Johnny O'Neal - piano, voice
Dennis Carroll - bass
Charles Heath - drums
“My jaw dropped when I heard him play piano — and then my heart dropped when I heard him sing.”
-- guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel
"There are so many outstanding things about Johnny’s playing. Two or three of the most outstanding: number one, the touch. Johnny has a million dollar touch. Very few people touch the piano like that to get that kind of sound and feeling... The other thing is his feeling of swing, which is so natural. Then there’s Johnny’s personality, so engaging. And Johnny can play a ballad like few people, if any. I’ve always held his talent in the highest regard, and I think he’s a very special artist." -- pianist Mulgrew Miller
A consummate pianist, vocalist and entertainer, Johnny O’Neal is considered a “master” by fellow musicians and audiences the world over. No wonder he was selected to play the part of piano virtuoso Art Tatum in the 2004 Academy Award-winning film Ray. He has performed in some of the world’s most renowned music venues, making his Carnegie Hall debut in 1985 on solo piano, opening for Oscar Peterson, and was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.
A Detroit native, Johnny’s enormous musical gifts were immediately apparent to jazz icon Ray Brown and led to his 1983 debut album “Coming Out.” Stints with Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers soon followed. While playing with Blakey, he accompanied some of the great jazz divas, including Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. Johnny has also been tapped for appearances by Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Nancy Wilson, Anita O’Day, Lionel Hampton, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Stitt, Benny Golson, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Clark Terry, among others. Performances on the festival circuits in Europe, Australia, Japan and South Africa have gained him an international following.
Johnny admits to loving to shout the blues, but calls himself a piano player first. Astonishingly, he is largely self-taught. His playing evokes the influences imbued in him by his idols Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum, and he has reshaped these elements into his own very swinging and melodic approach. In live performances, he is apt to catch his audience off-guard with his soulfully rendered yet unpretentious vocalizations.
Johnny explains, “I’m a tune guy. I know 1,500 songs. My father was a pianist and singer who emphasized that learning lyrics creates dynamics and a better interpretation of melody. I rehearse so that the bassist, drummer and I can get familiar with each other’s styles—not to set the songs we’ll play. Jazz is the highest level of performance because it’s instant composition. I like to be spontaneous and respond to cues from the audience.”
The International Latino Cultural Center presents: A special evening with NEA Jazz Master Paquito D'Rivera, Fareed Haque and Juan Pastor Special guests Chinchano will open Paquito D’Rivera has won a combined 11 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards (5 Grammy and 9 Latin Grammys). He is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. In 1999, and in celebration of its 500-year history, the Universidad de Alcala de Henares presented Paquito with a special award recognizing his contribution to the arts, his humane qualities, and his defense of rights and liberties of artists around the world. The National Endowment for the Arts website affirms “he has become the consummate multinational ambassador, creating and promoting a cross-culture of music that moves effortlessly among jazz, Latin, and Mozart.” Photo credit: Geandy Pavon Fareed Haque is a modern guitar virtuoso. Steeped in classical and jazz traditions, his unique command of the guitar and different musical styles inspire his musical ventures with tradition and fearless innovation. Haque has toured and recorded with Joe Zawinul, Billy Cobham, Dave Holland, Paquito D’Rivera, Sting, Zakir Hussain, Bob James, Joe Henderson and many others. Haque has released numerous albums as a leader, and is the recipient of numerous accolades and awards including Best World Guitarist, Guitar Player Magazine 2009, 2004 Acoustic Album of the Year, 2007 Independent Music Award, and Best New World Music Group in Chicago Reader Poll 2020. Drummer/percussionist and composer Juan Pastor finds himself caught between two homes: his native Lima, Peru, and the city where he has lived for the past 13 years, Chicago. As a result, both his original compositions and the sound of his ensemble, Chinchano, draw life from deep sources - Peru’s enchantingly diverse culture, history, landscapes, and folk music, and the language of North American Jazz.
