One Ticket Offers Two Jazz Performances at ArtsWestchester

On September 14, Jazz Fest White Plains will present two diverse jazz performances during one night at ArtsWestchester’s intimate gallery space: a concert by Ray Blue Quintet will be followed by a Jazz Jam. These performances join the series of jazz concerts at different venues throughout White Plains, held on September 13-17.

Peekskill native and jazz tenor saxophonist Ray Blue and his quintet will kick off the evening with his fusion of straight-ahead jazz, blues and African folk rhythms. “I gravitate towards a polyrhythm feel, which is a stable of African folk music and has a dance element,” says Blue. The New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee has performed and taught in Westchester and internationally, including Europe, Asia and Africa. Over the years, Blue has shared the stage with acclaimed artists like Alicia Keys, John Gilmore, Dr. Art Davis, Benny Powell and Kirk Lightsey, among others. During Jazz Fest White Plains, he will be accompanied by Sharp Radway on piano, Sylvia Cuencas on drums and Paul Beaudry on bass.

Following Blue’s performance, the night will continue with a “Jazz Jam” led by pianist, composer and the head of jazz studies at SUNY Purchase, Pete Malinverni. Malinverni and his trio will present the up-tempo and intimate ballads from his new recording, “Heaven.” Audiences will be captivated by the musician’s latest jazz compositions, which incorporate the soulful sound of contemporary gospel – a genre he discovered during his time as the Minister of Music at Devoe Street Baptist Church in Brooklyn. While Malinverni is first and foremost known as a jazz pianist, the versatile musician also experiments in diverse jazz styles and genres, including bop, pop and rock. He explained: “…my first and subsequent teachers, all from the classical world, taught me to respect the sound palette available from the piano, no matter the style.” The jam will be open to all musicians.

To purchase tickets for this concert, click here.

For more info and a full 2017 Jazz Fest concert schedule, visit: artsw.org/jazzfest.