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Jazz Pair Are Note Perfect

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Award-winning musicians Gene Ess and Niki King are joining forces for two special shows at Blue Note this month.

Guitarist Gene—who has played with such greats as Carlos Santana, Ravi Coltrane, Al Foster, Rashied Ali and Dave Liebman—asked former UK Jazz Vocalist of the Year King to collaborate with him after a friend sent him a copy of her single Wild Is The Wind.

He said: “Her singing really spoke to me musically, as it was very mature and heartfelt, with a great sense of melody. Because of this, I thought we would work really well together."

King added: “I am thrilled to be working with Gene, he is an incredible musician and for us to debut our first collaborative shows at The Blue Note in New York is equally as exciting." The pair have mostly selected songs from the Great American Songbook, such as I Loves You Porgy, So In Love and I Concentrate On You.

Ess said: “We will be accompanied by the other members of my trio—Thomson Kneeland on bass and Bruce Cox (Sonny Rollins) on drums—and though we understand the traditional jazz language, there is a modern edge to the overall sound."

Gene's current album, Modes of Limited Transcendence, has received great reviews globally and even received the prestigious 2010 SESAC Outstanding Jazz Performance Award.

King' new soul-funk album, It's All Good, is recorded with her 10-piece NY band, The Elements, which is made up of virtuosos from the bands of Prince, Sonny Rollins, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Michael Buble, and the Skatalites.

Gene Ess Trio with Niki King will be appearing at Blue Note, NY, on May 29 The show times are 12.30pm and 2.30pm

  • Modes of Limited Transcendence is available for download on iTunes
  • It's All Good is released in June. The first single, After Rain, is now available for download on iTunes

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