May 09 Friday
John Pizzarelli [guitar and vocals]Mike Karn [double bass]Isaiah J. Thompson [piano]
Guitarist and singer JOHN PIZZARELLI has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and the Beatles. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Van Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen and, of course, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor’s American Standard in 2021. He has performed on America’s most popular national television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and Great Performances, as well as the talk shows of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
May 10 Saturday
Bryan Mills [saxophone]Mike Madison [vocals]Taryne Warren [vocals]Robbie McDonald [guitar]David Dyson [bass]Patrick Cooper [keyboards]Tim Steele [drums]
Celebrate the special ladies in your life this May at Keystone Korner Baltimore with Secret Society!
Formed in 2008, Secret Society, the brainchild of Washington-area musician Bryan Mills, was created to bring the “Live Band” sound back to today’s heavily computerized music market. The combination of talent, deep history, tradition, experience and a host of influences stemming from the seeds of John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Police, Rick James and a host of others, gives this band their own unique sound and identity. Their brand of “Feel Good Music” was nominated for a WAMMIE by the Washington Area Music Awards (WAMA) for Best Urban Contemporary Duo/Group. The band has been featured in several magazines, including Prince George's Suite and Magazine 33 Virginia, as "one of the hottest bands in the region!"
May 11 Sunday
Armed with a velvety voice and a knack for writing sultry romantic ballads, Keith Washington dominated the charts in the early 90s with his suave brand of contemporary R&B. Washington made his official debut in 1991 with Make Time For Love, which went straight to the top of Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and spawned the massive hit “Kissing You, ”which won him a 1992 Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Male. “If You Were With Me Now,” a duet with Australian singer Kylie Minogue, was also featured on the album and reached an impressive Number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.
May 14 Wednesday
Sarah Hanahan [alto saxophone]Marc Cary [piano]Kris Funn [bass]Eric Kennedy [drums]
A young jazz saxophonist based in New York City, Sarah Hanahan is a generational talent on the rise. Sarah was recently featured in the first-ever class of NPR Jazz Night in America’s Youngbloods alongside Samara Joy, Immanuel Wilkins, Isaiah J. Thompson, and Sean Mason. The series features “five up-and-coming jazz geniuses who are revolutionizing their genre” - all of whom are under the age of 30. Her debut album, Among Giants, featuring Marc Cary, Nat Reeves, and Jeff “Tain” Watts is out now on all platforms!
Sarah has had the privilege of studying and working with many renowned musicians including Jeff “Tain” Watts, Abraham Burton, Nat Reeves, Peter Martin, Emmet Cohen, Steve Davis, Billy Hart, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Drummond, Marc Cary, and has toured with Joe Farnsworth, Peter Martin, Ulysses Owens Jr. & Generation Y, and Sherrie Miracle & the Diva Orchestra. She also recently had the opportunity to play for the 2023 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert at the Kennedy Center honoring Sue Mingus with the Grammy award-winning Mingus Dynasty Band.
May 16 Friday
2nd Annual Rotunda Rocks Returns to Hampden Neighborhood this SpringFamily-friendly Night of Rockin’ Fun Begins May 3 and Runs Every Friday Until End of September
Whether you like to jam to rock, folk, blues, Indie, Latin or reggae, there is something for everyone as the second annual Rotunda Rocks concert series returns to Hampden this spring/summer (711 W 40th Street). This family-friendly FREE concert series, presented by MCB Real Estate, features live music on the plaza and a street festival atmosphere with delicious local food and drinks, fun games and local vendors on Fridays, 6-9 p.m. beginning May 3 and running until September 27. Rotunda Rocks is open to the public and welcomes families and pets. A portion of proceeds from beverage sales benefits the Maryland SPCA. For more information, log onto Rotunda Rocks | The Rotunda (rotundabaltimore.com) or call 410-662-0104.
SCHEDULE OF BANDS: May 3 Mambo Combo (Latin and tropical rhythms)May 10 Strykers Posse (reggae)May 17 Go Dog Go with special guest Garage Sale (garage rock and hot rockin’ Surf)May 24 Harlan County Kings (original rock)May 31 Patrick Alban & Noche Latina (Latin and acoustic rock with a touch of salsa and South Beach feel)June 7 Barry Prosser and the Vaguely Absurd (classic rock)June 14 Monkton Road Band (rootsy folks laced with deep country)June 21 The Natty Brohs (classic rock and blues)June 28 The Soularites (SoulFULL reggae and Ska)July 5 Kyf Brewer & Friends (hues of 60’s pop radio, British invasion, early Nashville, rhythm and blues and ancient Celtic melodies)July 12 Justin Trawick and the Common Good (Americana-bluegrass, country and folk)July 19 The Players Band (infectious rhythms and horn-heavy ska sounds)July 26 Gaelic Mishap (Celtic rock)August 2 Tumblehome (rock, soul, rhythm & blues)August 9 Kurt Deemer Band (guitar driven rock & roll)August 16 Barleyjuice (Celtic rock)August 23 Red Sammy (honest, slow-burn Americana folks rock)August 30 La Unica (Irish Latin)September 6 ZOCKO! (surf garage)September 13 Western Run (funked-up country rock)September 20 Guys In Thin Ties (Alternative 80s band)September 27 The Rock-A-Sonics (rockabilly, vintage country and atomic age rock n’ roll)
May 18 Sunday
"None of us could have imagined what it's like to see Joey Alexander play that piano with such mastery. The thing is, when you see him play live, you quickly forget his age and get lost in the intense focus of his performance...The crowd was both mesmerized and humbled." — NPR MUSIC
Bali, Indonesia-born pianist, composer, and bandleader Joey Alexander has been performing professionally since 2013 when Wynton Marsalis invited him to perform at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala. Since a tender age, Joey has been widely regarded as one of the most highly skilled pianists and thoughtful improvisers in jazz.
