JAS Café Summer Series to Include Six Nights of Performances Rooftop at the Aspen Art Museum
Jazz Aspen Snowmass has announced the 2023 Summer Café Series of six diverse performers, including a mix of new and returning artists. Tickets for the series will go on-sale Thursday, April 6 at 10am mst and can be purchased at jazzaspensnowmass.org.
The series opens Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8, with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Shelly Berg, Dean of the Frost School of Music and his trio, accompanied by two outstanding vocalists each evening. Multi-faceted blues, R&B and jazz vocalist, Billy Valentine will join the trio on Friday while brassy jazz & blues Grammy-winning vocalist Catherine Russell will perform with Berg on Saturday. The weekend will close on Sunday, July 9 with award-winning virtuoso guitarist Jose Luis de la Paz and his trio including flute and percussion. Jose’s original compositions range from the most traditional to the most experimental forms in modern Flamenco music.
On Friday, August 18 vocalist Jacqui Naylor returns to the Café with her mix of smokey jazz to folk-rock to adult alternative influences. “Naylor remains one of the most superbly arresting vocalists around,” said the JazzTimes. Grammy-winning electric bassist Marcus Miller will perform on Saturday, August 19. Miller, whose last JAS appearance took place at the Benedict Music Tent as part of the 2016 JAS June Experience, performs a unique combination of funk, soul, jazz, R&B and groove. The series will close on Sunday, August 20 with the unique & arresting vocalist Davina & the Vagabonds in their first ever JAS appearance. “Davina creates her own Americana mishmash – a little Amy Winehouse-worthy neo-soul here, a little Great American Songbook-influenced songcraft there,” said Rolling Stone.
Performances will take place at 7pm ($75) and 9:15pm ($55) each night. JAS Listen Up! Artist interviews will be included with all 7pm tickets. These interviews, starting at 6:15pm, will give attendees an opportunity to learn more about the artists, their personal histories and the history of the origin of the music they will perform.