17th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival

The New Mexico Jazz Festival is a collaborative project of The Outpost Performance Space and The Lensic Performing Arts Center, both 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

2023 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

John Trentacosta's Drummin' Man: Gene Krupa

September 7, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space , Albuquerque NM

The Santa Fe Music Collective (SFMC), founded ten years ago by Santa Fe based drummer John Trentacosta, who has also served as SFMC’s director throughout the ten years, was born from an idea whose mission it was to bring the highest quality jazz to Santa Fe. Around the same time, Trentacosta was invited to play the leading role of legendary drummer Gene Krupa in “Stars Never Fade Productions” Drummin’ Man at the Santa Fe Playhouse, which was a highly acclaimed success. Fast forward to early 2023 when Trentacosta was asked to participate in the first annual “Art + Sol” Winter Festival in Santa Fe, along with other prestigious music presenters. On February 17, SFMC celebrated their tenth anniversary with the revival of Drummin’ Man at SITE Santa Fe, hosting a nine-piece band of New Mexico’s finest playing the Quincy Jones arrangements that helped propel the Gene Krupa Band to national fame in the 1940’s.”  Tonight’s performance will feature many of the Krupa big band arrangements plus a quartet segment which will highlight Krupa’s work with Benny Goodman. It's Michael Morreale (playing the part of Roy Eldridge) and Robert Beasley, trumpets; Alex Murzyn (playing the part of Benny Goodman), Lee Taylor and Dave Anderson, saxophones; Chris Buckholz, trombone; Terry Burns, bass; Bob Fox, piano and Musical Director; and vocalist Julie Christensen (playing the part of Anita O’Day).

DOORS 6:30pm  

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey Duo

September 8, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

New York based experimental saxophonist and prolific composer, Ingrid Laubrock, who pianist and Artistic Director of The Kennedy Center Jason Moran named a “true visionary,” explores “the borders between musical realms and creates multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds.” She has worked with everyone from Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richards Abrams, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wheeler, Jason Moran, and Tim Berne, to William Parker, Mary Halvorson, Andy Milne, and many others. A recipient of the 2019 Herb Alpert Ragdale Prize in Music Composition and the 2021 Berklee Institute of Gender Justice Women Composers Collection Grant, she has received numerous composing commissions and is a part time faculty at The New School and Columbia University in New York. Her duo with drummer Tom Rainey, with whom she has played since 2007 and released three albums, is, as she notes, of particular importance to her as it serves as the core of many of her projects. Rainey has performed with a wide range of artists, including John Abercrombie, Tim Berne, Jane Ira Bloom, Fred Hersch, Joe Lovano, Carmen McRae and Denny Zeitlin and his expansive recording credits, along with the artistic caliber of the musicians he’s supported, place him on the A-list of drummers closely identified with the New York City modern creative jazz scene from the late ’80s onward. Dino’s Safe Haven Concert Series was created when, upon his passing in July 2021, renowned sound designer and composer-improviser and long-time New Mexico resident, J.A. Deane (“Dino”), bequeathed a generous gift of his “Safe Haven Tiny Home” to Outpost to support the work of like-minded artists. In August 2022, the first event in the series featured a performance by Theater Grottesco, with whom Dino collaborated for 25 years. $45/$40 Outpost Members & Students (No Member Passes)

DOORS 6:30pm  

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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Dafnis Prieto: Cantar featuring Luciana Souza

