Click For Tickets Through Eventbrite
“Ray Blue has a majestic presence when playing, his sense of purpose is obvious - Jean Szlamowicz, Jazz Hot, Down Beat Magazine
Safe Social Distancing Seating With Very Limited Ticket Availability. Tickets Are Sold By The Table ONLY. Tables seating 2 - 4 guests, with tables for 6 -8 available upon request. See The Attached Seating Chart. Five Indoor Tables With Open French Doors Facing The Performance And Eight Outdoor Tables Are Available.
Rain date will be announced for a Sunday in October. Admission Is Still Only $15.00 Per Person But Must Be Purchased As A Table For Safety Table Of Two = $30., Four = $60., Six = $90., and Eight = $120
Ray Blue - Sax Over the years Ray has shared the stage and studio as a leader, a sideman, and a band member with Alicia Keys, The Sun Ra Arkestra, the Cotton Club All-Stars, John Gilmore, Dr. Art Davis, Benny Powell, Eddie Henderson, Kirk Lightsey, Charlie Persia Super Band, Clifford Adams, Wycliffe Gordon, Bernard Purdie, Steve Turre, Ted Curson, Joe Lee Wilson, and many others.
He was also a cast member of “The Ray Charles Show” which toured in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy 2008-2010.
“Ray Blue has a majestic presence when playing, his sense of purpose is obvious. It’s one thing to be a good composer, its another to be a great performer. Ray Blue’s got the whole package.” — Jean Szlamowicz, Jazz Hot, Down Beat
Ray Blue’s music can be described as a fusion of straight-ahead jazz and rhythmic groove. Ray is a New York-bred saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator who performs internationally. Over the years he has shared the stage and studio as a leader, a sideman, and a band member with John Gilmore, Dr. Art Davis, Benny Powell, Eddie Henderson, Kirk Lightsey, Charlie Persip Super Band, Clifford Adams, Wycliff Gordon, Bernard Purdie, Steve Turre, Ted Curson, Joe Lee Wilson, Alicia Keys, The Sun Ra Arkestra, Cotton Club All-Stars and many others. He was also a cast member of the “Ray Charles Show” which toured in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy from 2008 to 2010.
His festival performances as a leader and featured artist include Hartford Jazz Festival, Hartford, Connecticut; Zanzibar International Film Festival, Zanzibar, Tanzania; North Sea Jazz Festival-Cape Town, South Africa; Macufe Festival- Bloemfontain, South Africa; European Union Annex Festival-Dublin, Ireland; Audi Jazz Festival, Brussels, Belgium; Macao Jazz Festival, China; Midi Music Festival-Beijing, China; Pori Jazz Festival, Finland and others.
After receiving a graduate degree from the University of Iowa, Ray returned to New York, got re-connected on the scene, and studied at the Jazz Mobile with Charles Davis, Stanton Davis, and later with Paul Jeffrey, Charlie Lagond, Sonny Sharrock and Barry Harris. Some of his mentors include Arthur Blythe, Houston Person, Ornette Coleman, and Benny Powell.
Ray Blue is also a graduate of Wm. Penn University, which annually presents “The Ray Blue Jazz Award” since 2004 to a graduating senior. In addition, Wm. Penn University hosted its inaugural “Jazz Education Festival” in 2007 for High School and College musicians in Ray Blue’s name. They also presented Ray the “Distinguished Career Award“ in 2010. Ray is a 2013 “New York Blues Hall of Fame” inductee - Master Blues and Jazz Artist. His awards include: 2015 Iowa Juneteenth “Jazz Legacy Award”, 2016 “Arts Education Award”, 2017 “Living Legacy Award”.
Ray released his first CD as a leader, Always with a Purpose, in 2001. Then came Ray Blue Live at Liars Theater in 2004 and “Ray Blue Live at Liars Theater 2 in 2005. In 2006 Ray released ‘Transvision’ on the Neu Klang label and Berries and Blues in 2010.
“a prodigious talent that was unmistakable" - Irwin Hall, Grammy-nominated saxophonist
Will Gorman is a pianist, organist, singer and composer from Syracuse, NY. Starting classical lessons at a young age, he was dragged to jazz band in high school and never turned back. He attended William Paterson University, working with Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern, among others, and completed his B.M. in piano in 2019 and M.M. in Composition and Arranging in 2020. Throughout this time, he’s performed extensively with jazz notables such as Vincent Herring, Claudio Roditi, Winard Harper, and Sheila Jordan among others. An up-and-coming arranger, contributing two arrangements for big band to be featured on veteran organist Radam Schwartz’s next release. Most recently, he has been playing with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Irwin Hall and his new organ trio, featuring Jerome Jennings on drums, with an album to be released in 2020.
At age 19, he joined the band of Grammy award-winning blues master Joe Louis Walker, balancing time on the road and school. He’s played extensively with rising blues stars “King” Solomon Hicks and Vanessa Collier, including work on Collier’s last two albums.
Will has performed at clubs and festivals all over the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia, including Jazz in Marciac, Blue Note Beijing, Jazz Madrid, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, The Black Cat, and many more. In 2018, Will was a fellow in the Program for Jazz at Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, studying composition with Rufus Reid and Billy Childs.
Growing up in Syracuse, he had the opportunity to serve as musical director at Southern Baptist Church, playing organ and directing the choir, as well as tour extensively with the Stella Award-winning gospel group, Charles Cannon and the Bells of Harmony.
Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax - Drums Philadelphia born, Dwayne now lives in Brooklyn NY. He teaches Trap Drum set Concepts at Long Island University (LIU), Brooklyn Branch. He attended Berklee College of Music where he received his B.A. in Jazz Performance. “Cook” was the drummer for the late great Jazz vocalist Little Jimmy Scott for 14 years until Mr. Scott's death in 2014. He's performed with such artists as Kevin Eubanks, Johnny Copeland, Savion Glover, Eartha Kitt, Rachell Ferrell & saxophonist Illinois Jacket to name a few. Dwayne has recorded with actress/model & singer Vanessa Williams, Jimmy Scott, Vanessa Rubin, and Grammy Award winner Johnny Copeland. He performed in the blockbuster hit movie Malcolm X by Spike Lee and recently appeared on the hit television show Madame Secretary. “Cook” has recently toured Japan with Guitarist Tsutomu Nakai, and Europe with vocalist Dee Daniels, trumpet Warren Vache, and Russia with pianist Eli Yamin.
We're sorry, there are no refunds after tickets have been purchased. In the event of rain or other forms of weather which prohibits an outdoor performance, the rain date performance will be held on the Sunday of that week. If the rain date becomes postponed because of weather, a future alternate weather date will be picked.
Click For Tickets Through Eventbrite