~ The Soul Rebels ~ Imagine blending the sounds of Mardi Gras funk, soul, R&B and reggae so seamlessly it defies category. Now shrink that idea into an eight-piece brass ensemble, add a hip hop sensibility plus 100 years of New Orleans jazz tradition, and you get the New Orleans sound known as THE SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND.

The Soul Rebels grew from their traditional New Orleans brass style out of the desire to play the music they heard on the radio, but with respect to the New Orleans brass band tradition. The band has gone from a local New Orleans favorite to collaborations with Metallica, Green Day, George Clinton, Galactic, Juvenile, Trombone Shorty, Slick Rick and many others.

In January of 2012, the band released its first international album, Unlock Your Mind, on Rounder Records. This new song-driven studio effort includes guest appearances by Cyril Neville, Trombone Shorty and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli.

Since Hurricane Katrina, The Soul Rebels have been more successful than ever serving as an international ambassador of the New Orleans sound represented its hometown on television, appearing in the season finale of the HBO series Treme, Conan O’Brien, ESPN, NPR, BBC, NBC, and the Discovery Channel hit After the Catch and sharing stages with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Arcade Fire, Bootsy Collins, Seal, Robert Plant& Jimmy Page, Counting Crows, James Brown, Allen Toussaint, Chuck Brown, Terence Blanchard, Dr. John many others.

The Soul Rebels continue charting new territory today, combining top notch musicianship and songs with grooves that celebrate life in the time-honored New Orleans style.

Community Works Theater Connections, in partnership with JazzReach, proudly presents The Blue Note Jazz Festival for Kids! This string of events, taking place at New York City’s own Highline Ballroom, introduces young students to the sound, history, and culture of jazz music and some of its most famous artists.

Today’s 10AM show is Big Drum / Small World. This immersive, globally-themed multimedia program features performances of music by internationally recognized jazz composers hailing from countries as diverse as West Africa, Israel, Cuba, Puerto Rico, India, and the US. The objectives of the show are to promote the value of creative collaboration and to provide a forum to explore our differences, share ideas, and discover common ground.

Today’s 12PM show is Ellington! This presentation is a highly engaging, interactive live multimedia educational program that aims to illuminate the rich, vital legacy of the great American composer, pianist, and bandleader, Duke Ellington. Through the creative integration of live music, captivating video projections, live narration, and numerous audience participation segments, Ellington! introduces new generations to a wide variety of Duke’s musical achievements.

Community Works Theater Connections, in partnership with JazzReach, proudly presents The Blue Note Jazz Festival for Kids! This string of events, taking place at New York City’s own Highline Ballroom, introduces young students to the sound, history, and culture of jazz music and some of its most famous artists.

Today’s 10AM show is Stolen Moments: The First 100 Years of Jazz. This program highlights the interplay between the jazz movement and the evolution of American culture throughout the 20th century, emphasizing the ways in which jazz has acted as a unifying force, bridging cultural, ethnic, and economic differences; stimulated cultural fusions and new stylistic idioms; exemplified democratic ideals; and influenced other genres of music, both in the US and abroad.

Today’s 12PM show is Miles Davis & The Blue Flame Incident. This all-new live multimedia program celebrates the groundbreaking achievements of the iconic trumpeter, bandleader, and cultural provocateur, Miles Davis. The program traverses Davis’s extensive career and features music from some of his most fertile creative periods. Using both jazz history and 20th-century American history as backdrops, Miles Davis & The Blue Flame Incident will engage, inform, and enlighten student audiences about one of the most compelling, infinitely creative, and trailblazing artists the world has ever known.

~ Cyrille Aimée ~ Cyrille Aimée (pronounced Surreal M – A) has consistently proven herself to be an unstoppable, undeniable talent in the modern age of jazz. Internationally renowned and praised for her unparalleled abilities, Cyrille’s vocal stylings are synonymous with musical genius. Her culturally rich background has supplied her with the driving force of Dominican rhythm and the incredible swing of the French Gypsies. Taking these natural abilities with her across the world, she has done nothing short of receiving rave reviews and a loyal following in each country she graces with her voice.

Cyrille mastered the art of improvisation while studying at the well known conservatory of jazz at SUNY Purchase, with teachers such as Pete Malinverni, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Greene.  She was a finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition of 2010, performing in front of a jury of Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater… In 2007, Cyrille won both the first and public prize in the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition.

Cyrille’s discography and musical history is an impressive list for any musician, jazz or otherwise. At the young age of 26, she has already released four CDs internationally, including “Cyrille Aimée & The Surreal Band” and “Smile” with Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo currently on iTunes.The Japanese label Venus Records has just released Cyrille and Diego’s latest duo album “Just the Two of us” this past November.

