Adrian Younge
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY ADRIAN YOUNGE Adrian Younge is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, composer, and orchestrator who has produced for entertainment greats such as Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Wu Tang In 2007, Younge relinquished his position as a professor of law to find himself at the center of the Black Dynamite phenomenon. He served as the film’s editor and composer. Hailed as a modern blaxploitation masterpiece, the soundtrack was listed in the top 10 best soundtracks of the year by the LA Times. In 2011, Younge created the album, Something About April, showcasing a dark mix of psychedelic soul and cinematic instrumentals. In 2013, the project was sampled twice by Timbaland for Jay-Z’s Magna Carta… Holy Grail, solidifying Younge as a new sound in hip hop. Younge’s work has also been sampled by various artists including No I.D., DJ Premier, Schoolboy Q, and more. Younge owns and operates Linear Labs, a recording studio and label. Linear Labs reflects his dedication to the art of analog recording, utilizing analog tape and live instrumentation exclusively. Under the label, he’s produced projects for artists such as Ghostface Killah, Souls of Mischief, and The Delfonics. In 2017, Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) formed the band, The Midnight Hour. In addition to musical releases and touring, they’ve teamed to score a myriad of television and film projects: Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix), Raising Kanan (Starz), The Equalizer (CBS), Reasonable Doubt (Hulu), Run This Town (2019), Washington Black (2023), Boogie (2021), and Bitchin’, The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021). Younge has also scored Black Dynamite (2009), Black Dynamite animated series (2012), California King (2023), The Big Payback (2023), Queens (ABC), All Rise (OWN), and Human Footprint (PBS). In 2019, Younge, Muhammad, Andrew Lojero and Adam Block created Jazz Is Dead (JID): a multimedia company specializing in the production of live concerts, studio albums, television and film. JID concerts have earned an ever-growing fanbase through national and international tours. Under the label, Younge and Muhammad have produced albums with their musical heroes including luminaires such as Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Gary Bartz, Jean Carne, Marcos Valle and Tony Allen. In February 2021, Younge released the seminal album, The American Negro, his most important work to date. This project, in tandem with his Amazon original podcast, Invisible Blackness and short film TAN, provides an unapologetic critique on the evolution of racism in America. The podcast features conversations with guests such as Chuck D, Roy Choi, Dr. Melina Abdullah, Wayne Brady and Mahershala Ali. For Younge, the message is more important than the music.
Asheville Jazz Orchestra
ALL AGES MOSTLY SEATED SHOW (with some dancing room in the back!) ASHEVILLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA Recently voted one of the region’s “Best in Jazz” by Mountain Xpress readers for the 2nd year in a row, the Asheville Jazz Orchestra (AJO) brings the energy and excitement of live jazz to western North Carolina! From the toe-tapping dance-floor favorites of the Swing Era to timeless classics by legends like Count Basie and Buddy Rich, the AJO’s performances are a celebration of jazz at its finest. Adding a modern twist, the band also showcases fresh, original compositions crafted by its talented members. Whether you’re a jazz enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, the AJO promises an unforgettable musical experience that will leave you tapping your toes and wanting more!