You can watch the livestream here: https://youtu.be/aLfHUYYzd1I If you watch the livestream, please support the artists by purchasing a livestream ticket. Since 1980, Friends of the Gamelan has been Chicago's premier ensemble that performs traditional Javanese gamelan music. Led by Artistic Director Alex Yoffe, the nonprofit provides quality instruction, performs world-class concerts, and presents engaging workshops with students, families, and gamelan appreciators of all ages and abilities throughout the Chicago area and beyond. In the late 1970s, a group began to meet regularly at the Field Museum to play on the same gamelan instruments from the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Eventually the instruments were archived and the ensemble acquired new instruments. Today's set of instruments was acquired by FROG in the 2000s. The ensemble has performed at various stages throughout Chicago, including Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion, the Field Museum, Navy Pier, and the Old Town School of Folk Music, to name a few. www.chicagogamelan.org
Tim Fitzgerald is a Chicago based guitarist and bandleader. He is also author of the book 625 Alive: the Wes Montgomery BBC Concert Transcribed, which has been hailed as the "Ultimate Study of Wes Montgomery's music" (Just Jazz Guitar Magazine) and “One of the 50 greatest guitar books of all time” (The 50 Greatest Guitar Books). He has written columns for Downbeat Magazine, Just Jazz Guitar Magazine and Chicago Jazz Magazine and performed clinics at the Frank Mantooth Jazz Festival. Tim leads two bands in Chicago -- Tim Fitzgerald's Full House and the Tim Fitzgerald Quartet -- and is a sideman in a multitude of other projects. Tim's larger group, Full House, is a seven piece, three horn ensemble inspired by the music of jazz great Wes Montgomery. The band features new original arrangements of Wes' music -- not just Wes Montgomery songs, but Wes' famous chord solos and octaves solos as well. His smaller group, The Tim Fitzgerald Quartet, features a mix of straight ahead jazz and soul music, including Tim's original compositions, the music of Wes Montgomery, and the music of soul jazz greats such as Dr. Lonnie Smith. Tim has performed at venues from Chicago's Green Mill to the Luxor in Las Vegas, from NYC to Homer, AK. TV and film musical appearances include PBS's Art Beat, the Sony film "The Myth of Fingerprints" and the animated film "Hoodwinked, Too." The many luminaries he has performed with include Von Freeman, Wycliffe Gordon, Ron Perrillo, Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, and Denis Charles. www.tim-fitzgerald.com
Jeremy Kahn is one of Chicago's busiest pianists, spending time in jazz clubs and orchestra pits, as well as in teaching and recording studios. He has played in all of the most visible local jazz venues, and was the house pianist at Streeterville's legendary Gold Star Sardine Bar for its final three years. Jeremy has performed internationally, most recently (5/16) in Posnan, Poland, as part of the "Made In Chicago" Jazz Festival. He has been the featured guest on the radio shows on Marian McPartland and Studs Terkel. Jeremy has also played for many theatrical productions, Including "Wicked", "Spamalot" and "The Lion King". He served as the Musical Director for "Louis & Keel Live At The Sahara" at the Royal George Theater, as well as at the Geffen Playhouse and Laguna Playhouse in California. He also is a Visiting Lecturer at Northwestern University, teaching Jazz Piano and Jazz Improvisation. For more infor: www.kahnman.com
The Chicago-born guitarist began playing at age twelve. While spending some formative time in Memphis, he started playing gospel music at age thirteen. By age fourteen, Johnson was playing in R&B groups. Although Johnson’s parents brought him up hearing the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Joe Williams, and other artists of that era, it was not until 1967 that Johnson was formally introduced to jazz by hearing guitarist Wes Montgomery. In 1969, Johnson and his family then moved back to Chicago where he developed a reputation on the south side as a good local jazz guitarist. In 1976, he went on the road with jazz organist Jack McDuff and was called to work with vocalist, Donny Hathaway in 1977. In 1979, Johnson began playing with jazz pianist, Ramsey Lewis. And in 1985, jazz legend, Joe Williams added Johnson to his regular group. Johnson’s musical roots run deep into gospel, blues, and jazz. His strongest and earliest influences were Kenny Burrell, George Benson, and most significantly, Wes Montgomery. While influenced by these great guitarists, Johnson also cites the music of Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, big bands, and jazz orchestras as integral forces which shaped his sound and style. www.henryjohnsonjazz.com
