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Henry Grimes Quartet at the "Let Your Motto Be Resistance" Photo Exhibit, Icp, Midtown, July 17th!

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Brookfield Properties and The International Center of Photography proudly present “Summer on the Plaza" with the Henry Grimes Quartet featuring J.D. Allen, James Zollar, and Newman Taylor Baker in a musical salute to African-American heroes and heroines portrayed in the International Center of Photography exhibit “Let Your Motto Be Resistance," including Marian Anderson, Louis Armstrong, Nat “King" Cole, Coleman Hawkins, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, Sarah Vaughan, and many more (www.icp.org).

This concert takes place Tuesday, July 17th, 2OO7 on the Grace Building plaza, southeast corner of 43rd St. & Sixth Ave. (Ave. of the Americas), Manhattan, outdoors, 12:3O-2 p.m., free admission. Concert information http://tinyurl.com/2y9l34, 212-417-7237, 212-857-OO45, 212-841-O899, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].

Take the B/ D/ F/ N/ Q/ R/ S/ V/ W/ 1/ 2/ 3/ 5/ 7/ 9 train or M5 / M6/ M7/ M1O4 bus to 42nd St. / Times Square / Port Authority.

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Master bassist, violinist, and poet HENRY GRIMES, missing from the music world since the late '6O's, has made an unprecedented comeback after receiving the gift of a bass from William Parker in December, 'O2 to replace the instrument Henry had been forced to give up some 3O years earlier. Between the mid-'5O's and the mid-'6O's, the Philadelphia-born, Juilliard-educated Henry Grimes played brilliantly on some 5O albums with an enormous range of musicians, including Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Haynes, Steve Lacy, Charles Mingus, Sunny Murray, Sonny Rollins, Roswell Rudd, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, and many more. Then, in 1968, Henry Grimes left New York in a car driven by drummer Clarence Becton and rode to San Francisco with his bass strapped to the car roof to work with Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau, and others. By the time these gigs were over, Henry's bass had developed large cracks from spending several days baking on top of the car in the desert. He moved on to Los Angeles and took the bass to a repair man, who gave him a high price for the necessary work, and since Henry was unable to pay, the repair man gave him a small sum for the bass instead. Henry apparently believed he'd be able to get it back after a while, but sadly, this turned out not to be the case. Many years passed with nothing heard from him as he sustained himself by working as a janitor, maintenance man, day laborer, etc., writing poetry and studying yoga. Yet after a short while with his new bass, in early 2OO3 Henry emerged to begin playing music again! These days, he lives, works, and teaches in New York City and has been making music (mostly as a leader) with many great musicians of today -- Marshall Allen, Fred Anderson, Marilyn Crispell, Bill Dixon, Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, David Murray, William Parker, Marc Ribot, Cecil Taylor, John Tchicai, and many more. Since 2OO3, Henry Grimes has played, toured, and taught extensively in 19 European countries, Canada, and the USA. To the astonishment and joy of all, he's playing at the very height of his artistic powers (or indeed anyone's), just as though he'd never stopped at all! He was named “Musician of the Year" by “All About Jazz / New York" at the end of 'O3; he received prestigious Meet the Composer awards in 'O3, twice more in 'O5, and a Brecht Forum composer's commission in 'O7; he was nominated Bassist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists' Association; and in August of 'O6, Henry Grimes strolled onto the “Downbeat" Critics' Poll for acoustic bassist at #12. In addition, he's added violin to his bandstand voice and at the age of 71 has become a published author with his book of poetry “Signs Along the Road." Henry is still healthy and strong, and his gentle, humble bearing, courageous life story, and ceaseless creativity have inspired all those privileged to know him, hear him, play music with him. More information: www.henrygrimes.com.

Hailed by “The New York Times" as “a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style," J. D. ALLEN is one of the most thoughtful young players in the music world today. He was born and raised in Detroit and acquired a deep musical foundation as he grew up listening to the funk, soul and R&B sounds of the area, such as Prince and Marvin Gaye. J. D. sang in a family vocal group as a young child and at the age of nine picked up the saxophone. Since coming to New York City, he has performed, recorded, and toured with Cindy Blackman, Lester Bowie, George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Andrew Cyrille, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Douglas, Frank Foster, Henry Grimes, Winard Harper, Louis Hayes, Butch Morris, David Murray, Me'shell N'degeocello, Wallace Roney, and more. J. D.'s debut album, “In Search Of..." (Criss Cross), won him the Best New Artist award in Italy in 1999, and reviewers praised him for his original compositions and bold playing. His second release, “Pharoah's Children" (also on Criss Cross), won him accolades for maturity and adventurousness and was chosen one of the top 1O of the year in “Jazziz" Magazine's Critics' Picks. J. D. Allen has appeared on NPR's Jazz Perspectives, WNYC's Soundcheck, and WKCR's Musician's Show. www.myspace.com/ jdallen11.

Trumpeter JAMES ZOLLAR began his musical career at age nine in his home town of Kansas City, Missouri and continued his studies throughout high school and at San Diego City College and the University of California at San Diego, at the same time honing his musical skills with various funk and jazz bands and leading his own quintet. In 1972, he moved to San Francisco to study jazz improvisation with the great trumpeter Woody Shaw before coming to New York City, playing in the Cecil McBee Quintet for five years and playing, recording and touring with Lester Bowie, Ray Charles, Tom Harrell, Illinois Jacquet, David Murray, Sam Rivers, and others. James was a featured soloist with Jon Faddis and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, as well as with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. James Zollar was featured in Robert Altman's motion picture “Kansas City," in Madonna's music video “My Baby's Got a Secret," in Malcolm Lee's film “The Best Man," and on the soundtrack of “The Perez Family." He is proud to be included in “The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz" (Oxford University Press, 1999). James remains New York-based, where he stands out in a wide range of musical settings, including The Duke Ellington Orchestra, several of Don Byron's bands, and the NYC Blues Devils. www.myspace.com/ jameszollartrumpet.

NEWMAN TAYLOR BAKER, termed a “ceaselessly resourceful percussionist" by “Village Voice" writer Nat Hentoff, has long worked to bridge traditional African talking drum and Western European tympani, creating a diatonically tuned enhanced drum set that allows him to develop original compositions in a broad range of musical expressions. He began playing drums at age two at Virginia State University, an African-American campus in Petersburg, Virginia. Over the past forty years, Mr. Baker has performed music of all kinds around the world with such artists/groups as Billy Bang, Kenny Barron, Henry Grimes, the Billy Harper Quintet, Joe Henderson, Leroy Jenkins, Lawrence “Butch" Morris, Diedre Murray, Sam Rivers, the Henry Threadgill Sextett, McCoy Tyner, and more. Newman was awarded a NYFA Fellowship in Music Composition for his solo drum-set project, Singin' Drums. He trains professional dancers in the world of music and brings his technique to children and adults in school settings, community groups, and teacher-training sessions. Newman teaches at Rutgers University in Newark and in urban schools through Young Audiences/New York, Arts Horizons, Arts Genesis, Friends of the Arts, and Jazzmobile. He is also on the Williamsburgh Music Center Board of Directors. http://ntbsingindrums.blogspot.com. # # #

For bookings, high-resolution photos, interviews, CD's, books, etc: Margaret Davis, [email protected], Voicemail 212-841-O899.

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