This weekend–from Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7–Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro will host a series of shows highlighting a select group of talented artists for their Essence Fest Weekend All Stars event.
Starting the weekend off, the Jason Marsalis Trio will play on July 4. The youngest son of famous jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis released the 2017 album Melody Reimagined: Book 1, a jazz album that explores melody, with the 21st Century Trad Band. As if being fluent in one instrument wasn’t enough, Marsalis is adept at both the vibraphone and the drums. Admission to the performance is $20.
Following Marsalis’ performance, Quiana Lynell will perform on July 5. In 2017 Lynell was nominated for “Best Emerging Artist” in the Best of the Beat Awards, and she won the sixth annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. “Quiana is that rare talent that is mature well beyond her years,” said Terrence Blanchard, the jazz trumpeter who acted as Quiana’s associate and mentor. “Her soulful, perfect-pitched tone has its own character, alongside a sophisticated bluesy approach to jazz that will set her apart from the pack.” OffBeat recently ran a cover story about Lynell. Admission for Lynell’s show is $25.
On July 6, creator of the “noveau swing” jazz style, Donald Harrison will play with the Donald Harrison Quintet. Harrison is notable for his innovative sound, blending contemporary genres like dance music, R&B, rock, hip-hop and soul with the complex sounds of jazz. This style earned Harrison a Grammy nomination, and it gained the attention of Joe Jackson, who featured Harrison as a saxophonist on four songs for the album Fast Forward, in 2015. Tickets are $25.
Finally, on July 7, Betty Shirley & the Will Thompson Trio will close the weekend. Shirley is a jazz vocalist and a visual artist, whose vocal style has been described as emphasizing the natural poetic cadence of lyrical language. Admission for the show is $15.
Each performer will play one show at 8 p.m and then another at 10 p.m. Tickets are available through Snug Harbor’s website. The venue is located at 626 Frenchmen St.