Alexander’s albums have netted three GRAMMY® Award nominations: one for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (My Favorite Things) and two for Best Improvised Jazz Solo (“Giant Steps,” from My Favorite Things, and “Countdown” from the album of the same name), with My Favorite Things and Countdown securing the No. 1 spot on the Billboard jazz charts and Eclipse coming at No. 3. Over the course of his astonishing career, Alexander has performed with Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding at the Obama White House, for President Bill Clinton at the Arthur Ashe Learning Center Gala, at the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, and at major jazz festivals and nightclubs around the world with top-shelf collaborators like Larry Grenadier, Kendrick Scott, Chris Potter and many others.
An die Musik Live! artist-in-residence Justin Taylor presents a monthly series with guest artists!
Justin Taylor, piano/organ/drumsCharles Brown, bassLester Wallace, Jr., drums
Whether dominating the ivory keys of a grand piano or the weighted 88, Justin Taylor commands a sound and style that captivates audiences and astounds the listener. His approach to creating music and connecting with his audiences nothing short of music mastery in its finest.
Because of Justin’s versatility. he is one of Baltimore’s most sought after young pianists. He has been performing for over 24 years with some of the music industry’s most prolific and well known jazz, gospel, and R&B artists. He’s performed with or opened for Grammy-nominated R&B/hip-hop artist Jaheim, pop singer K’Jon, Baltimore’s own national recording artist Maysa Leak, Corinthia Cromwell, Carl Grubbs, Tim Warfield, and others.
Justin is also a composer, producer and engineer. He is working on his debut project and has released a single called, “Trees”, which can be found on all music platforms. He has played on several albums in his career and has taught at Columbia and Baltimore School of Rock, and he has served on the artist-in-residency ensemble at Towson University.
Justin is a 2017 Towson University graduate, with a degree in Commercial Music with emphasis on jazz piano. At T.U. he studied under Tim Murphy, and he’s also taken classical piano lessons with Lawrence Crawford.
In-person seats: $20 / $10 studentsAttendees receive a link to the recording to view for one week.
Streaming passes: $15The link will remain active through Feb 30
Donations welcome!
May 23 Friday
One never knows what type of seed is planted until that flower blooms. The vocal botanics that emerge from Karen Linette was recognized long after her first presentation to her mother, when she and her older brother would perform songs that were played during her childhood. That radiance developed into an organic sound, establishing Karen as the go-to person for vocals in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Giving her fellow local musicians more than twenty years of experience as a singer and collaborative artist, she has also shared the stage with national recording artists such as Norman Connors, Dawn Robinson of En Vogue, Cece Peniston, Club Nouveau, Case, Miles Jaye, Anthony David, Miki Howard, Regina Belle, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel and numerous others.
Joining choir opened the door for her to experiment with her range; known for her four-octave climb, her gentle-jazzy approach can quickly go from soft and singular to deep and encompassed which puts her in the top requested of her class not only for background vocals but as an opener for classic and contemporary acts. Karen has also been called upon quite frequently to perform the National Anthem at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts as well as the Verizon Center for both of the districts NBA teams: the Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystic (WNBA). Meeting the call for excellence, Karen took the breath of the audience during a 2013 Inauguration Celebration performance honoring President Barack Obama.
May 28 Wednesday
Walter Beasley is considered to be the Highest selling full-time Professor/Recording Artist in modern history. He is an award winning soprano saxophonist and singer, composer and producer, founder and CEO of Affable Publishing and Affable Records and was a professor at Berklee for several years.
Walter has been in the top 10 best-selling African American saxophonists in the world since 1998. Also, he released 12 educational DVD's, a book and 8 APPs. Later this year, Walter will be releasing a new album. After many years of his career, he continues to be an inspiration and role model for many people, including people from the new generations.
"Walter Beasley is an anomaly: a successful performing musician who possesses the rare skill of understanding the musical process beyond the intuitive. This special ability enables Walter to communicate with aspiring musicians in a way that removes the sense of mystery that sometimes enshrouds our profession." - Branford Marsalis
Keystone Kards are not applicable for this show.