“Eng’s star wattage is undeniable. Mercurial luxurious croon...” — Chicago Sun-Times “Cool sounds... very likable performer...” — Chicago Tribune From New York City, multifaceted Broadway actor and acclaimed jazz pianist and singer, Bryan Eng is one of the most promising and accomplished entertainers of his generation. With a sound and showmanship compared to jazz masters such as Nat King Cole and Harry Connick Jr., Eng’s musicality packs a punch of energy that manages to maintain an alluring level of intimacy. At just 24 years old, Eng has already begun to make big strides across industries in the entertainment scene. His unique talents as an actor and musician have been featured in movies, TV, commercials, and at revered performance venues including Broadway, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Birdland. Additionally, his ability to compose and arrange music for all styles has led him to musical collaborations with stars such as Heather Headley, Stephen Colbert, The American Pops Orchestra, and regional theaters from coast to coast. Eng attended Northwestern University where his Chicago acclaim proved inevitable. Holding multiple performance residencies and starring at award-winning regional theaters, Chicago Now proclaimed, “Bryan Eng is one of Chicago’s bright stars.” While still in the Windy City, Eng was invited to join the Broadway cast of Plaza Suite with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Now a New York star in ascension, Eng headlines regularly around the city while continuing to perform at major jazz clubs around the country. www.bryaneng.com
Andy Brown is a guitarist based in Chicago. Born in New York in 1975, he has played professionally for over twenty five years. He has had a varied performing career that has included stints in Cincinnati and New York City. Since coming to Chicago in 2003, Andy has been fortunate to work at many of the area's finest jazz venues with his own bands, as well as playing his unique brand of solo jazz guitar. He has backed visiting jazz names at places including The Jazz Showcase, Ravinia and the Harris Theater. Currently he plays solo guitar every Thursday at The Green Mill, leads his quartet every Wednesday at Andy's Jazz Club and performs with his trio bi-weekly at Winter’s Jazz Club. As a sideman he has performed with internationally know jazz musicians including Scott Hamilton, Howard Alden, Harry Allen, Warren Vaché, Ken Peplowski, Hod O’Brien, Rebecca Kilgore, Judy Carmichael, John Pisano, Michael Feinstein, Anat Cohen, Kurt Elling and many others. He has also worked with many names on the Chicago jazz scene including Russ Phillips, Don Stiernberg, Chris Foreman, Eric Schneider, Bobby Lewis and Judy Roberts. His love of great tunes, as well as accompanying skills have made him a favorite with vocalists. Married to frequent partner vocalist Petra van Nuis, Andy has worked with many of Chicago's finest singers. Andy also had the good fortune to accompany Barbra Streisand when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009. Andy has made many festival and club appearances around the world. Highlights include Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Chautauqua Jazz Party, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Cleveland Classic Jazz Party, as well as festivals in Rio de Janeiro, the Netherlands, Germany and throughout the United States. Andy has provided the music for a wide variety of parties and private events. In 2012, his trio was invited by the Chicago Mayor's office to perform for the Nobel Peace Prize dinner in Chicago where invited guests included U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as the Dalai Lama and Mikhail Gorbachev. Also in 2012, Andy's trio was hired by the U.S. State Department to provide music for the opening night gala at the NATO summit held in Chicago. Andy enjoys being a member of several bands besides his own. He works often with vocalist Petra van Nuis, either in duo or larger groups, including Petra's Recession Seven. They have worked together all over Chicago and in venues throughout the country, as well as tours of Europe and Canada. Since 2009, Andy has co-led a two-guitar quartet with renowned guitarist Howard Alden. In 2013, Delmark Records released a CD of the group entitled "Heavy Artillery" which received four stars in Downbeat magazine and was featured in their annual Albums Of The Year issue. Andy plays regularly with jazz mandolinist Don Stiernberg's trio. They have worked at festivals in Germany and Brazil, as well as throughout the United States. He is also a member of trombonist Russ Phillips' group, both with Russ' Quartet and his Windy City All-Stars. Andy has been featured on a wide array of recordings. As a leader, his latest is the 2016 Delmark Records release “Direct Call” which received four stars in Downbeat magazine. His previous Delmark release “Soloist” was his first solo jazz guitar recording and received warm reviews from critics and fans alike. 2015 marked the release of organist Chris Foreman's debut recording "Now Is The Time” which featured Andy on several cuts. In 2016, mandolinist Don Stiernberg released a CD titled “Good Numbers” featuring Andy on acoustic archtop guitar. Andy has collaborated on four CDs with Petra van Nuis, the most recent being their 2017 duet release “Lessons Lyrical." Andy had the good fortune to learn directly from several guitar masters, including Cal Collins, Ted Greene, and Howard Alden. His most important mentor was the late Kenny Poole, who called Andy his protégé. www.andybrownguitar.com
