JAS Aspen Snowmass has just announced the full line-up for the JAS June Experience and Summer JAS Café Series, including shows at both the Little Nell Hotel and rooftop at the Aspen Art Museum. Tickets for all shows are now available.
Announced earlier this winter, the JAS June Experience will kick-off on Thursday, June 23 with a special performance at the JAS Café Upstairs at the Aspen Art Museum featuring the powerful singer/songwriter Gregory Porter. Porter, a California native, won the 2014 GRAMMY® for Best Jazz Vocal Album for "Liquid Spirit." The NY Times described him as "a jazz singer of thrilling presence, a booming baritone with a gift for earthy refinement and soaring uplift."
On the following night, Friday, June 24, the Experience moves over to the Benedict Music Tent in Aspen with a first ever JAS appearance for the legendary Diana Ross. Born and raised in Detroit, Ross rose to fame as a founding member and lead singer of The Supremes, which, during the 1960s became Motown's most successful act. Following her time with The Supremes Ross went on to have an extremely successful solo career with hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "I'm Coming Out," and "Upside Down." In 2012 she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
On Saturday, June 25, 9-time GRAMMY®-winner Sheryl Crow returns to the Benedict Music Tent (Sheryl last performed at JAS in 2011). Crow has sold more than 35 million albums, performed duets with musical luminaries such as Sting and Mick Jagger, has released 8 studio albums, a quadruple-platinum greatest hits collection and a Christmas album.
Sunday, June 26 will featuring an exciting double bill with world-renowned jazz & funk electric bassist Marcus Miller and Booker T. Jones, presenting a Stax Revue and journey through soul, blues and R&B, with (the famed Memphis label) classic Stax hits and songs by Booker T & the MGs. Jones is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and winner of four GRAMMY® Awards. Marcus Miller is a two-time GRAMMY® winner and the composer/producer of ten critically acclaimed and genre-defying albums. He will be releasing his Blue Note debut album in March 2016 and performing Afrodeezia at JAS, a driving blend of jazz and world music inspired by his role as UNESCO Artist for Peace and spokesperson for the Slave Route Project.
On Thursday, June 30 and Friday, July 1 jazz trumpeter/vocalist Bria Skonberg will perform at the JAS Café Downstairs at the Little Nell. Skonberg made her Café debut in January 2015, receiving rave reviews from audiences for her winning stage presence and adventurous style rooted in New Orleans hot jazz and blues, world percussion, soul and cabaret. Says the Wall Street Journal of Skonberg, she is "poised to be one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation."
The June Experience concludes at the Benedict Music Tent on Saturday, July 2 with another Motown icon Smokey Robinson, co-presented by JAS and the Aspen Music Festival and School. Robinson's career spans over 4 decades of hits, numerous awards and an induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the June 24-26 JAS June Experience performances at Benedict Music Tent went on-sale Tuesday February 16 through the JAS Box Office at 866-JAS-TIXX (527-8499), www.jazzaspensnowmass.org or at the Belly Up Box Office in Aspen (970-544-9800). Visit the website for full details on pricing. Tickets for Smokey Robinson are on-sale now at the AMFS Box Office, 970-925-9042 or www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
JAS has also announced the line-up for this summer's JAS Café Series, featuring an expanded program of new faces and familiar favorites. Following the above mentioned Café performances, shows continue on July 8 and 9 at the Aspen Art Museum with Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton "Montreux 40th Year Reunion." In 1976 the trio played the famed European festival, which celebrates its 50 Anniversary this year. As part of this anniversary celebration, Montreux announced the top 10 performances of all time, including the trio's '76 show....and invited the Trio to perform again in 2016, just prior to their JAS Café appearance.
The France based Django Festival Allstars return to The Little Nell on July 20-21 with their fiery and swinging Gypsy hot jazz, inspired by the legendary French guitarist Django Reinhardt. The Django tribute returns for a record 3 consecutive year back by overwhelming popular demand. On July 29, the fiery internationally acclaimed Latin jazz pianist Michel Camilo and his Trio will perform at the Aspen Art Museum in a highly anticipated JAS debut. An act for the following night Sat July 30 is still to be announced.
On Friday August 12, JAS proudly welcomes the breakout female jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. "She has poise, elegance, soul, humor, sensuality, power, virtuosity, range, insight, intelligence, depth and grace," Wynton Marsalis asserts. Salvant, reared in Miami of French & Hatian parents, is widely considered to be walking in the footsteps of vocal legends Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday & Sarah Vaughn. On Saturday August 13, the dazzling vocalist Curtis Stigers, who played the JAS Café to great acclaim in winter 2013-14, returns with a spectacular tribute to "Sinatra at 100," backed by the 15 piece H2 Big Band, performing arrangements from "Sinatra at the Sands" the legendary album recorded live in Vegas with The Count Basie Orchestra in the 1960's. It will be an unforgettable weekend of vocal music at the JAS Café!
The series ends with a virtuoso weekend of music beginning with the sizzling Cuban sounds of the 8-piece Maraca and his Latin Jazz Allstars, led by flutist Orlando "Maraca" Valle on Friday, August 19 followed by a co-presentation with the Aspen Music Festival & School on August 20 featuring jazz bassist Christian McBride with classical bassist Edgar Meyer, in an encore performance following the Aspen debut of their collaboration in summer of 2008.
Summer JAS Café tickets are on-sale now at jazzaspensnowmass.org or by calling 970.920.4996. A series pass for the six performances of your choice at a $60 discount are also available.
