Events In Town

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The Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU welcome the return of Charlie Ballantine to Charlottesville, for a concert at Belmont Arts Collaborative on April 24th at 7:30 pm.

Named as one of the top 200 living guitarists by All About Jazz Magazine, Charlie Ballantine is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile guitarists on the scene today. JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE hails his playing as “teeming with intricate grooves and maniacal precision, both beautiful and complex”

Following two very well received appearances in Charlottesville, Charlie this time brings a veteran band featuring his long-time bassist from Indiana days, Quinn Sternberg, and the great New York City drummer Dan Weiss. The group will be playing selections from their forthcoming release due out in April. The first single from that recording is a thrilling version of The Beatles’ Strawberry Fields Forever.

After releasing several acclaimed solo albums, Ballantine attained global recognition with his award winning album “Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan” which appeared on many best of the year lists. In addition to his impressive original compositions on such albums a Vonnegut and Cold Coffee, Ballantine also displays a great reverence for the jazz tradition through his unique treatment of standards and jazz classics, including an entire album dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk. Jazziz Magazine says “He approaches the tonal and harmonic language of rock/roots with the groove, ambition and improvisational focus of a jazz musician.”

Tickets to see Charlie Ballantine’s trio April 24th at Belmont Arts Collaborative on Carlton Road are available online. General admission is $22, and paid subscribers of The Charlottesville Jazz Society pay $18. All tickets will be $25 at the door. Call 434-249-6191 for more information, or visit Cvillejazz.org.

Michael Hawkins and The Brotherhood with special guest John D’earth

On Thursday May 8th, The Charlottesville Jazz Society, WTJU and The Center at Belvedere present Michael Hawkins and The Brotherhood with special guest John D’earth, performing at 6 pm at The Center at Belvedere.

Michael Hawkins is an exciting and charismatic bassist currently residing in the Richmond, Virginia  area. His commanding presence and swinging pulse quickly catapulted him to the top of his profession, enabling him to perform with some of the world’s greatest musicians
 
By 16, he was leading his own band and performing regularly in the Washington, D.C., area. Upon receiving a full scholarship, Hawkins studied music at Virginia State University. Next, he made his way to New York City, where he earned a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Queen’s College and shared the stage with some of the world’s greatest musicians.

Internationally, Hawkins has toured and performed with some of the biggest names in Music, including jazz legends Jimmy Heath, Eric Alexander, Gary Bartz and CyrusChestnut. Michael’s working group, The Brotherhood, is comprised of the top bebop jazz players in Virginia: pianist Weldon Hill, drummer Billy Williams and saxophonist James “Saxsmo” Gates. For this special Charlottesville performance, John D’earth will join the band on trumpet. The concert is sponsored by The Charlottesville Jazz Society, WTJU and The Center at Belvedere. Tickets are available online. Call 434-249-6191 for more information.

The CJS is looking for volunteers to help with our live concerts, and to help plan for a future Charlottesville jazz festival.  Duties for concerts involve arriving 30-45 minutes prior to shows to greet folks and help sell tickets, and staying about 30 minutes after for cleanup, etc. Benefits include free admission and the chance to interact with some great musicians. Our jazz festival planning committee meets twice a month, usually on Friday afternoons. We need help with fundraising, artist lineup, and  other areas.  If interested, please email Gary at info@cvillejazz.org


Upcoming events: (can also be viewed at the CJS website)

Please check our Facebook page for updates and more events!

Note: Consider calling ahead before traveling as events can sometimes be canceled or postponed last-minute.

  • Saturday April 19: The Michael Elswick Gathering, with Michael Elswick/saxes, Bill Edmonds/guitar&vocals, Eric Franzen/keyboard&vocals, David Drubin/drums Glass House Winery, 5-8pm
  • Thursday April 24: Charlie Ballantine Trio at Belmont Arts Collaborative, 7:30-9:30 pm, details above
  • Saturday April 26: D’earth Pharr Singh Kartari Dorsey, John D’earth/Trumpet, Randall Pharr/Bass, Laura Ann Singh/Vocals, Emre Kartari/Drums, Garen Dorsey/Keyboard, Possum’s Store, 6:30-8:30pm [tickets]
  • Sunday April 27: vocalist Paulien, with Bill Edmonds/guitar, Joseph Nichols/bass and Trevor Williams/vibes, Kardinal Hall, 5-7pm
  • Sunday April 27: CJS Local Jazz Spotlight presents The Stephanie Nakasian Trio Very popular with Charlottesville area audiences, Stephanie Nakasian is an exciting, well-seasoned vocalist and master of innovative jazz improvisation, completely authentic with a fresh and vibrant sound all her own. She still lives in Central Virginia when she is not touring the country. A prolific recording artist with 15 celebrated albums. Stephanie continues to perform live and is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of artists through her writings, teaching, speaking appearances and and improv workshops.  Accompanying Stephanie for this performance will be guitarist Jeff Massanari and bassist Karl Kimmel. Miller’s Downtown, free, 6-9 pm
  • Saturday May 8: The Charlottesville Jazz Society, WTJU and The Center at Belvedere present Richmond band Michael Hawkins and The Brotherhood, with special guest John D’earth, details above.
  • Sunday May 11: The Hard Modes, Greg Weaver/sax; Brandon Walsh/trumpet; Michael McNulty/guitar; Gabe Planas/keys; Andre La Velle/bass; Pat Hayes/drums, Kardinal Hall, 6-8pm
  • Saturday May 17: Cville Jazz Congregation, Southwest Mountains Vineyards, 1-4pm
  • Saturday May 17: K Mac Trio, Kevin MacConnell/Bass, Toni Meceli/Vibraphone, Doug Hilinger/Percussion, Possum’s Store, 6:30-8:30pm [tickets]
  • Sunday May 25: vocalist Paulien, with Bill Edmonds and Joseph Nichols, Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard, 1-4pm
  • Sunday June 8: Cville Jazz Congregation, Kardinal Hall, 6–8pm
  • Thursday June 26: Cville Jazz Congregation, Stinson Vineyards, 6–9pm
  • Sunday June 29: The Hard Modes, Greg Weaver/sax; Brandon Walsh/trumpet; Michael McNulty/guitar; Gabe Planas/keys; Andre La Velle/bass; Pat Hayes/drums, Miller’s Downtown, 6–9pm
  • Sunday July 13: The Hard Modes, Greg Weaver/sax; Brandon Walsh/trumpet; Michael McNulty/guitar; Gabe Planas/keys; Andre La Velle/bass; Pat Hayes/drums, Kardinal Hall, 6–8pm

The Charlottesville Jazz Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The Charlottesville Jazz Society, Inc.
1004 Grove St| Charlottesville, VA 22903 | 434.249.6191
info@cvillejazz.org | www.cvillejazz.org