COMING AUGUST 4

SMOOTH CRUISE – R n R feat. Rick Braun and Richard Elliot

The Spirit of New York, Pier 61 @ Chelsea Piers

August 4th, 6:30PM
August 4th, 9:30PM

R n' R - Curveball

R n' R - People Make the World Go Round

UPDATES

PHOTOS: The Smooth Cruise July 28 with Pieces of a Dream

Photos from the incredible Pieces of a Dream Smooth Cruise on July 28th are now up. Check out the gallery on our “Photos” page!

REVIEW: Angela Bofill returns to stage

Dave Valentin summed up what many fans were feeling when he described hearing Angela Bofill for the first time.
“The minute I heard her voice,” the acclaimed jazz flautist told those assembled at the San Francisco’s Rrazz Room on Thursday night, “I fell in love.”
Valentin was one of several musicians and fans who turned out to the cabaret club to show his support and share his love for Bofill, a Bay Area singer who scored several big R&B hits in the ’80s but has since fallen on hard times. Other performers included vocalists Phil Perry and Maysa,…

Jazz Takes an Easy Ride on the Smooth Cruise

THE waters were placid, the breeze was a balm and the Statue of Liberty was keeping her vigil about a hundred yards aft. Maybe more, maybe less. From the rear deck of the Spirit of New York one recent evening, she seemed plenty close, anyway, and oddly approachable: an onshore well-wisher, watching over the slow pivot that marked the midpoint of our tour. By chance, this was the moment at which the music stopped, and a voice overrode the applause: “We’re going to skip ahead 27 albums and play something new for you.”
The Smooth Cruise in New York…

Review: Gerald Albright Pushing the Envelope

Gerald Albright doesn’t try to do too much—just kidding. With his aptly named new CD, Albright simply burns on his soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes, while also playing flute, bass, keys, drum programming, synth and the EWI. Like all of his solo work, Pushing the Envelope is a deeply satisfying, diverse collection of jazz, funk, blues and R&B. Albright can play, of course, but more important are his instincts for groove and musicianship, both of which go a long way in contemporary jazz. Tributes don’t get much better than “What Would James Do?,” a funk ’n’ stomp with a…