blue note august 2012

A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 p r o g r A m

W O R L D ’ S F I N E S T J A Z Z C L U B A N D R E S T A U R A N T131 W. 3RD ST. NEW yORk CITy 212. 475. 8592 WWW.BLUENOTEJAZZ.COm

EARL KLUGHAugust 7 - 12

NEW YORK

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ARRIVE EARLY, EAT DINNER & GET THE BEST SEATS50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

SEP 21 8PM

WAYNE KRANTZWITH KEITH CARLOCK & NATE WOOD

DERRICK WRIGHT & DRIVEN

AUG 13 8:30PM

AMBER BULLOCK

JOE ROBINSON

GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE’S “BEST NEW TALENT”

OCT 11 7:30PM

NEAL MORSE

OCT 15 8PM

RACHAEL MACFARLANE “HAYLEY SINGS”

OCT 12 7PM

WANDA JACKSON

WITH TEDD FIRTH AND THE BIG BAND

JULIE FEENEYOCT 24 8PM

BOBBY KEYS & THE SUFFERING BASTARDS

AUG 23 7:30PM

F/ MEMBERS OF GEORGIA SATELLITES, BLACK CROWES & JOHN FOGERTY WITH LERA LYNN

LEGENDARY ROLLING STONES SAXOPHONIST

JERRY GONZALEZ & THE COMMANDOS DE LA CLAVE

AUG 29 8PM

RODRIGUEZ

AUG 31 8PM

F/ MIKE PORTNOY

PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP F/ ARIACNE TRUJILLO

AS SEEN IN“SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN”

SEP 18 8PM

PETER BERSTEINCOREY KING & TAFFYMOON HOOCH

NEW SCHOOL JAZZ DEPARTMENT BENEFIT

SEP 28 8PM

BETTYE LAVETTE

50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

CD/BOOK RELEASE SHOW

OCT 1 8PM

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SUNDAY BRUNCH

PEDRO GIRAUDO JAZZ SEXTETAugust 5

GILAD HEKSELMANAugust 12

NOBUKI TAKAMENAugust 19

CHRISTINE VAINDIRLISAugust 26

NYU JAZZ BRUNCHsEptEmBEr 2

LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES

OUT TO LUNCHAugust 3

TBAAugust 4

cPHOUR August 10

WOMEN OF SOULAugust 11

LALANA W/ SHAE FIOL WITH MARIACHI DE FLOR AND MS. CHERYL PEPSII RILEYAugust 17

CANDICE ANITRAAugust 18

MALCOLM PARSONAugust 24

THE STATESMENAugust 25

WALTER CHRISTOPHERAugust 31

AZANIAsEptEmBEr 1

MAYA AZUCENAAugust 6

EARL KLUGHAugust 7 - 12

WILL CALHOUNAugust 13

JJ SANSAVERINO & NU JAZZAugust 14

ENFANTS TERRIBLESLEE KONITZ, BILL FRISELL, GARY PEACOCK & JOEY BARONAugust 15 - 19

MARCUS STRICKLANDAugust 20

CELEBRATING MICHAEL BRECKERFT. RAVI COLTRANE & JEFF “TAIN” WATTSAugust 21 - 23

CHRISTIAN SCOTTAugust 24 - 26

REVIVE DA LIVE BIG BANDPresented w/Revive MusicAugust 27

KENNY WERNER QUINTET August 28 - sEptEmBEr 2

AUGUST CALENDAR

TWO SHOWS NIGHTLY:LATE NIGHT GROOVE:

SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH:

8 & 10:30PMFRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 12:30AM MIDnIghT12:30 & 2:30 PM

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WITH KEITH CARLOCK & NATE WOOD

RODRIGUEZ

AUG 31 8PM

AS SEEN IN“SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN”

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Pushing the depths of the underground jazz scene, cutting-edge NYC-based Out to Lunch will be releasing its third album, No One Left Behind, on Mesa Recordings, and launching it at the historic Blue Note Jazz Club tonight. Tracks such as “In Da House” and “It’s a Jungle Out There” move effortlessly from funk to breakbeat and from dub to house, hitting both the mind and feet. Billboard has called the band’s music “a distinctive brand of funk ... expanding the range of the listener’s

Every Friday and Saturday night, the Blue Note hosts the Late Night Groove Series, featuring some of the most in-novative, cutting-edge musicians from New York City and beyond. Genres performed at the Late Night Groove Series run thegamut from jazz and funk to hip-hopand R&B, with improvisation being the common thread throughout. Over the last ten years, the series has played host to some of the biggest names in music,such as DJ Logic & Project Logic, Brazilian Girls, Meshell Ndegeocello, John Popper, Ledisi, Ver-non Reid, John Scofield, Benevento & Russo, Skerik, AdamDeitch, and Eric Roberson, to name a few. Check our website www.bluenotejazz.com to see which artist will be performing in to-night’s Late Night Groove Series!

OUT TO LUNCHCD Release show

TBA

FRIDaY, aUGUsT 312:30Am $10

saTURDaY, aUGUsT 412:30 Am $10

L at e N i g h t g r o o v e S e r i e S

experience,” while the Village Voice has hailed the group as an “ambitious and funky groove-prov octet.” Tonight’s show features David Levy (woodwinds), Josiah Woodson (trumpet, flute & gui-tar), Walter Fischbacher (keys), Zack Lober (bass), Jason Kruk (drums).

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ENFANTs TERRIBLEswith lee konitz, bill frisellgarry peacock & joey baronlive at the blue note

AVAILABLE UPSTAIRS IN THE BLUE NOTE GIFT SHOP!