An Evening With Vanessa Collier
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEVANESSA COLLIER “There’s a young lady [Vanessa Collier] came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.” Those are the words of Buddy Guy in a recent issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honours, and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction and one we would all do well to watch. It’s not simply the accolades she has accumulated so far, although they’ve been many — two Blues Music Awards for “Horn Player of the Year”, and a third BMA for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year”, eight Blues Music Award Nominations (BMAs), a Blues Blast Award nomination, the Jammingest Pro Award bestowed by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, First Place for lyrics in the International Songwriting Competition, Best of 2014 Blues Breaker on Dan Aykroyd’s BluesMobile — it’s the fact that she has accumulated all these honours even while her career is still in its infancy. A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released four critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone, 2017’s Meeting My Shadow, and 2018’s Honey Up, 2020’s Heart On The Line. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23, and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station! It’s not surprising that the press has been quick to commend her efforts as well. Blues Blast Magazine affirms, “Vanessa Collier is a fresh face on the American blues scene, and in addition to her soulful vocals, she brings a mighty sax to the table…” Blues Music Magazine proclaims, “Collier is a fresh face who comes to the blues stage carrying her reed instruments, a dual degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, a major label debut, almost two years of touring with Joe Louis Walker, and a mature musical vision…Collier commands center stage with her vocals, soloing, and stage presence.” Midwest Record exclaims, “This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds…Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan. Killer stuff.” and AXS.Com declares that she “might as well go ahead and add another shelf to her trophy case because clearly, she’s going to need it. With a voice that often recalls that of blues-rock stalwart Bonnie Raitt, Collier turns up the heat…”
OUTPOST: Quinn Sternberg’s Mind Beach + Danny Ianucci Trio
-ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEQuinn Sternberg is an Asheville bassist, composer and bandleader recently relocated from New Orleans and originally from Bloomington, Indiana. His four albums “Weird World,” “Mind Beach,” “Cicada Songs,” and 2023’s “Walking On Eggshells” draw influence from Quinn’s Midwest musical upbringing, his decade performing in New Orleans, and contemporary musical elements. The result is a fresh perspective on the Jazz tradition that is simultaneously melodic and groovy, “complex but digestible” (DownBeat Magazine), and soulful while highly interactive. Quinn’s band has wowed audiences at venues ranging from listening rooms, to rock clubs, to festival stages with their intense live energy.Jacob Rodiguez: Sax Alex Taub: KeyboardJoe Enright: DrumsQuinn Sternberg: Bass and CompositionOpening the night is the Danny Ianucci trio performing a set of all original music. The trio features three of Asheville’s best and most in demand musicians: Jason DeCristofaro (keyboard), Micah Thomas (Drums), and Danny Ianucci (bass).
PATIO: JM Stevens – “Nowhere to Land” Tour
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEJM STEVENS Hailing from Austin, Texas by way of West Point, Mississippi, critically acclaimed Americana and roots-rock/pop singer, songwriter, and producer, JM Stevens returns three years after his well-received solo debut, Invisible Lines. Releasing in April 2024, the 10-song Nowhere to Land is an overall mellower, more vulnerable record than its predecessor, though still speckled with some up-tempo rockers. It’s a thoughtful album further set apart by Stevens’ nuanced songcraft, intimate vocals, and organic production. DittyTV praised Stevens as, “In that sweet spot of pop-rock represented by guys like Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, John Cafferty, Tom Petty, [and] Don Henley,” while The Big Takeover noted how his “Supremely tasteful arrangements keep excess far at bay.” From contemplative, optimistic opener “Dry Creek” and the more jaunty but no less questioning title track, it’s a record that preserves the raw emotions of Stevens’ songcraft through admirably restrained production. “I wanted to keep it real open,” he said. “And it sometimes sounds bigger that way, because there’s more space to sink into, more room to breathe.” Pangs of love, loss and loneliness punctuate Nowhere to Land’s bouts of doubt, jealousy, and recurring hope. Songs search for that old spark as lovers grow apart but often, tempered by empathy, resolve into acceptance and letting go. “After the Storm” came to Stevens almost fully formed while out running in the wake of Texas’ infamous 2021 ice storm, while fellow standout “Cherry Sunburst” takes doing whatever it took to acquire a coveted guitar as a metaphor for losing our senses in all manner of other situations. Catch Stevens on tour in 2024 supporting Nowhere to Land. “Recalls records from the Jayhawks, Drive-By Truckers, and Uncle Tupelo, blending acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars around smooth, upper tenor vocals.” – Brian Standefer, Texas Monthly “The majority of these songs sound as if they’ve been lingering in the ethos forever, uncannily familiar yet edgy enough to catch immediate attention and resonate well beyond.” – Lee Zimmerman, Goldmine
PATIO: Roots and Dore
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEROOTS AND DORERoots and Dore is an American blues duo from Asheville. Riyen Roots and Kenny Dore have played music together for more than 16 years around the Western North Carolina mountains as well as touring overseas and are committed to keeping the blues alive “one show at a time.” Their album, “The Blues and Beyond” features a host of well-known musicians including Bob Margolin (Muddy Waters Band), David Holt (Longtime Doc Watson Sideman) and others. They are currently working on another album due later in the year. Always a good time when these guys are doing their thing.
OUTPOST: JLloyd Mashup
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEThe JLloyd MashUp explores different genres of music including Acid Jazz, Funk, Soul, Afro Beat, Reggae, Break Beat, and Latin. They have established a solid musical community in Asheville by hosting weekly Monday night shows that feature special guests and different music every week. Led and curated by Jonathan Lloyd (The Fritz/Dubconscious/Cadillac Jones), the band is made up of some of Asheville’s busiest and hardest working musicians on the scene.