September 9, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

Currently touring in support of his 2022 release, Cantar, featuring Grammy award-winning Brazilian-born singer, Luciana Souza, Cuban-born drummer, composer, bandleader, Grammy award-winner and 2011 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, Dafnis Prieto, presents music from this, his ninth album as a leader (and his latest release on his Dafnison Music label). Showcasing a new side of him, Cantar marks Prieto’s first foray into writing both the music and lyrics of the songs on the album. Having grown up with a great love of popular songs and melodies, influenced by Cuban boleros as well as by Los Van Van, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Queen, Stevie Wonder, and others, Prieto was inspired to create a record that would engage listeners through both music and words. An admirer of Luciana Souza as one of the world’s leading vocalists and interpreters, Prieto invited her to collaborate on the album and she ultimately contributed lyrics for several tracks. Co-produced by Souza’s husband, the legendary Grammy winning producer Larry Klein and Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning producer Eric Oberstein, the album features songs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Prieto describes the album as revealing “the precious entangled connection of words and sounds, like words that come from far away, like melodies that come from the horizon to your ears, from deep within, from my heart to yours!” And the New York Times writes, "[Prieto's music is] a marvel of acrobatic musicianship, with Souza’s voice hopping and gliding across tricky but joyful melodies, a glorious match of percussive angularity and tuneful allure." Since arriving in New York in 1999, Dafnis Prieto has worked with premier artists in both Jazz and Afro Latin music, including Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdés, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico O’Farrill, Arturo O'Farrill, Roy Hargrove and many others. He has enjoyed extraordinary artistic success as a bandleader, most notably for his “stunning” and Grammy winning 2018 big band recording, Back to the Sunset and he has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles and for his own bands. In 2022, he premiered a major new work for Latin band and string orchestra, entitled Tentación, which was performed by People of Earth with the Louisville Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the Britt Festival Orchestra. A gifted educator, Prieto is Associate Professor of Professional Practice at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Luciana Souza grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators – her father was a singer and songwriter and her mother, a poet and lyricist. She has performed and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez and many others and her longstanding duo with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo has earned her accolades worldwide. A performer that “transcends traditional boundaries with solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to new music,” she has released several acclaimed recordings, including six Grammy-nominated records. Her singing has been called "transcendental,” "perfect,” and of "unparalleled beauty." Joining, Souza and Prieto is Peter Apfelbaum, woodwinds, melodica, percussion, keys; Martin Bejerano, piano; & Ricard Rodriguez, acoustic & electric bass.

DOORS 6:30pm  

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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Inpost Artspace Reception: IN FLIGHT: Taken at the Outpost

September 10, 2023, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Outpost Performance Space

Music by the Cal Haines Quartet

This Inpost Artspace photo exhibit features two dedicated jazz fans/photographers who have frequented Outpost shows ever since each of them moved to Albuquerque. They are an intrinsic part of Albuquerque’s celebrated jazz scene. We decided to let them use their own words to define the show and their artistic approaches.

Mark Weber Artist’s Statement (aka Artist's Feint): “Photographs inhabit the 4th dimension, they are shadows & light of what has passed, five days ago or 25 years bygone. I take them for memory. Sentimental. First time I watched the ghost of an image appear in a developing tray it blew my mind. I was like the wildman Enkidu seeing Babylon for the first time.  As to my aesthetic, it's a bit sideways of prevailing practices, so, I think I'll keep that to myself, for the time being  (read my memoir ---- when it comes out) For the most part I'm a documentarian in the anthropological sense:  A jazz scene includes artists, instrument repair techs, promoters, deejays, record stores & record collectors, journalists, priests, recording studios, historians, photographers, hagiographers, club owners, university jazz departments, agents/managers, and the audience.  Is there a narrative to this show? Yup. It's the community of listeners and musicians that have grown up around the Outpost. My favorite jazz photographer (besides, Roch) is William Gottlieb, who knew that jazz is a culture and photo'd it in its natural habitat:  the jazz club of the 40s & 50s. Like any art form, one must be decisive, and with photographing music concerts there's an etiquette, unspoken, but if you don't pick up on it, you won't last ---- it involves common decency, patience, tact, and mostly the fact this is the audience's concert, not yours.”

Roch Doran Artist’s Statement: “My goal is to document what I see without ever changing the experience of those that may be sharing that space in time with me. The challenge is to see beyond the obvious and to capture what is unique in that solitary moment.”  After years of being in a band that had dissolved more into talking about music than playing music, I was in heaven when I got my first camera. The camera gave me the freedom to share something about my world without hours of conversation. Since 1977, when I began this journey, my two loves have been constant, nature and documenting people creating music. Over the years the technology has changed and I have gone from film to transparencies, back to film, to digital and now digital with a mirrorless camera. While the tools have changed, the objects of my interest have not.”

