The Jazz Scene: big-time seasons announced, and more

The Kimmel Center and the Annenberg Center have announced their 2016/2017 jazz lineups, and the bookings are impressive. At the Kimmel, among the season’s highlights are a blockbuster dual booking of pianist Chucho Valdes and saxophonist Joe Lovano on Friday, November 4, and a long-overdue tribute to pioneering jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln next May, starring singers Dee Dee Bridgewater and Diane Reeves, among others. Lincoln, who left us in 2010, will always be known in Philadelphia for walking out of her gig at the Zanzibar Blue jazz club due to an unusually noisy audience. Ms. Lincoln was not to be fooled with.

At the Annenberg, trumpeter Terence Blanchard and his E Collective check in on Friday, October 21. October 22 will bring long-time area favorites the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble . Proving that Wynton Marsalis has a lot of talented relatives, Wynton’s cousin, Rodney Marsalis, will appear with the Philadelphia Big Brass — an ensemble specializing in New Orleans and big band jazz — on Wednesday, December 21. Cousin Rodney, by the way, is the Principal Trumpeter for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and an Artist in Residence at Temple University.

South, Glenside, and West Philly

Great things continue happening at our area’s newest jazz emporium, South. Jazz vocalist Janis Siegel, who has been in and out of the popular singing group Manhattan Transfer since 1972, will do a solo stint on Thursday, August 11 at 7pm. Grace Kelly is a saxophonist, singer, composer and arranger. And at the age of 24, she is one of the most exciting performers working in jazz today. Kelly will perform at South for 8pm and 10pm shows on Friday, August 12.

Guitarist Al Di Meola, who made his name with the groups of Chick Corea and Philadelphian Stanley Clarke, among many others, virtually defines the words “jazz fusion.” Di Meola, who has not visited these parts in some seasons, will bring his Elegant Gypsy meets Romantic Warrior: Electric Tour 2016 to Glenside’s Keswick Theater on Thursday, August 25 at 8pm.

This year’s West Philadelphia Jazz Heritage Series, a free event held annually on 52nd and Pine Street, continues through August and September with the swinging Budesa Brothers on August 4; funk masters The Perfect Solution Band on August 18; the soulful Napoleon Redeemer & The 61st Street Band on September 1; and Angel Baby Music — a band that combines rap, hip-hop, and R&B — will close out the series on September 13. These free shows begin at 7pm.

The refreshing Michelle Lordi

We can make a strong argument that Philly’s greater metropolitan area has among the largest concentrations of world-class jazz singers in the country. One of the finest here and elsewhere, and certainly one of the busiest, is Michelle Lordi. Lordi has a crystal-clear voice, superb time, and a true jazz feeling. What is so refreshing about her is that she tastefully eschews vocal clichés and effects, and chooses to let the lyrics speak for themselves. She also has backing from the finest jazz musicians in this area. Lordi’s August shows include stints at Abington’s Vintage Bar & Grill for an 8pm show on Wednesday, August 3, and a performance at the Paris Bistro & Jazz Café on Sunday, August 7 at 6pm. Lordi returns to Paris Bistro on Sunday, September 4.