ENFANTS TERRIBLES features four veteran jazzmen whose collective efforts on stage and in the studio span decades. Together they are saxophonist Lee Konitz, guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Joey Baron; individually, each boasts a distinguished career path and network of associations representing jazz’s wide range of stylistic directions.

Originally from Córdoba, Argentina, Pedro Giraudo moved to NY in 1996. He has become a highly versatile bassist, composer and arranger, per-forming in a wide variety of musical projects, both his own award winning Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra and as a member of several prominent en-sembles, ranging from tango to jazz. He has collaborated with GRAMMY award winner Pablo Ziegler, 9-time GRAMMY award winner Paquito D’Rivera, Latin American icon Ruben Blades, and Dizzy Gillespie’s protégé William Cepeda, as well as ‘Tango meets Jazz’ guests: Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Regina Carter, Nestor

PEDRO GIRAUDO JAZZ SEXTET sUNDaY, aUGUsT 512:30 & 2:30pm$29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink

SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES

Torres, and Miguel Zenon. His latest album Córdoba (ZOHO Music) won 4 top awards in Latin Jazz Corner’s “Best of 2011.” Today’s show features Jonathan Powell (trumpet), Luke Bat-son (saxes), Mark Miller (trombone), Jess Jurkovic (piano), Paulo Stagnaro (percussion), Pedro Giraudo (bass).

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Maya Azucena inhabits a musi-cal world of her own creation. Her progressive yet accessible style is shaped by an expansive vision that unites genres – uniting hip hop, soul, jazz, reggae, electronica and pop. Like Lauryn Hill, Corinne Bailey Rae, or Gnarls Barkley, she embodies a singular and finely honed artistry through a combination of profound lyrics, soaring melodies, and irresist-ible rhythms. Her most recent record, Cry Love, is the artistic statement that Maya Azucena has sought to make since day one. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter’s impressive versatility un-folds over ten original compositions plus a dramatic interpretation of “Lit-tle Ghetto Boy.” Executive-produced

with her longtime collaborator Chris-tian Ver Halen, and released on her new imprint label, Azucena Songs, Cry Love represents a powerful jour-ney that distills the universal themes of love, survival, and hope. Maya Azucena emerged as a pres-ence on the landscape of popular music following her self-released debut Maya Who?! and the critically acclaimed Junkyard Jewel. Billboard, The Village Voice and The Washington Post have all heralded her mesmer-izing performances in the U.S. while her music’s been featured on HBO (The Wire), NBC (30 Rock), and in ads for Verizon Wireless and Ford Motors. Her work with Stephen Marley netted a “Best Reggae Album” GRAMMY and her vocal contributions to an al-bum by Croatian superstar Gibonni garnered two Porin Awards (the top music award in Croatia). Threaded throughout Cry Love is Maya Azucena’s belief that music is a tool for healing and activism. Paral-lel to her recordings, she’s supported a number of charitable initiatives. She performed at the “Save Darfur Rally” in Washington DC, where she appeared among politicians and ce-lebrities such as President Barack Obama and George Clooney. She co-founded MDGFive.com with Emmy-winning director Lisa Russell. Their multimedia website for maternal health awareness prompted an in-vitation from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for Maya to perform at the United Nation’s 2010 MDG Summit. Maya also received a Proclamation from the House of Representatives and recently won The Network Jour-nal’s prestigious “Top 40 Under 40” Award in recognition of her tireless community work and strong business acumen.

MAYA AZUCENA

MONDAY, AUGUST 6 8 & 10:30PM $15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR

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EARL KLUGH

AUGUST 7 - 12 8 & 10:30PM $35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR

In a recording career spanning over three decades, master guitarist Earl Klugh has been lauded as a prodigy, groundbreaker, defining figure, and ultimately a true statesmen of con-temporary jazz. Widely regarded as a guitar legend, he maintains a loyal and devoted fan base, touring the U.S. and the world playing music that is beau-tiful, lyrical, elegant, and eternally cool and classy. Klugh won the 1980 G R A M M Y for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the mil-l ion-se l l ing album One on One with Bob James. C o l l a b o r a -tion, his 1987 album with George Benson, was certified Gold by the RIAA. In total, he has recorded over 30 albums in his multi-million-selling career, including four No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Jazz Album chart. He has also worked with such world-renowned artists as George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Al Jarreau, Pat-ti Austin, and Ravi Coltrane. Klugh continues to be one of the most in-demand live artists globally. In 2007, he introduced his concert series, Night of Guitars, featuring fel-low guitar legends Bill Frisell, Russell Malone, Ray Parker Jr., and Peter White. He has also toured India twice with the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department and The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

In early April 2008, Klugh presented his fifth annual Weekend of Jazz at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, CO, joining world-renowned peers Ramsey Lewis, Boney James, Mindi Abair, and fellow Koch label-mate Sophie Milman. In 2010, he brought the performance series to Ki-awah Island Golf Resort in South Car-

olina; he r e c e n t l y completed his sec-ond year at this new venue this past No-vember. The Spice of Life, K l u g h ’ s l a t e s t a l b u m , came out in 2008 e a r n i n g the gui-tarist his

12th GRAMMY nomination. His first full-ensemble album in more than eight years, the disc follows his 2005 GRAMMY-nominated solo classic Naked Guitar. The album finds Klugh sailing through originals, standards, and even a Thelonious Monk tune. The sound is absolutely true to the Earl Klugh style: timeless, positive, and still fresh, with pristine studio sound. The disc segues effortlessly from jazz to Latin to pop through a compositional approach recalling his GRAMMY-winning work with Bob James in One on One, spiced with all the lyric flourishes that established Klugh’s distinctive signature all those years ago.