Adding a musical backdrop to this year’s NM Jazz Festival Inpost reception is a quartet led by Cal Haines—renowned Albuquerque based drummer and long-time friend and associate of Mark Weber. In addition to Haines, the Quartet features three of New Mexico’s most accomplished musicians— David Parlato, electric bass; Alex Murzyn, tenor sax & flute; and Adolfo Acosta, trumpet & flugelhorn. The Quartet, which took home three awards at this year’s New Mexico Music Awards (Best Jazz Song, Best Instrumental Performance, and Best Jazz Album) plays original compositions and beloved standards, but with an open, chordal-free format (i.e. no guitar or piano). The intention, as Haines describes it, “is to create music that enhances the musicians’ spontaneous exploration of an interactive dynamic, stepping out of 

DOORS 2:00pm

ALL AGES 

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Exhibit Dates: July 11-November 2

Meet the NEA Jazz Master: A.B. Spellman and Regina Carter

September 14, 2023 • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe NM

Sponsored by Jean McCray & Phyllis Subin

Continuing the long-running New Mexico Jazz Festival tradition, begun in 2006, A.B. Spellman, retired National endowment for the Arts Deputy chairman, jazz historian, and poet (for whom, in 2005, the NEA named one of its prestigious Jazz Masters awards the “A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy”) will conduct his always enlightening and fascinating pre-concert Meet the Artist conversations with Regina Carter, who was named an NEA Jazz Master just this year and who performs with her quintet in the evening. Free!

DOORS 5:00pm 

ALL AGES

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Regina Carter Quintet

September 14, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe NM

Sponsored by Jean McCray & Phyllis Subin

Grammy-nominated artist, a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” award, a Doris Duke Artist Award, and named an NEA Jazz Master in 2023, violinist Regina Carter explores the power of music through the voice of the violin in a wide range of genres including jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, country, pop, and African music. Widely hailed for her mastery of her instrument as well as her drive to expand its possibilities. The Chicago Tribune declared, “Her impeccable pitch, lovely grace notes and delicately bent pitches remind listeners of why she practically has become a symbol of jazz violin in our times. Moreover, she reaffirms that music as wholly accessible and entertaining as this also can be smart and sophisticated.” Tonight, Ms. Carter will be joined by Xavier Davis, piano; Chris Lightcap, bass; Alvester Garnett, drums; and Carla Cook, vocals. $29–$55 ($5 discount for Outpost Members & Students (No Member Passes)

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

GET TICKETS AT: https://lensic.org/events/regina-carter/

There Ain't But a Few of Us. A Conversation with Willard Jenkins and A.B. Spellman

September 15, 2023,5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse,  Santa Fe NM

The New Mexico Jazz Festival, in partnership with Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse, is pleased to present this conversation between retired National Endowment for the Arts Deputy Chairman, jazz historian, and poet A.B. Spellman and arts consultant, producer, educator, and print and broadcast journalist Willard Jenkins, who is also the Artistic Director of the DC Jazz Festival. The conversation will focus on the recently released book, Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story, which Mr. Jenkins edited and to which Mr. Spellman contributed. Kirkus Reviews writes, "With more than two dozen thoughtful profiles, this is a fascinating dive into the sociopolitical realities of being a Black writer—in this case, Black writers who love jazz and express that love in vivid prose. . .  A memorable love letter to Black art, Black joy, and the writers who have sought to tell it like it really is."  Free!

DOORS 4:30pm 

ALL AGES

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Stefon Harris & Blackout

September 15, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe NM

A disciple of Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Bobby Hutcherson, Stefon Harris belongs to the grand lineage of vibraphonists in jazz. His passionate artistry, energetic stage presence, and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him into the forefront of the current jazz scene and he is widely recognized and lauded by both his peers and jazz critics alike. With Blackout, Harris has created a “scintillating ensemble that’s as versed in modern jazz as it is with rhythms, melodies, and soundscapes associated with R&B, pop, hip-hop, and funk” (Nextbop.com). Their latest release, Sonic Creed, chronicles the story of a people and their time on the planet and is “a reflection of African-American life in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries . . .a sonic manifestation and creed of family, community and legacy... exploring afresh the music of masters such as Bobby Hutcherson, Abbey Lincoln, Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver.” Tonight, Harris, on vibraphone and marimba, is joined by Casey Benjamin, saxophone; Michael Olatuja, bass; and Terreon Gully, drums. $29–$55 ($5 discount for Outpost Members & Students (No Member Passes)

DOORS 6:30pm  

ALL AGES

FOR TICKETS GO TO: https://lensic.org/events/stefon-harris/

Eddie Daniels Quartet Jazz Brunch

September 16, 2023, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Dave's Jazz Bistro, Santa Fe NM

