Chelsea Table + Stage & Jazz Foundation of America to Present April Residency to Benefit JFA Musicians' Fund

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE - New York's newest hotspot for intimate dining and extraordinary music - will continue its special partnership with Jazz Foundation of America. The unique concert series, taking place every Wednesday in April with shows at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM, will benefit the JFA Musicians' Fund, which provides financial assistance to musicians in crisis. The series will feature guitarist Russell Malone Quartet (April 6), vibraphonist Stefon Harris (April 13), saxophonist and vocalist Camille Thurman (April 20), and pianist Sullivan Fortner (April 27). Tickets are $45, which includes a $15 food and beverage credit. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE is located at 152 West 26th Street.

100% of ticket sales will support JFA artists and provide life-changing assistance to hundreds of jazz and blues musicians struggling due to illness, old age, lack of work, natural disaster, and the devastating effects of the pandemic. The series will feature a thrilling range of the leading voices of jazz. Past performers include Brandee Younger, Donald Harrison, Cyrus Chestnut, and Raul Midón.

Wednesday, April 6

Russell Malone QUARTET

Russell Malone is one of the signature guitar players of his generation. He is as well-known on the international circuit for helming a world-class quartet and trio as he is for his long-standing participation in Ron Carter's Golden Striker Trio, and his recent contribution to the musical production of the likes of Sonny Rollins and Dianne Reeves, who recruited Malone for his singular tone, refined listening skills, limitless chops, and efflorescent imagination. He has played with artists as diverse as Harry Connick, Jr, Diana Krall, B.B. King, Andy Williams, and Ornette Coleman. Malone's latest recording is Time for the Dancers on High Note Records.

Wednesday, April 13

STEFON HARRIS + BLACKOUT

Educator, vibraphonist and composer Stefon Harris has been heralded as "one of the most important young artists in jazz" by The Los Angeles Times. A four-time Grammy nominee, he is a seven-time Best Mallet player by the Jazz Journalist Association, the recipient of Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award, DownBeat's Critics Poll Winner for Vibraphone (2015, 2013) and 2014 Expanded Critic's Poll for Vibes from Jazz Times. He won a 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for Wonder: The Songs of Stevie Wonder as a member of the SF Jazz Collective. Harris earned a BM in Classical Percussion and a MM in Jazz Performance from Manhattan School of Music. Harris teaches at New York University and is Artistic Director of Jazz Education at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).

Wednesday, April 20

Camille Thurman with THE DARRELL GREEN QUARTET

As an composer, saxophonist, vocalist, and unique interpreter of the jazz tradition, Camille Thurman is one of the leading standard bearers of the art form, making a considerable and dynamic contribution to the legacy of jazz while paying tribute to its heroes. She has amassed several distinctive honors: 2021 recipient of the SOUTH Arts Jazz Road Creative Artistic Residency, DownBeat's Critics Poll Nominee for Rising Star Tenor Saxophonist, and two-time winner of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award. Thurman was the first woman in 30 years to tour and perform full time with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a saxophonist/woodwindist. A bandleader, she has headlined concert venues and jazz festivals around the world including the Kennedy Center and Alice Tully Hall. Her most recent project, Fortitude, is a collaboration with master drummer Darrell Green and his quartet. Thurman was chosen by the U.S. State Department under the Fulbright Scholarship grant to tour Paraguay and Nicaragua as a bandleader.

Wednesday, April 27

SULLIVAN FORTNER TRIO

Sullivan Fortner stretches his deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, band leader and uncompromising individualist. The Grammy Award-winning artist out of New Orleans received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work on The Window (Mack Avenue, 2018), alongside multi-Grammy winner, vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant. As a solo leader, he has released Moments Preserved (Decca, 2018) and Aria (Impulse!, 2015) to critical acclaim. Now based in New York, Fortner has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist. In addition to associations with such diverse voices as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Fortner's frequent and longtime collaborators have included Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Christian Scott, Fred Hersch and the late Roy Hargrove. Recent collaborations include Grammy-nominated releases Dear Love (Empress Legacy) and Generations from leaders Jazzmeia Horn and The Baylor Project, respectively.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE, highlighting a diverse range of musical genres, is a welcome addition to the list of high-end venues on the New York performance scene, deftly balancing a glamourous interior, traditional hospitality, and top musical talent. The current lineup features a dazzling array from the worlds of pop, folk, country, soul, jazz, and much more. Providing a wide variety of upscale American menu items, with distinguished wine and bespoke cocktails, audiences will experience some of the best touring performers in the world, alongside local emerging artists. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE melds the ambiance of a classic supper club with the acoustics of a serious listening room and a contemporary spin appealing to several generations of music lovers.

