Press Releases

8th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival

Healdsburgs | CA

Healdsburg, California (March 23, 2006) — From June 1 through June 11, the quiet, bucolic, wine country town of Healdsburg and its surrounding vine-covered environs will reverberate with the sounds and rhythms of some of the world’s greatest jazz performers. The McCoy Tyner Trio (produced in association with Jill Newman Productions); Charlie Haden Quartet West; a Heath Brothers Tribute to Percy Heath; Mark Murphy; and Louie Bellson with The Musician’s Warehouse Big Band are but a few of the many world renown jazz legends that will be featured during this year’s eleven day festival.

This star-studded extravaganza will also include The Billy Hart Trio with teen-age guitar phenomenon, Julian Lage; The Marc Cary Focus Trio; The Bruce Forman Trio with guest star, Noel Jewkes; The Rebeca Mauleon Sextet; The Stephanie Ozer Trio; Mad and Eddie Duran with Chris Amberger; Shea Breaux Wells; and a special Jazz Night at the Movies presented by film expert Mark Cantor.

McCoy Tyner is considered by many to be the world’s foremost innovator and interpreter of modern jazz. Charlie Haden, as bassist, composer, bandleader, producer and educator, has over the past decade carefully honed an international reputation as a musician of superb creative and communicative genius. Six-time Grammy nominee, Mark Murphy is one of the world’s greatest – and hippest – jazz vocalists performing today; Stereo Review magazine dubs him “One of the major artists of our age”. Jazz history will be on display with the Heath Brothers’ Tribute to Percy Heath in Film and Music. From ballads to blues to bebop, the venerable triumvirate of Percy (1923-2005), Jimmy, and Tootie Heath have, over the past 5 decades, virtually written the book on playing jazz. Drummer Louie Bellson has delighted audiences all over the world for over six decades, and continues to be a major presence on the international jazz scene. He appears with the powerful, twenty-piece Musician’s Warehouse Big Band.

Short Bios

McCoy Tyner Trio with Charnett Moffett and Eric Kamau Gravatt Produced in association with Jill Newman Productions. McCoy Tyner is considered by many to be the world’s foremost innovator and interpreter of modern jazz. His early career was forged in the churning crucible of the New York post bebop era, personified by the iconic saxophonist, John Coltrane, and nurtured under the watchful tutelage of giants Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Thelonious Monk. As a pioneering member of the legendary John Coltrane quartet, he joined Coltrane for the 1960 classic album My Favorite Things, and remained at the core of one of the most seminal groups in jazz history.

Charlie Haden Quartet West With Alan Broadbent, Ernie Watts, and Billy Hart With a musical career stretching back to 1957, Charlie Haden brings to this year’s Festival an imaginative command of his instrument that is rarely, if ever, matched. Haden has always defied the boundaries of category and, in 1986, he brought together saxophonist Ernie Watts, pianist Alan Broadbent, and the late Billy Higgins on drums to form his much lauded and multiple Grammy-nominated band Quartet West. While Haden defined the role of the bass with his work with Ornette Coleman, Quartet West has devoted its attention to more structured arrangements. Haden’s vision for Quartet West recognizes the beginning of modernism in jazz. Along with lush forties pop ballads and lilting originals by Haden and Broadbent, Quartet West’s elegant, “noir” infused, bop-oriented style and stellar instrumentalists perfectly evoke a sense of place like no other band.

Heath Brothers Tribute to Percy Heath in Film and Music With Jimmy Heath, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Jeb Patton, and Joe Sanders One of the highlights of this year’s Healdsburg Jazz Festival will be the tribute to jazz great, bassist Percy Heath (1923-2005), by brothers Jimmy and Tootie Heath. The evening will start with a film and end with a concert. The evening’s tribute starts with a rare showing of Brotherly Jazz, a documentary film about the brothers’ early careers from the 1940’s to shortly before Percy’s passing. Brotherly Jazz is a treasure trove of reminiscences from the early be-bop years all the way to recent club gigs, concerts, and festivals, and includes interviews with Sonny Rollins, Taj Mahal, Jon Faddis, Herbie Hancock, and Marian McPartland to name a few. Producer Danny Scher will introduce the film.

After the film the two Heath Brothers, with Jeb Patton, and Joe Sanders will take to the stage. Long recognized as a brilliant instrumentalist and a magnificent composer, arranger and teacher, Jimmy Heath was the first of the Heath brothers to start playing professionally at the age of 16 in Philadelphia. In a few short years he was playing in the company of players like Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, J.J. Johnson, Miles Davis, and scores of other top jazz figures. Albert “Tootie” Heath, the youngest of the three brothers, has long been a respected, hard-bop drummer, known for his inventiveness, sensitivity to the needs of the ensemble, and open mindedness. With a discography of more than 200 recordings, Tootie made his debut in 1957 on John Coltrane’s Coltrane. Since then he has gone on to record with J.J. Johnson, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Bobby Timmons, Nat Adderly, Johnny Griffin – the list goes on.

