Wednesday (11/16) Who’s is the man with the eclectic magic who sells out legendary venues from London to San Francisco and Oakland? It’s Dwele! Andwele Gardner hails from the legendary music mecca of Detroit and lives a life in song. From soul-stirring melodies composed on piano keys, he writes poignant music, performs with natural grace, and captivates with his clear, silky tone. He is a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist who’s carrying on a Motown-inspired tradition instilled in another time. With five critically-acclaimed albums – Subject, Some Kinda, Sketches Of A Man, W.ants W.orld W.omen, and Greater Than One, the Grammy Award-winning artist has blazed a trail for this generation’s newfound Soul/R&B era. Dwele will perform at 8pm.
Thursday (11/17) We are pleased to welcome to our stage Jeanette Harris, the scintillating saxtress of smooth jazz! Fans love her for her wonderful cover of Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do,” which hit Billboard’s smooth jazz singles chart from her album, Saxified. Classically trained in both sax and piano, a graduate of Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music, Harris was the saxophonist for the late, great Teena Marie’s final year of touring. She had a hand in writing all of the selections on her fourth CD, Summer Rain, except for a lovely cover of the Luther Vandross classic, “Here and Now.” The first single, “Just Keep Holding On,” made it to #4 on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Singles Chart and #1 on The Smooth Jazz Indie Chart. Her latest, Chocolate Vibez, is out now. The Jeanette Harris concert begins at 8pm.
Friday (11/18) Pianist Larry Brown leads one of the most accomplished straight-ahead jazz groups in the Mid-Atlantic area, having performed at An Die Musik, Blues Alley, the Meyerhoff, the Kennedy Center, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, East Coast Jazz Festival, Baltimore-Washington Jazz Fest, Alexandria Jazz Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival, Twins Jazz, Bohemian Caverns, the King Of France Tavern, Montpelier Arts Center, Chris’ Café, the New Haven Lounge, Caton Castle, Strathmore Mansion, and the Black Rock Center for the Arts. JazzReview.com describes The Larry Brown Quintet as “Straight-ahead jazz at its best, with a forthright approach to well-chosen material, supported by first rate soloists and a rock-solid rhythm section.” The Larry Brown Quintet will perform at 8pm.
Saturday (11/19) The Texas Chainsaw Horns present Hot Mess Burlesque! The Hot Mess Burlesque is back once again with an even bigger and better show. There’ll be beautiful women, classic burlesque, acrobats, stilt walkers, lingerie models, aerialists, performance artists, tango dancers, comics, hoop artists, and even the occasional flaming tuba — all this plus the music of the 12-piece multi-Wammie Award-winning Texas Chainsaw Horns backing up the performers. Hot Mess Burlesque brings you some of the finest talent from across the US, Canada, and Europe. Join us for an evening of fun, sexy entertainment, tastefully presented for a great night out. This unique show starts at 8pm.
Sunday (11/20) Butch Trucks and The Freight Train was formed only one year ago and is already receiving rave reviews for their fantastic live shows from their four US tours. A founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, drummer Butch Trucks is joined on stage by world-renowned blues guitar slinger Damon Fowler, keyboard master Bruce Katz, who has been on touring duties with The Gregg Allman Band, percussionist Garrett Dawson of The Dickey Betts Band, Blues Hall of Famer guitarist Chris Vitarello, and the young and very talented vocalist Heather Gillis, whose vocals, guitar playing, and performance tie together this amazing representation of the past, present, and future of roots rock and the blues. All aboard for Butch Trucks and The Freight Train! Also sharing the evening will be the Rockville-based Jonathan Sloane Trio.
Here are some more shows on the way at BBJ: The 101st Birthday Celebration of Frank Sinatra by Tony Sands, Sonny Landreth + Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles, 76 Degrees West with Sugar Bear, and Angie Stone. We’ve also got so many holiday shows coming up: Motown & More: A Holiday Celebration, A Gospel According to Jazz, Landau Murphy Jr. Holiday Show, and ringing in 2017 with us will be Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra! Check out our Music Calendar for the latest information on our upcoming events.
We look forward to seeing you!
Rick Brown