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WBGO's Jon Kalish has the story of a Jersey City guitarist who left Japan to create a Jazz career in the U.S.

WBGO's Jon Kalish takes a deep look into the NYC Housing Authority's decision to turn to induction ovens to replace gas stoves

“A veteran pianist who also spent considerable time in the trenches and is now a respected musician’s musician.”

—The New Yorker

Acclaimed jazz pianist Jim Ridl brings his trio to Zinc on Tuesday, November 8. He’s supported by bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Rudy Royston.

Jim Ridl is in high demand as a New York City jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and bandleader. His ongoing residency at the internationally known jazz club, The 55 Bar, is in its fifth year, where he and his quartet perform his original compositions monthly. Jim performs worldwide with a variety of jazz artists, including The Joe Locke Quartet, The Dave Liebman Big Band, The Paul Jost Quartet, and the Mingus Big Band. He has toured with the US State Department American Music Abroad program (’12 and ’15), performing in Russia, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Slovenia, and Malta. As a composer and leader, Jim has released 7 recordings, the latest titled Door in a Field, Volume 2. Jim was a Princeton University Visiting Artist for three separate semesters (’12, ’14, ’16), coaching jazz ensembles in repertoire and performance. Jim continues as an adjunct educator in Jazz Piano Studies at The City College of New York and the New York Jazz Workshop in Manhattan. From 1994 to 2004, Jim performed with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino, receiving critically acclaimed reviews of performances around the world, and producing four outstanding recordings: Interchange, Night Wings, The Maker and Nexus. Jim was raised on a farm and ranch in North Dakota and discovered his love for piano and jazz at an early age. He attended the University of Colorado at Denver, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Scoring and Arranging, and was awarded its Student Achievement Award for composing “Ocean Sojourn,” an orchestral tone poem, performed with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, James Setapen conducting.

Showtimes are at 7:00 PM and 8:30 pm. Tickets: $30 advance / $35 day of show. For more info, call (212) 477-9462 or visit http://zincjazzcom.

The Vermont Jazz Center Spring semester runs 10 weeks, February 15- April 30, 2021. Work exchange opportunities are available. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Registration questions and work exchange information:  ginger@vtjazz.org All Other Inquiries: eugene@vtjazz.org Private Lessons: Send summary of your musical background to vtjazz@gmail.com and we’ll match you with a qualified instructor. Schedule for Spring Education 2021 Mondays          5:00 - 6:00 pm      Blue Note Ensemble (in-person, begins 2/15/21) Tuesdays         10:30 am - Noon  Rhythm Lab (on-line, begins 2/16/21) 3:45 - 5:00 pm      Youth Jazz Ensemble (on-line, begins 2/16/21) 5:30 - 7:00 pm      Soubrette Recording Project (on-line, begins 2/16/21) Wednesdays   3:00 - 4:30 pm     Ear Training Theory (on-line, begins 2/17/21) 4:00 - 5:00 pm     NEW: Electric Bass in a Jazz Context (on-line, begins 2/17/21) 4:30 - 5:30 pm     Latin Jazz Ensemble (Starting date postponed) 7:00 - 8:30 pm     NEW: Music Around the World (on-line, begins 2/17/21) Thursdays 5:30 - 7:00 pm  Singing the Standards (on-line, begins 2/18/21) 8:00 - 9:00 pm  NEW: Jazz and Spirituality (on-line, begins 2/18/21) Fridays 4:30 - 5:30 pm   NEW: Hard Bop Plus, History (on-line, begins 2/19/21) Saturdays 11:00 am - 12:30 pm   NEW: 5 Goals of Jazz Guitar (on-line, begins 2/20/21) Sundays      7:00 - 8:30 pm    Zoom Tunes (last Sunday of each month) Tuition: • $200 per semester for ten 1 hour-long sessions • $250 per semester for ten 1 ½ hour-long sessions • Youth Jazz $100 for eight 1 ¼ hour-long sessions • Zoom Tunes $15 per 1 ½ hour-long session

“a tough, intensely rhythmic player.” —The New York Times

“The best young guitarist in the business.” —The New York Times

Acclaimed jazz guitarists Ron Affif & Mark Whitfield bring their formidable quartet to Zinc jazz club on Monday, June 27. They're supported by organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Byron Landham.

Mark Whitfield graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, the world’s foremost institution for the study of Jazz and modern American music in the spring of 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his native New York to embark on a career as a Jazz Guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with legendary artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Carmen McRae, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joe Williams, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson.