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Post-punk, indie band Bachslider fea-tures Honeychild Coleman (bass & vocals), Jorge Vega (drums & vocals), Annu Lilja (lead guitar & vocals). The Bachslider journey begun on a Gowa-nus rooftop moments before the tor-nado touchdown in September 2010 against a sky black like our hearts.

NOISEAUX (French pronunciation: [nwazo) roughly translated from its French equivalent, means ‘nuts.’ On the forefront of the global Afropunk scene,

this performance collective based around influential French-German art-ist, author and activist Noah Sow have been making a ruckus onstage with their own blend of punk, jazz, electro and chanson, breaking stereotypes about who a punk-rocker is and what they look like: conférence, electronica, badass beats, empowerment, a token guitar, rock drums gone new wave, extraterrestrial vocal performance and transitions happening on more than just a musical level.

WOMEN OF SOUL saTURDaY, aUGUsT 11 12:30 Am $10


Led by bassist Ryan Berg, cPhour is a jazz quintet that puts its own innovative spin on modern jazz, blending a host of influences ranging from John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Branford Marsalis to James Brown, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu. In addition to Berg, the mem-bers of the quintet include the adroit young saxophonist Stacy Dillard, the in-demand guitarist Craig Magnano, the groundbreaking pianist George Burton, and the fiercely passionate drummer Jeremy “Bean” Clemons. All of these musicians lead prominent solo careers of their own and boast impres-sive resumes.

cPHOUR

In addition to his work with cPhour, Berg has collaborated with many world-renowned musicians, including Lenny White, John Scofield, J.D. Allen, Sea-mus Blake, Rodney Green, Eric Lew-is, Ravi Coltrane, Helen Sung, Justin Brown, David Berkman, Jeff Coffin, Roy Hargrove, Logan Richardson, George Garzone, and Vincent Gardner.

FRIDaY, aUGUsT 1012:30 Am $10


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Gilad Hekselman has been developing a reputation as one of the most prom-ising guitarists in NY since arriving in 2004. The native Israeli has shared the stage with the greatest artists in the NY jazz scene: Chris Potter, Mark Turner, John Scofield, Ari Hoenig, Es-peranza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, and Greg Hutchinson. Hekselman has played all the famous jazz clubs in NY, including the Blue Note, the Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and Smalls. He is con-stantly touring worldwide and has

GILAD HEKSELMAN sUNDaY, aUGUsT 1212:30 & 2:30pm$29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink


played many of the world’s major festivals, including Montreux, North Sea, Montreal, and San Francisco. His latest album, Hearts Wide Open (2011) received rave reviews and was featured in many Best of 2011 lists, including those compiled by The New York Times, Amazon, and iTunes. To-day’s trio features Matt Brewer (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums).

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Will’s latest creation, Native Lands, is his follow-up release on Half Note Re-cords. The album can be described as Jazz meets World, coupled with trance-inducing urban music. This dual disc (CD/DVD) combines Cal-houn’s experiences as he marries his far reaching interests in a genre-bending collection that taps key expressionists from various back-grounds. Among those contribut-ing are Pharaoh Sanders, Mos Def, Buster Wil-liams, Stanley Jordan, Kevin Eubanks, Mar-cus Miller and Wallace Roney, as well as Nana V a s c o n c e l o s from Brazil and Cheick Tidiane Seck from Mali. Not many art-ists have the vi-sion and artistic energy to be GRAMMY win-ners and con-tribute to so many genres: jazz, rock, hip-hop, ambient, et al, while concur-rently produc-ing, touring, creating new projects, working on films, and continually pushing the envelope. Will Calhoun has this creative vision, and he is do-ing an extraordinary job keeping mu-sic a spiritual and motivating force in his life.

In addition to his work with Living Co-lour, Will has recorded and/or toured and performed with diverse artists including B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jaco Pastorious, Harry Belafonte, Pharoah Sanders, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Marcus Miller, Dr. John, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Oumou Sangare, Rolling Stones gui-tarist Ron Wood, Wayne Shorter (on

the GRAMMY-winning CD, High Life), Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and The Allman Brothers. As a producer, player, and s o n g w r i t -er, Will has worked on Herb Alpert’s G R A M M Y -n o m i n a t e d CD, Colors, and Mos Def’s The New Dan-ger CD. After releasing several solo d r u m / e l e c -tronic albums and (with Doug Wim-bish and Vinx) forming the

groundbreaking band JUNGLE FUNK in the late 90’s, Will released his first solo jazz CD, which was GRAMMY-nominated in 2000: The Will Calhoun Quintet: Live at the Blue Note.

WILL CALHOUN TRIO


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TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 8 & 10:30PM $15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR

JJ SANSAVERINO & NU JAZZ

Over the past several years, guitar-ist Joe “JJ” Sansaverino has reached millions with his music, touring the United States, Canada, Europe, Af-rica, Asia, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean.

An accomplished composer, arrang-er, and musical director, Sansaverino was playing trumpet and violin by age 11 and the guitar by age 13. Growing up in and around New York, his di-verse influences - Santana and Hendrix, as well as jazz, Motown, and doo-wop - helped mold his unique style. Af-ter performing locally in NYC for several years in the early ‘90s, Sansaverino em-barked on his first European tour with the popular alterna-tive rock band Heads Up.

Upon return-ing to the U.S., Sansaverino at-tended Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1994 and winning the school’s prestigious Writing Award of the Year. Relocat-ing to New York, he began perform-ing nightly, quickly earning a reputa-tion as one of the hardest-working musicians on the scene. It wasn’t long before he started recording TV

jingles and appearing and record-ing with artists like George Clin-ton, Kelly Price, SuperCat, Shabba Ranks, Monty Alexander, the Jungle Brothers, Rita and Ky-Mani Marley, and Toots and the Maytals. In 2005, Sansaverino released a stunning col-lection of his original compositions titled Sunshine After Midnight.

