Black The Jazz Spot

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SUKHUMVIT SOI 33 is going through some major changes, first and foremost is the opening on January 8th of a live music place: The Jazz Spot For Art Blakey otherwise known as BLACK.

Conveniently located near the end of the Soi and across from Novotel Lotus Hotel BLACK. is on the second floor of Nuam Complex Bldg (next to Basilico restaurant) and is a dark, intimate, cozy room a lot like places in The Village (New York). Nice sofa and chair seating, unpretentious, with a great sound system, BLACK will seat about 70 comfortably with opportunities to be right up close to the musicians or away in the back.

The club is dedicated to Art Blakey - the jazz great who carried the Jazz Messengers band for many decades - the likes of which noted musicians such as Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, and more recently the Marsalis brothers (Wynton and Branford) held residence.

The inspiration for the music will be from the Bebop and Hard Bop eras - with inspiration from jazz legends such as Miles, Coltrane, Bird, Monk, Diz and then the famous singers as well, ie. Billie, Ella, and Nat King Cole. As a treat from time to time there will even be some Louis Armstrong thrown into the mix.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

BLACK is run by Harlem native Idrees Dawud, who hails from a jazz family of historic note. His father Al Barrymore (aka Talib Dawud) started the original Messengers Band along with Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, and others. Talib was also lead trumpet in many big bands (Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, to name a few). Stepmom and jazz legend singer Dakota Staton recorded Jazz and Blues for Capitol Records (and later Verve, Columbia, etc.) and had a hit singles - the title track of her "The Late, Late, Show" album and a Basie Band standard - "Broadway". Dakota recorded with the likes of George Shearing, Houston Person, Harry Sweets Edison, Jonah Jones, and others.

Idrees both sings and plays trumpet, and mixes in an substantial original repertoire along with jazz standards. He has been in Bangkok and the region for over 11 years but also having strayed as far as Beijing Dubai, and Europe for performances. Having graced most of the luxury hotels in town at one time or another, Idrees is a regular for weddings and corporate events. Finally he is opening a club that will allow him to continue his personal quest to impart more authenticity, edge, and intensity to Jazz in this town.

Accompanying Idrees will be jazz notables from the local Bangkok scene - Thai musicians mainly - hidden gems whom Idrees seeks to free from the obscurity of lobbies, restaurants, and small pubs. Outstanding pianists, bassists, guitarists, and drummers will join Idrees nightly to provide a different backdrop to the experience at BLACK.

Another headliner will be the Jazz Great Jerry Byrd, Guitarist, who grew up with George Benson and Dakota Staton in Pittsburgh. Jerry has held many years alongside the likes of jazz organist Jack McDuff, and pianist/singer Freddie Cole, and others.

Jerry leads a quartet on select nights to provide BLACK with another flavor of the classic American brew...