Cyrille Aimée has been featured on compilations, feature film soundtracks across the globe and on the albums of Denis Chang and David Reinhardt. She fronted France’s latest worldwide sensation ‘Caravan Palace’ on their European tour and performed in front of crowds that number over 10,000 people.

Cyrille currently lives in Brooklyn and regularly performs in Manhattan with legends of the East Coast jazz scene. She can be found any given day in the historic jazz clubs of NYC, including Joe’s Pub and Dizzy’s Club, with musicians like Steve Davis, Spike Wilner, Tom Kennedy and Anat Cohen among many others.  Her latest record “Cyrille Aimée & friends Live at Smalls” features Roy Hargrove and Joel Frahm and is released under the label SmallsLIVE.

~ Jerry Douglas ~ Internationally recognized as the world’s most renowned dobro player, Jerry Douglas ranks among the top contemporary artists in American music. In addition to his groundbreaking work as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Boone Creek, Strength in Numbers, Elvis Costello’s Sugarcanes, and others, Douglas has graced over 2,000 recordings by such distinguished artists as James Taylor, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Garth Brooks, Charlie Haden, Earl Scruggs, Phish, Emmylou Harris, Bill Frisell, and The Chieftains, as well as the eight million-plus-selling soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).

In recognition of his groundbreaking work, Doublas has garnered 13 Grammy Awards while holding the distinction of being named Musician of the Year by The Country Music Association (in 2002, 2005, and 2007), The Academy of Country Music (11 times), and The Americana Music Association (in 2002 and 2003), as well as being the recipient of numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards. He is also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Americana Music Association and was honored as the 2008 Artist in Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts honored him with a National Heritage Fellowship, acknowledging his artistic excellence and contribution to the nation’s traditional arts.

Traveler, Douglas’s newest album, will be released on June 26th, 2012. The disc is the artist’s first solo release since his acclaimed 2009 Christmas album, Jerry Christmas!, and features special guest vocals from Eric Clapton, Mumford & Sons, Paul Simon, Keb’ Mo’, Marc Cohn, and Alison Krauss & Union Station. Recorded in Nashville, New Orleans, New York, and Banbury, U.K., Traveler was produced by Russ Titelman. “For the first time in my career,” says Douglas, “I found myself ready to step completely out of my comfort zone to begin a solo recording project with a producer. Giving someone else the controls of a personal endeavor to allow myself the freedom to focus entirely on what I would want to play in this new situation was something I had never allowed myself. This record is the culmination of a long career spent making friends and lending my sound to theirs. This time my friends have come onboard to lend their voices to me.”

~ Little Richard ~ Little Richard – the originator, the emancipator, the architect of rock ‘n’ roll. Exploding into the American consciousness in the mid-’50s, he singlehandedly laid the foundation and established the rules for this brand new musical form. Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, the third of twelve children, Richard Wayne Penniman began singing in his local church choir while still a youngster. He signed with RCA Records in 1951 after winning a talent contest and released two singles, neither of which received prominent notice. Returning to his job washing dishes in a Greyhound bus station, Richard sent a demo tape to Specialty Records, a fledgling Los Angeles label. The song “Tutti Frutti” was his catalyst for success and led to an uninterrupted run of smash hits: “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Rip It Up,” “Lucille,” “Jenny Jenny,” “Keep A Knockin’,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and “Ooh! My Soul.” By 1968, Little Richard had sold over 32 million records internationally.

A self-imposed hiatus took Richard out of the industry spotlight, but never out of the consciousness of the legions of fans around the world who confidently awaited his return. After spending years on the rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia circuit in the late ’60s and ’70s, he charged back stronger than ever in 1985, scoring rave reviews for his memorable appearance in the box office smash Down and Out in Beverly Hills, the film that launched his hit single “Great Gosh A Mighty.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and launched into a pattern of work which has been virtually non-stop ever since, encompassing not only recording (including collaborations with U2, B.B. King, appearances on children’s records, and more), but television, films, soundtracks, and commercials as well.

Richard has been honored with many awards to commemorate his vital contributions to the history of American music. He was honored with a star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1993, earned the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s prestigious Pioneer Award in 1994, and accepted the Award of Merit at the 1997 American Music Awards. More than in these awards, however, Richard’s vast influence is evident in the legacies of the superstars who came after him, whose music bears his DNA. As People Magazine declared, “There could not have been a Michael Jackson if there had not been a Little Richard.” Driven by an incredible, hard-to-match energy which lends credence to his “wild man of rock ‘n’ roll” image, Richard continues to tour extensively, delighting audiences with his unique blend of music and humor to this day. “Entertaining is a way to spread joy,” he says. “I’ve come to terms with that and with myself. You’ve got to do that before you can begin to help others.”

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugel horn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.

He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars performing with Celine Dion, at the Grammy Awards with Justin Timberlake and as a leader, as well as on the Billboard Awards with Alicia Keys.