A Jazz Brunch at Dave’s Jazz Bistro in Santa Fe

presented in partnership with Dave’s Jazz Bistro 

The New Mexico Jazz Festival is pleased to partner with Dave’s Jazz Bistro for the second year for a special Jazz Brunch featuring a three-course fine dining experience prepared by the world-renowned chefs at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. On select evenings throughout the year, the Santa Fe School of Cooking transforms into Dave’s Jazz Bistro and features performances by world-class jazz musicians paired with a fine dining experience. A virtuoso in both jazz and classical music, clarinetist Eddie Daniels has won unreserved accolades from peers, critics, and the public alike and has received numerous Grammy awards and nominations. He revolutionized the blend of jazz and classical music, exceling at both with breathtaking virtuosity. Eminent jazz critic Leonard Feather said of Eddie, "It is a rare event in jazz where one man can all but reinvent an instrument bringing it to a new stage of revolution." Daniels will be joined by Bob Fox on piano; Cyrus Campbell, bass; and John Trentacosta, drums.

Tickets at https://santafeschoolofcooking.com/daves-jazz-bistro/

DOORS 10:00am, 

ALL AGES 

Christian McBride

September 16, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe NM

Sponsored by Jack Kotz and La Cumbre Brewing Co.

Eight-time Grammy Award winning bassist, composer and bandleader, arranger, educator, curator, and administrator, Christian McBride, presents his latest band featuring young rising star players Nicole Glover, saxophone; Ely Perlman; guitar, Mike King, piano; and Savannah Harris, drums. Christian McBride has been one of the most important and prolific figures in the jazz world for over 20 years. He has performed and recorded with a who’s who of jazz legends and is a versatile sideman who crosses over genres. The Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, New Jersey Performing Arts center (NJPAC) and the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, McBride is a respected educator and advocate as the Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to consistent touring, he hosts NPR's “Jazz Night in America” and "The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian" on SiriusXM. From jazz, to R&B, pop/rock, hip-hop/neo-soul, to classical, McBride is “a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.”  $29–$55 ($5 discount for Outpost Members & Students (No Member Passes)

Tickets: https://lensic.org/events/christian-mcbride/

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES 

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

September 17, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe NM

Presented with support from Nicholas Potter Bookseller

Three-time Grammy Award-winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, last heard at the 2018 New Mexico Jazz Festival and now celebrating over twenty years of excellence, sets the standard for authentic, New York style, hard core salsa. Dedicated to the sounds of the barrio, their music is characterized by the raw, organic and vintage sound defined by the genre and they are on a mission to keep the musical legacy of salsa dura (hard salsa) alive while expanding its audience to those who love great music, not just Latin music.  “Whether in a concert hall or an outdoor jazz festival, there is no easing you in, they come at you full force from start to finish and their energy on stage, rich sound and musical precision leave audiences mesmerized.” Their 2018 release, Anniversary, won a Grammy for “Best Tropical Album” and more recently they received a nomination for their 2022 release, Imágenes Latinas, which is dedicated to the memory of iconic New York salsa and Latin Jazz group, Conjunto Libre. SHO Musical Director and pianist, Oscar Hernández is joined by Edwin Perez & Carlos Cascante, vocals; Jeremy Bosch, vocals & flute; Manuel Ruiz & Alex Norris, trumpets; Doug Beavers & Juan Lakunza, trombones; Mitch Frohman, baritone sax & flute; Gerardo Madera, bass; Luis Quintero, timbales; Orestes Abrantes, bongos; and George Delgado, congas. $45–$65 ($5 discount for Outpost Members & Students (No Member Passes)

Tickets at: https://lensic.org/events/spanish-harlem-orchestra/

DOORS 6:30pm  

ALL AGES

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

September 18, 2023, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque NM

presented in partnership with the New Mexico Jazz Workshop

sponsored by Marcus and Miriam Ray

Three-time Grammy Award-winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, last heard at the 2018 New Mexico Jazz Festival and now celebrating over twenty years of excellence, sets the standard for authentic, New York style, hard core salsa. Dedicated to the sounds of the barrio, their music is characterized by the raw, organic and vintage sound defined by the genre and they are on a mission to keep the musical legacy of salsa dura (hard salsa) alive while expanding its audience to those who love great music, not just Latin music.  “Whether in a concert hall or an outdoor jazz festival, there is no easing you in, they come at you full force from start to finish and their energy on stage, rich sound and musical precision leave audiences mesmerized.” Their 2018 release, Anniversary, won a Grammy for “Best Tropical Album” and more recently they received a nomination for their 2022 release, Imágenes Latinas, which is dedicated to the memory of iconic New York salsa and Latin Jazz group, Conjunto Libre. SHO Musical Director and pianist, Oscar Hernández is joined by Edwin Perez & Carlos Cascante, vocals; Jeremy Bosch, vocals & flute; John Walsh & Alex Norris, trumpets; Doug Beavers & Francisco Torres, trombones; Mitch Frohman, baritone sax & flute; Gerardo Madera, bass; Luisito Quintero, timbales; Orestes Abrantes, bongos; and George Delgado, congas.