There are many moments that can define a man’s life and for Pharez Whitted, this is one of them. He’s taken on the new role as Chicago’s Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) Jazz Director and Howard Reich at the Chicago Tribune described Pharez perfectly - “Few Chicago musician-educators are more qualified than Whitted to build the new band, for he commands a richly deserved reputation as a trumpet virtuoso, seasoned educator and irrepressible champion of the music.” Whitted is humble with his legacy and his deep roots in music go as far back as the 1930’s in Indianapolis where the Hampton Family Band first began performing. His mother Virtue, his uncle Slide Hampton and the other 10 siblings (12 in total) laid the foundation with their self-educated and courageous father, Clarke “Deacon” Hampton at the helm. With that level of determination and talent, Whitted was destined to inherit the gift of music. At the age of nine he found a trumpet in the closet and asked his brother to show him how to play a C major scale and it was all over – he was hooked. It wasn’t just that his father, Thomas Whitted Sr., played drums with Freddie Hubbard and Wes Montgomery, or that his mother, Virtue Whitted, sang and played the bass, it was the love he had for this music and his close ties with it. It didn’t stop there. He began his career in 1982 not long after earning his Master’s Degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He recorded his first self-entitled album, ‘Pharez Whitted’ with Motown in 1994 and continued recording solo albums ever since. If you asked Pharez what inspires his music, he’ll say that the world needs hope and beauty and his compositions were created for that purpose. His music is for the people, to lift them up and inspire beautiful thoughts and a harmonious vibe throughout the Universe. One love, one Universal voice. One of the greatest gifts that he passes on is his love and appreciation for the music and using it as a tool for peace, inclusion and expression. He instils this passion in the students that passed through his doors while serving as the Director of Jazz Studies at Chicago State University and now through his work with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ravinia’s Jazz Scholar program and his newest role at CYSO. Pharez continues carrying the torch of the Hampton's that came before him and all of the jazz legends he graced the stage with, not to mention his recordings and accolades that has prepared him for the next chapter in his career. For Pharez, this is just the beginning and he’s come full circle to marry his experience and knowledge with the foundation of education. www.pharezwhitted.com
Abigail Riccards has garnered much attention from the jazz community for her effortless swing, heartbreaking tone, and personalized approach to lyrics. Abigail's inimitable approach to the Great American Songbook has made her one of the most celebrated jazz vocalists of her generation. Performing in Chicago since 2011, Abigail has quickly established herself as one of the rising vocalists on the scene. She has performed at many of the city's top jazz clubs with some of Chicago's most respected musicians, headlining at venues such as the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, Katerina's, and Andy's Jazz Club, and Winter's Jazz Club. Prior to her move to the windy city, Abigail was an active artist in New York's jazz scene. She has repeatedly performed at many of the most treasured venues in NYC, including being a frequent favorite at Birdland, the Jazz Standard, Smoke, Smalls, the Kitano, Sweet Rhythm, and 55Bar. Abigail has also collaborated with many of the best jazz musicians in the world including Michael Kanan, Peter Bernstein, David Berkman, Mulgrew Miller, Spike Wilner, Neal Miner, Jay Leonhart, Steve LaSpina, Lee Hudson, Tony Romano, Brad Shepik, Matt Wilson, Bill Goodwin, Rick Montalbano, Elliot Zigmund, Joel Frahm, Adam Kolker, and Ron Horton. Abigail's most recent studio album, "Every Little Star" which is coproduced by world renowned recording artists Jane Monheit was released in April. The album features classics from the Great American Songbook, original tunes, and a stunning duet with Monheit herself. All of the proceeds of this album go to benefit a fantastic NYC based nonprofit called ArtStrides (www.artstrides.org). The album features sensational musicians such as Peter Bernstein, Michael Kanan, Neal Miner, and Elliot Zigmund. Nick DeRiso calls the album a "completely