JazzFest White Plains Concerts Slated For Sept. 9-12
The sounds of live jazz will be flowing throughout downtown White Plains as JazzFest White Plains returns with 15 live performances on September 9 – 12.
Headlining this year’s much-anticipated celebration of music and culture are rising stars and jazz legends including: Theo Croker, Ravi Coltrane, Emmet Cohen, Gabrielle Garo, Erena Terakubo, Alphonso Horne and the Ray Blue Quartet with special guest Samara Joy and more.
JazzFest White Plains is an annual event sponsored by Bank of America and produced by ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains and the White Plains BID.
For a full festival schedule and to purchase advanced tickets, please visit artsw.org/jazzfest.
“JazzFest features some of the most talented musicians you will ever hear, but it’s also so much more. It’s a celebration of cultures, communities and the artists who make it all come to life,” said ArtsWestchester CEO Janet T. Langsam. “I invite everyone to join us at JazzFest this fall as we celebrate the return of live music to our streets and downtowns and restart the arts together!”
White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, “It is a pleasure to partner with ArtsWestchester and the White Plains Business Improvement District for the 10th anniversary of JazzFest White Plains. Over the years, this event has grown from a one-day, one-venue event into a multi-day, multi-venue jazz destination event that brings world-class jazz musicians to White Plains and the Metro-NY region.”
JazzFest 2021 returns to White Plains with an all in-person program and a stellar lineup of artists. For its tenth year, the festival remains true to its roots, presenting jazz from an outstanding roster of Westchester and NYC musicians.
2021 JAZZFEST WHITE PLAINS SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 8 – Preview Event
12-1:30 p.m. | Shah/Gomes/Belo Brazilian Jazz Trio (FREE)
White Plains Farmers Market, 59 Court St.
Vocalist and composer Kavita Shah deeply engages the jazz tradition, while also addressing and advancing its global sensibilities. A lifelong New Yorker of Indian origin, Shah incorporates her ethnographic research on Brazilian, West African and Indian musical traditions into her original repertoire.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 9
12-1 p.m. | Gabrielle Garo Quartet (FREE)
Grace Church, 33 Church Street
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Gabrielle Garo is a multi-instrumentalist who plays flute, piccolo, alto, tenor, soprano saxophone and bass clarinet. She is the 2015 International Women in Jazz Youth in Action Winner and was an ambassador for the 2018 Latin Grammy Awards.
* This performance is presented by Downtown Music at Grace. Proof of vaccination and masks are required for entry. The event will take place in accordance with New York State and local health department guidelines.
6-9 p.m. | Jazz’n ARTSBASH ft. Ravi Coltrane Quartet, a benefit concert for ArtsWestchester
City Square Park, 50 Main Street, White Plains
ArtsWestchester and Ginsburg Development Companies present the first annual Jazz’n ArtsBash Benefit Concert with live music by the Ravi Coltrane Quartet.
Join us under the stars for cocktails, music, and hors d’oeuvres. The outdoor concert event will include two sets at 7 and 8:15 p.m.
Ravi Coltrane is a critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader and composer. His albums include, “Moving Pictures,” “From The Round Box,” “Mad 6,” “In Flux,” “Blending Times,” and “Spirit Fiction.” Born in Long Island the second son of John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. Ravi lives in Brooklyn, NY and maintains a fast-paced touring, recording, composing and performance schedule. He leads the effort to restore the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, Long Island (www.thecoltranehome.org) and presides over important reissues of his parent’s recordings.
Individual Tickets: $100; ArtsWestchester Members: $85
For sponsorship opportunities and to purchase tickets, click here.
*For ticketholders, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for entry. Given the outdoor setting and vaccination requirement, masks will be optional.
FRIDAY SEPT. 10
12 p.m. | Jazz at Noon: Anaïs Reno with the Pete Malinverni Trio (FREE)
White Plains Public Library Plaza, 100 Martine Ave.
Anaïs Reno, having performed with highly acclaimed jazz artists since the age of 10, has had a rapidly growing career as a singer with a love for jazz and the Great American Songbook. Reno will attend SUNY Purchase in the fall as an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar. Pete Malinverni is Head of Jazz Studies at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. He has been a fixture on the New York City jazz scene since moving there in the early 1980s and has recorded fourteen times as a leader in solo piano, trio, quartet, quintet, big band and choral contexts.
7:30 p.m. | Emmet Cohen Trio ($25 for 7:30pm | $40 for both 7:30 & 9pm)
Grace Church, 33 Church Street
Returning for his third appearance at JazzFest! Recognized as a prodigy who began playing at age three, multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is in the vanguard of his generation’s advancement of jazz. Cohen is the winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association. In addition to leading the Emmet Cohen Trio, Cohen has appeared regularly with Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Jimmy Cobb, George Coleman, Jimmy Heath and Billy Hart, among others. During the 2020 lockdown, Cohen developed “Live From Emmet’s Place,” a series of weekly performances by his trio and special guests who livestreamed from his New York apartment, recalling the Harlem rent parties of yesteryear.