The album is a diverse show-case of origi-nal guitar style and features many of NYC’s finest musi-cians. with his band Nu Jazz, Sansaver ino c o n t i n u e s to perform shows around the country while simulta-neously pre-paring for the recording of his forthcom-ing sopho-more album, Waiting for You. A perfect follow-up to Sunshine After Midnight, the album prom-ises to deliver

a continuous array of colorful mood-provoking music with a few special guest appearances.

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L at e N i g h t g r o o v e S e r i e SENFANTS TERRIBLES: KONITZ/FRISELL/PEACOCK/BARONAUGUST 15 - 19 8 & 10:30PM $35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR

Tonight at the Blue Note, four remark-able jazz artists join forces to celebrate their latest Half Note Records release, Enfants Terribles. A French term for “successful people who [are] strik-ingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde” (Merriam-Webster), the title of the disc is certainly a fitting description for these four artists, each of whom has redefined the jazz tradition in his own way throughout his career. Lee Konitz is sometimes regarded as the preeminent cool jazz saxophonist because he performed and recorded with Claude Thornhill, Lennie Tristano, and with Miles Davis on his epochal Birth of the Cool (1957), which gave the form its name. He has recorded dozens of albums as a band leader and has also recorded or performed with Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Elvin Jones, and many others. Guitarist Bill Frisell’s expressive virtu-osity has placed him much in demand as a guitarist and musician. He has worked with artists as diverse as Gin-ger Baker, Don Byron, Ron Carter, El-vis Costello, Bono, Jerry Douglas, Paul Motian, and John Zorn, to name a few. His recordings of the past decades

span a wide area of musical influences, and his vast back catalogue, which includes 15 recordings for Nonesuch, was lauded by DownBeat as being the “best recorded product of the decade.” A subtle but adventurous bassist, Gary Peacock’s flexibility and consistently creative ideas have been an asset to several important groups. Over the course of his career he has worked with Miles Davis, Albert Ayler, Barney Kes-sel, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, Jimmy Giuf-fre, Roland Kirk, and George Russell, among others. He has also been the bassist in a trio with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette, a group that contin-ues to record and perform today. Joey Baron, a largely self-taught drum-mer, has collaborated with an impres-sive list of jazz luminaries. In addition to being a member of the Bill Frisell Band for ten years until 1995, he has performed or recorded with Carmen McRae, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, David Bowie, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philip Glass, John Aber-crombie, Mel Lewis, Pat Martino, David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, Jim Hall, Randy Brecker, Marian McPartland, John Scofield, and many others.

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Blending poetry and melody, left-of-soul songstress Candice Anitra ex-plores the fine lines between genders, self-love and loathing, and the polari-ties that exist in us all. She is part soul singer, and equal parts rabble-rouser and philosopher, with her edgy, electro-rock-infused, sultry songs. After releas-ing an EP in 2008, Anitra’s full-length debut, Bark then Bite, dropped in 2010. It wasn’t long before the praises began to roll in from Soul Tracks, Rolling Out, and Soul Bounce. Anitra’s sophomore effort, Big Tree, came out earlier this year. The album, like Anitra, deftly defies genre classi-fication. “I’m messy!” she declares. “I don’t fit and I never have. I don’t always have to be provocative, but I can be. I like to explore the masculine, the femi-

nine, and the androgynous. That, to me, seems like a fair representation of me as a full artist. This is my peace.”

CANDICE ANITRA saTURDaY, aUGUsT 18 12:30 Am $10


LALANA W/ SPECIAL GUESTS SHAE FIOL WITH MARIACHI DE FLOR & MS. CHERYL PEPSII RILEY


AUGUST 15 - 19 8 & 10:30PM $35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR

Lalana’s unique vocal style has been linked to Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Brian McKnight, and Alicia Keys. She attended Berklee College of Music at 16 on a full scholarship purely for her vocal talent. After college Lalana was able to sing supporting vocals for Barry White, Patti LaBelle, D’Angelo, Ste-vie Wonder, Donna Summer, Norman Brown and Rafael Martos. Perform-ing and writing songs in English and Spanish for both stage and film, Lalana briefly signed with Polygram Records

before venturing out into a solo jazz ca-reer. The journey continues with a debut album scheduled to release February 2012 called MoodSwings. This project is a reflection of growth, character and just the many moods we go through on this road of life.

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HALF NOTE RECORDS NEW RELEASE

KENNY WERNERWiTH THE BRUSSELS JAZZ ORCHESTRA iNSTiTUTE OF HiGHER LEARNiNG

Long regarded as one of Europe’s premier big bands - a group that “manifests love,” according to Grammy-winning arranger Maria Schneider - The Brussels Jazz Orchestra has joined hands with Kenny Werner to create a winning tableau vivant of spirited writing and performance. The Institute of Higher Learning features a sumptu-ous 3-part suite, “Cantabile,” that reinforces in a singular way Werner’s place among forward-thinking jazzmen. Textural, rhythmic, evincing cascading swirls of color, it was inspired by and dedicated to Bob Brookmeyer. Led by reedman and group founder Frank Vaganee, the BJO of-fers a perfect canvas for Werner’s painterly approach to composition and arranging.


Guitarist Nobuki Takamen was born in Hiroshima in 1977. A mainstay of the NY jazz scene, Takamen leads his own group, which has toured in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and ap-peared at festivals including the Mon-treal International Jazz Festival and the Rochester International Jazz Festival. Both his releases for What’s New Re-cords, Bull’s Blues (2006) and From Now On (2008), are comprised entirely of his original compositions. His third album Live at the Iridium (2010), re-leased on Summit Records, presents a complete, uncut performance from the Iridium Jazz Club. After touring

EAST MEETS WESTBRUNCH SERIES

with his trio in Japan in 2011, Takamen recorded his first trio album, Three Wishes. This upcoming fourth album, featuring his new compositions writ-ten for trio, comes out on August 14, 2012. Today’s CD release show fea-tures John Lenis (bass) and Yutaka Uchida (drums).

