This year, spend Valentine's Day with Karen Mason (if you are lucky enough to be in Tampa)! She'll be playing a special show, catered to the holiday, "Love Secrets of the Ancient Divas" on Saturday, February 14th at 7:30 pm at STRAZ CENTER (1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL - 813-229-7827). Love Secrets of the Ancient Divas pays homage to some of the greatest love songs and the divas who sang them (including Judy Garland, Peggy Lee and Barbra Streisand). Great music, great songs, and a perfect way to celebrate with someone you love!!
CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENT
An American opera singer tells of her vacation in, "RENAISSANCE: Notes From Italy" at THE RRAZZ ROOM IN NEW HOPE (6426 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA - 888-596-1027) on Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14th at 8:00 pm. Josepha Gayer made her Metropolitan Opera debut at an age when most performers are retiring from the stage. The ever evolving Josepha has played concert halls around the world, including New York's own Carnegie Hall. She continues to be an inspiration today, sharing highlights from her 15 day trip to Italy - The Land of the Renaissance. Musical Director, Dean Schneider. There is a $25 cover. 
Called "the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica," Frederic Yonnet performs at BLUES ALLEY(1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC - 202-337-4141) on Friday, February 14th with shows at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. Yonnet brings the humble harmonica front and center, defying expectations and coaxing contemporary jazz, R&B, and a rainbow of genres from this versatile instrument. He's performed with Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Erykah Badu; recorded with the Jonas Brothers, toured with Prince - and won the respect of audiences everywhere. There is a $25 cover.
Pouring vocals as cool as water into lush arrangements singer/ songwriter Loide performs at BOHEMIAN CAVERNS(2001 Eleventh Street N.W., Washington, DC - 202-299-0800) on Saturday, February 14th with shows at 7:30 & 10:30 pm. Born in France to her Mozambican mother and Guinea-Bissauan father, California-raised Loide grew up at the intersection of seemingly disparate cultural expressions. With only hymnals, doo-wop, and old school soul allowed in her observant Christian home, these sonic styles would form the first strands of her melodic DNA. Later, she would fuse them with the Afro-Luso rhythms she heard when surrounded by family and friends, the Portuguese hymnals sang at home and church, and the chorale compositions she studied and performed in local productions and recitals. On their face, these genres seem well placed on separate shelves, or curated to discrete playlists. But in Loide, they are harmony. Family. Loide will be joined by a jazz quartet. There is a $25 - $77 (show + dinner) cover.
The World Famous Duke Ellington Orchestra will perform at BETHESDA BLUES & JAZZ SUPPER CLUB (7719 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD - 240-330-4500) on Valentine's Evening, Saturday, February 14th at 8:00 pm for an incredible dance night! A special Valentine's Day Menu will be available, plus a champagne toast and rose for the ladies are inclusive. "Duke" Ellington is regarded as one of the most prolific American composers of the Twentieth century. Ellington called his music "American Music" rather than jazz, and liked to describe those who impressed him as "beyond category." He remains one of the most influential figures in jazz, if not in all American music, and is widely considered as one of the Twentieth century's best known African American personalities. The Duke Ellington Orchestra has been performing worldwide for the past 91 years under the guidance of three generations of the Ellington family and will continue to do so for many years to come. DANCE FLOOR OPEN. There is a $45 cover.
Jazz vocalist Nicole Henry will perform at THE REGATTABAR at the Charles Hotel (1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA - 617-395-7757) on Valentine's Day, Saturday 14th at 7:30 & 10:00 pm. She is joined by Brandon McCune, piano; Robert Jost, bass; Alvester Garnett, drums and Mike Moreno, guitar. Since her debut in 2004, Nicole Henry has established herself as one of the jazz world's most acclaimed vocalists. Ms. Henry possesses a potent combination of dynamic vocal abilities, impeccable phrasing, and powerful emotional resonance. Her repertoire includes the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz titles, contemporary' standards, blues, and originals; while her accompaniment ranges from a simple jazz trio to a full big band. Ms. Henry's passionate, soulful voice and heart-felt charisma has earned her a 2013 Soul Train Award for "Best Traditional Jazz Performance," three Top-10 U.S. Billboard and HMV Japan jazz albums, and rave reviews both domestically and internationally. Ms. Henry has captivated audiences in over 15 countries, headlining at venues in cities including New York, Tokyo, Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Miami. She has performed in more than 30 music festivals worldwide and in some of the world's most famous venues including Blue Note, NYC; Jazz at Lincoln Center; Blues Alley; Arsht Center; Feinstein's; Green Mill; Madrid Jazz Festival. There is a $25 cover. 