Greg Ruby, Don Stiernberg, Evan Price and Kevin Kehrberg
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE Greg Ruby, Don Stiernberg, Evan Price and Kevin Kehrberg will bring their unique tapestry of acoustic string swing to the Grey Eagle on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Performing work from their latest record “Rhythm Twist,” they will weave together elements of Hot Club jazz, mando-bop and old school swing – all on an acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin and upright bass. With Greg from New York, Don from Chicago, Evan from San Francisco and Kevin from Asheville, the four have collaborated every summer while in residency as teaching staff at the Swannanoa Gathering. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic prevented them from getting together so instead they created a remote record – “Rhythm Twist”. Each musician composed one song and arranged two others. Passing charts, tracks and ideas between them, they created something unique and collective. Guitarist Greg Ruby states, “not only did this project help us maintain a sense of sanity and ground us in creativity, it kept us in touch with each other while riding out a very strange period of human history.” “Spontaneity, conversation, and swingin’ good vibes” – The Mandolin Café
HELLCRAB: Contemporary Jazz Octet
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEHELLCRABHELLCRAB is an acronym, as well as the name of a contemporary jazz collective, composed of the initials of its members’ last names: Dylan Hannan (woodwinds), Joe Enright (drums), Connor Law (bass), Andrew Lawniczak (trumpet), Jason Chrisman (tenor sax and EWI), Johnathan Reilly (alto sax), Steven Alvarez (guitar), and Jacob Bruner (keys).The group began in Asheville in the summer of 2022 as an informal jam session by 8 like-minded musicians. Playing mostly original compositions and on the spot arrangements of jazz standards, they realized that the resulting musical interplay was too special to not share with a wider audience.Fronted by a four-piece horn section, and backed by a four-piece rhythm section, HELLCRAB is capable of running the gamut of musical expression and intensity. The group strives to push their own understanding of jazz music and anyone willing to take the journey with them is sure to be entertained.
The Bad Plus + Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE BAD PLUS The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals. A democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. For the past two decades they have played with spirit and adventure, made their own rules and done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent. Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance.Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) – instigating a new wave of excitement and anticipation within the band that is re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync. The Bad Plus is set to release their 15th studio recording and debut self-titled album as a dynamic new quartet via Edition Records on Friday, September 30th. “Evolution is necessary for life and creativity,” say Dave King and Reid Anderson. “We’ve evolved, but we’re still The Bad Plus.”MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG“I got a right to say FUCK YOU!!!” is how the new album from veteran guitarist Marc Ribot’s trio Ceramic Dog starts off, with Ribot howling in anger at corruption, tyranny, life in general, and nothing in particular. Ribot certainly isn’t the only one piling-on, but if you’ve got a serious case of outrage fatigue, Ceramic Dog’s explosive cocktail of balls-to-the-wall abandon, chameleonic disregard for style constraints, political commentary, and absurdist humor is just the shot in the ass you might need. In fact, Ceramic Dog’s new album — titled YRU Still Here?— directed in equal parts at themselves, the commander in chief, and the listening public — arrives just in time to remind us that now is a moment when anger is not only necessary, and unavoidable, but also good for house plants . Thanks in no small part to the fire, brimstone, and dextrous facility summoned by kindred spirits Shahzad Ismaily (Secret Chiefs 3, Will Oldham, Ben Frost) on bass and drummer Ches Smith (Xiu Xiu, Secret Chiefs 3, Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant), YRU Still Here? comes to the table armed with more than just sloganeering rhetoric. By way of stylistic explanation, Ribot comments: “Yes, we too are subject to the post-modern condition, but we see it as a kind of psoriasis.” Alongside his monumental career forging his peerless guitar style with the likes of Tom Waits, John Zorn, the Lounge Lizards, etc, Ribot has also worked for decades as a tenant union and artist rights activist, where he master ed the agit-prop skills used to such dazzling effect on hits such as “Fuck La Migra” and “Muslim/Jewish Resistance”. As much as it is a rallying cry, though, YRU Still Here? also further consecrates Ribot’s bond with Ismaily and Smith, referring to them as his “musical conscience” and to the band as a “family…although not always in a good way”. “After all the playing I’ve done,” Ribot explains, “there’s just something about this group that still manages to shock me.”
