Fri, April 17

Najee & Brian Simpson

Genre: Jazz/R&B
Doors: 6:00PM
Show: 7:00PM

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REMAINING GOLD LEVEL SEATS ARE PARTIALLY BLOCKED VIEW AND SOLD AT A DISCOUNT

Najee Website
A native New Yorker, Najee began his iconic career playing clarinet, saxophone and flute in his hometown Jamaica, Queens New York. While in high school his tutelage included not only Jimmy Heath but Frank Foster, and Dr. Billy Taylor at the Jazzmobile in Harlem. Honing his skills as a flutist he additionally studied with Harold Jones at the Manhattan School of Music. Along with his brother Fareed, he continued his musical scope at the "New England Conservatory of Music" in Boston with a concentrated study in performance and composition. Upon their return to New York, they were invited to tour with the songstress Chaka Khan through his association with Me'lisa Morgan who at the time was a background vocalist. Najee then met Charles Huggins of HUSH Productions who invited him to record his "Grammy Nominated - Platinum Selling Debut Album" entitled "Najee's Theme" released by EMI. Najee embarked on a US tour with Freddie Jackson laying the foundation for what has be become a revolution of Urban Contemporary Jazz. His sophomore album "Day By Day" also achieved platinum. These albums were followed by "Tokyo Blue", "Just An Illusion" and "Share My World", all of which attained gold sale status.

Brian Simpson Website Celebrated keyboardist, composer and studio musician, Brian Simpson has been the ‘go-to’ man for everyone from Janet Jackson and Teena Marie to George Duke, Stanley Clarke and Dave Koz, for whom he has had the distinction of being musical director for the past 15 years. The chart-topping musical chameleon who wrote the #1 R&B hit “The First Time” for Surface in the 1990s confesses, "Ultimately, my listeners inspire me to make my music.” Known for his ability to sculpt timeless love songs, soulful party anthems and melodies that stay on your mind, Brian Simpson is truly a master at his craft. South Beach, his inaugural album for Shanachie Entertainment, delivers on every front. The album’s title track, with a jubilant vibe reminiscent of the Ramsey Lewis smash hit “The In Crowd,” is already top 20 on multiple jazz charts, two months prior to album release. ”I'm very happy we chose ‘South Beach’ as the first single,” confides Simpson, “because it's probably the song that's most indicative of my style. My travels take me to some pretty nice places, but my favorites are always the ones with beaches. In the last year I've been to Hawaii, Bali, Indonesia, and several beaches in Florida. The wind, sea, and sand really inspired the melodies you'll hear.