Marilyn Maye brings her show "In Love Again" to BIRDLAND (315 West 44th Street, NYC - 212-581-3080) on Tuesday through Saturday, February 10th through 14th at 6:00 pm. Marilyn is a jazz legend known and loved by all. In the years since Marilyn Maye first appeared in the spotlight as a tiny pre-teen vocalist in a series of amateur contests in Topeka, Kansas, she has received an endless stream of kudos. Add 76 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a Grammy nomination in the mid-Sixties as Best New Artist, a bevy of awards reflecting her showmanship, and you have an illustrious singing career that is still going strong after a life-time spent entertaining audiences who are now amazed to discover she still exudes the vocal strength and stamina of a singer half her age. There is a $30 cover plus a $10 food/drink minimum.
Jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek performs at BIRDLAND (315 West 44th Street, NYC - 212-581-3080) on Tuesday through Saturday, February 10th through 14th with shows at 9:00 & 11:00 pm. She is joined by Josh Nelson on Piano & Keyboard, Sam Miniae on Bass, Randy Napolean on Guitar and Zach Harmon on Drums. Amongst a community teaming with startlingly gifted young singers, Sara Gazarek stands out as a particularly extravagant artist. Her first two albums introduced her singular sound and vision, steeped in the tradition of jazz but deeply informed by contemporary songwriters and performers. With Blossom & Bee, her highly anticipated debut release on the respected indie label Palmetto, Gazarek turns over an exciting, glistening new leaf. With five years between her acclaimed 2007 album "Return to You" (Native Language) and "Blossom & Bee," it's no surprise that Gazarek has grown considerably in the meantime. What's fascinating is the way that she's tapped into sources of inspiration consonant with her own less-is-more sensibility. Working closely with the brilliant pianist/organist Larry Goldings, who produced the album, Gazarek and her band have crafted a program of emotionally expansive standards, inspired contemporary fare, and uncommonly memorable originals, all delivered with her insouciant sense of artistry. There is a $30 cover plus a $10 food/drink minimum.
Celebrate Valentine's Week with vocalist Rachelle Ferrell at the THE BLUE NOTE(131 West 3rd Street, NYC - 212-475-8592) on Friday through Sunday, February 12th through 14th with shows at 8:00 & 10:30 pm. While Ferrell has a established fan base in the contemporary jazz scene, her unique visibility on the pop/urban contemporary scene has boosted her audience's interest in her overall breadth of work. She has made her mark as a crossover artist who's equally at home with urban contemporary pop, gospel, classical music and jazz. Very few vocal artists in the industry have Ferrell's potent combination of range, phrasing, and musicianship (equally gifted as a vocalist and pianist). Such potency was made powerfully aware to Blue Note Record's executive Bruce Lundvall, who first heard Ferrell on a demo tape and signed her shortly thereafter in 1990 upon seeing her perform. So impressed was Lundvall with her talents, that he signed Ferrell to both the Blue Note Label and the Capitol Label, allowing her to funnel her talents through the prism of traditional jazz and R&B. Lundvall quickly set out to plan Ferrell's coming out party via a showcase at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival. In the past, the showcase was used to introduced the talents of Dianne Reeves (also signed to both labels), Stanley Jordan, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Live at Montreux 91-97 captures Ferrell's moving debut at Montreux in July of 1991 and subsequent performances at the venue throughout the decade of the 1990s. She first emerged in the states with her R&B debut Rachelle Ferrell (1992), a solid collection of self-penned originals that featured a striking duet with Will Downing Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This. It was with the release of First Instrument in 1994 that audiences were really introduced to Ferrell's jazz sensibilities. Ferrell has sung backup for Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams and George Duke to name a few. Her prolific songwriting abilities and ability to accompany herself on piano seem only to further her natural talent as a vocalist. In short, Rachelle Ferrell's talents transcend generic classification. There is a $30-$45 cover.