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE opens the doors to hospitality, entertainment, and enjoyment every night, featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting, a 10-seat in-theatre bar, lofted VIP mezzanine for private groups, and table seating for the perfect date night. The ever-changing menu and entertainment schedule means guests never have the same night twice. CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE is located at 152 West 26th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), downstairs inside the Hilton New York Fashion District. Purchase tickets at chelseatableandstage.com @chelseatableandstage

THE JAZZ FOUNDATION OF AMERICA (JFA) has been a leader in supporting veteran jazz, blues and roots musicians for the past 30 years. Using a creative and holistic approach, JFA provides financial and emotional support to musicians who have made significant contributions to jazz, blues, and roots music. These musicians are often elderly, suffering from chronic health problems and facing a pervasive lack of work. Some face even more dire circumstances, such as being one missed paycheck away from homelessness. JFA employs two full-time licensed social workers and two musicians' advocates to provide a myriad of services including emergency bill payments (such as rents, mortgages, and utilities), distributing food vouchers, replacing damaged instruments, and providing pro-bono medical care through its partnership with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (which donates $300,000 annually in services, through a network of 80 physicians). In addition, JFA hosts free jazz and blues concerts through its Gig Fund and Jazz and Blues in the Schools programs providing much needed work for musicians, while also enriching the community. jazzfoundation.org

UPCOMING MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS AT CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE

Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 PM (BADASS BRUNCH SERIES)

HELL'S KITCHEN FUNK ORCHESTRA

Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra, led by trumpeter and composer Bill Warfield is "a mixture of adventurous modernistic pieces, jazz-tinged salsa, and post-bop hipness" according to Jazz Times. Warfield is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music where he won the Maynard Ferguson Scholarship, the William H. Borden Award for Outstanding Achievement in Jazz/Commercial Music and the Carmine Caruso Award for Outstanding Trumpet Performance. He has performed with such diverse artists as Ornette Coleman, Mel Torme, Sheila Jordan, David Liebman, Jon Faddis, Buddy DeFranco, Don Braden, Randy Brecker, and Sonny Stitt. As a bandleader he has recorded New York City Jazz for Interplay Records, The City Never Sleeps for Seabreeze Records, Nomad(with Dave Stryker) for Steeplechase Records, Le Jazz Hot (with Dave Liebman), "Trumpet Story" (with Randy Brecker), and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" with the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra on BluJazz. Bill is listed in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz by Ira Gitler and Leonard Feather, and in the Biographical Jazz listings by Lewis Porter.

Saturday, April 9 at 9:30 PM

RANDY EDELMAN

Composer, conductor, and musician Randy Edelman will celebrate the soundscape of his career through a dazzling piano concert. He transports his audience with arrangements of his movie scores from Last of the Mohicans to My Cousin Vinny, and beyond. Randy will also be sharing his hit songs that have been recorded by popular artists including Barry Manilow, Patti LaBelle, Olivia Newton-John, Nelly, and others. Edelman has composed over 100 popular films including Gettysburg, 27 Dresses, Ghostbusters II, Kindergarten Cop, Twins, among others. He also created musical themes for the Olympics, ESPN, and NASA. He has shared stages with the Carpenters, Frank Zappa, Anthrax, Sister Sledge, and others. He has also written songs for Barry Manilow ("Weekend in New England), Patti LaBelle ("Isn't it A Shame"), Blood Sweat and Tears ("Blue Street"), Kool & the Gang ("Amore, Amore"), Nelly ("My Place"), and more.