Sandoval has been awarded 6 Grammy Awards, and nominated 12 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and one Emmy Award, the latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia. His last album “Time for Love” had three Grammy nominations and won two for best album and best production. He is currently working on two new albums, “Dear Diz, Every Day I Think of You” and “ Tangos “, along with a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie.

Sandoval was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning group Irakere, whose explosive mixture of jazz, classical, rock and traditional Cuban music caused a sensation throughout the entertainment world. In 1981, he left Irakere to form his own band, which garnered enthusiastic praise from critics and audiences all over the world, and continues to do so.

Arturo Sandoval is a retired tenured professor from Florida International University after a prosperous 19 years. Nevertheless, he still works nationally and abroad with innumerable universities and institutions and their music departments offering several scholarships, exercise books, clinics and seminars, and has rendered a considerable amount of time working with the NARAS educational program. He now offers a complete Artist-In-Residence program as well. Arturo Sandoval maintains one of the most extensive educational programs in the industry. He has written four books with one of the most prestigious publishing companies in the industry “Hal –Leonard”, which continue to sell around all the word.

Sandoval is also a renowned classical musician, performing regularly with the leading symphony orchestras from around the world. Arturo has composed his own “Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra”, which can be heard on “Arturo Sandoval: “The Classical Album.” Arturo has performed with the foremost orchestras in the country as well as abroad and recorded John Williams’ Trumpet Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra. His classical artistry has earned him the respect and admiration from the most prestigious conductors, composers and symphony orchestras worldwide.

Arturo Sandoval’s versatility can be heard on recordings with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Bill Conti, and Stan Getz to Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Alicia Keys amongst many others. He has performed with John Williams with the Boston Pops, and in the Super bowl with Tony Bennet and Patti LaBelle.

His compositions can also be heard on Dave Grusin’s soundtrack for “Havana” and “Random Heart”, in the “Mambo Kings” soundtrack with his Grammy nominated composition “Mambo Caliente”, in the soundtrack of “The Perez Family”, “61”, “Mr. Wrong”, the documentary “Oscar”, and “The Family Fuentes” among of others. He also was commissioned by the Kennedy Center to compose the music for the ballet “Pepito’s Story”, “Soul Possessed”, as well as “Oman O Men”, and “The Chocolate Hot Nutcracker, choreographed by Debbie Allen. And as mentioned above, he was awarded an Emmy for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia.

Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does. One frequently speaks of Arturo Sandoval’s virtuoso technical ability or his specialty in high notes, but he who has seen him on the piano, lyrically improvising a ballad, or has had the opportunity to enjoy the diversity of his music, through his compositions from the most straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz or classical, knows that Arturo Sandoval is a prominent musician, and one recognizes that Arturo is one of the most brilliant, multifaceted and renowned musicians of our time.

~ The Harlem Gospel Choir ~ On any Sunday you can visit with the Harlem Gospel Choir and enjoy a soul food brunch at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. Here the Choir brings its experience of Harlem and the Black Church to Times Square in a foot-stomping, hand-clapping show for fans from around the world.

The homestyle all-you-can-eat Southern buffet is guaranteed to fill the hole in your soul, and the Choir’s joyous performance will have you dancing on the stage.

The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir is the most renowned gospel choir in America and a preeminent gospel choir worldwide. It travels the globe, sharing the joy of faith through its music and raising funds for children’s charities. The Choir was founded in 1986 by Allen Bailey, who got the idea for the Choir while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The Choir presents the finest singers and musicians from Harlem’s Black Churches and the New York/Tri-State area.

The Harlem Gospel Choir has shared its message of love and inspiration with thousands of people from various nations and cultures. The Choir strives to make the world a more loving and peaceful place, and through its music and dynamic performances to create a better understanding of the African-American culture and the inspirational music called gospel as it relates to the Black Church. The theme of every performance is “bringing people and nations together and giving something back.”.

The Harlem Gospel Choir’s songs of gospel and inspiration will touch the depths of your soul and lift your spirit to angelic heights, with sounds that are unfettered, joyous, and inspirational. With every performance, the Choir shares the renaissance of Harlem’s culture with the audience. Every performance will take your breath away!

BRUNCH BUFFET MENU - Scrambled eggs
– Smoked bacon & sausage
– Cinnamon brown sugar French toast
– Aged cheddar baked macaroni & cheese
– Baked beans & smoked bacon
– Sliced baked yams w/ pecans & maple syrup
– South Carolina grits
– Classic Caesar salad w/ garlic croutons & shaved Parmesan
– Vegetarian pasta salad w/ basil & olive oil
– Cornmeal-crusted catfish w/ tartar sauce
– Shrimp & andouille sausage jambalaya
– Mild chicken wings w/ blue cheese dressing
– BBQ chicken w/ Memphis-style sauce
– Fresh fruit salad
– Mini bagels w/ cream cheese
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Fruit cobbler w/ pastry crust
- Brownies & chocolate chip cookies
- Orange, cranberry & grapefruit juices
- Coffee & tea

~ The Harlem Gospel Choir ~ On any Sunday you can visit with the Harlem Gospel Choir and enjoy a soul food brunch at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. Here the Choir brings its experience of Harlem and the Black Church to Times Square in a foot-stomping, hand-clapping show for fans from around the world.