Cabaret favorites Tommy Femia and Rick Skye have teamed up for another evening of "Judy and Liza Together Again" at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) on Saturdays, January 17th & 31st at 8:00 pm. They are joined by Ricky Ritzel (as Mort) at the piano. These MAC Award winning performers (Best Impersonation) will pull out all the stops, singing classic solo's, parodies, duets and just plain whooping and hollering by the greatest mother/ daughter team in show biz history. Tommy Femia is a 7 time winner of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award for his brilliant portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy Garland LIVE!", now in it's 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. He has also starred in "Whoop-de-doo", "I Will Come Back" and, most recently, "Norma Does Men". Rick Skye is best known for writing a string of outrageous comic revues including "The Flip Side of Neil Sedaka", "MaCabaret - a tabloid fable", "The War of the Mama Roses", "It's Madame with an E" and the International hit - "A Slice O' Minnelli" for which has enjoyed successful season's in Covent Garden, at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End and at the Dublin Theatre Festival where he received the Award for "Best Achievement in Performance". There is a $25 cover charge and a 2 drink minimum. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENTSinger-guitarist-bandleader John Malino will share the stage of THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440) with his 15-year-old daughter, Sarah, and his 12-year-old son, Buster on Saturday (Valentine's Day) February 14th at 1:00 pm. In his more than 20 years as a bandleader, John Malino has played just about everywhere, from Birdland to Palm Beach weddings to inaugural balls. Manhattan-born Malino has been compared by the press to Harry Connick, Jr. and John Pizzarelli. John has put together a show featuring love songs from Elvis to Cole Porter; this hour-long concert promises to be an unforgettable New York experience. There is a $10 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.Celebrate Valentines Day with some of your favorite Broadway Love Songs at THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440) on Saturday, February 14th at 7:00 pm. Producer Joseph Macchia brings back this successful evening of cabaret for a third year. And what better way to celebrate Valentines Day with Broadway and Love. Performers scheduled to perform include Broadway's Brandi Massey (Wicked), Liz Mckendry (The Producers), Dave August (Naked Boys Singing, Broadway Bares), Will Perez, Beau Howard, Sly Young, and Suzanne Dressler. Tracy Stark musical directs the evening. There is a $25 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.Laughlin Artz premieres his latest work "In Love" in a special Valentine's Day performance at THE DUPLEX CABARET THEATRE (61 Christopher Street, NYC - 212-255-5438)on Saturday, February 14th at 7:00 pm. A brutal homage to the madness and mayhem of love gone right, love gone wrong, and love just plain gone. As a writer, filmmaker, and performance artist, Laughlin works from the stand that art really can change the world, shifting the way people relate to themselves, each other and greater society. His work is raw, socially-relevant and a full frontal assault on the thoughtless indifference of the status quo, bringing to life moments of truth that speak to the heart of the human experience. Adult content. There is a $20 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.
NYC's longest running burlesque variety show, LE SCANDAL CABARET, continues on Saturdays, at 7:30 and 10:30 pm at THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909). In its fourteenth year, Le Scandal features variety acts, circus performers, live music and a bevy of burlesque beauties. New performers every week! Expect sword swallowers, belly dancers, rope trick cowboys, contortionists, torch singing fan dancers and comedic aerobats, all set to the live music of the Le Scandal Orchestra. For tickets, visit Smarttix at http://www.smarttix.com/or 212-484-4444. There is a $25-$50 cover plus a $20 food/drink minimum. Guilty Pleasures Cabaret showcases five of New York's sexiest dancers: Anjuli Bhattacharyya, Bridget Bose, Ann Dragich, Kat Lott, and Andrea Palesh - along with their saucy hostess Marie Smith, at THE DUPLEX CABARET THEATRE (61 Christopher Street, NYC - 212-255-5438) on Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14th at 9:30 pm. After a sold out show at The Duplex in November, the ladies are pumped for their second show at this renowned venue! Hair flips and high kicks, lipstick and lace - this New York City phenomenon promises to entertain! The Guilty Pleasures Cabaret was founded in 2014 by six friends in New York City who wanted to produce a show that highlighted both their performing and creative talents. Inspired by music, dance, and costumes that fulfilled their guilty performing pleasures, the show was born - thus earning their namesake "Guilty Pleasures Cabaret". The ladies debuted their show in Manhattan on the Upper West Side at a neighborhood bar called Lura, where they received rave reviews from patrons, restaurant staff, and colleagues - gaining a regular weekly following. With a speak-easy feel, a hint of the roaring twenties, and a sprinkle of the swinging sixties - the show remains modern and sexy. The ladies, clad in fishnets and black lace, tap dance, contort, sing, and pirouette to the sounds of 'Chicago', 'Great Gatsby', 'Cabaret', Beyonce, Nancy Sinatra, and Amy Winehouse, to name a few, playfully mixing the old with the new. The girls of the Guilty Pleasures Cabaret give their audience members sex appeal, spectacle, and variety - truly living up to the expectation of what a cabaret should entail. Seal your evening with a rouge stained kiss. There is a $15 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.