NOBUKI TAKAMENCD Release show

sUNDaY, aUGUsT 1912:30 & 2:30pm$29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink

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MARCUS STRICKLANDMONDAY, AUGUST 20 8 & 10:30PM $15 AT TABLE / $10 AT BAR

The great Miles Davis once said, “The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project, and does he have ideas?” If these are indeed the canonical essentials of a jazz artist at his best, then saxophonist Marcus Strickland is one of today’s truest exemplars. With a professional ca-reer that has just passed the 10-year mark, Strickland’s influential sound, distinguished body of work, impres-sive set of credentials, and steady ac-knowledgement from virtually every credible jazz critic have earned him a rightful place alongside the very best narrators of modern jazz.

Strickland’s broad creative range, along with his emergence as a sin-gular voice on his instrument, helped him land his first recording deal as a leader with the Fresh Sound label in the early ‘00s. In between releas-ing his first two label projects, At Last (2001) and Brotherhood (2003), Strickland was also making his case

as one of the finest saxophonists in the world, placing third in the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition.

Strickland emphasizes listening in his bands, and lately, his critics have been listening, too. Over the last six years, he has held some of the most prestigious positions in the realm of jazz journalism, being named Rising Star on Tenor Saxophone in Down-Beat’s 2010 Critics Poll, Rising Star on Soprano Saxophone in DownBeat’s 2008 Critics Poll, and Best New Artist in JazzTimes’ 2006 Readers’ Poll. His latest release, Triumph of the Heavy: Vol. 1 & 2 (2011), has also won him critical acclaim in the jazz community. His covetable list of recording and performing credits includes Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas, Roy Haynes, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Robert Glasper, Damion Reid, Ben Williams, his twin brother E.J., and many more.

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Following a two-and-a-half year ill-ness, jazz saxophone titan Michael Brecker passed away at the age of 57 in January 2007. As a result of his stylistic and harmonic innovations, Brecker is the most influential saxo-phonist of the last 30 years and is among the most studied contempo-rary instrumentalists in music schools throughout the world today. He is also a 15-time GRAMMY winner.

On August 21-23, 2012, JazzReach, Inc. and the Blue Note Jazz Club will proudly present “Celebrating Michael Brecker: A Musical Remembrance,” featuring saxophonist Ravi Coltrane along with Brecker’s longtime rhythm section: pianist Joey Calderazzo, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, and bass-ist James Genus. The show will also feature appearances by several very special guests.

This series of performances will function as a fundraiser for the NYC-based not-for-profit, JazzReach, Inc., with all proceeds from ticket sales directly benefiting the organization’s 2012-2013 season of educational outreach programming for young au-diences nationwide.

Born into a musical household in 1949, Brecker studied music at the University of Indiana along with his older brother Randy before moving

to New York City, where he landed work with several bands before co-founding the pioneering jazz-rock group Dreams in 1970. Three years later, he joined his brother in the front-line of pianist and composer Horace Silver’s quintet. The following year, the siblings branched off to form The Brecker Brothers – one of the most innovative and successful jazz-funk fusion bands of the decade. The end of the ‘70s also saw the pair form the all-star quartet Steps Ahead.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Brecker recorded and performed with a virtual who’s who of jazz and pop giants, includ-ing Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Joni Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, McCoy Tyner, Bruce Spring-steen, Steely Dan, Pat Metheny, and Frank Zappa. In 1987, he cut his first record as a leader, and his follow-up release Don’t Try This At Home gar-nered him his first Grammy. Until his death in 2007, he continued to release acclaimed solo albums, worked ex-tensively as a studio musician, reunit-ed with Randy for Brecker Brothers reunions, and so much more. His in-numerable accomplishments ensure that this remarkable saxophonist will be forever intertwined with the history of music.

CELEBRATING MICHAEL BRECKER FT. RAVI COLTRANE & JEFF “TAIN” WATTSAUGUST 21 - 23 8 & 10:30PM $35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR

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CHRISTIAN SCOTTAUGUST 24 - 26 8 & 10:30PM $25 AT TABLE / $15 AT BAR

Edison Award winning trumpeter-composer-producer-bandleader Christian Scott stands tall among a handful of talented young jazz art-ists who are expanding their artistic vision beyond the strict confines of the genre’s tradition. Throughout his career, Scott has been an intrepid explorer, from his Grammy nominat-ed debut Rewind That to his genre stretching last album Yesterday You Said Tomorrow. Scott ups the ante on his compelling new double album, Christian aTunde Adjuah, an inspired and provocative two-CD, 23-track collection that spans a range of be-yond-jazz influences as he continues to make strides into uncharted jazz territory.

With Scott’s trumpet at the heart of most of the tunes, the album features reflective ballads, light and dreamy soundscapes, guitar-edged and rock-inflected cookers, trumpet ecstasies as well as clarion calls and anguished wails. Scott’s band consists of guitar-ist Matthew Stevens, drummer Jamire Williams, bassist Kristopher Keith Funn and pianist Lawrence Fields (Fields’ piano sound is often spiced for effect by using paper on the instru-ment’s strings), with guests including tenor saxophonist Kenneth Whalum III, alto saxophonist Louis Fouche IIII and trombonist Corey King.

