JJ Sansaverino & Steve Cole

Lucille’s @ B.B. King Blues Club, Sets @ 7:30pm & 11pm; Doors @ 6:30pm & 10:15pm, respectively

~ JJ Sansaverino & Steve Cole ~ Over the past several years, guitarist Joe “JJ” Sansaverino has reached millions with his music, touring the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. He has worked with the best in the business in a wide range of idioms, both live and in the studio, and has appeared on hundreds of recordings. An accomplished composer, arranger, and musical director, Sansaverino was playing trumpet and violin by age 11 and the guitar by age 13. Growing up in and around New York, his diverse influences – Santana, Hendrix, as well as jazz, Motown, and doo-wop – helped mold his unique style.

After performing locally in NYC for several years in the early ’90s, he embarked on his first European tour with the popular alternative rock band Heads Up. Upon returning to the U.S., he attended Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1994. Relocating to New York, he began performing nightly, quickly earning a reputation as one of the hardest-working musicians on the scene. It wasn’t long before he started appearing and recording with artists like George Clinton, Kelly Price, SuperCat, Shabba Ranks, Monty Alexander, the Jungle Brothers, Rita & Ky-Mani Marley, and Toots and the Maytals, and recording TV jingles. He eventually settled in as the lead guitarist for Maxi Priest in 2000, immediately embarking on the first of several world tours. In 2005, he released a stunning collection of his original compositions titled Sunshine After Midnight. Together with his band Nu Jazz, he continues to perform while simultaneously preparing for the recording of his forthcoming sophomore album, Waiting for You.

A native of Chicago, saxophonist Steve Cole is one of the most celebrated players in contemporary jazz, having sold hundreds of thousands of albums worldwide and scored five No. 1 R&R Smooth Jazz hits. He attended Northwestern University, where he explored modern classical music for the saxophone under the tutelage of internationally recognized educator Fred Hemke. He began his professional career, playing sessions and club dates wherever possible; he recorded with blues legend Junior Wells and began playing, writing, and producing with Atlantic Records artists Brian Culbertson. His visibility at the label grew, and soon Cole signed his own deal with Atlantic. He released his debut disc, Stay Awhile, in 1998, earning Cole a Prism Award for Best New Artist at the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards.

Since that debut, Cole has released seven additional albums and has recorded for Atlantic, Warner Brothers, Shanachie and EMI/Blue Note. He also recently signed a multiple-album deal with Mack Avenue/Artistry Music. The first project for the label, Moonlight (2010), is a collection of classic pop songs and standards set against an orchestral backdrop. The project includes such iconic songs as “The Look of Love,” “Cry Me a River,” The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road,” and James Taylor’s “Close Your Eyes.”