Christine Andreas of 'electrified' her audiences at the club in November, 54 BELOW (254 West 54th Street, NYC - 646-476-3551) has moved heaven & earth to appease an over-whelming demand and bring her show, Love Is Good, back the most perfect time of the year, Valentine's Day Weekend. And now it announced that Christine will return on Friday & Saturday, February 13th & 14th at 7:00 pm! Every song in Love Is Good is a thread from Christine's musical life with her songwriter husband, Martin Silvestri. The quilt is large, Broadway, The American Song Book and beautiful original songs written by Marty. Originally conceived for a command performance at the White House in the intimate setting of the presidential living room, Love is Good is a sophisticated, romantic evening crafted to show the power of brilliant lyrics set to unforgettable melodies from Rodgers & Hart, Lerner & Loewe, Gershwin, Piaf and more. Bring your Valentine and remember why you fell in love in the first place. There is a $35-$80 cover plus a $25 food/drink minimum.LOVE SONGS are back at 54 BELOW (254 West 54th Street, NYC - 646-476-3551) on Saturday, February 14th at 9:30 pm. The concert features an all female cast singing songs from across the musical theatre spectrum about love. The love we make, the love we take, the love we find, and the love we hold onto - this evening will see and sing us through it all. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the V-DAY Foundation. V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery. The cast of fabulous females features Loni Ackerman (Evita, Cats), Lauren Elder (Side Show, Hair), Melissa Rose Hirsch (The Bad Years), Jessica Kahkoska (Miles and Me), Lesli Margherita (Matilda), Marisa Miller (Wicked Nat'l Tour), Jessica Mortellaro, Monet Sabel, and Stephanie Turci, with additional special guests to be announced. Musical direction by Nat Zegree; conceived and produced by Megan Minutillo, in association with thewriteteachers.com. There is a $25-$60 cover plus a $25 food/drink minimum.
This year, spend Valentine's Day with Karen Mason (if you are lucky enough to be in Tampa)! She'll be playing a special show, catered to the holiday, "Love Secrets of the Ancient Divas" on Saturday, February 14th at 7:30 pm at STRAZ CENTER (1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL - 813-229-7827). Love Secrets of the Ancient Divas pays homage to some of the greatest love songs and the divas who sang them (including Judy Garland, Peggy Lee and Barbra Streisand). Great music, great songs, and a perfect way to celebrate with someone you love!! CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENT
Cabaret favorites Tommy Femia and Rick Skye have teamed up for another evening of "Judy and Liza Together Again" at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) on Saturdays, January 17th & 31st at 8:00 pm. They are joined by Ricky Ritzel (as Mort) at the piano. These MAC Award winning performers (Best Impersonation) will pull out all the stops, singing classic solo's, parodies, duets and just plain whooping and hollering by the greatest mother/ daughter team in show biz history. Tommy Femia is a 7 time winner of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award for his brilliant portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy Garland LIVE!", now in it's 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. He has also starred in "Whoop-de-doo", "I Will Come Back" and, most recently, "Norma Does Men". Rick Skye is best known for writing a string of outrageous comic revues including "The Flip Side of Neil Sedaka", "MaCabaret - a tabloid fable", "The War of the Mama Roses", "It's Madame with an E" and the International hit - "A Slice O' Minnelli" for which has enjoyed successful season's in Covent Garden, at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End and at the Dublin Theatre Festival where he received the Award for "Best Achievement in Performance". There is a $25 cover charge and a 2 drink minimum. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENT
Crazy Coqs cabaret favourites Jeff Harnar and KT Sullivan sing Sondheim like you've never heard before in their moving and powerful show OUR TIME at THE CRAZY COQS AT BRASSERIE ZEDEL (20 Sherwood St, Piccadilly, London W1F 7ED - 020 7734 4888) on Tuesday through Saturday, February 10th through 14th. As two of the world's most acclaimed cabaret artists, KT Sullivan (Broadway: The Threepenny Opera, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Cabaret: Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, the Oak Room at the Algonquin, The Kennedy Center) and Jeff Harnar (Cabaret venues across the world including Carnegie Hall, and winner of the 2012 Noel Coward Foundation Cabaret Award) perform classics such as Send in the Clowns, Losing My Mind, Being Alive and Pretty Women, introducing new takes to familiar and less familiar material. Under the musical direction and arrangements of gifted accompanist Jon Weber, they give a new insight into the timeless music of Stephen Sondheim. Prior to debuting Our Time at Crazy Coqs, Harnar and Sullivan performed a sold-out summer engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater in New York. Call for cover/minimum information. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENTAustralian born Karen Lane sings "Nancy Wilson And Other Love Songs" at THE CRAZY COQS AT BRASSERIE ZEDEL(20 Sherwood St, Piccadilly, London W1F 7ED - 020 7734 4888) on Saturday, February 14th at 10:30 pm as part of the club's Late Night Jazz series. Since arriving in the UK 15 years ago, Lane has worked with some of our finest musicians including Tom Cawley, Andy Hamill, Robin Aspland, Martin Shaw and Geoff Gascoyne amongst others. She has released five albums, most recently "Two Steps from the Blues" and has performed all over the world. Lane brings refreshing revamps to standards such as 'Lullaby of Birdland' and "Love Me or Leave Me". Her arrangements, driven by groove or counterpoint, reflect Lane's heritage as a soul singer in Sydney's Kings Cross area in the 1990's and her evocative vocals blend traditional resonances with decidedly modern inflections. She has a love of Brazilian music and released a dedicated Bossa Nova album "Taste" to excellent reviews. Call for cover/minimum information.
Spend your Valentines Night in the company of the Queen of the Torch Song, Mari Wilson, as she shoots Cupid's arrow through her collection of beguiling songs to fall in love by at THE PHEASANTRY (152-154 King's Road, London SW3 4UT - 08456 027 017) on Saturday, February 14th at 8:30 pm. Wilson is best known for her 1982 UK top-10 hit single "Just What I Always Wanted" and her 1960s image complete with beehive hairstyle. Wilson has also performed in musicals such as Dusty - The Musical, and has been featured on a BBC Television series about celebrities and their health. Call for cover/minimum information.
Cabaret favorites Tommy Femia and Rick Skye have teamed up for another evening of "Judy and Liza Together Again" at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) on Saturdays, January 17th & 31st at 8:00 pm. They are joined by Ricky Ritzel (as Mort) at the piano. These MAC Award winning performers (Best Impersonation) will pull out all the stops, singing classic solo's, parodies, duets and just plain whooping and hollering by the greatest mother/ daughter team in show biz history. Tommy Femia is a 7 time winner of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award for his brilliant portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy Garland LIVE!", now in it's 20th season at Don't Tell Mama. He has also starred in "Whoop-de-doo", "I Will Come Back" and, most recently, "Norma Does Men". Rick Skye is best known for writing a string of outrageous comic revues including "The Flip Side of Neil Sedaka", "MaCabaret - a tabloid fable", "The War of the Mama Roses", "It's Madame with an E" and the International hit - "A Slice O' Minnelli" for which has enjoyed successful season's in Covent Garden, at the Apollo Theatre in London's West End and at the Dublin Theatre Festival where he received the Award for "Best Achievement in Performance". There is a $25 cover charge and a 2 drink minimum. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENTCrazy Coqs cabaret favourites Jeff Harnar and KT Sullivan sing Sondheim like you've never heard before in their moving and powerful show OUR TIME at THE CRAZY COQS AT BRASSERIE ZEDEL (20 Sherwood St, Piccadilly, London W1F 7ED - 020 7734 4888) on Tuesday through Saturday, February 10th through 14th. As two of the world's most acclaimed cabaret artists, KT Sullivan (Broadway: The Threepenny Opera, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Cabaret: Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, the Oak Room at the Algonquin, The Kennedy Center) and Jeff Harnar (Cabaret venues across the world including Carnegie Hall, and winner of the 2012 Noel Coward Foundation Cabaret Award) perform classics such as Send in the Clowns, Losing My Mind, Being Alive and Pretty Women, introducing new takes to familiar and less familiar material. Under the musical direction and arrangements of gifted accompanist Jon Weber, they give a new insight into the timeless music of Stephen Sondheim. Prior to debuting Our Time at Crazy Coqs, Harnar and Sullivan performed a sold-out summer engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater in New York. Call for cover/minimum information. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENT denotes CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE member event - Cabaret Hotline Online members have their events also mentioned in the weekly CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE newsletter sent to over 3400 subscribers all over the world.