Tickets: $37-$40 (No Outpost Member or NMJW passes for this show) https://holdmyticket.com/event/414554

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

Donny McCaslin

September 21, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

sponsored by Bob Lynn & Janet Braziel

Best known as the saxophonist on David Bowie’s Blackstar, three-time Grammy nominated tenor saxophonist, composer and bandleader, Donny McCaslin, has released a dozen albums over his genre-defying career and has been called one of the most striking young voices in jazz, moving comfortably between mainstream modern, funky fusion, ballads, and his own experimental style. After attending Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship, McCaslin became a sought-after player in New York City performing and touring with The Gary Burton Quintet and the Dave Douglas Quintet, among others and appearing as a sideman on many recordings, including those by Danilo Perez and Luciana Souza. He also performed with Tom Harrell, Brian Blade, John Pattitucci, The Mingus Band, and Pat Metheny.  When David Bowie saw McCaslin perform as a soloist for the Maria Schneider Orchestra, he invited him to play on Blackstar, his final recording, and it was McCaslin’s progressive jazz quartet that came to define the project’s “visionary stylistic fusion.” David Hadju of The Nation wrote, “Donny McCaslin was David Bowie’s David Bowie.” In turn, Bowie influenced McCaslin’s 2018 release, BLOW, a project that fused alt-rock with jazz and the first of his albums to feature lyrics. McCaslin’s latest release, I Want More (June 2023) featuring Jason Lindner, synthesizers, Wurlitzer; Tim Lefebvre, bass; and Mark Guiliana, drums, is described as “a powerful expression of McCaslin’s musical talent, showcasing his muscular sound, innovative compositions, and commitment to pushing the envelope both sonically and creatively,” and “a groundbreaking and visionary album that challenges traditional boundaries and is a vital addition to the jazz canon.” Tonight, McCaslin is joined by Lindner, Lefebvre and Nate Wood on drums.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES 

Tickets: $45

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Blues at the Railyard: GA-20 + Cameron Kimbrough

September 23, 2023, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Santa Fe Railyards, Santa Fe NM

sponsored by the City of Santa Fe and the New Mexico Music Commission

GA-20 is spearheading a movement—  a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback Boston-based blues trio featuring guitarist Matt Stubbs (lead guitarist for Charlie Musselwhite for ten years) vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman, “are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect,” and they have been at the forefront of traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. Recently featured in a cover story in Performer Magazine, they have skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart and recently released their third full-length album, Crackdown, topping the Billboard Chart again as one of the Top Blues Albums. Currently on an extensive tour to promote the new album, the band notes that traditional blues has not seen the same recent massive revival as traditional country, soul and funk music, and they are excited that this new album and tour will rev that traditional blues revival right up! Expanding on their previous releases, the new album features “an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern . . . finding inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll . . . reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs” (Mint Talent Group).  The grandson of Mississippi Hill Country Blues legend Junior Kimbrough, Cameron Kimbrough spent his childhood nights in Juke Joints watching his grandfather, a host of talented uncles, and his father Kenny Kimbrough sing and play the blues. Watching the music take people away from the hardships of their daily lives, he notes, “It was like people were cleansing themselves. It looked like church, except communion was every day.” Cameron eventually joined up with bluesman, Lightnin Malcolm and together they created a dynamic two-piece drum and guitar band with whom he recorded the critically acclaimed live album, Renegade in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Kimbrough has toured the U.S. playing everywhere from California to North Carolina and his soulful voice combined with his natural talent has led him to grace many festival stages including Blues Rules in Crissier, Switzerland, the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi and others. FREE!

