COUNT BASIE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER BASIE SUMMER JAZZ FEST

Basie Summer Jazz Fest(APRIL 2, 2017 – RED BANK)  The historic Count Basie Theatre, the state’s top-selling performing arts center and the namesake of jazz great William “Count” Basie, Jr., has announced the first-ever Basie Summer Jazz Fest, set over four mid-summer nights and starring Dave Koz and Larry Graham (July 26), Snarky Puppy (Friday, Aug. 4), Herbie Hancock (Aug. 6) and a twin bill of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Aug. 8).

Tickets for festival performances, starting at $25, are on sale now through theBASIE.org, phone charge at 732.842.9000 and the Basie box office, located onsite at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank.

The Basie Summer Jazz Fest is sponsored by Patrizia’s of Red Bank, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Asbury Park Press.

“The Basie Summer Jazz Fest and our Jazz Arts Academy demonstrate the theatre’s commitment to the art form,” said Adam Philipson, President and CEO, Count Basie Theatre. “Our motto is Jazz At The Basie… Where It Belongs, and with this new festival filled with jazz heavyweights, we celebrate the genre and fulfill our mission of celebrating the life of William J. Basie.”
“Patrizias of Red Bank is thrilled and proud to be a supporter of the Basie Summer Jazz Fest,” said Lou Maschi, co-owner of Patrizia’s Red Bank. “We open our arms and welcome everyone who will be entertained by these great and iconic artists as fans come visit the great Basie and our vibrant town of Red Bank.”

BASIE SUMMER JAZZ FEST: THE ARTISTS

HERBIE HANCOCK

Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy™ Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters (2007), he continues to amaze audiences across the globe. There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, “Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven’t heard anybody yet who has come after him.” Hancock will be joined at this performance by Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), James Genus (bass), Lionel Loueke (guitar) and keyboardist / saxophonist Terrace Martin.

CHICK COREA ELEKTRIC BAND + BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES

The Chick Corea Elektric Band and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are two of the most celebrated ensembles in jazz history. Twenty-two time Grammy ™ winner Corea and his Elektrik Band – bassist John Patitucci, guitarist Frank Gambale, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and drummer Dave Weckl – embark on the band’s first Asian tour in more than a decade in June. Bela Fleck and The Flecktones will tour with Corea’s Elektric Band for just three weeks this summer, including their August 8th stop at the Basie.

SNARKY PUPPY

Displaying a rare and delicate mixture of sophisticated composition, harmony and improvisation, Fusion-influenced jam band Snarky Puppy make exploratory jazz, rock, and funk. Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, Snarky Puppy feature a wide-ranging group of nearly 40 musicians known affectionately as “The Fam,” centered on bassist, composer and bandleader Michael League.
Formed in 2004 at the acclaimed music school of the University of North Texas, Snarky Puppy exists as both a production team/session band, touring and recording with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Snoop Dogg, and an original ensemble. The band has since won three Grammy ™ Awards: the 2014 ‘Best R&B Performance’ trophy for “Something,” their collaboration with singer Lala Hathaway; the 2016 ‘Best Pop Instrumental Album’ for Sylva; and the 2017 ‘Best Pop Instrumental Album’ for Culcha Vulcha.

DAVE KOZ AND LARRY GRAHAM

Eight-time GRAMMY® nominee Dave Koz remembers a time when the summers lasted forever, and the most popular rock, R&B, soul and funk bands of the day were propelled by high-octane, richly arranged horn sections. Indeed, from the late 1960s through the ‘70s, bands like Sly & the Family Stone, Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears and other brassy juggernauts of the era ruled the airwaves and opened his young ears to the saxophone’s limitless possibilities as a solo instrument as well as a collaborative voice with the trumpet and trombone.
Multi-talented Larry Graham, Jr. is a baritone singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as both the bass guitar player in the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and front man of Graham Central Station. He is credited with the invention of the slapping technique, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as “Thumpin’ and Pluckin’.”

Click here to see the full lineup and to buy tickets.