T.S. Monk (a/k/a Thelonious Sphere Monk, III), internationally acclaimed jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, and vocalist, will perform at SCULLERS JAZZ CLUB (400 Soldiers Field Road, Allston, MA - 617-562-4111) on Friday, February 13th with shows at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. Lauded by critics and jazz fans alike as the true musical heir to his father, the legendary jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, T.S. Monk has paved his own path to success, inspiring a new generation of jazz enthusiasts with his innovative and infectious music. As the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which was created to honor his father's musical legacy, Monk has supported jazz education and brought an international spotlight to the music for nearly three decades. He was the driving force behind the Institute's annual International Jazz Competition and many of its educational initiatives. Monk began playing the drums at 15. Five years later, in 1970, Monk joined his father's quartet and toured with him until the elder Monk retired in 1975. In the 1970s, Monk went into R&B, touring with the group Natural Essence before forming the R&B group, T.S. Monk. The group released three albums on Mirage Records. In 1992, he formed the T.S. Monk Sextet. The group released three successful CDs on Blue Note Records: Take One, which hit the top of the jazz charts, Changing of the Guard and the critically-acclaimed album, The Charm. In 1997, to commemorate his father's 80th birthday, Monk released Monk on Monk, an all-star tribute to his father's extraordinary contributions to jazz. The critically-acclaimed album received the Record of the Year Award at the first annual New York Jazz Awards, and Downbeat magazine's prestigious 63rd Annual Reader's Poll Award. He followed with Crosstalk (1999) and Higher Ground (2003). Monk recently released an album with Belgian jazz accordionist, Rony Verbiest. The album, Verbiest Meets Monk: Father and Son is currently available internationally. Call for cover/minimum information.
Janice and Nathan (Janice Edwards & Nathan Fry) perform on Fridays from 8:00 to 11:00 pm at MARTINI'S ABOVE FOURTH (3940 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA - 619-400-4500). While Nathan's virtuosity speaks for itself, accompaniment to Janice makes for an inspired pair at they present resonant selections from their extensive list of everything from funk to country, gospel and jazz. No cover show.
