chapin and countless others, is joined by the powerhouse ensemble of Ellery Eskelin on tenor saxophone and Gerald Cleaver on drums;
November 17: Kendra Shank/John Stowell — the extraordinarily talented and accomplished duo of vocalist Shank and guitarist Stowell — following their appearances at Roulette in Brooklyn, The Falcon and other venues worldwide — bring their celebrated project to Quinn’s;
December 22: Avram Fefer Trio — the scalding saxophonist leads a trio with Michael Bisio on bass and drums TBA
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Ray Blue’s music can be described as a fusion of straight ahead jazz and African groove. Ray is a New York bred saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator who performs and conducts workshops and master classes internationally.
Over the years this award winning New York based saxophonist has shared the stage and studio as leader and sideman with John Gilmore, Dr. Art Davis, Benny Powell, Kirk Lightsey, Bernard Purdie, Patience Higgins, Danny Mixon, Wycliff Gordon, Bruce Cox, George Grey, Doug Sides, Wayne Dockery, Clifford Adams, Steve Turre, Belden Bullock, Ted Curson, Joe Lee Wilson, John Betsch, Calvin Hill, Michael Cochrane, The Sun Ra Arkestra, Cotton Club All Stars, Harlem Blues and Jazz Band and many others. He was also a cast member of the “Ray Charles Show” which toured in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy 2008 to 2010.
His festival performances as leader and featured artist include: Hartford Jazz Festival; Zanzibar International Film Festival; North Sea Jazz Festival-Cape Town, South Africa; Macufe Festival-Bloemfontaine, South Africa; European Union Annex Festival-Dublin, Ireland; Audi Jazz Festival-Brussels, Belgium; Macao Jazz Festival, China; The New York State Black Arts Festival-Albany, New York; Midi Music Festival-Beijing, China; Pori Jazz Festival, Finland; Foix Jazz Festival, France and others.
Ray released his first CD as a leader, Always with a Purpose, in 2001. Then came Ray Blue Live at Liars Theater in 2004 and “Ray Blue Live at Liars Theater 2 in 2005. In 2006 Ray released ‘Transvision’ on the Neu Klang label and Berries and Blues in 2010.
Ray Blue was inducted: Blues Hall of Fame, 2013; Tri M Music Honor Society, 2012, Distinguished Career Award, Wm. Penn University, 2010; Annual Ray Blue Jazz Award, Wm. Penn University, Initiated 2006.
Ray conducts workshops/master classes and consults at colleges, universities, schools and communities institutions around the world. He is the founder of Cross-Cultural Connection, Inc. a 501 (c) 3 organization that promotes jazz culture, education and performance. Ray endorses GB Saxophones and Vandoren mouthpieces and reeds.
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Originally from Philadelphia, Ben Paterson spent his younger years studying both classical and jazz music before moving to the great city of Chicago. There he spent years performing and working with the best musicians in town, absorbing the unique blend of Jazz and Blues that can only be found in the Windy City. Now, moving to New York, Ben is poised to bring his unique talents and style to a wider audience, combining hard-swinging grooves and melodic improvisation with an impeccable touch.
Starting in 2005, Ben was honored to work as pianist for NEA jazz master Von Freeman, performing with him regularly until Von’s passing in August 2012. In addition to regular club dates around town, Ben’s work with Von included performances at the Chicago Jazz Fest, Symphony Center, Millenium Park, The Jazz Showcase, and The Green Mill.
Under his own name, Ben has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival as both a solo pianist and with his Organ Quartet, led his own groups at dozens of venues including Smalls Jazz Club, Kitano Jazz, and the Zinc Bar in NYC, and headline performances at the Green Mill and Andy’s Jazz Clubs in Chicago.
Notable collaborations include work Von Freeman, Johnny O’Neal, Red Holloway, Eldee young, Jerry Weldon, Guy King, Ed Cherry, Brianna Thomas, Gregory Generet, Dave Specter, Jason Marshall, Henry Johnson, Corey Wilkes, Milton Suggs, Ernest Dawkins, Marianne Solivan, Patience Higgens, Myron Waldon, Kimberly Gordon, Martina DaSilva, JC Styles, Svetlana’s Delancey 5, Adam Rongo, and many others.
Notable performances include the 2010 Montreal Jazz Fest, the 2006, 2009, and 2013 Chicago Jazz Fests, the 2007, 2008, and 2011 Chicago Blues Fests, as well as shows in France, China, Switzerland, Mexico, Sweden, and Taiwan.
Ben currently has 3 piano discs out: Breathing Space (OA2 Records 2007) Blues For Oscar (Meetinghouse Records 2012), and Essential Elements (MAXJAZZ 2013) Keep an eye out for his debut Organ record scheduled for release in Summer of 2014.
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Craig Holiday Haynes (named after Billie Holiday), studied the accordion, piano, and guitar, before playing the French horn in elementary school in St. Albans (Queens) NY. Craig began his professional music career playing tenor saxophone at the age of 14. Having majored in music starting in junior high school, then playing in dance and R&B/pop bands of the day, behind groups like The Toys, Brook Benton and Bo Diddley, with the Fabulous Uniques, even doing some soul and R&B music recording sessions. His first sideman session wound up on the radio as a top 10 R&B single. Later, at 20 years old, he felt a calling to play the drums. He did a successful tour as a drummer with a top 40 band (Gary Toms Empire) within the same year. He soon felt another calling of a more somewhat spiritual nature. He felt the need to preserve what seemed to be an almost dying art form, an art form based on feeling tradition and culture. (Swing, Bebop and real JAZZ!). Craig soon began studying and performing (on drums and percussion) with masters such as Chief Bey and later, Sun Ra and bebopper Barry Harris, even turning down an offer to work with R&B great James Brown. He ran the Art Blakey Breakfast Jam session for 5 years, from 1982-1987 at the Jazz Culture Theater in NYC, and has since been called to play with jazz greats such as Gloria Lynne, George Benson, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, Tony Bennett, Lionel Hampton, Geri Allen, Clark Terry, Stanley Jordan, Onaje Allen Gumbs, Tony O (of the Legendary Blues Band), Marcus Miller, John Hicks, Lalah Hathaway, Gladys Knight and many, many more.
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