In the liner notes to Christian aTunde Adjuah, addressed as a “Letter to a Future Artist,” the New Orleans-born, Harlem-based Scott writes, “As an artist, I am always attempting to do things that haven’t been done. This goes beyond simply trying to be ad-ept at something. It requires the abil-ity to revisit past thought processes while considering new landscapes…” In conversation, he adds, “It’s all about the willingness to forge new paths and seek new terrain while ex-cavating one’s own past as a means of gaining a better contextual under-standing of that path.”

Scott describes what he plays on Christian aTunde Adjuah as “stretch music,” much like he introduced on his 2010 album, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow. In his liners, he writes about people calling his approach “stretch,” and notes, “It’s true that we are attempting to stretch—not re-place—jazz’s rhythmic, melodic and harmonic conventions to encompass as many musical forms/languages/cultures as we can. My core belief is that no form of expression is more valid than any other. This belief has compelled me to attempt to create a sound that is genre blind in its ac-culturation of other musical forms, languages, textures, conventions and processes.”


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The Statesmen are a band of NYC scene veterans that update the sound of the British Invasion and meld it with classic soul. The dual lead vocal ap-proach of keyboardist Jonah Smith and drummer Josh Dion is reminiscent of Sam and Dave or The Band. On stage they have live-wire energy as they trade verses and sing harmonies. Guitarist Scott Metzger and bassist Ben Rubin, both monster players with long re-sumes, round out the band.

Since their inception, The Statesmen have played shows opening for Los Lo-bos and have headlined several shows in NYC. Their eponymous debut album, released earlier this year, is being played on influential radio stations like WFUV in New York, and the record is gaining substantial traction in Japan, where it has been featured in Tower Records lo-cations across the country.

THE STATESMEN saTURDaY, aUGUsT 2512:30 Am $10


A native of New Orleans, LA, Malcolm was born into a musical family and be-gan studying the violin at eight before moving to the cello. He received his first personal violin as a recipient of the Louis Armstrong Foundation Inc. “1997 Golden Horn Award.” Upon relocating to Atlanta, GA in 2000, he was selected to participate in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra “Talent Development Pro-gram.” In 2005 he was Principal Cellist of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, attended Interlochen Sum-mer Music Institute, performed with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was a featured soloist for the Atlanta Symphony Community Orchestra. A year later, he attended the Heifetz In-

MALCOLM PARSON

ternational Music Institute as well as performed as a featured soloist at the 2006 National Black Arts Festival “Clas-sics from the Next Generation” concert in Atlanta, GA. Now a Berklee graduate, he performs throughout the U.S.


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Born in London and raised in Johan-nesburg during apartheid, Christine searched for the first opportunity to pursue her music and find new hori-zons. At 17 she moved to Milan with a full scholarship to study opera. Af-ter attending Berklee, her ambition to experiment with world music drew her to NYC where she produced an album capturing the essence of her dearly missed South Africa. Dance Mama!, an original collection of South Afri-can funk-jazz, with three of the tracks reaching the finals and semi-finals of the USA, International (ISC) and UK Songwriting Competitions, has re-

CHRISTINE VAINDIRLIS sUNDaY, aUGUsT 2612:30 & 2:30pm$29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink


ceived airplay in the US, Europe and South Africa, and on the in-flight World Music play lists on Continental, Copa, Sri Lankan, Caribbean and United Air-lines. In 2010, Christine was featured on CNN, NBC’s New York Non-Stop, ESPN and Time Out New York.

HALF NOTE RECORDS RELEASE

FRANCISCO MELA & CUBAN SAFARITREE OF LIFEoN hIs seCoND Release FoR halF NoTe, DRUmmeR FRaNCIsCo mela CoNTINUes To FUse The RhYThmIC lIFe FoRCe oF hIs homelaND CUba, wITh The heaT-seekING eNeRGY oF moDeRN jazz. he Is kNowN as a mUsICIaN’s FavoRITe - he Is a membeR oF JOE LOVANO’S baND, Us FIve - beCaUse he boasTs a passIoN aND spIRIT RaRelY heaRD amoNG YoUNG INsTRUmeNTalIsTs. mela’s GRoUp Is NameD CUbaN saFaRI, aND IT FeaTURes sTeRlING plaY FRom pIaNIsT ELIO VIL-LAFRANCA, saxIsT URI GURVICH, GUI-TaRIsT beN moNDeR aND speCIal GUesT ESPERANZA SPALDING. mela’s TeNDeR voCal wIll sURpRIse all.


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bv

REVIVE DA LIVE BIG BAND


If the Revive Da Live Big Band is a “19-piece jazz army” (Complex Maga-zine), then what is their fight? Formed in 2010, the Big Band began as a “wouldn’t it be cool if…” kind of idea, where composer, arranger and trum-peter, Igmar Thomas wanted to unite generations of like-minded musicians in presenting a new-age of big bands that has now become one of the most exciting and imaginative bands — big or otherwise — in New York. The musical styles, experience, and tastes range widely within the group—but the mission is the same. “We’re carrying on, within the tradition of big bands, what would be relevant today,” Thomas says. “Modifying the message, and making it translatable, accessible to the people, so that they have something relevant to grasp on to. It represents that little bridge.” Their repertoire is an authentic gum-bo, featuring original compositions

by Thomas, as well as epic orches-trations of selected productions from different producers, notable hip hop songs combined with the original sampled jazz record, all re-imagined and arranged into original works for a 20 piece big band. “Our voice is one that has a foot deeply placed in the jazz roots and the tradition of that, à la Dizzy Gil-lespie and Count Basie. But also, another foot deeply invested in 2012, and so on. That’s the direction. Dizzy, Dilla, and us.” Past RDLBB performances include, Tribute to A Tribe Called Quest fea-turing Jarobi (ATCQ), Buckshot, Dres, DJ Logic and many more, Celebrating the life of legendary MC, G.U.R.U fea-turing DJ Premier and Roy Hargrove and guests and their first big band performance in 2010 featuring Nicho-las Payton and Talib Kweli.

