DACAMERA Presents Blue Note Records 80th Birthday Celebration

DACAMERA of Houston continues its 2019-2020 jazz series with Blue Note Records 80th Birthday Celebration, an evening honoring the legendary jazz record label with performances by three outstanding artists on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Wortham Theater Center's Cullen Theater. The first date in a nationwide anniversary tour, the concert lineup features Kandace Springs, James Francies and the James Carter Organ Trio, each performing a set of their own music, followed by a finale with all of the artists coming together to perform a classic Blue Note tune.

Nashville singer and pianist Kandace Springs counts Billie Holiday, Roberta Flack and Norah Jones as her heroes, but-as evidenced by her sparkling recordings-mimics none of them. She will release her third Blue Note album, The Women Who Raised Me, in early 2020. After her head-turning 2014 self-titled EP-which caught the attention of Prince, who raved "Kandace has a voice that could melt snow"-Springs released her debut album, Soul Eyes, in 2016, followed by her electric 2018 album Indigo.

Houston native James Francies released his Blue Note debut, Flight, in 2018, and is experiencing a meteoric rise in the jazz world and beyond. The pianist and composer has played with jazz headliners Pat Metheny, Chris Potter, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Stefon Harris, Eric Harland, Terrace Martin and more, and has racked up equally impressive credits in hip-hop and R&B. He has enjoyed gigs with Ms. Lauryn Hill, José James, Common and Nas, has recorded with Chance the Rapper, and has made appearances with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Saxophonist James Carter leads an intergenerational organ trio, featuring rising B3 organist Gerad Gibbs and the propulsive drum support of Alex White. Carter's recently released Blue Note debut album, James Carter Organ Trio: Live From Newport Jazz, is a live soul-jazz reinvention of Django Reinhardt songs. The Detroit-based artist evokes early jazz, jump blues, the avant-garde and other lessons from his vast knowledge of the music of the African-American experience.

DACAMERA's jazz music series continues with Branford Marsalis on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, and the Vijay Iyer Sextet on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.

Tickets for Blue Note Records 80th Birthday Celebration start at $37.50 and are available by contacting DACAMERA, 1402 Sul Ross, at 713-524-5050 or online at www.dacamera.com. Tickets for students and senior citizens are always half-price. $5 student rush tickets are available 30 minutes before the concert begins.

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