HarlemStage Presents Off The Wall: A Tribute to Michael Jackson 12/11

For nearly five decades, Michael Jackson and his music affected and moved generations of people all over the world. His accomplishments as an entertainer were unprecedented, he embodied the definition of a superstar and his music is intimately intertwined with some of the most memorable moments of our lives.

This December, Harlem Stage and The Jazz Gallery will join forces for a special presentation, honoring MJ's musical legacy, "Off the Wall: A Tribute to Michael Jackson." Led by musical director Raymond Angry, this performance will feature artists including Grammy Award Winner Renee Neufville, Chilean songstress Claudia Acuña, 2004 Thelonious Monk Competition winner Gretchen Parlato, and newcomer Saunders Sermons, who has toured with Maxwell. They will be backed by a group of outstanding musicians including David Gilmore and Johnathan Blake. There certainly will be surprise guests who will be dropping by, as this will be THE party of the year. Good times will be had by all!!

 

Featuring

Raymond Angry - Music Director, Keyboards

Renee Neufville - Vocals

Claudia Acuna - Vocals

Gretchen Parlato - Vocals

Saunders Sermons - Vocals

Becca Stevens - Vocals

Chris Turner - Vocals

David Gilmore - Guitar

Johnathan Blake - Drums

Ben Williams - Bass

Marcus Strickland - Saxophones

Keyon Harrold - Trumpet

DJ Cosi

 

About the Artists

The Jazz Gallery

The Jazz Gallery, located in downtown Manhattan, is an international cultural center and not-for-profit organization that nurtures the youngest generation of professional jazz musicians by giving them an audience for their performances and a stage upon which to assemble their bands. The Gallery is open 3 to 5 nights per week, 50 weeks per year and produces more than 150 events per year.

http://jazzgallery.org/

 

Renee Neufville

Originally, one member of the Platinum R&B Duo Zhane, Renee Neufville has toured with Grammy winning jazz legend Roy Hargrove as the voice of Verve's RHFactor collective. Distractions which is available in stores now, mark's the third critically acclaimed recording she has completed with this ensemble. The two previous albums were also nominated for Grammy's. The experience has awarded the R&B songwriter the opportunity to further expand as a keyboardist as she joins this ensemble of superior musicians. Renee Neufville has toured consistently since her days with Zhane discovering new ground from Moscow, Den Haag to Lithuaniav style.

http://www.myspace.com/reneemusic

 

Claudia Acuna

Chilean singer/songwriter/arranger Claudia Acuña possesses one of the most beautiful and compelling voices in jazz and creative music. While singing primarily in Spanish, her music crosses language barriers to communicate with power and deep feeling.
She was signed to Verve Records in 1999, where she recorded two albums, Wind from the South and Rhythm of Life. A third disc, Luna, was recorded for MAXJAZZ in 2004, and her debut on the Marsalis Music label, En Este Momento, was released in April 2009. Acuña has also recorded and toured with a host of performers including George Benson, Joey Calderazzo, Billy Childs, Roy Hargrove, Tom Harrell, Christian McBride, Danilo Perez and Pablo Ziegler. Over time, she has performed more of her material in her native language. "I always promised myself that I would honor my background," she says, "and I've gone from the point where there were always one or two songs in Spanish to where there are always one or two in English. But I don't want to lock myself into a formula because my growth has been organic, like a seed that produces more leaves, branches and flowers with each year."

http://www.claudiaacuna.com/

Gretchen Parlato

Gretchen Parlato´s voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, she is never predictable, blurring the lines between singer and instrumentalist as she takes a lyric-and at other times improvised flights of wordless fancy-to places it´s never before been. On In a Dream, her debut album for ObliqSound, which releases August 25, Parlato and her intuitive support team reinvent constantly, Parlato impeccably articulating in a voice so ethereal that the listener might very well feel that he or she is "in a dream."

