Articles by Mark Robbins
Anaïs Reno with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club
by Mark Robbins
Anais Reno's song interpretation belies her 23 years. Her performance at the Attucks Jazz Club brought to mind an older, more experienced vocalist, not the young singer performing in front of a sold-out venue. Her voice has been described as “timeless," in the stylings of Carmen McRae or Ella Fitzgerald. Where many of today's young vocalists tend to perform vocal acrobatics, Reno sticks with the melody and story of the song. Borrowing from her debut album of 2021 Lovesome Thing: ...
Continue ReadingThe Danish Radio Big Band featuring Cecile McLorin Salvant at the Attucks Theater
by Mark Robbins
Danish Radio Big Band, originally called The Danish Radio Orchestra, just completed its first United States tour in 24 years, performing at a few art festivals and university presenters in South Carolina and Virginia. The band has been under the leadership of Japanese composer/conductor Miho Hazama since 2019. Because the group is a national broadcast orchestra funded by Danish public radio, their U.S. visits tend to be short residencies or festival appearances, not large commercial tours--so a run of only 2-3 ...
Continue ReadingCorey Fonville R&B Organ Trio at The Annex in Norfolk, VA
by Mark Robbins
The first time I heard Corey Fonville was in March 2013 at the now defunct Havana Nights Jazz Club in Virginia Beach, Va. He was playing with John Toomey on piano, Jimmy Masters on bass and Joe Locke on vibes. Since then Fonville has been a member of the Nicholas Payton Trio, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah's Quintet and his own band Butcher Brown. Add to his credits his association with Kurt Elling, guitarist Charlie Hunter and fellow Butcher Brown member DJ ...
Continue ReadingJazz is Alive and Well at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May, NJ
by Mark Robbins
The biannual fall edition of the Exit Zero Jazz Festival transforms Cape May, New Jersey, into an intimate jazz haven with a distinct jny: New Orleans influence, complete with a traditional second line procession. The festival's name references its location at Exit 0--the final exit at the southern end of the Garden State Parkway. The festival presents a wide range of artists, from NEA Jazz Masters and established legends to emerging talents. Though modest in size compared to ...
Continue ReadingJoel Ross with John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club
by Mark Robbins
Joel Ross is a man of few words. Actually, he was a man of no words until the end of the first set when he told the sold-out audience that the group would be back after a break. Then no more words until the end of the second set when he thanked everyone for coming and asked us to drive home safely. Ross lets his mallets do the talking and talk they did at a mile a minute.
Continue ReadingJaleel Shaw with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club
by Mark Robbins
Born on February 11, 1978, in jny:Philadelphia, Jaleel Shaw emerged from the city's rich musical landscape, studying at Greene Street Friends School and the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. He earned a dual degree in Music Education and Performance from Berklee College of Music in 2000, followed by a Master's in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in 2002. Shaw gained early recognition as a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition ...
Continue ReadingLaufey and the Virginia Symphony at the Chartway Arena
by Mark Robbins
Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay) first appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 31, 2022. She shyly stood at the mic, she wore a simple white summer dress, guitar held in front of her like armor offering protection from the hundreds of people sitting in the audience. Soft spoken, she talked about her Chinese-Islandic heritage then she sang and the audience realized they were in the presence of an emerging vocalist who defied description. A singer-songwriter equally at home with jazz, ...
Continue ReadingReflections on the Newport Jazz Festival
by Mark Robbins
It's not just about the music. It's about the morning 15 minute water taxi ride and asking the passengers who they're excited to see and hear. It's seeing Fort Adams, knowing the history that has been made there and more than likely the history that will be made there. It's seeing old friends, photographers I've been photographing with for the past 15 years. it's the mingling aromas of freshly cooked bar-b-que, lobster rolls, pizzas, seafood and so much more. It's ...
Continue ReadingBEATrio at the Perry Pavilion
by Mark Robbins
Béla Fleck is a trailblazing banjo player whose genre-defying approach has redefined the possibilities of the instrument. Born in jny: New York City in 1958 and named after the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, he's spent his career weaving bluegrass, jazz, classical, and world music into dazzling sonic tapestries. Whether leading his groundbreaking group Béla Fleck and the Flecktones = 6733}} or collaborating with musicians around the globe, Fleck continues to stretch musical boundaries--and bring the banjo along for the ride. ...
Continue ReadingLena Seikaly and the Jimmy Masters' Trio at The Sandler Center for the Arts
by Mark Robbins
jny: Washington D.C. vocalist Lena Seikaly made a return visit to the Tidewater area to perform with the Jimmy Masters' Trio (Masters on bass, John Toomey on piano and drummer Frank Russo. Singing to a nearly sold out room it was evident from the audience reaction she would be welcomed back as often as she liked. Seikaly began piano lessons at just 4 years old. By her teen age years she had developed a strong foundation in classical ...
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