Ty Stephens Returns to Birdland Tonight, 5/7

The Broadway at Birdland concert series welcomes Ty Stephens & SoulJaazz to the stage tonight, May 7 at 7pm.

Ty Stephens and his band SoulJaazz return to Birdland prior to embarking on their 5th year at the Sporting Festival in Monte Carlo and upon their recent return from a tour of eastern Russia with the US State department and the Vladivostok Philharmonic.  Join the guys as they bring you new music from their upcoming CD, as well as favorites from their extensive and varied repertoire of R&B, Jazz, Funk, Pop and more! 

Ty Stephens is an Award-winning Singer/Songwriter, Entertainer/Recording Artist (Grand Prize Winner Jazzmobile/Anheuser-Busch Solo Jazz Vocalist Competition, NYC, 2006, and First Place Winner R&B/Blues Category of the International Songwriting Competition 2002, for "Somethin’ Strange"), Co-writer/Production, Choreographer and Star of the long-running "Shades Of Harlem" revue show; Co-writer and original cast of "From My Hometown", appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Sophisticated Ladies and Marilyn, An American Fable. Among many recordings, he is Guest Vocalist, alongside Sax Legend Houston Person, on a jazz disc from bassist Jon Burr, "Just Can’t Wait.”  In 2010, Ty joined vocalists from Broadway's The Lion King on the recording of the Soundtrack for the World Cup.  He has performed with: Harry Belafonte, Gregory Hines, Phyllis Hyman, Toshi Kubota, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne, Phoebe Snow, Smokey Robinson, Jon Hendricks; at Carnegie Hall with Liza Minnelli and Natalie Cole, (Laurie Strauss Leukemia Foundation Benefits); Ledisi, Savion Glover, and more; appears regularly in Russia as Guest Artist with Russian drummer Oleg Butman's jazz trio and sax great Igor Butman's Big Band; with his band, SoulJaazz, is entering his 5th Season at the world-famous Sporting Club in Monte Carlo as the Sporting Orchestra (opening for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion, George Benson, Alicia Keys, Steely Dan, Sting, Eric Clapton and more), and recently returned from Japan with superstar Toshi Kubota's 25 Anniversary "Gold Skool" tour, and his 2nd tour of eastern Russia with his band, SoulJaazz, with the US State Department. Ty's original recordings inlcude "Aquarian Mind", "Deeper In Fantasy" and "Musichameleon". 

Composer/Arranger/Conductor Richard Cummings, Jr., on piano, was Musical Director for the legendary Harry Belafonte for nearly 2 decades, and has performed and recorded with Mr. Belafonte, as well as Dianne Reeves, Letta Mbulu, Hugh Masakela, Wayne Shorter, Zubin Meta, George C. Wolfe, Sherry Winston, Iyanla Vanzant, and Jon Lucien, among others.  Mr. Cummings is Co-Producer of Ty’s upcoming CD project.  Bassist, Ron "Rondew" Monroe, served as Associate Producer on Ty Stephens’ "Aquarian Mind" CD (2006), and has performed and recorded with, among others, Pharoah Sanders, Chico Hamilton, George Benson, Tito Puente, Jimmy Witherspoon, Amel Larieux, Dave Koz, Vanessa Rubin, Cece Winans and Roy Ayers.  Rondew is also Co-Producer of Ty’s upcoming CD project.  Robert "R.T." Taylor adds funky guitar to the mix and his credits include Ne-Yo, Beyonce, Chris Brown, LL Cool J, Juelz Santana, Robert Palmer, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Billy Preston, Eddie Kendricks, and McFadden & Whitehead, among others.  Drummer Tony Lewis’ credits include live performance and recording with B.B. King, Little Richard, Sting, Vernon Reid, Nancy Wilson, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), and Richard Street’s Temptations. 

Ty Stephens at Birdland, 315 West 44 Street, NYC, tonight, Monday, May 7 at 7pm. $25 cover and $10 food/drink minimum per person. Call 212-581-3080 or visit www.BirdlandJazz.com

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