Vibraphonist Chuck Redd brings an all-star group of jazz musicians featuring Harry Allen on sax and Maucha Adnet on vocals to pay tribute to his mentor Charlie Byrd at The Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland on Saturday April 15, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Information and advance ticket sales are available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org. Reservations to pay at the door can be made by calling 410-639-9133.
Chuck Redd’s career as a jazz vibraphonist and drummer has taken him across decades and around the globe, but he got his start with the Charlie Byrd Trio at the age of 21. He toured and recorded with Byrd for nearly 20 years. Now, he pulls out all the stops to lead an all-star tribute to his mentor and friend Charlie Byrd, the American guitarist who brought who (along with Stan Getz on sax) brought Bossa Nova to the world, who introduced classical guitar to jazz, whose sophisticated arrangements of popular tunes continue to enchant listeners and who was a major figure in the early success of The Mainstay. This tribute to Charlie Byrd is made possible by generous support from Rebecca Byrd and Larry Schroth.
Joining Chuck Redd on vibes are the world-class saxophonist, Harry Allen, who Stan Getz once described as the “fulfillment of his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist,” and the exquisite Brazilian singer Maucha Adnet, who performed, toured, and recorded with the legendary composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and Banda Nova. Both have performed at The Mainstay before and they will be joined by Nate Najar, a virtuoso who much like Byrd, plays jazz on the classical guitar. Byrd’s widow, Becky Byrd, a member of the Mainstay Board of Directors says: “There is no doubt that there is a piece of Charlie’s soul in Nate’s mind, heart and fingers.”
Rounding out this all-star group will be bassist Tommy Cecil, and from London, drummer Matt Home. They will play music from the iconic, groundbreaking Charlie Byrd/Stan Getz album Jazz Samba, music made popular by Byrd’s group The Great Guitars and other music associated with Byrd from both his live performances and from his many, many recordings.
Harry Allen is known for his melodic, mainstream approach to the tenor saxophone. His golden tone and swinging musical imagination have made him a popular draw at jazz clubs and festivals worldwide. Jazz critic and senior contributor to the online website AllAboutJazz.com, C. Michael Bailey called Allen “a practitioner of such dense talent, he sounds as if he invented tenor saxophone performance instead of Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.”
More than a decade ago, Gene Lees, the author of many books on jazz history and analysis wrote, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, ‘My technique, Al Cohn’s ideas, and Zoot’s time.’ The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in … Harry Allen.”
Maucha Adnet was born in Rio de Janeiro and started her professional singing career at the age of 15. From 1984 to 1994, she performed, toured and recorded with legendary composer Antônio Carlos Jobim and his band “Banda Nova”. The recordings included “Antônio Brasileiro” a Grammy winner in 1995. She has also recorded with a who’s who of jazz artists including Caetano Veloso, Toninho Horta, Mário Adnet, Charlie Byrd, Trio da Paz, Harry Allen, Duduka Da Fonseca, Slide Hampton and many others. She was the guest vocalist on Randy Brecker’s Grammy winning recording “Into the Sun”.
The website AllAboutJazz.com has perhaps the most succinct summary of Charlie Byrd’s career: “Charlie Byrd jammed with Django Reinhardt, recorded with Woody Herman, studied with the great Segovia, and with Stan Getz introduced the Brazilian bossa nova to international audiences. He then proceeded to form a super guitar trio with Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. His musical interests took in virtually every form in which the guitar found a prominent voice.” He played mostly the nylon string classical guitar and influenced every style of music that uses the instrument.
Mainstay founder Tom McHugh attributed much of the Mainstay’s national reputation as a jazz venue to its early association with Byrd when he said, “Byrd played at The Mainstay several times. He charged us very little, and seemed to realize that small places like ours needed nurturing. Charlie passed our name on to others…and they came and played… and soon our jazz reputation just took off.”
Byrd loved the relaxed atmosphere and fine acoustics of The Mainstay’s intimate space. His personal interest attracted many of his world-class jazz colleagues who continue to play regularly at The Mainstay to this day including all of the musicians who will take the Mainstay stage for this tribute.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
The Mainstay sells advance tickets online through Instant Seats. Information and advance ticket sales are available on the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org. Follow the Buy Tickets link to buy tickets at the advance price. If you would rather pay at the door, you can make a reservation by calling 410-639-9133 and paying by cash or check at the door.
Upcoming Mainstay performances include:
April 17 Mainstay Monday: Joe Holt welcomes Jodie Littleton and Pres Harding on guitar and vocals
April 21 The Steve Giordano Trio
April 24 Mainstay Monday: Joe Holt welcomes Dick Durham on piano
April 29 Cesar Orozco and Kamerata Jazz
May 1 Mainstay Monday: Joe Holt welcomes Fredy Granillo
May 6 The Eastport Oyster Boys
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