http://gretchenparlato.com/

Saunders Sermons

Saunders Sermons is an American Singer, trombonist, song writer. Born and raised in Miami FL, Sermons began laying the trombone at the age of 11. Since then, he has grown to become an established independent artist with an admirable music career. As a trombonist, Sermon's brassy sounds can be heard on Jay Z's single "The Roc Boys and Fantasia's single "Two weeks Notice" He has performed with Hip Hop and R&B heavy weights such as. 50 Cent, Diddy, and Snoop Dog, who Sermons went on a European tour with Jay Z and Mary J. Blige, who Sermons also toured with in select cities in North American. In 2002, he toured with the hit stage production " The Maintenance Man," which was based on the the best selling book by Michael Baisden and featured Billy Dee Williams and Darius McCrary in the cast. Sermons has also performed with Jazz Trumpet player Roy Hargrove, and R&B Jazz saxaphonist Mike Phillips. Fusing Jazz with pop, R&B, and Hip Hop is Sermon's own unique blend of artistry. " I want to bring elegance back to music and set a new standard for the industry like the greats, Nat king Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, John Coltrane, MiLes Davis, and Louis Armstrong. I also want to play multiple instruments," says Sermons. He also admits that his first love was R&B but feel in love with Jazz music. Majoring in Jazz studies at the New school in New York city has enabled Sermons to flesh out and hone his skills as a trombonist while encouraging him to branch out as a singer and songwriter. He lives in Brooklyn New York and is currently working on his debut album " Soul searching" which will be released May 2008. Sermons can be seen regularly at Sweet Rhythm's club on wednesday nights in New York city when he is not on call Jay Z, or Diddy's band.

http://www.myspace.com/slidesermons

 

Raymond Angry

http://www.myspace.com/rayangry

 

David Gilmore

David Gilmore has recorded and performed with many of today's most influential modern artists. He has worked with Wayne Shorter (appearing on Mr. Shorter's Grammy Award winning album, High Life (Verve)), Dave Douglas, MuhAl Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Ron Blake, Carolyn Leonhart and Christian McBride, among many others. In addition to his significance presence on the international touring scene, Gilmore has also appeared on over 50 recordings, including two of his own as leader. His first CD, Ritualism (2001) received international critical praise and was nominated for the 2001 Debut CD of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

http://www.davidgilmore.net/live/

 

Johnathan Blake

Grammy-nominated drummer and composer, Johnathan Blake, has been working steadily in the contemporary jazz scene for the past 10 years. He has been a first-call drummer for many notable jazz musicians such as Tom Harrell, David Sanchez, Russell Malone, Kenny Barron, Randy Brecker, and Oliver Lake to name a few. His musicianship, professionalism, and positive attitude are few of the attributes that make him the choice drummer for many. In addition to being a sideman, Johnathan performs with his own group internationally.

http://www.johnathanblake.com/

 

DJ Cosi
Cosi gets down not just for the funk of it, but for the love of it. He spins music like no other DJ on the planet and that is why New York is proud to claim him as one of its own. He spins because nothing else is quite as satisfying. "I play a mix of 70 & 80s R&B classics, funk, 80's pop, hip-hop, reggae, afro-beat and house music," Cosi explains. "I have a knack for knowing what people want to hear from just reading the crowd. When I play it, they dance. That's the best feeling." The feeling continues, even into his 15th year of spinning, as one of the few DJs who has truly mastered his art. He seamlessly blends several, if not all, of these genres throughout the evening, flawlessly moving the minds and bodies of those in the audience, making him one of the most sought-after DJs in New York City. If you've been to one of the myriad parties where Cosi has played, you'd know this experience first hand. Quite simply, his talent touches your soul. Tastemakers at Nike, The Gap, Brooks Brothers, MOMA, Hugo Boss, Timberland, Vibe Magazine, Phat Farm, The Chris Rock Show, Pepsi, The Magic Johnson Foundation, Enyce, Yves Saint Laurent, The National Basketball Players' Association, The Fader Magazine, the Hudson Hotel, the W Hotel and many others have experienced this first-hand. He has held weekly's at nightclubs such as Nell's, Cheetah, Justin's, APT, Lotus, NV, Float, Metronome, Discotheque, Joe's Pub, Martinez Gallery, Mission, BLVD, and Café Deville (just to mention a few). All have hired Cosi to set the mood and create the energy for the night. He has created the perfect vibe for parties in a number of cities throughout the U.S. (from New York to Las Vegas to Puerto Rico) and internationally (Mexico, Bahamas, Anguilla to name a few). Cosi has even spun for former President Bill Clinton in the Hamptons! Here's your chance to dance your way out of your constrictions.

http://www.myspace.com/djcosi

 

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