KUNG FU, Lou Donaldson, et al. Set for Blue Note Jazz Festival, 6/15-18

Blue Note Jazz Festival has announced upcoming performances for June 15-18th for its LATE NIGHTS, BRUNCH & MONDAY NIGHT. The performances include:

LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES
KUNG FU
Friday, June 15, 2012 • 12:30AM • $15

Proud to be firmly installed in 2012's new-funk movement, KUNG FU is blurring the line between intense electro-fusion, and blistering dance arrangements. Making fusion music "cool" again, the band draws on influences such as early Headhunters and Weather Report, merging those ideas with a contemporary EDM informed sensibility. Although the ensemble cast enjoys a seasoned pedigree that reads like a late-night summer festival all-star jam, this fledgling "nu-sion" project is growing a unique and rabid following by commanding audiences at theaters, clubs, and major national festivals, all within the past 18 months. Kung Fu features Tim Palmieri (guitar), Robert Somerville (tenor sax), Todd Stoops (keyboards), David Livolsi (bass guitar), and Adrian Tramontano (drums/percussion).

LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES
EMEFE
Saturday, June 16, 2012 • 12:30AM • $10

EMEFE has only one intention: to play music that frees everybody in the audience, everybody listening at home, and everybody in the band. The group was created by drummer Miles Arntzen in 2009 to explore and share the afrobeat music pioneered in the 1970s and '80s by Fela Anikulapo Kuti. In the same way that Fela used afrobeat music to confront corrupt politics, EMEFE uses its music to fight the inner authorities that we put on ourselves, each for our own reasons. EMEFE draws heavy influences from Sly Stone, James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more to create a powerful and exciting sound that never fails to get audiences jumping. The band hopes to spread awareness of the healing power of music, dancing, and smiling, which explains its reputation as one of the most exciting and engaging live bands in New York.

SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES
JULIAN LAGE – SOLO GUITAR
Sunday, June 17, 2012 • 12:30PM & 2:30PM • $29.50 includes show, meal & 1 drink

Hailed by All About Jazz as "a giant in the making," guitar virtuoso Julian Lage was the subject of an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Jules at Eight (1996). He gained pivotal early exposure as a protégé of legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, recording and touring with him on several projects. His other recent high-profile sideman appearances include Lucky to Be Me (2006) and Let it Come to You (2008), both by good friend and pianist Taylor Eigsti. With his debut solo album Sounding Point (2009), Lage arrived at a unique approach to composition and ensemble craft, earning a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. His latest album Gladwell (2011) represents another stage in that evolution, building on his proven strengths and solidifying a unique identity for Lage's working band, while continuing to open new doors and exploring new horizons.

BLUE NOTE JAZZ FESTIVAL PRESENTS
LOU DONALDSON
Monday, June 18, 2012 • 8:00PM & 10:30PM • $30 at table / $20 in bar

Lou Donaldson began his career as a bandleader with Blue Note Records in 1952 and at age 25 had already found his trademark sound. He made a series of classic records for Blue Note Records in the '50s, including several recordings with Art Blakey's quintet, and takes pride in having showcased many musicians who made their first records as sidemen for him: Horace Silver, Clifford Brown, Grant Green, Blue Mitchell, Donald Byrd, Horace Parlan, and others. After also making some excellent recordings for Cadet and Argo Records in the early '60s, Donaldson's return to Blue Note in 1967 was marked by one of his most famous recordings, Alligator Bogaloo. Today, at age 85, Donaldson continues to play at his very best, entertaining audiences worldwide with spirited performances that are always soulful, thoroughly swinging, and steeped in the blues. His hits on Blue Note Records are still high demand favorites and he is the label's oldest musician from that notable era of jazz. He has continued to release stellar albums on other labels as well – among his latest are Caracas (1993), Sentimental Journey (1995), and Relaxing at Sea: Live on the QE2 (2000).