Sunday, April 10 at 2:00 PM (EVERY OTHER WEEKEND)

THE BOY BAND PROJECT -"BOY BAND BRUNCH"

The award-winning phenomenon Boy Band Brunch is back and delivered with its own special mix of handsomeness, tongue-in-cheek humor, and Broadway talent, these boys have been seen all over the world spreading their boy band love. They re-imagine the sound, movement, and energy of NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Hanson, One Direction, 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men, Jonas Brothers and more. For three consecutive years, The Boy Band Project has won Broadway World Cabaret Awards. They've opened for pop star Todrick Hall on his 2019 "Haus Party Tour," were featured alongside The Backstreet Boys on "Good Morning America," and have appeared on NY1 and WNBC TV. They've headlined residencies in Provincetown, Puerto Vallarta, Rehoboth Beach, The Green Room 42, Iridium NYC, Celebrity Cruise Line, Atlantis Events and have toured popular venues all over the country.

Sunday, April 24 at 7:00 PM

Marieann Meringolo

"Between Yesterday and Tomorrow: The Songs of Alan & Marilyn Bergman"

Award-winning recording artist and entertainer Marieann Meringolo presents her critically-acclaimed show celebrating the three-time Academy Award-winning songwriting team. Having written the lyrics for numerous television shows, films, and stage musicals, the Bergmans also wrote for some of the best artists of our time: Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, Johnny Mathis, and most notably Barbra Streisand - who has recorded 64 of their songs. Selections include "The Way We Were," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," "Where Do You Start," "Nice 'n' Easy," and many more. Time Out New York claimed, "If k.d. lang's DNA were to get whipped together with Barbra Streisand's in a genetics lab specializing in divas, the result might well be Marieann Meringolo." She is a MAC Award winner as well as a Back Stage Bistro Award-Winner for "Outstanding Vocalist."

Saturday, April 30 at 9:30 PM

LAUREN EYLISE sings Amy Winehouse

Singer/songwriter Lauren Eylise returns to Chelsea Table + Stage and pays tribute to one of her greatest musical inspirations, Amy Winehouse. Singing since the age of 2, music emerged as an innate form of expression for Lauren Eylise. Her genre-defying music can be categorized as eclectic-soul, as an array of influences make up her sound while each song is born from lessons of the soul. Her commanding vocals and acoustic stylings exude an indie-folk style with R&B overtones that easily appeal to the energy of pop music. And when armed with her full band, The Part-Time Lovers, the soul singer's sound fuses funkadelic rock and electric blues.

Monday, May 2 at 7:00 PM

Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf

"Music of Broadway For Cello and Piano" - Album Release Celebration

Following the recent release of her debut album, Music of Broadway for Cello and Piano, the acclaimed cellist will celebrate with a joint album release and birthday celebration featuring her longtime friend, Charlie Alterman, on piano and vocals, along with some special guest stars. Mairi has established a busy career as a solo, chamber, Broadway and recording artist. Since 2003 she has held chairs in 18 Broadway shows, including The Bridges of Madison County, Sunday in the Park with George, and currently Paradise Square. Off-Broadway credits include the premiere productions of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years (Chicago 2001, NYC 2002). Mairi has been a featured performer with Jason Robert Brown, Christine Ebersole, Jeremy Jordan and John Pizzarelli.

Saturday, May 7 at 7:00 PM

STEPH AMOROSO

Steph Amoroso will deliver an unforgettable acoustic and electric set, featuring recently released singles "Keep Me in the Dark," "You and Me," as well as her summer hit "Electric Light," featured in People, Good Housekeeping, and other major media. An old soul with a gravity beyond her years, Amoroso is a New York City-based, New Jersey-bred singer, songwriter, musician, and actor who boasts a soulful voice and magnetic presence. She was in cast of Punchdrunk's Off Broadway hit Sleep No More, where she sang with the jazz band as her alter ego, Lola. Drawing inspiration from Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna, Steph's sense of freedom, passion for storytelling and theatrical flair, is threaded within the layers of her music.

Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 PM

CHARU SURI - "Raga Jazz"

Join award-winning pianist and composer Charu Suri, who became the first Indian jazz artist to premiere an evening of work at Carnegie Hall, in an evening of her music that draws from her native Indian rhythms and ragas (modal scales), in an enthralling, energetic and soulful musical experience unlike anything you've heard, with glorious Sufi singing on top of it all. Lyrics or ghazals sung by Falsa, and percussion by Jesse Gerbasi. Her ground-breaking albums include The Book of Ragas, and its sequel, The Book of Ragas, Volume 2. Her raga compositions have garnered her an Hollywood Music in Media nomination, an International Singer Songwriters Association gold record, and Global Music Awards. Charu has performed at Lincoln Center and other prestigious concert halls around the world, including St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.