Marty Nau & the Steve Rudolph Trio join us for this Wednesday’s show.
About the artists:
MARTY NAU IS A HIGHLY ACTIVE AND SOUGHT AFTER JAZZ ALTO SAXOPHONE PLAYER IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA. STARTING ON THE CLARINET WHEN HE WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE. UPON GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL MARTY ENLISTED IN THE NAVY MUSIC PROGRAM. AFTER COMING TO THE WASHINGTON DC AREA IN 1980, HE PLAYED WITH SUCH BIG BANDS AS THE “BLUES ALLEY BIG BAND”, BILL POTTS BIG BAND GUY LOMBARDO, AND OTHERS. HE HAS PERFORMED WITH THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY AND RICHMOND SYMPHONY AND HAS BACKED UP SUCH PERFORMERS AS DIZZY GILLESPIE, EDDIE DANIELS, STANELY TURRENTINE, JOE WILLIAMS, ROSEMARY CLOONEY, NANCY WILSON, MAUREEN MCGOVERN, AND MANY OTHERS. HE CAN BE HEARD ON THE NAVY COMMODORES CD RECORDING “HERE AND NOW”. AFTER PLAYING LEAD ALTO AND CONDUCTING FOR THE NAVY COMMODORES MARTY RETIRED IN 1997.
HASSAN ASH-SHAKUR (J.J. WIGGINS), SON OF PIANIST GERALD WIGGINS, SR., WAS BORN APRIL 15, 1956 IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. HE LEARNED TO PLAY BASS AT AGE FOUR (STANDING ON A CHAIR) AND WITH HIS FATHER AS A GUIDE, DEVELOPED A HIGH SENSITIVITY AND WIDE RANGE OF EXPRESSION IN JAZZ. AT AGE TWELVE (12) HE BECAME THE BASSIST FOR THE CRAIG HUNDLEY TRIO, APPEARING ON TELEVISION SHOWS SUCH AS THE TODAY SHOW, JOHNNY CARSON, JONATHAN WINTERS, AND THE TED MACK AMATEUR HOUR. AT AGE EIGHTEEN, HASSAN JOINED THE DUKE ELLINGTON ORCHESTRA UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MERCER ELLINGTON. HE CONTINUES TO PERFORM WITH THE ORCHESTRA TODAY. HE HAS PERFORMED WITH NOTED ARTISTS SUCH AS: ELLA FITZGERALD, DIZZY GILLESPIE, MILT JACKSON, BILLY ECKSTEIN, AL GREY, SARAH VAUGHN, JOE WILLIAMS, HERB ELLIS AND MANY OTHERS. HASSAN ALSO PERFORMED ON AN USO TOUR WITH PEARL BAILEY AND LOUIE BELLSON ENTERTAINING THE TROOPS IN THE PERSIAN GULF. HE WAS ALSO THE BASSIST FOR THE NYC BROADWAY DUKE ELLINGTON SHOWS “SOPHISTICATED LADIES” AND “QUEENIE PIE”. HASSAN ALSO PERFORMS REGULARLY WITH MONTY ALEXANDER ON TOURS IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE AND JAPAN.
DOMINIC SMITH HAS BEEN A FIXTURE ON THE JAZZ SCENE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, PLAYING DRUMS WITH THE CREAM OF THE CROP OF LOCAL PLAYERS AS WELL AS VISITING MUSICIANS FROM NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE. DOMINIC HAS APPEARED AS A SIDEMAN ON MORE THAN 50 RECORDINGS. HIS HARD-SWINGING GROOVE, USE OF DYNAMICS AND RHYTHMIC SUBTLETIES HAVE BEEN UTILIZED BY SUCH JAZZ NOTABLES AS ERIC ALEXANDER, HAROLD MABERN, JAMES WILLIAMS, CHARLIE BYRD, PHIL WOODS, GARY THOMAS, JIM SNIDERO, KENNY RANKIN, & RAY BRYANT TO NAME A FEW.
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Jazz shows are free.
First-come, first-seated. Please check in with the hosts.
We ask that guests not move tables or save seats.
The floor offers an up-close view from the floor of the Listening Room, and the upstairs mezzanine offers a spot overlooking the floor.