Dec
26

Vanessa Rubin All-Star Quartet New York City vocalist extraordinaire celebrates the holidays in a one-night-only return to BLU Jazz+! Get your tickets early to guarantee a spot for this hard swingin’ show featuring Bill Heid (Hammond B3 organ), Perry Hughes (guitar), Jerome Jennings (drums).

Saturday, December 26


New York City jazz icon, Vanessa Rubin returns to BLU Jazz+ after a sold out debut last December!
 
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio to parents from Trinidad and Louisiana, Vanessa arrived steeped in great musical traditions. After achieving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Ohio State University, Rubin taught school for a number of years, all the while with both feet squarely in the jazz lexicon on a path towards a career in music. Along the way she played the regional joints and concerts, dabbled in band management, and continued to hone her skills.
 
Vanessa has performed with some of the most prolific artists in the jazz genre, including: Monty Alexander, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell, Frank Foster, Billy Higgins, Etta Jones, Lewis Nash, Houston Person, Patience Higgins, Don Braden, Toots Thielemans, Steve Turre, Cedar Walton, Grover Washington, Jr., and James Williams are just a few of the masters who’ve lent their skills to support Ms. Rubin’s artistry. More recently she has completed auspicious global tours with Herbie Hancock, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Jazz Crusaders.
 
Join us as Vanessa fronts a truly all-star ensemble with members hailing from Detroit, Pittsburgh, and New York City! Get your tickets now as this is sure to be one of our biggest events of the year!
 


 

Vanessa Rubin

Endowed with the kind of liquid phrasing and sheer wisdom that comes from depth of experience on the jazz performance campaign trail, Vanessa Rubin is an ever-evolving classic singer in the making. The development of a true jazz singer is a long-range prospect, laden with learning experiences that forge the voice into a true instrument, rich with passion, deeply invested in living through life’s joys and perils; such is the journey of Vanessa Rubin, jazz singer extraordinaire. Capable of employing the gamut of emotions, the mature Ms. Rubin can range from whisper to shout in the blink of an eye; from honey-laden ballads purring like a kitten, to up tempo swinging and scatting like a fluent saxophone, she delivers the goods.
 


 

Bill Heid

Bill Heid came of age in the crucible that was Pittsburgh in its jazz heyday, hanging out at legendary Hill District clubs like the Hurricane Bar and the Crawford Grill. All the jazz greats regularly played in town back in the sixties and young Bill took every opportunity to sit in and learn from these masters. In addition to the many musicians passing through town during that period, Pittsburgh had produced some of the greatest names in jazz including Ahmad Jamal, Art Blakey, Errol Garner, George Benson, Eddie Jefferson, Mary Lou Williams, Stanley Turrentine, to name a few, all called Pittsburgh their hometown.
 


 

Perry Hughes

Perry Hughes ranks among the greatest of Detroit’s jazz guitarists. He began his performing career in Detroit nightclubs at the tender age of 14, and hasn’t stopped performing in the many decades since then. A self-taught musician, he went on to be an instructor of jazz guitar at Michigan State University. His approach to the guitar has been described as comparable to such greats as Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Pat Martino and George Benson. His musical resume includes performing and/or recording with a long list of top jazz and pop musicians and leading vocalists, including Aretha Franklin, Bob James, Earl Klugh, Ronnie Laws, Mary Wilson & The Supremes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Bill Heid, Marlena Shaw, Bobby Lyle, Joe Williams, Will Downing, Gene Dunlap and Irene Reid, as well as organ greats, Jimmy Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Charles Earland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ronnie Foster, Don Patterson, Jack McDuff — and more recently, Gerard Gibbs.
 


 

Jerome Jennings

Jerome Jennings’ love and respect for the music is undeniable. He has performed in Switzerland at the Montreaux Jazz Fest 2000, toured Toronto and Japan with Rolling Stones tenor man, Tim Reis and his Rolling Stones Project, and he toured Moscow with legendary trumpeter and former Jazz Messenger Valery Ponomarev. While on tour in Moscow, the group had the opportunity to perform at the world-renowned Tschaykovsky Hall. Jerome has also had the honor of touring Japan (3X’s) with legendary pianist Hank Jones and bassist David Finck. While in Japan the trio recorded a live DVD entitled: “The Great Jazz Trio: Live at Bluenote Tokyo.” Also in 2006 Jerome enjoyed touring Japan with yet another legend, pianist Ronnie Mathews. The Ronnie Mathews trio featured the delightful Mary Stallings on vocals. Unfortunately, this would be Mr. Mathews last international engagement. He passed on later that year. Jerome joined the Benny Golson Quartet and performed at the Hollywood Bowl and The Atlanta Jazz Festivals the Summer of 2008. Also, in the summer of 2007, Jerome accompanied the one and only Sonny Rollins at the New Mexico Jazz Fest and later in the year, that same group completed a twenty-one day European tour, performing in seven countries. Jerome kicked off 2008 in Japan, performing for a week with Hank Jones again at the Tokyo Bluenote.

$25

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BLU Jazz+

47 E. Market Street

Akron, OH 44308

(330) 252-1190


Open Tuesday & Thursday-Saturday, 7pm - 11:30pm

 
 
BLU Jazz+ named one of the "Best International Jazz Venues" by DownBeat Magazine
   
 
Committed to the preservation of America's treasured art form of jazz, BLU Jazz+ Masterclass Foundation (BJMF) is a new program developed by the founders of BLU Jazz+ Akron that brings “front-row” jazz education performance & mentorship opportunities to student musicians and art lovers alike through an ongoing series of special events throughout the year.
   
 

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