The homestyle all-you-can-eat Southern buffet is guaranteed to fill the hole in your soul, and the Choir’s joyous performance will have you dancing on the stage.

The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir is the most renowned gospel choir in America and a preeminent gospel choir worldwide. It travels the globe, sharing the joy of faith through its music and raising funds for children’s charities. The Choir was founded in 1986 by Allen Bailey, who got the idea for the Choir while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The Choir presents the finest singers and musicians from Harlem’s Black Churches and the New York/Tri-State area.

The Harlem Gospel Choir has shared its message of love and inspiration with thousands of people from various nations and cultures. The Choir strives to make the world a more loving and peaceful place, and through its music and dynamic performances to create a better understanding of the African-American culture and the inspirational music called gospel as it relates to the Black Church. The theme of every performance is “bringing people and nations together and giving something back.”.

The Harlem Gospel Choir’s songs of gospel and inspiration will touch the depths of your soul and lift your spirit to angelic heights, with sounds that are unfettered, joyous, and inspirational. With every performance, the Choir shares the renaissance of Harlem’s culture with the audience. Every performance will take your breath away!

BRUNCH BUFFET MENU - Scrambled eggs
– Smoked bacon & sausage
– Cinnamon brown sugar French toast
– Aged cheddar baked macaroni & cheese
– Baked beans & smoked bacon
– Sliced baked yams w/ pecans & maple syrup
– South Carolina grits
– Classic Caesar salad w/ garlic croutons & shaved Parmesan
– Vegetarian pasta salad w/ basil & olive oil
– Cornmeal-crusted catfish w/ tartar sauce
– Shrimp & andouille sausage jambalaya
– Mild chicken wings w/ blue cheese dressing
– BBQ chicken w/ Memphis-style sauce
– Fresh fruit salad
– Mini bagels w/ cream cheese
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Fruit cobbler w/ pastry crust
- Brownies & chocolate chip cookies
- Orange, cranberry & grapefruit juices
- Coffee & tea

~ The Harlem Gospel Choir ~ On any Sunday you can visit with the Harlem Gospel Choir and enjoy a soul food brunch at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. Here the Choir brings its experience of Harlem and the Black Church to Times Square in a foot-stomping, hand-clapping show for fans from around the world.

The homestyle all-you-can-eat Southern buffet is guaranteed to fill the hole in your soul, and the Choir’s joyous performance will have you dancing on the stage.

The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir is the most renowned gospel choir in America and a preeminent gospel choir worldwide. It travels the globe, sharing the joy of faith through its music and raising funds for children’s charities. The Choir was founded in 1986 by Allen Bailey, who got the idea for the Choir while attending a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The Choir presents the finest singers and musicians from Harlem’s Black Churches and the New York/Tri-State area.

The Harlem Gospel Choir has shared its message of love and inspiration with thousands of people from various nations and cultures. The Choir strives to make the world a more loving and peaceful place, and through its music and dynamic performances to create a better understanding of the African-American culture and the inspirational music called gospel as it relates to the Black Church. The theme of every performance is “bringing people and nations together and giving something back.”.

The Harlem Gospel Choir’s songs of gospel and inspiration will touch the depths of your soul and lift your spirit to angelic heights, with sounds that are unfettered, joyous, and inspirational. With every performance, the Choir shares the renaissance of Harlem’s culture with the audience. Every performance will take your breath away!

BRUNCH BUFFET MENU - Scrambled eggs
– Smoked bacon & sausage
– Cinnamon brown sugar French toast
– Aged cheddar baked macaroni & cheese
– Baked beans & smoked bacon
– Sliced baked yams w/ pecans & maple syrup
– South Carolina grits
– Classic Caesar salad w/ garlic croutons & shaved Parmesan
– Vegetarian pasta salad w/ basil & olive oil
– Cornmeal-crusted catfish w/ tartar sauce
– Shrimp & andouille sausage jambalaya
– Mild chicken wings w/ blue cheese dressing
– BBQ chicken w/ Memphis-style sauce
– Fresh fruit salad
– Mini bagels w/ cream cheese
- Buttermilk biscuits
- Fruit cobbler w/ pastry crust
- Brownies & chocolate chip cookies
- Orange, cranberry & grapefruit juices
- Coffee & tea