DOORS 6:00pm

ALL AGES

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Blues Night on Civic Plaza Featuring GA-20; Toni Morgan & Soulful Sounds; Charlie Musselwhite

September 24, 2023, 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Albuquerque Civic Plaza, Albuquerque NM

GA-20 is spearheading a movement—  a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback Boston-based blues trio featuring guitarist Matt Stubbs (lead guitarist for Charlie Musselwhite for ten years) vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman, “are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect,” and they have been at the forefront of traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. Recently featured in a cover story in Performer Magazine, they have skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart and recently released their third full-length album, Crackdown, topping the Billboard Chart again as one of the Top Blues Albums. Currently on an extensive tour to promote the new album, the band notes that traditional blues has not seen the same recent massive revival as traditional country, soul and funk music, and they are excited that this new album and tour will rev that traditional blues revival right up! Expanding on their previous releases, the new album features “an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern . . . finding inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll . . . reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs” (Mint Talent Group).  A former background singer for the Empress of Soul, Ms. Gladys Knight, Toni Morgan has been a freelance artist since her departure from the road, performing for several events here is New Mexico, including the NM State Fair, NM Expo, Santa Fe Summer Series, NM Jazz Festival and many others. Because she loves all genres of music, she forms her bands according to request by various venues and named her group “Soulful Sounds” after realizing all the wonderful talent here in New Mexico. She loves the idea of playing with all of them at different events and performs everything from R&B and Gospel to Neo Soul and Blues. For this event, Soulful Sounds will feature Steve Figueroa, keys; Dimi DiSanti, guitar; Robert L. “Milo” Jaramillo, bass; and Jordan Adkins, drums, Grammy Award winning Blues harmonica virtuoso, singer, songwriter and guitarist Charlie Musselwhite, last heard at Outpost’s 2015 Gala fundraiser concert at the Albuquerque Museum when he was brought in to replace Taj Mahal who had to cancel at the last minute due to health reasons, returns to headline Blues on Albuquerque Civic Plaza! Boasting a fifty-year career of nonstop touring, performing and recording, Musselwhite is living proof that great music only gets better with age. Having cut his (musical) teeth alongside Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and everyone on the South side of Chicago in the early 1960’s, he is a revered elder statesman of the blues who, “more than any other harmonica player of his generation, can rightfully lay claim to inheriting the mantle of many of the great harp players that came before him with music as dark as Mississippi mud and as uplifting as the blue skies of California.” He has truly earned and deserves to be honored as a true master of American classic vernacular music. Nominated for 13 Grammy awards, including winning an award for the album, Get Up (2013) with Ben Harper, he is a 33-time Blues Music Award winner, has released over 25 albums and has collaborated with everyone from Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, to The Blind Boys of Alabama, George Thorogood, Cat Stevens and personal friend and best man at his wedding, John Lee ******. With a voice and harp tone like no other, he remains at the top of his game – his depth of expression as a singer and an instrumentalist only growing deeper. FREE!

DOORS 5:00pm 

ALL AGES

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Lakecia Benjamin

September 25, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

sponsored by Lynn Slade & Susan Zimmerman

One of the most sought-after and revered saxophonists in the world, Lakecia Benjamin was voted 2020 Downbeat Critics Poll Rising Star Alto Saxophonist and Up and Coming Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.  Fusing traditional concepts of Jazz, HipHop, and Soul, she is known for her charisma and dynamism as a player and has performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Macy Gray and many more. Benjamin has performed on four continents, and her extensive recording credits include saxophone and arrangements for Santigold, Maurice Brown, the Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren and TalibKweli, among others. Her own music with her band, Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad is immersed in the vintage sounds of James Brown, Maceo Parker, Sly and the Family Stone and the Meters as well as classic jazz and “her soaring, dance floor-friendly grooves take the classic vibe to a whole new level.”  Benjamin’s 2023 release, Phoenix, produced by the multi-Grammy-award winning Terri Lyne Carrington, is a collection of mostly original compositions and arrangements and features a star-studded line-up of guest artists, including Dianne Reeves, Patrice Rushen, and Wayne Shorter. "Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin plays jazz that is sprinkled with the rich flavors of funk and soul—she’s a crafty traditionalist who remains in step with the rhythms of the young generation” (The New Yorker). Joining Benjamin will be Zaccai Curtis, piano; Ivan Taylor, bass; and E. J. Strickland, drums.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

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Cindy Blackman Santana Band

September 26, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

presented in partnership with the Albuquerque Film & Music Experience (AFMX)