Mark Murphy With Misha Piatagorsky on piano, Seward McCain on bass, David Rokeach on drums, and Michael Spiro on percussion (first set only). Six-time Grammy nominee Mark Murphy is one of the world’s greatest – and hippest – jazz vocalists performing today. “Mark Murphy is to jazz singing what Bobby Fischer is to chess,” says jazz journalist, Dan Morgenstern. Stereo Review dubs Mark Murphy as, “… one of the major artists of our age”, and entertainment critic Rex Reed once said about Murphy, “[he is] arguably the best male jazz singer in the business.” He appeared on Steve Allen’s Tonight Show where he introduced Allen’s This Could be the Start of Something Big to a national audience.

Louie Bellson with the Musician’s Warehouse Big Band Drummer Louie Bellson has been delighting audiences all over the world for a half-century, and he continues to be a major presence on the international jazz scene. He will appear with the powerful, 20-piece Musician’s Warehouse Big Band. Mr. Bellson has arranged or composed literally hundreds of works embracing a full eclectic spectrum of music from classical to jazz. He has written orchestral suites, chorales, symphonies, and even a ballet. He is a published author, an accomplished poet, and a lyricist. He was named by Yale University as a Duke Ellington Fellow, and Duke Ellington himself once described him as, “the world’s greatest drummer.” This concert is part of our gala that raises funds for the extensive, highly successful, Healdsburg Jazz Festival‘s Jazz Education Program for area schools.

Billy Hart Trio with Santi Debriano and Julian Lage Billy Hart is one of the unsung giants of jazz. He has appeared on over 600 albums in legendary combos with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Pharaoh Sanders, Stan Getz, Michael Brecker, and Joe Lovano. His fellow musicians value his quick and fluent flexibility, musical intelligence, and adaptability to be either subtly supportive or bursting with spirit and surprise. Panamanian-born Santi Debriano’s big, rich, bass sound grows out of his Afro-Cuban roots, nurtured in the fertile soils of New York City and the mainstream jazz tradition. Debriano’s playmates have included Hank Jones, Larry Coryell, Randy Weston, and Freddie Hubbard. Julian Lage, now 18, has been an exciting presence in the North Bay jazz scene for years. Over the years we’ve heard him discover and absorb so many influences that his guitar seems to channel the greats, from Charlie Christian to John Scofield. Most kids his age have never heard of Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Charles Lloyd, or Joe Lovano. Julian Lage has played with them and many more.

John Heard Trio with Danny Grissette and Lorca Hart Back for the fourth year in a row, the John Heard Trio will once again excite audiences in the lobby of Hotel Healdsburg. Gifted bassist John Heard will be joined by piano sensation Danny Grissette and the talented, high-energy drummer Lorca Hart (son of drumming legend, Billy Hart). An evening full of surprises, these late night sessions always have guest musicians sitting in.

Marc Cary Focus Trio with David Ewell and Sameer Gupta Back by popular demand! Marc Cary’s triumphant performance in last year’s Healdsburg Jazz Festival had fans clamoring for more. So, with his explosive Focus Trio, an ensemble that includes bassist David Ewell and drummer Sameer Gupta, he is returning to Healdsburg for an encore performance. This year the cutting-edge, always-adventuresome pianist will be bringing fresh, new, and exciting material.

Bruce Forman Trio with John Witala, Vince Lateano, and guest Noel Jewkes Bruce Forman’s guitar style has been an important part of the international jazz scene for more than two decades. He has been featured as leader as well as sideman at many of the most prestigious festivals and concert venues throughout the world. His numerous recording and performance credits include the likes of Bobby Hutcherson, Barney Kessel, Richie Cole, Ray Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, and countless others. Known for his bop-style phrasing and inventive harmonizing, his ability to work in a variety of settings keeps him in constant demand. His guitar work is featured throughout Clint Eastwood’s Academy Award winning film, Million Dollar Baby.

Rebeca Mauleon Sextet Rebeca Mauleon Sextet’s performance on the Healdsburg town plaza will be a combination concert, dance party, and a celebration of the release of her newest album, Decarga en California. At the helm of this project is Latin jazz pianist/composer Rebeca Mauleon with her powerhouse sextet featuring Gary Brown on bass, Josh Jones on drums, Edgardo Cambon on congas, Orestes Vilato on timbales, and Marty Wehner on trombone. Mauleon has been at the forefront of Latin and World music for over twenty-five years.