John Raymond & “Real Feels” Album Release Event Critically acclaimed New York City based jazz trumpeter & 2015 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award winner returns to BLU with dynamic trio and an all-new album! Featuring John Raymond, Gilad Hekselman, Colin Stranahan.

Labeled “a prepossessing young trumpet player…” (New York Times), John Raymond has been making a name for himself as one of the most promising, up-and-coming jazz musicians in New York. Originally from Minneapolis, MN, John has performed with some of most well-respected names in jazz music including Billy Hart, Orrin Evans, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ethan Iverson, and Linda Oh among others. John was awarded the 2015 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award presented by ASCAP, and has recently been a featured artist at the FONT Festival and NYC Winter Jazz Festival. He has also performed at notable events such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival and on NPR’s Toast of the Nation New Year’s Eve celebration, as well as recorded with Grammy-nominated singer Sara Bareilles.
 

“Electrifyingly new and strangely familiar at the same time…with his mix of modern sounds and old-fashioned feeling, Raymond is steering jazz in the right direction…”
– DownBeat Magazine

 
His forthcoming album – “Real Feels” – brings together a unique band that includes guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Colin Stranahan. With Raymond at the helm solely on flugelhorn, this bass-less group puts a fresh spin on familiar songs, many of them stemming from Raymond’s roots as a Midwesterner. From American folk songs like Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” to classic hymns such as “Amazing Grace,” to Lennon & McCartney’s “Blackbird,” to Thom Yorke’s indie-rocker “Atoms for Peace,” the music undoubtedly evokes a nostalgia for the past. However, “Real Feels” is far from being antiquated; the band’s improvisational, free-wheeling, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of approach to the music makes the songs feel entirely relevant. Combine that with the deep camaraderie the trio shares and “Real Feels” radiates a kind of fun and authenticity that distinguishes it from anything else.
 
Don’t miss this special opportunity to hear three of New York City’s finest jazz musicians in a most special presentation at BLU – get your tickets today!

$12