enchanting recording," and writes "Riccards has brought a sense of child-like wonder to a project meant to ensure that the next generation shares it, too." Abigail's first album, When the Night Is New was released as one of the most impressive debut albums of 2007. It featured the talents of David Berkman, Ben Allison, Matt Wilson, Adam Kolker, Ron Horton, Lage Lund, Rogerio Boccato and was produced by Dena DeRose. Ken Dryden calls it "an outstanding debut effort by the promising jazz vocalist Abigail Riccards." Abigail followed it up with her 2011 release Soft Rains Fall, an intimate collection of jazz and popular standards, recorded in a duo setting with nylon string guitarist, Tony Romano. In 2000, she was also selected to participate in the Jazz in July workshop at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and competed in the 2006 Fish Middleton Competition, where she was a semi-finalist. In 2004, Abigail was selected to be a semi-finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, where she competed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C for judges such as Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, Jimmy Scott and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Since earning her Master's Degree, Abigail has also become an active music educator. She teaches privately and conducts many college workshops. Recently, she has conducted vocal jazz workshops at Hunter College and Clark University. Abigail was also selected as a collaborator for David Berkman's The Jazz Singer's Guidebook: A Course in Jazz Harmony and Scat Singing for the Serious Jazz Vocalist on which she recorded the vocal examples for the accompanying CD. Abigail is also a licensed Music Together instructor and brings her knowledge of cognitive musical development to the forefront of her teaching approach, an approach that effectively merges her extensive performance experience and her sensitivity to different students and learning approaches. www.abigailriccards.com
Chris Greene is a Chicago jazz treasure. One of my favorite musicians.”-Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune The Chris Greene Quartet has been a highly visible part of Chicago’s jazz scene since 2005, and has maintained a stable lineup from the beginning, with the exception of Steve Corley, who has held the drum chair since 2011. Damian Espinosa on piano and keyboards and Marc Piane on acoustic and electric basses have been onboard since the beginning. Unique among Chicago bands, most of whom feature, by necessity, constantly shifting personnel, the CGQ has been able to develop a true group sound and feel, harking back to bands from the classic age of jazz when groups could stay together for long periods of time. While honoring the tradition, the CGQ incorporates elements of funk, hip-hop, rock, pop, the blues and reggae, reflecting their diverse backgrounds. CGQ’s most recent album “PlaySPACE 2 - Play Harder” was voted one of the best albums of 2021 by DownBeat Magazine.” The band was also recently honored at the 2018 Chicago Music Awards with an award for “Best Jazz Entertainer” and recently won the “Best Jazz Band” category in the Chicago Reader “Best of Chicago” Poll. www.chrisgreenejazz.com
Bobbi Wilsyn has sung in nightclubs from Las Vegas to Atlantic City and on concert stages and at jazz festivals both nationally and internationally. Ramsey Lewis, Kurt Elling, and the late-greats, Eldee Young and Johnny Frigo are just a few of the artists with whom she has performed. In addition to gaining recognition as the featured jazz-blues vocalist with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Wilsyn has performed with the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra singing the big band repertory that inspired her as a child. Pianist; Miguel de la Cerna, bassist; Marlene Rosenberg, guitarist; Curtis Robinson, and drummer; Greg Artry, join Ms. Wilsyn in delivering the great American songbook with the sounds that are reminiscent of Jazz the way it used to be; sultry, smooth, and swinging!
Jeremy Kahn is one of Chicago's busiest pianists, spending time in jazz clubs and orchestra pits, as well as in teaching and recording studios. He has played in all of the most visible local jazz venues, and was the house pianist at Streeterville's legendary Gold Star Sardine Bar for its final three years. Jeremy has performed internationally, most recently (5/16) in Posnan, Poland, as part of the "Made In Chicago" Jazz Festival. He has been the featured guest on the radio shows on Marian McPartland and Studs Terkel. Jeremy has also played for many theatrical productions, Including "Wicked", "Spamalot" and "The Lion King". He served as the Musical Director for "Louis & Keel Live At The Sahara" at the Royal George Theater, as well as at the Geffen Playhouse and Laguna Playhouse in California. He also is a Visiting Lecturer at Northwestern University, teaching Jazz Piano and Jazz Improvisation. For more infor: www.kahnman.com