27
May/11

BLUE NOTE JAZZ FESTIVAL 2011

27
May/11

The McCoy Tyner Trio will kick off the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival with special guest Savion Glover at the Highline Ballroom on June 1 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

The Blue Note, 131 West Third St., 212-475-8592
Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St., 212-997-4144
June 1-30
www.bluenotejazzfestival.com

It might feel like the Blue Note has been around forever, but the intimate jazz nightclub only opened in 1981. It’s celebrating its thirtieth anniversary throughout the month of June with the inaugural Blue Note Jazz Festival, thirty days of shows at the Blue Note, the Highline Ballroom, and B.B. King’s Blues Club in Times Square, featuring legendary and emerging musicians who have graced the stage of the West Third St. venue. The festivities get under way June 1 with the McCoy Tyner Trio and Savion Glover at the Highline and continues with such stellar evenings as Bobby McFerrin with the Yellowjackets at the Highline (June 2), Larry Graham and Graham Central Station at B.B. King’s (June 3), Jim Hall & Ron Carter in the program “Alone Together, Again,” at the Blue Note (June 6), Eric Burdon & the Animals at B.B King’s (June 7), Hiromi’s Trio Project with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips at the Blue Note (June 7-12), Dengue Fever at the Highline (June 10), “Brian Wilson ‘Reimagines Gershwin’” at the Highline (June 11-13), Dave Brubeck at the Blue Note (June 13-15), Johnny Winter & Roomful of Blues at B.B. King’s (June 14), Meshell Ndegeocello covering Prince at the Highline (June 15) — and that’s only the first half of the month. The rest of June includes performances by Diane Schuur, Delbert McClinton, the Manhattan Transfer, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Roy Ayers with Pete Rock, Chris Botti, Eddie Palmieri & La Perfecta II, Youssou N’Dour, Milton Nascimento, Roberta Flack, Nancy Wilson, Kathleen Battle, Bootsy Collins, the Dave Holland Quintet, Jonny Lang, Joe Lovano, Al Kooper, an eighty-fifth birthday celebration with Jimmy Scott, a ninetieth-birthday party for Jon Hendricks (with Annie Ross), and various other special musical tributes with very cool multiple guests.