The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is celebrating its 20th year of jazz programming with the summer 2008 season of Farrell Family Jazz at the Athenaeum. Since beginning its jazz program in 1989, the Athenaeum has become one of the foremost presenters of jazz in San Diego County, now with three different series comprising 17 concerts per year. Internationally acclaimed artists from both coasts grace this anniversary series, and concerts are expected to sell out.

 

The celebration begins Sunday, June 15, with the New York-based Edward Simon Trio, featuring acclaimed Venezuelan jazz pianist Edward Simon with bassist Ben Street and drummer Adam Cruz. Simon is known internationally as a leader of his own groups and for his work in the bands of artists such as Kevin Eubanks, Greg Osby, John Patitucci, Luciana Souza, and Terence Blanchard (with whom he appeared at The Neurosciences Institute in May 2000). The New York Times proclaimed, “He joins two other important young musicians on the jazz scene, Danilo Perez and David Sanchez, in investigating a synthesis between African-Hispanic rhythms and jazz. And it works. Mr. Simon's touch, light and warm, allows for his music to drift calmly, taking its time to get where it has to go.” For this Athenaeum concert, he is joined by A-list drummer Adam Cruz, known for his work with artists such as Chick Corea, Danilo Perez, and Tom Harrell.

  

Another New York-based ensemble, the Kendra Shank Quartet, arrives on Saturday, June 28. Vocalist Kendra Shank leads the quartet, with Frank Kimbrough on piano, Dean Johnson on bass, and Tony Moreno on drums. Ms. Shank’s latest CD, A Spirit Free: Abbey Lincoln Songbook, was listed among the top jazz CDs of 2007 in jazz journals worldwide. Time magazine observed, “Kendra Shank’s delectable voice—warm-toned, fine-grained, quietly sexy—sets her well apart from the crowd, as does her knack for picking un-hackneyed, slightly off-center material. The up-tempo tunes swing hard; the ballads shimmer and shine.” The Los Angeles Times called her, ““...a standout...improvisationally compelling...Her renderings of songs often took a reconstructive path, as she disassembled phrases, then reassembled them in her own imaginative fashion...the results were remarkable.”

 

The West Coast has its say when the Los Angeles-based Frank Potenza Organ Trio performs on Friday, July 18, with Potenza on guitar, organist Joe Bagg, and drummer Steve Barnes. Frank Potenza made a memorable Athenaeum debut at the library in February 2005 in his quartet with pianist Shelly Berg. A protégé of legendary guitarist Joe Pass, he brings a sophisticated, swinging touch to his classic interpretations of jazz standards. He has performed with such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, George Van Eps, Mundell Lowe, John Clayton, Bud Shank, Mose Allison, James Moody, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Brother Jack McDuff, and from 1996 to 1999, toured worldwide in the final edition of pianist Gene Harris’ quartet. For his organ trio, he draws on his experience playing with Hammond B3 legend Jack McDuff.  The trio features the talents of organist Joe Bagg, who has made previous Athenaeum appearances with both guitarist Anthony Wilson and trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos.

 

We conclude with the New York-based duo of pianist Kevin Hays and Israeli saxophonist Eli Degibri on Thursday, July 31. Hays’ previous appearance at the library, with his trio in February 2003, belongs on many Athenaeum jazz-goers’ lists of all-time favorites. In addition to his work as a leader, Hays’ résumé includes a who’s who of major artists, including Benny Golson, Joe Henderson, Eddie Gomez, Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Roy Haynes, Joshua Redman, Al Foster, Buster Williams, Art Farmer, Eddie Henderson, Chris Potter, and Nicholas Payton (with whom he appeared on the Neurosciences series in 2002). The New Yorker listed him among the “Best of 2006,” commenting, “There are plenty of talented pianists under 50, but few have Hays’ melodic charms and sense of style.” Hays’ association with Eli Degibri derives from their joint membership in Al Foster’s quartet, which led to their 2006 duo recording, One Little Song. Degibri has also toured internationally with Herbie Hancock, the Mingus Big Band, and Eric Reed.