* For ticketholders, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required for entry.
9 p.m. | Emmet Cohen Trio ($25 for 9 p.m. | $40 for both 7:30 & 9 p.m.)
Grace Church, 33 Church Street
* For ticketholders, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required for entry.
SATURDAY SEPT. 11
12-2 p.m. | Music in Motion: Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings (Free)
Starting at White Plains Plaza, 1 North Broadway.
Catch Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings live in downtown White Plains as they serenade outdoor cafés! Eat at your favorite restaurant and enjoy the band’s performance as they stroll along the sidewalk playing music for outdoor diners.
4:30 p.m. | Dinner and a Show: Carole Alexis Company / Ballet des Amériques at Via Garibaldi (Dinner price $58pp | Children aged 5-12 $29pp)
White Plains Plaza, 1 North Broadway
A family experience for all ages, Ballet des Amériques’ “Dancing Caravan” will bring dance to downtown White Plains. Enjoy “Peter and The Wolf” and “Dance Jazz Mosaic,” both choreographed by Carole Alexis , accompanied by a three course menu by Via Garibaldi, an authentic Italian restaurant serving a traditional “family style” experience.
Advance tickets include:
– live performance by members of professional dance company Ballet des Amériques
– three-course dinner inclusive of tax and gratuity
– premier seating
* This performance will take place outdoors with advanced dining reservations required for premier seating. Patrons can also view the performance on the plaza, but must bring their own chair.
7:30 p.m. | Theo Croker Quartet ($25 for 7:30 p.m. set | $40 for both 7:30 & 9 p.m. sets)
The Playgroup Theatre, 1 North Broadway, #111
Theo Croker is a storyteller who speaks through his trumpet. The GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, composer, producer, thought leader and influencer projects his voice through the music. After seven years of sojourn in Shanghai, Croker crash-landed with an original sound on the 2014 Dee Dee Bridgewater-assisted album Afro Physicist. Following the success of Escape Velocity in 2016, he ascended to a new stratosphere with Star People Nation in 2019. The record garnered a nomination in the category of “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards. Along the way, he has also lent his sound to platinum-selling albums by everyone from J. Cole to Ari Lennox while touring his band across the globe.
* For ticketholders, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required for entry.
9 p.m. | Theo Croker Quartet ($25 for 9pm set | $40 for both 7:30 & 9 p.m. sets)
The Playgroup Theatre, 1 North Broadway, #111
* For ticketholders, proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required for entry.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12:
1-6:30 p.m. | White Plains JazzFest Culminating Event (Ticket Prices: $25/$15)
Court Street (between Main St. and Martine Ave.) Tickets required for Admission**
1-1:45 p.m. | Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music
The Westchester Center for Jazz & Contemporary Music provides opportunities for musicians of diverse backgrounds, abilities and ages to develop their skills in jazz and other related musical forms. This performance features a selection of the Center’s top student musicians and faculty.
2:05-2:55 p.m. | Gilberto Colón Jr. & Ensalada De Pulpo
Gilberto “Pulpo” Colón Jr. is a pianist, composer, arranger, producer and band leader best known for his role as Musical Director for salsa superstar Héctor Lavoe. Colón has worked and recorded with some of Latin music’s most popular artists.
3:15–4:05 p.m. | Erena Terakubo Quartet
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Erena Terakubo began playing the alto saxophone at the age of nine. In 2010, Terakubo released her first album, “North Bird” with Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Lee Pearson and Peter Bernstein, through the major Japanese label King Records. It marked No. 1 on the Japanese jazz charts and was awarded Swing Journal’s Gold Disc. Terakubo has performed with Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Louis Hayes, Vincent Herring, John Beasley’s MONK’estra, Lewis Nash and Lenny White, to name a few. Terakubo has released six albums as a leader.
4:25–5:15 p.m. | Kotoko Brass
Kotoko Brass melds the traditional drum rhythms of Ghana, the sturdy bass and keyboards of the Caribbean, and the joyous horns of New Orleans to forge a new sound of its own. The band has shared the stage with Femi Kuti, the California Honeydrops, Vieux Farka Toure, Innov Gnawa, Take 6, Boston Pops and more.
5:35–6:30 p.m. | Ray Blue Quartet with Special Guest Samara Joy
Ray Blue is a soulful and tender saxophonist, composer and music educator. Ray has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. He has seven releases with his most recent project, Jazzheads. His newest recording, which features Kenny Barron on piano, is scheduled to be released this fall. Samara Joy, winner of the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, has a voice as smooth as velvet. In her self-titled debut album (Whirlwind Recordings), she is backed by guitarist Pasquale Grasso, bassist Ari Roland and drummer Kenny Washington.
** The Sunday performance will take place outdoors, at reduced capacity with advanced ticket purchase required. For the safety of all attendees and employees, tickets are sold in group seatings. Each group will have their designated table for the duration of the event and re-enter the event at their leisure. Tickets are non-refundable.
To purchase concert tickets or event sponsorships, visit: artsw.org/jazzfest.
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.
