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Blue Jay Jazz Foundation
Jazz Salon All Stars
featuring Niki Haris
Saturday, August 29th
San Moritz Lodge, Crestline, CA.
Gate time 4pm.
Opening show: 4:45pm – Main Show: 6pm – 7:00pm.
An evening of Jazz Standards from the Great American Songbook with Jazz Salon All Stars and featured vocalist, Niki Haris.
Niki Haris
Niki Haris is a multi-talented singer, dancer, actress and choreographer. She is the daughter of GRAMMY Award-nominated jazz pianist Gene Harris. Best Known as “The BIG VOICE” behind Madonna for over 18 years, appearing alongside her in the movie “Truth or Dare” and many of her videos. Her vocal collaborations reads like a “Who’s Who” of the music business. From working with Jazz greats like Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample and the Jazz Crusaders to recordings with Ray Charles to Mick Jagger and from Whitney Houston to Sheryl Crow, and many others.
All this has kept her in high demand. Her voice is heard on soundtracks of major motion pictures and television themes, including the FOX series “Dark Angel”, which she co-wrote and performed. From Carnegie Hall to Wembley Stadium , she has played them all! Although known as a renaissance woman and a favorite in the Dance World and International Dance Festivals and PRIDE Festivals around the world, Niki continued to expand her reach by being the Voice and face of the International VISA campaign “Downtown” which climbed the Billboard Dance Charts!!
More about Niki Haris:
At the same time she continued her love for jazz, releasing 2 new JAZZ collaborations in 2016 “Time and Rhyme” with EC3 and “I’m Glad There is You” with Wycliffe Gordon and in 2018 released her inspirational cd “Lift Thine Eyes”.
Niki remains a favorite featured artist throughout the International Jazz Festivals and The Blue Note at Sea Festivals. Besides being called to sing for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama (performing with WILL. IAM) and not one to shy from a challenge, Niki continues to share her gifts for a multitude of benefits for AIDS Research, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as well as, Camp Harmony, benefiting the lives of inner-city children.
Niki continues to be called upon to lend her “inspirational” Voice to notable speakers such as Iylanla Van Sant “FIX MY LIFE” , Mark Victor Hansen “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and Reverend Michael Beckwith “ The Secret “ and “ The Answer is YOU”. Her support of Music in the Classroom and RAAD,” Rockers Against Drunk Driving keep her busy and dedicated to their success. With all this and being a dedicated mother, Niki Haris remains a focused and in demand international entertainer.
Jazz Salon All Stars
The Jazz Salon is an intimate jazz supper club located in downtown Los Angeles. Founder bassist Dave Ross explains, “It’s great when entertainment collaborations can happen and great community work continues. We’re proud to be a part of this year’s Blue Jay Jazz Festival.”
Rickey Woodard
Sax player Rickey Woodard has his own distinctive warm, buttery sound, which he honed playing with the best: 7 years with Ray Charles, followed by gigs with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Duke Ellington, Diana Krall, B.B. King, Leon Russell, Michael Bublé, Gladys Knight, Kenny Burrell, Cedar Walton, Horace Silver, John Legend and Ernie Watts.
Nolan Shaheed
Trumpeter Nolan Shaheed played with Duke Ellington, before becoming first chair in the Basie band when he was 28. His touring includes multi-year gigs with Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Diana Ross and Phil Collins. He was also the musical director for Marvin Gaye.
David Ross
Bassist Dave Ross founded The Jazz Salon, and gets to play with many of his jazz heroes, including Mary Stallings, Ernie Watts, Houston Person, Tamir Hendelman, Jay Clayton, Larry Goldings, Arnold McCullers and all the artists in this band!
Judd Pillot
Drummer Judd Pillot is a Lake Arrowhead local, when he’s not having to drive down the hill to Hollywood, where (19 years) he has written, directed and been a show runner for a variety of television shows, including “Coach”, “Mad About You” and “Just Shoot Me”.
Mitch Forman
Shortly after graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Mitch began touring and recording with Gerry Mulligan, playing in both his big band and quartet. Work with Stan Getz followed. In 1980 his solo career began with a piano performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. This recording became Mitch’s first album, “Live at Newport”.
The next few years brought new challenges with work on the road with Phil Woods, Carla Bley, Mel Torme, and Astrud Gilberto. He also recorded two solo piano albums for Soul Note and toured in Europe regularly.
Mitch spent the early 80’s as one of the most sought after studio musicians in New York, working with a multitude of gifted artists, not the least of whom was guitarist John McLaughlin.
Mitch joined MacLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, and spent a year and a half on the road with McLaughlin, recording and contributing to two of the band’s benchmark recordings – the seminal “Mahavishnu” and “Adventures in Radioland”.
Mitch then joined legendary ex-Weather Report saxophonist Wayne Shorter, touring, recording and contributing to Shorter’s “Phantom Navigator”.
Mitch continued to work with other luminaries like guitarist John Scofield (“Blue Matter”), Mike Stern (“Upside Downside”) Janis Siegal, Dave Samuels, Diane Schuur, Gary Burton (Reunion GRP), Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Simon Phillips, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Evans, and Ricki Lee Jones.
Opening Act: Digital Audio Projekt
Opening the final concert night will be Digital Audio Projekt (DAP) showcasing locals André Berry, Bruce Rubio and Harold Allen, Jr.
One of the busiest sidemen in the business these days is bassist André Berry played with David Sanborn for a decade, while supporting Warren Hill. He has toured with Dave Koz, Rick Braun and Mindi Abair and continues to be one of the most sought-after bass players in the industry.
Professional saxophonist and long-time Lake Arrowhead resident, Bruce Rubio has ticked an impressive list of stints with top professional jazz bands, rock bands, and tribute bands and native New Orleans born drummer, Harold Allen Jr. has performed with various artists including The Brothers Johnson, Jermaine Jackson, Ivan Neville, Leo Nocentelli, Percy Sledge, Jean Knight, Harmonica Fats, Michael Haggins and many others.
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We know times are challenging, and we are grateful to each of you for sticking by us. Our education programs provide annual jazz education scholarships, awards, instrument lending and live performance opportunities for students and other young people in the San Bernardino Mountain communities. We also believe that festivals in general, and the Blue Jay Jazz Festival specifically, are an incredible gathering of community around amazing music – it brings joy to our lives, and solace to our souls.
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