Ron Affif has gained a reputation for his personal approach to jazz, playing with a muscular realism as he looks for new expression in tunes from the Great American Songbook. The nephew of guitarist Ron Anthony (who played with George Shearing and Frank Sinatra), Ron Affif received his first guitar lesson from his uncle when he was 12. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles in 1984, playing with Dick Berk, Dave Pike, Pete Christlieb, and Jack Sheldon and recording a quartet date for the R.A. Records label in 1987. Two years later, he moved to New York and has since worked mostly as a leader. Affif, an excellent bop-based guitarist whose style was influenced a bit by Joe Pass and George Benson (both of whom in turn enjoyed his playing), has recorded several impressive albums for Pablo.

Showtimes are at 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Tickets: $20 in advance / $25 day of show. For more info, call (212) 477-9462 or visit https://www.zincjazz.com.

“It seems that only beautiful sounds emanate from Gene Bertoncini’s guitar.” — The New Yorker

“A formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist.” —Time Out, New York

Acclaimed jazz guitarists Gene Bertoncini & Roni Ben-Hur return to Zinc for a special collaborative evening of music on Monday, July 25.

Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the “Segovia of jazz.” An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, and Paul Desmond among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Eydie Gorme.

Jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur has earned a sterling reputation as a musician and educator, renowned for his golden tone, improvisational brilliance, compositional lyricism, and ability to charm peers, students, and listeners alike. Eminent jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote in the Village Voice: “A limber and inventive guitarist, Ben-Hur keeps the flame alive and pure, burning in every note… He’s a guitarist who knows the changes and his own mind.” Roni — born in Israel in 1962 but a longtime American citizen, based in the New York City area — has recorded a dozen-plus album as leader or co-leader, with The New York Times praising his “crisp, fluid style” and Time Out New York calling him “a formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist.” He has developed a rare facility in both straight-ahead jazz and samba/bossa-nova styles, underscored by his work with masters in each field, from bebop piano sage Barry Harris and winds ace Frank Wess to beloved Brazilian vocalist Leny Andrade and composer Marcos Valle.

Showtimes are at 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Tickets: $20 in advance / $25 day of show. For more info, call (212) 477-9462 or visit https://www.zincjazz.com

“It seems that only beautiful sounds emanate from Gene Bertoncini’s guitar.” — The New Yorker

“A formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist.” —Time Out, New York

Acclaimed jazz guitarists Gene Bertoncini & Roni Ben-Hur return to Zinc for a special collaborative evening of music on Monday, August 29.

Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the “Segovia of jazz.” An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Wayne Shorter, Hubert Laws, and Paul Desmond among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone, and Eydie Gorme.

Jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur has earned a sterling reputation as a musician and educator, renowned for his golden tone, improvisational brilliance, compositional lyricism, and ability to charm peers, students, and listeners alike. Eminent jazz critic Gary Giddins wrote in the Village Voice: “A limber and inventive guitarist, Ben-Hur keeps the flame alive and pure, burning in every note… He’s a guitarist who knows the changes and his own mind.” Roni — born in Israel in 1962 but a longtime American citizen, based in the New York City area — has recorded a dozen-plus album as leader or co-leader, with The New York Times praising his “crisp, fluid style” and Time Out New York calling him “a formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist.” He has developed a rare facility in both straight-ahead jazz and samba/bossa-nova styles, underscored by his work with masters in each field, from bebop piano sage Barry Harris and winds ace Frank Wess to beloved Brazilian vocalist Leny Andrade and composer Marcos Valle.

Showtimes are at 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Tickets: $25 in advance / $30 day of show. For more info, call (212) 477-9462 or visit https://www.zincjazz.com

Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture presents Josean Jacobo on Friday June 25, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube. The event will feature an exclusive premiere performance - recorded in Santo Domingo, the Capital of the Dominican Republic - of a Jazz performance infused with the sounds and rhythms of his Dominican heritage. Following the 45-minute performance, Josean Jacobo will appear in a Live Conversation with Michael Ambrosino, producer and host of Currents, Dialectics & Dialogs at 33third.org About Josean Jacobo Josean Jacobo is one of the most important jazz musicians in the Dominican Republic. He is a pianist, composer and arranger. In his debut album “Setting Things in Order”, Josean Jacobo and his group blend Latin and Afro-Dominican Fusions (rhythms such as Merengue, Pambiche, Palos, Gaga, Sarandunga, Machacó), with other sounds within the jazz avant-garde. Committed to the music of the Dominican Republic, Josean Jacobo is successfully coloring jazz with his culture. Considered by All About Jazz Magazine “Among the most compelling of the new generation of Latin Jazz explorers.” Hailed as the Ambassador of Afro-Dominican Jazz, Josean is proud to introduce audiences to his collection of enriched and innovative music that greatly contribute to the universal language of jazz. About the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture An integral part of Hostos Community College / CUNY since 1982, the Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture includes two state-of- the-art theaters of 900 and 367 seats each, a black box experimental theater, and a museum-grade art gallery. The Center is a resource for students and faculty in addition to serving the cultural needs of South Bronx residents and neighboring communities. Recognized nationally as a leader in Latin and African-based programming, the performing and visual arts forums celebrate and cultivate the diverse cultural heritages of the Hostos Center’s audiences. Nearly 60,000 partake in the programs each year. The Center is dedicated to the development of emerging artists and the creation of new work. Support for Hostos Center programs come from the Hostos Community College Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of NYC Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr., and the Office of NYS Assemblyman José Rivera.

View on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/92906772684
View on Facebook: facebook.com/HostosCenterfortheArtsCulture
View on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HostosCenter

Michael Sarian: trumpet/flugelhorn/composition Santiago Leibson: piano Marty Kenney: bass Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums Trumpeter and composer Michael Sarian has been praised for his "unique compositional and instrumental voice... reminiscent of [his] lyrical contemporaries such as Ralph Alessi, Ambrose Akinmusire or Avishai Cohen...certainly deserving of a large audience and much recognition." (Friedrich Kunzmann, All About Jazz) Born in Toronto and raised in Buenos Aires, Michael relocated to New York City in 2012 to pursue a master’s degree in Jazz Studies at New York University, where he studied with great musicians such as Laurie Frink, Alan Ferber, Brad Shepik, Ralph Alessi and Mike Rodriguez. Michael has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, BRIC JazzFest, Getxo Blues Festival, Blue Note Jazz Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Beacon Theater, Central Park SummerStage, Teatro Colón, has appeared on WNYC's Soundcheck with John Schaefer, NPR's World Cafe, and many more. The group's album, New Aurora, is mostly original compositions inspired by artists such as Tomasz Sta?ko, Paul Motian, and Enrico Rava. It was released on September 4th with ears&eyes Records. Hear the music at https://bit.ly/36Ho6pL, and can check videos on their YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfxFU_6TsNYVJPMi8Pkt4Re9pgCjk70p Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $20 each. Please email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through June 20

“Gonzalez is relentlessly engaging...” —All About Jazz

Acclaimed jazz pianist Benito Gonzalez brings his trio to the Zinc for a splendid evening of jazz piano on Tuesday, December 6. He's supported by bassist Will Slater and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts.

Two times Grammy nominee pianist Benito Gonzalez is an internationally beloved artist who combines a long lineage of American jazz traditions with rhythms from around the world. He’s worked with dozens of the greats, and he always brings some of the best rhythm section players in the world. Expect to hear an elite trio performing Original music, McCoy Tyner classics, or even a favorite John Coltrane tune.

Benito is being recognized as an exciting pianist and composer for his well-received debut album ‘Starting Point’ (Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez, Rene McLean, Ron Blake) in addition to taking home first prize at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition.

Benito’s acclaimed album, Passion Reverence Transcendence Featuring: (Essiet Okon Essiet and Gerry Gibbs), reveals a very personal body of work as he emerges as a leader and an accomplished improviser. Recently, Benito received more critical attention for his work on this great tribute to Music Legend "McCoy Tyner" also received two Grammy Nominations with The Kenny Garrett Quartet, The albums Seeds from the Underground, and Pushing The World Away.

After seven years of touring with Kenny Garrett, Benito has added numerous festivals and international jazz club dates to his credit. In 2019, he joined legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders as a pianist and musical director. Benito also shared the stage with Dave Liebman, Roy Hargrove, Jackie McLean, Gary Bartz, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Hutcherson, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Al Foster, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Lenny White, Billy Hart, Ignacio Berroa, Buster Williams, Victor Bailey, Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Delfeayo Marsalis, Hamiet Bluiett, Antonio Sanchez, Mark Gross, T.K. Blue, and Azar Lawrence.

Showtimes are at 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Tickets: $30 in advance / $35 at the door. For more info, visit https://www.zincjazz.com.