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KENNY WERNER QUINTETFEATURING LIONEL LOUEKE & MIGUEL ZENÓNAUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 2 8 & 10:30PM $35 AT TABLE / $20 AT BAR

Kenny Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of compositions, recordings, and publi-cations continue to impact audiences around the world. Born in Brooklyn in 1951 and growing up on Long Island, Werner began playing and perform-ing at a young age, first recording on television at the age of 11. He formed his own trio in 1981 with drummer Tom Rainey and bassist Ratzo Harris. The trio matured for 14 years, wowing au-diences in America and Europe and recording four albums along the way. The ‘90s saw Werner begin several outstanding musical partnerships. He continues to play duo with Toots Thielemans, the legendary harmonica player. For 20 years he has played with

and arranged for Broadway legend Betty Buckley. He has also enjoyed a nearly 40-year friendship and musical collaboration with Joe Lovano, with each recording on several of the oth-er’s projects. In 2000, Werner formed a new trio with Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass. They played together for nearly a decade and re-leased three albums, the last of which, Peace: Live at the Blue Note (2004), be-gan Werner’s fruitful relationship with Half Note Records. In 2010, Werner was honored with the Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his seminal work, No Beginning No End (2010). Released on Half Note, the al-bum is a musical journey exploring tragedy and loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next. Among his other recent releases are Institute of Higher Learning with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra (2011) and Me, Myself & I (2012), a live solo piano recording. In addition to his work as a performer and composer, Werner is a world-class educator. His groundbreaking book on improvisation, Effortless Mastery (2006), is required reading for all aspiring jazz musicians. He also gives lessons and clinics across the U.S. and is currently an Artist-in-Residence at New York University. For several years now, Werner has toured and recorded in a quintet for-mat, releasing Balloons: Live at the Blue Note on Half Note Records just last year. Tonight, he returns to the Blue Note stage in this format, performing with an all-star quintet featuring gui-tarist Lionel Loueke and saxophonist Miguel Zenon.


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Originally from Sierra Leone, West Af-rica, multicultural artist Azania was born and raised in the U.S. & Geneva. She has performed throughout Europe and in Asia, has sung in major music festi-vals such as Montreux, and was invited to perform for the President of Sierra Leone. In Paris, she won first prize in the French T.V. competition Graines de Star, similar to American Idol. During her 12 years of classical training, she also sang in many different types of bands: soul, funk, jazz, disco, electro/house, gospel, and reggae. For her upcom-ing album, several songs are inspired by the groovy soul and funk era of the 1970s. However, Azania’s compositions evolve from diverse musical influences. Reflecting her warm personality, Aza-nia’s lyrics are often enriched with up-lifting and positive messages, and her highly-anticipated debut album will be released in 2012.

AZANIA saTURDaY, sepTembeR 112:30 Am $10


Few performers are as versatile as singer-songwriter Walter Christopher. A Harlem native affectionately known by his fans as “Walt Chris,” Christopher can slide effortlessly from playing an R&B gig to a sanctified gospel church, all the way to a swinging jazz club. Over the course of his career, he has opened for the likes of Kem, Oleta Adams, En Vogue, Fat Joe, Boys II Men, Keith Sweat, Kenny Lattimore, Allyson Wil-liams, and Mikki Howard. One listen to Christopher and you will hear the voice of a legend. A balladeer by choice, he sings and writes with the soul that is missing in today’s music. His third and latest album, It’s All About Love

WALTER CHRISTOPHER

– Vol. 2, came out last year and features the singles “So Amazing,” “There You Go Again,” and “You’re Beautiful.”


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RANDY JOHNSTON sUNDaY, sepTembeR 212:30 & 2:30pm$29.50 includes music, brunch & 1 drink

NYU SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES

NYU Jazz guitar faculty member from De-troit, Michigan, Randy Johnston moved to Richmond, Virginia when he was thirteen years old. Since arriving in New York in the early 1980s, he has performed and record-ed with such jazz notables as Lou Donald-son, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Houston Person, Etta Jones, Lionel Hampton, Brother Jack McDuff, Warne Marsh, Lee Konitz, Joey Defrancesco, Tom Harrell, Irene Reid and Rashid Ali.

As a leader, Randy has released sixth re-cordings including two CDs for J.Curve Records. Throughout the years, his re-cordings have featured an impressive ar-ray of sidemen including Joey Defrances-co, Kenny Washington, Benny Green, Nick Brignola, Eric Alexander, Idris Muhammad, and the legendary Johnny Griffin.

Striking, bold, organic, and beautiful. Those words describe Maya Azuce-na’s voice, her music, and her mes-sage. On CRY LOVE her impressive talent unfolds over eleven tracks. An anthem for justice, the title track con-stitutes the album’s core concept. Her desire to inspire and empower listeners saturates the edgy groove of “Warriors” and the sanguine sway of “Near”. “The Half” is a harrowing take propelled by rock icon Vernon Reid. She invited reggae legend and Billboard #1 artist iNi Kamoze aboard on “My Back’s Not Up Against The Wall” while the glistening, acoustic qualities of “Belong To The Sun” fur-nish another standout cut. The songs are all unified by a remarkable depth and stunning musicality.