Made famous by her 10 + years providing the bone-deep grooves behind singer and guitarist Lenny Kravitz, drummer Cindy Blackman Santana has distinguished herself as a highly versatile player and composer whose artistry spans the realms of Jazz and Rock. A sound innovator with a passion for pushing creative boundaries and exploring movement and change, she is as known as much for the nuances and colors she brings to her beats and fills as she is for the sheer power of her soulful playing. She has toured the globe and recorded albums with Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Joss Stone, Joe Henderson, Hugh Masakela, among others, while also writing, recording, and performing with her own groups, the Cindy Blackman Santana Band and Another Lifetime. She joined forces in 2011 with Vernon Reid, Jack Bruce and John Medeski to form the supergroup Spectrum Road, and from 1992 to 2007 and 2014 -2015, she was the drummer in Lenny Kravitz’s band. She became the regular touring drummer for her husband, the legendary Santana, in 2016 and recently released her new solo album, Give the Drummer Some, featuring songs that span the genres of Jazz, Rock, and Funk. Tonight, the Cindy Blackman Santana Band, features JD Allen, saxophone; Felix Pastorius, bass; and Zaccai Curtis, keyboards.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

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Sullivan Fortner Trio

September 27, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

sponsored by Two Jazz Fans with support from the Western Jazz Presenters Network (WJPN)

Pianist, composer and band leader, Sullivan Fortner, who received international praise as both key player and producer for his collaborative work alongside multi-Grammy winning vocalist and composer Cecile McLorin Salvant’s The Window in 2018, is a highly-sought improviser and Grammy winning artist in his own right. He has released two albums as a leader (Moments Preserved, 2018; and Aria, 2015) to critical acclaim, and he’s only just getting started. Originally from New Orleans, Fortner is now based in New York and has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist.  In addition to associations with such diverse artists as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Diane Reeves, Etienne Charles and John Scofield, Fortner’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Peter Bernstein, Billy Hart, Fred Hersch, the late Roy Hargrove and many others. Whether playing solo or leading an orchestra, Fortner “engages harmony and rhythmic ideas through curiosity and clarity. Within phrases, he finds universes, and listeners often hear how he’s moved by each note he explores. Pulling distinct elements from different eras, his artistry preserves the tradition and evolves the sound. He seeks connections among different musical styles that are at once deeply soulful and wildly inventive.”  Fortner has been the recipient of many honors, including the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship awarded by the American Pianists Association, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, and, in 2020, the prestigious Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development. Accompanying Sullivan Fortner will be Tyrone Allen, bass & Kayvon Gordon, drums.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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Joel Harrison's Anthems of Unity w. Gary Versace, Greg Tardy, & EJ Strickland

September 28, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

Last heard at Outpost during the spring 2019 season with his Free Country project, guitarist, composer, arranger, lyricist, vocalist and songwriter Joel Harrison returns to New Mexico with his quartet featuring pianist Gary Versace; saxophonist Greg Tardy and drummer E.J. Strickland, on the heels of their July 2023 release (Harrison's 25th CD), Anthems of Unity.  The CD, which also features legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette, is a program of six Harrison originals as well as Sonny Rollins' "Doxy," and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin" and was described by TheVinylGrooveRecords.com as "a blowing session, at times tender and at times volcanic, whose interplay and organic, visceral power is palpable from the first to last tune." One of the first artists to bridge the worlds of jazz, classical, Americana, and traditions from India and Africa, Harrison is long recognized as a risk taker. Founded on jazz, his surprising body of work seamlessly connects multiple American traditions, veering into classical, rock, country, and American roots music and his twenty-two releases as a leader showcase his prowess as “a shapeshifting composer.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune writes, “Harrison has created a new blueprint for jazz.”  His compositions include works for orchestra, string quartet, solo cello, and percussion, as well as an award-winning solo marimba piece, Fear of Silence and he is also an active film composer, having worked on the Oscar-nominated Traffic Stop and the Sundance awardee Southern Comfort. A Guggenheim Fellow (2010) whose compositions have been commissioned by Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, New Music USA, the Jerome Foundation, and others, Harrison is also the founder and director of the Alternative Guitar Summit, a yearly festival devoted to new and unusual guitar music which was called “one of the most interesting and distinguished forums for guitar on the planet.”

