The Fellowship Band; photo credit Erin Larkin
Jazz returns to the Athenaeum for our annual series of summer concerts in the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Music Room (at 1008 Wall Street in La Jolla). This series features both Athenaeum favorites and debuts by internationally acclaimed artists. Seating is limited—so order soon!
The summer series opens Wednesday, June 19, with a special celebration of Juneteenth featuring Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band (note two separate shows at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.). One of the world’s leading jazz drummers, Blade brings Jon Cowherd on piano, Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano saxophone, Myron Walden on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, and Roland Guerin on bass, to the Athenaeum for their first local appearance.
Called “one of the most distinctive and long-running bands in jazz in the 21st century” the group has released seven albums, ranging from Brian Blade Fellowship (1998) to Kings Highway (2023). From the beginning, they created a sound of its own genre, encompassing jazz, gospel, and folk music, inspiring listeners worldwide. A multi-Grammy winning artist and composer, Blade’s career includes work with artists from Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and Joshua Redman to Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. NPR called The Fellowship Band “an all-star lineup that functions more like a harmonious congregation, ebbing and flowing as one.”
The series continues Sunday, June 30, with another all-star band, the Chris Potter Trio, featuring Potter on tenor sax, Matt Brewer on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums.
A world-class soloist, accomplished composer, and formidable bandleader, Grammy-nominated Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation. His music showcases limitless creativity and a vibrant sense of swing. The New Yorker referred to Potter as “a tenorist who can remind you of Joe Henderson at his craftiest,” adding, “He employs his considerable technique in the service of music rather than spectacle.” DownBeat called him “one of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet,” and JazzTimes identified him as “a figure of international renown.” He has performed or recorded with many of the leading names in jazz, and his latest of 15 albums, Eagle’s Point, features him in a collaborative band that includes Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci, and Brian Blade.
Next up, on Saturday, July 20, is a reunion of the Peter Erskine Trio with special guest Bob Mintzer, featuring Erskine on drums, Alan Pasqua on piano, Darek Oles on bass, and Bob Mintzer on tenor sax.
DownBeat wrote, “Erskine is a consistently refreshing catalyst; Oles is pitch-perfect and rock-steady; and Pasqua’s less-is-more approach to the keys provides contemporary harmonic and melodic context while leaving space for magic to unfold.” Known widely for his 30-year stint with the Yellowjackets and as leader of the WDR Big Band, Mintzer has been praised by DownBeat for his “prodigious talent and ingenuity.”
The series concludes Sunday, August 4, with Chilean-born guitarist-vocalist Camila Meza. She will be joined by Or Baraket on bass and Edward Simon on piano. NPR called Meza “one of the best-kept secrets in New York City,” commenting, “Camila Meza is poised to step into a broader spotlight.” The New York Times wrote, “A welcome presence in New York… Ms. Meza brings an appealing combination of lightness and depth to all the material, singing in a bright, clear voice. … Her improvising, on electric or acoustic guitar, is serious business.” DownBeat wrote, “Her impressive guitar playing serves the song as she seeks a perfect balance between poignant vocals and killer chops.”
Edward Simon, a native of Venezuela, has made a name for himself over decades in America as a jazz improviser, composer-arranger, and bandleader. His profile has grown in recent years as he has explored the commonalities jazz can have with the folkloric sounds of Latin America. JazzTimes summed up his influence on the music genre this way: “Simon is less talked about than many other important jazz pianists from the Caribbean and South America, but he may be the most complete creative artist among them.”
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, as a member of the all-star SFJAZZ Collective, Simon has received a Guggenheim Fellowship; multiple composition grants, as part of Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works initiative; and South Arts Jazz Road Creative Residencies. He has recorded 16 albums as a leader or co-leader, with his latest, Solo Live (Ridgeway), released in 2021. This followed Simon’s 2020 album, 25 Years, and his 2016 album, Latin American Songbook. DownBeat praised Latin American Songbook’s “grand and sophisticated” sound, and the recording won Simon an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. The New York Times has praised Simon’s “light, warm touch” as a pianist, while Jazz Journal International singled out “his deep emotional statements” as a composer and improviser. Simon is a Yamaha artist.
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the exception of the two on June 19. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.