HALF NOTE RECORDS NEW RELEASE


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LIONEL LOUEKEW/ROBERT GLASPER, MARK GIULIANA & DERRICK HODGE

SEP 4 - 6

BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION RANDY BRECKER, MIKE STERN, & MORE

SEP 11 - 16

ROY AYERS SEP 26 - 30

UPCOMING AT THE BLUE NOTE

STANLEY CLARKE & HIROMI DUO SEP 18 - 23

NINETY MILES STEFON HARRIS, DAVID SANCHEZ & NICHOLAS PAYTON

SEP 7 - 9

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SEASONAL FRUIT & SORBET 12 add Limoncello Meletti 10 NEW YORK CHEESECAKE 10 add Tia Maria 11 RED VELVET CAKE 10 add Baileys 10 TIRAMISU 10 add Grand Marnier 12CINNAMON APPLE STRUDEL 9 add Amaretto Lazzaroni 10 WARM LEMON TARTE 9 add Drambuie 10 CHOCOLATE & VANILLA TARTUFO 10 add Frangelico 10 FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE 10 add Dow’s 20-year 14 ICE CREAM 9 add Kahlua 10 SORBET OF THE DAY 8 add Prosecco 10

DESSERTS & PAIRINGS

Sherry, Dry Sack 10Sherry, Harvey’s Bristol Cream 10Taylor Fladgate Tawny 15Royal Tokaji Aszu “Red Label” 21 Vidal Gold Icewine, Inniskillin 20/100 Cab Franc Icewine, Inniskillin 130

DESSERT WINES

BOURBON / RYERedemption Rye 12Basil Hayden 14Booker’s 14 Knob Creek 14Woodford Reserve 15 Whistle Pig 16

Courvoisier 12Hennessy VS 12Hennessy XO 36Remy Martin VSOP 18Remy Martin XO 36Martell VS 12Martell Cordon Bleu VSOP 25Navan Vanilla Cognac 11Tesseron XO – 1990 Avg 15Poli Grappa Moscato 15

BRANDY & COGNACGlenlivet 12 year 12 Glenfiddich 12 year 12Macallan 12 year 14Talisker 10 year 12 Glenmorangie 13 Oban 14 year 14 Dahlwinnie 15 year 15Lagavulin 16 year 16Mackillop’s 1989 Scapa 34Deanston 30 year 40 Scott’s 1967 Glenlivet 58

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH

LIQUEURSAmaretto Lazzaroni 10Aperol 10Baileys Irish Cream 10B & B 11Campari 10Chambord 10Cointreau 11Drambuie 10Dubbonet 10Fernet Branca 10Frangelico 10Grand Marnier 12Kahlua 10Lillet 10Limoncello Meletti 10Nocino Walnut Liqueur 10Pernod 10Poli Miele Honey Liqueur 12Sambuca Meletti 10Tia Maria 11

DIGESTIFS

Chivas 12Dewars 11J & B 11Johnny Walker Red 11Johnny Walker Black 12Johnny Walker Blue 38

SCOTCH BLENDS

RUMBeija Cachaca 11Bacardi Silver 11Bacardi Gold 11Brinley Gold Coconut 11Captain Morgan’s 11Meyer’s 12Mount Gay 12Blackwell 13El Dorado 15-year 15Pyrat XO 15

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MANHATTANRedemption rye whiskey,Carpano Antico sweet vermouth

NEGRONIDH Krahn gin, Campari,Carpano Antico sweet vermouth

VESPERTanqueray gin, Chopin Vodka, and Lillet with a lemon twist

FRENCH MARTINIGrey Goose vodka, Chambord& pineapple juice

HENNESSY SIDECARHennessy Cognac with GrandMarnier and fresh lemon juice

BLUE NOTE MARTINIcitrus vodka, blue curocao, lime juice

“MANTECA” MARTINIBrinley Gold coconut rum, coconut-cream & pineapple juice

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE MARTINIMeletti Chocolate Liquer Stolivanilla vodka

APPLE MARTINIKetel One & apple schnapps

COSMOPOLITANCitrus Vodka, Triple Sec,cranberry & lime juice

METROPOLITANAbsolut Kurant with Triple Sec,cranberry & lime juice

MARGARITA MARTINISauza Conmemorativo tequila, agave, fresh lime & splash orange juice

MARTINIS $13

ELDERFLOWER FIZZDH Krahn gin, elderflowerliqueur, fresh lemon

RUBY RYERedemption rye whiskey, grapefruit juice, Chambord

CAIPIRINHAMuddled limes, sugar andBeija Brazilian cachaca

BELLINIProsecco & white peach puree

PCPUNCHGrey Goose pear vodka, Brinleycoconut rum, pineapple juice

MAI TAIBacardi light rum, Meyers darkrum, almond liqueur, Triple Sec,Pineapple juice, splash sour mix

BRANDY ALEXANDERBrandy, crème de cacao & cream

CUBA LIBREBlackwell rum, Coke & freshly muddled lime

TOASTED ALMONDAmaretto, coffee liqueur & cream

MIXED DRINKS $12

IRISH COFFEEIrish whiskey & coffee

NUTTY IRISHMANBailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico & coffee

BRAVE BULLTequila, Kahlua & coffee

SWISS COFFEEPeppermint Schnapps, crème de cacao & coffee

SPANISH COFFEETia Maria & coffee

MOCA ALMONDMeletti chocolate liqueramaretto, coffee

WARM DRINKS $10

IMPORTED - $8Sapporo, Amstel Light,Corona, Heineken, Guinness,Stella Artois, Bass Ale

DOMESTIC - $8Brooklyn Lager, Budweiser,Bud Light

BELGIAN-STYLE ALE - $14Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale (750 ml)

NON-ALCOHOLIC - $6Buckler

REPUBLIC OF TEA ICED TEAS - $7Pomegranate Green Iced TeaRepublic Darjeeling Black Iced TeaGinger Peach Decaf Black Iced Tea

BEER AND TEAS

BLUE NOTE DRINK MENU

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blue note august 2012

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