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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Connie Han Trio

September 29, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

sponsored by the Outpost Board of Directors

“One of contemporary jazz's most talented and inventive musicians” (Variety), 26-year-old pianist and Steinway Artist, Connie Han is on a fast-climbing trajectory to jazz stardom with rave reviews from The New York Times, Jazziz Magazine, Downbeat Magazine, and more.  Called a “provocateur” and a “visionary”, Downbeat Magazine notes that Han has “already absorbed the post-bop piano masters” with “all the technical mastery she’ll ever need” and The New York Times describes her as “the rare musician with fearsome technical chops, a breadth of historical knowledge and enough originality to write tunes that absorb your ear easily.” A graduate of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, she received a full-tuition scholarship to UCLA but chose to leave school after only three weeks to pursue her professional career. She sought out drummer/producer Bill Wysaske and eventually signed with Mack Avenue Records with whom she released her debut, Crime Zone, in 2018 – an edgy blend of modern and traditional jazz. Deeply influenced by jazz masters such as Mulgrew Miller, McCoy Tyner and Kenny Kirkland, Han brings the ancient Sumerian culture to the present day by channeling Inanna - the ancient Sumerian goddess of love, beauty and war — on her third release, Secrets of Inanna (2022). Featuring Katisse Buckingham (alto flute and piccolo), John Patitucci (bass), Rich Perry (tenor saxophonist) and Wysaske on drums, the album was described by Mack Avenue as creating “a new world open to interpretation, harkening back to the ethereal soundscapes of 1970s spiritual jazz with the modern composition Han has received praise for since her 2018 debut Crime Zone, creating a truly unique soundscape of great depth.” The Connie Han Trio is Han, piano; Ryan Berg, bass; and Bill Wysaske, drums.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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We ARE: Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland

September 30, 2023, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque NM

Originally scheduled for the Outpost spring 2023 season but cancelled due to an illness, the New Mexico Jazz Festival is pleased to be able to present and close out the festival with this rescheduled concert. We ARE is the resurgence of the long-standing collaboration between pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Eric Harland, who, over the course of 25 years, have fine-tuned their individual sounds, which will be highlighted on their new release due out this year. “A widely acclaimed empathic unit,” the trio has left their mark on a generation of musicians, performing and recording consistently for the past two decades. One of the most compelling pianists in jazz today, both as a bandleader with a passion for swing, melody and groove, and as a collaborator with some of the foremost generation-spanning players in jazz, Aaron Goldberg garnered worldwide attention touring and recording with the Joshua Redman Quartet for four years as well as touring with bands led by Al Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Stefon Harris and Mark Turner and performing with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Madeleine Peyroux and Wynton Marsalis. Reuben Rogers is one of the most distinctive and in demand bassists in modern jazz, combining the calypso and reggae rhythms of his native Virgin Islands with the gospel sounds of the church and the freedom of jazz. He has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Tomasz Stanko, Roy Hargrove, Jackie McLean, and Dianne Reeves, among many others. Eric Harland has toured with everyone from vocal great Betty Carter to bassist John Patitucci and saxophonists Joe Henderson and Greg Osby and served as the Resident Artistic Director at the SFJAZZ Center’s 2014-2016 seasons as well as Artist in Resident at the Monterey Jazz Festival 2014.

DOORS 6:30pm 

ALL AGES

General Admission: $45

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NEW MEXICO JAZZ FESTIVAL VENUES

SANTA FE VENUES

The Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 West San Francisco St.

Santa Fe Plaza

West San Francisco St. and Lincoln Avenue

St John’s College- Music on the Hill

Camino Cruz Blanca

SITE Santa Fe

1606 Paseo De Peralta

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe

208 Grant Ave

ALBUQUERQUE VENUES

The Outpost Performance Space

210 Yale Blvd. SE: 2 blocks south of Central

South Broadway Cultural Center

1025 Broadway Blvd SE

African American Performing Arts Center

310 San Pedro Dr. NE

Route 66 Summerfest

Central Ave. and side streets between Girard & Washington

Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater

2000 Mountain Rd. NW

Outpost Performance Space Jazz Festival 2023 Concert Deal! Buy four tickets to Jazz Festival concerts at the Outpost and get one free pass! Once you have purchased four tickets to Jazz Festival concerts at the Outpost, send an email to [email protected]  to request your “fifth FREE ticket” and we will send you your pass. Please note that this offer is subject to availability—so do it early!. This offer does not pertain to Jazz Festival events outside of Outpost.

Festival Date: September 7-30, 2023  

Location: Various Venues in Albuquerque &  Santa Fe, NM

Click here for more information