The 7th Annual Cabaret for Valentine's Day "EMC/NYC" featuring vocalist Ellen Ciompi will take place at THE REGULATOR BOOKSHOP (720 Ninth Street, Durham, NC - 919-286-2700). This year's Valentine's Cabaret will be "EMC/NYC", a love song to the city of Ellen's birth, fantasies, and dreams. Bring someone special and enjoy an evening of songs new and familiar, by composers old and contemporary, each illuminating some notable aspect of the Big Apple - from the skin to the core. With music director/ pianist Glenn Mehrbach, and bassist•Robbie Link. Tickets are $15, and include a post-concert meet and greet with the artists. CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MEMBER EVENTCalled "the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica," Frederic Yonnet performs at BLUES ALLEY(1073 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC - 202-337-4141) on Friday, February 14th with shows at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. Yonnet brings the humble harmonica front and center, defying expectations and coaxing contemporary jazz, R&B, and a rainbow of genres from this versatile instrument. He's performed with Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Erykah Badu; recorded with the Jonas Brothers, toured with Prince - and won the respect of audiences everywhere. There is a $25 cover.Aaron Abernathy, professionally known as AB, a multi-talented entertainer - musician, singer, songwriter, and producer, performs at BOHEMIAN CAVERNS (2001 Eleventh Street N.W., Washington, DC - 202-299-0800) on Friday, February 13th with shows at 7:30 & 10:30 pm. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, AB comes from a long-line of historical pioneers including Civil Rights Leader, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and student of the same high school music program as the late R&B great Gerald Levert. AB's detailed-oriented passion for the craft is influenced heavily by the unstoppable showmanship of James Brown; the supreme vocal talents of Prince and Marvin Gaye; the inspired lyricism of Stevie Wonder; and the fearless originality of George Clinton. His professional music pursuits began on the historical steps of Howard University, where he formed the band AB and The Souljourners and developed a buzz on the local DC music scene with the release of his self-produced debut album Lyrically Inclined 1.3: The Odyssey. After graduating from Howard, they embarked on a US Tour. The band's talent and showmanship style caught the eye of several artists, most notable Eric Roberson and Slum Village. Eric Roberson featured AB in NYC based showcases and on his 2009 single "Howard Girls." Slum Village hired AB to be their musical director from 2005-2010, revamping their performances from the traditional DJ and Emcee format to live band hip-hop experience. He also was featured on the single "Dance" from their 2010 album Villa Manifesto. In 2009, AB transitioned his musical director talents to underground hip-hop heavyweight Black Milk. In addition to touring the US, Europe, and Australia with Black Milk, AB has been featured on his last three albums Tronic, A.O.T.Y., and No Poison No Paradise. Songs include: Reppin' For You, Oh Girl, and Parallels. AB has also been spotted working with Grammy-nominated artists including Jack White, The Foreign Exchange, and Eric Roberson. There is a $25 - $77 (dinner pkg) cover.The "Secret Society", that breath of fresh air that most aficionados have been searching for, performs at BETHESDA BLUES & JAZZ SUPPER CLUB (7719 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD - 240-330-4500) on Friday, February 13th at 8:00 pm. The repertoire is deep and full of history, tradition, and diversity. The combination of talent, experience and a host of influences stemming from the seeds of John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Police, Rick James and a host of others gives this band their own unique sound and identity. To assign a genre-style to this group would be difficult considering the intermixture of music displayed. This group likes to use the simplistic description "Feel Good Music" to define exactly what it is that they offer. Call for cover/minimum information.
T.S. Monk (a/k/a Thelonious Sphere Monk, III), internationally acclaimed jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, and vocalist, will perform at SCULLERS JAZZ CLUB (400 Soldiers Field Road, Allston, MA - 617-562-4111) on Friday, February 13th with shows at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. Lauded by critics and jazz fans alike as the true musical heir to his father, the legendary jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, T.S. Monk has paved his own path to success, inspiring a new generation of jazz enthusiasts with his innovative and infectious music. As the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which was created to honor his father's musical legacy, Monk has supported jazz education and brought an international spotlight to the music for nearly three decades. He was the driving force behind the Institute's annual International Jazz Competition and many of its educational initiatives. Monk began playing the drums at 15. Five years later, in 1970, Monk joined his father's quartet and toured with him until the elder Monk retired in 1975. In the 1970s, Monk went into R&B, touring with the group Natural Essence before forming the R&B group, T.S. Monk. The group released three albums on Mirage Records. In 1992, he formed the T.S. Monk Sextet. The group released three successful CDs on Blue Note Records: Take One, which hit the top of the jazz charts, Changing of the Guard and the critically-acclaimed album, The Charm. In 1997, to commemorate his father's 80th birthday, Monk released Monk on Monk, an all-star tribute to his father's extraordinary contributions to jazz. The critically-acclaimed album received the Record of the Year Award at the first annual New York Jazz Awards, and Downbeat magazine's prestigious 63rd Annual Reader's Poll Award. He followed with Crosstalk (1999) and Higher Ground (2003). Monk recently released an album with Belgian jazz accordionist, Rony Verbiest. The album, Verbiest Meets Monk: Father and Son is currently available internationally. Call for cover/minimum information.