“Player for player, there’s no better working band in jazz than The Cookers,” raves the BOSTON GLOBE. This is one of the last remaining Jazz Supergroups with an astounding 4 NEA Jazz Masters in one band! Tickets for THE COOKERS at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Friday & Saturday November 24 and 25 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 and 2024 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy’s Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Jazz Supergroup THE COOKERS on Friday & Saturday November 24 and 25 at 7:30 P.M. This exciting all-star septet summons up an aggressive mid ’60s spirit with a potent collection of expansive post-bop originals marked by all the requisite killer instincts and pyrotechnic playing expected of some of the heaviest hitters on the scene today!
“A dream team…”
— NEW YORK TIMES
“(The Cookers) are some of the best composers, arrangers and musicians we have in jazz…one of the most exciting super-groups we’ve seen…And the musicians just kill it on every tune.”
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
“The Cookers are hard-wired into the golden era of jazz history, but they use tradition as a foundation for creative fury in the present moment.”
— JAZZ TIMES
“These legends play a vivacious strain of muscular acoustic jazz that establishes a historical through-line to the innovations of past masters, keeping the faith with passion and grace.”
— ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Experience counts, especially in Jazz. The more time musicians spend interpreting tunes and interacting with others, the more articulation an audience can expect. You can hear the fruits of such work in the expressive language THE COOKERS bring to the bandstand and to their 6 critically acclaimed recordings: Warriors (2010), Cast the First Stone (2011), Believe (2012), Time and Time Again (which was the iTunes Jazz CD of the year in 2014), ‘The Call of the Wild and Peaceful Heart (2016), and Look Out! (2021).
Each member of The Cookers has spent time leading his own series of groups as well, and each has a keenly individual sound. But it’s the unmistakable power of teamwork that makes this music so commanding and resonates with a kind of depth and beauty that speaks of the seasoned track record of its principals (combined, the group has over 250 years of experience in the jazz world and has been a part of over 1,000 recordings). You can feel the collective weight of that experience in their albums, and especially in their live performances.
The Cookers include NEA Jazz Master BILLY HARPER (Tenor Saxophone); NEA Jazz Master & GRAMMY® Award Nominee BILLY HART (Drums); GRAMMY® Award-Winner CECIL MCBEE (Bass); NEA Jazz Master EDDIE HENDERSON (Trumpet); NEA Jazz Master & GRAMMY® Award Nominee DONALD HARRISON (Alto Saxophone); GEORGE CABLES (Piano); and DAVID WEISS (Trumpet).
NEA Jazz Master & GRAMMY® Award Nominee BILLY HART (Drums) was a sideman with Jimmy Smith (1964–1966), and Wes Montgomery (1966–1968). Following Montgomery’s death in 1968, Hart moved to New York, where he recorded with McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Zawinul, and played with Eddie Harris, Pharoah Sanders, and Marian McPartland. In 1969, Hart joined Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking Mwandishi band and remained there for four years recording three trend-setting albums. From there he joined McCoy Tyner’s band (1973–1974) and also performed with Stan Getz (1974–1977), and Quest (1980s) in addition to extensive freelance playing and recording (including recording with Miles Davis on 1972’s On the Corner).
GRAMMY® Award-Winner CECIL MCBEE (Bass) anchored Charles Lloyd’s great ’60s Quartet alongside Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette. In 1989, he won a GRAMMY® Award for his performance of Blues for John Coltrane featuring Roy Haynes, David Murray, McCoy Tyner and Pharoah Sanders. Cecil has recorded and traveled worldwide with such powerful Jazz personalities as Charles Lloyd, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Betty Carter, Art Pepper, among others.
GEORGE CABLES (Piano) has performed and recorded with some of the greatest jazz musicians of our time, including Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Williams, Bobby Hutcherson and Dizzy Gillespie. Cables held down the piano chair in numerous bands including groups led by Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper.
NEA Jazz Master EDDIE HENDERSON (Trumpet) received his first informal lesson on the trumpet at the age of 9 from Louis Armstrong. In 1957, Eddie met Miles Davis for the first time. Miles, a family friend, admired the strikingly beautiful tone and musicality of Henderson’s trumpet playing and encouraged him to pursue a career in music. As a family friend, Miles has been a major musical influence on Eddie throughout his life. Henderson was also a member of Herbie Hancock’s trailblazing Mwandishi sextet, along with Billy Hart. After leaving Hancock, the trumpeter worked extensively with Pharoah Sanders, Norman Connors and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
NEA Jazz Master & GRAMMY® Award Nominee DONALD HARRISON (Alto Saxophone) has performed and recorded with an illustrious list of distinguished musicians in Jazz, R&B, Funk, Classical and more. The list includes Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Ron Carter, Billy Cobham, Eddie Palmieri, Dr. John, McCoy Tyner, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Notorious BIG, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, to name just a few. Harrison taught and mentored the following musicians: trumpeter Christian Scott, hip-hop icon Notorious B.I.G., trombonist/singer Trombone Shorty, guitarist Josh Connelly and saxophonists Louis Fouche, Chris Royal and Aaron Fletcher.
DAVID WEISS (Trumpet) has distinguished himself another way: through finding flexibility and innovation in music that has its roots in the mainstream. The trumpeter, composer, and arranger has had the opportunity to learn from some of the music’s quintessential figures by touring and/or recording with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, Bobby Hutcherson, Slide Hampton, James Moody, Tom Harrell, Louis Hayes, Odean Pope, and Geri Allen among many others.
THE COOKERS Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club’s 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 10 NEA Jazz Masters, 50 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 47 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 450+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for THE COOKERS at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club on Friday & Saturday November 24 and 25 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 and 2024 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy’s Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY’S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy’s Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy’s Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its’ outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY’S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy’s Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
