Dee Dee Bridgewater
Monty Alexander

In 1960, the drummer Max Roach and his partner Abbey Lincoln released the album We Insist! as a rallying cry for the civil rights movement. Today, the American signer Dee Dee Bridgewater presents her project We exist!, an all-female quartet (Carmen Staaf on the piano, Rosa Brunello on the bass and Evita Polidoro on the drums) which declares “we, the women, exist and especially in jazz”, but also “we, the black women and men, exist” in this country which was called the “Un-united States” by Wayne Shorter, as she reminds it. Therefore, she chose a political repertoire for this band: the blues piece “Danger Zone” created by Ray Charles, the major “Mississippi Goddam” which was written by Nina Simone to shout in rage after the bombing in a Baptist church, the civil rights movement’s anthem “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” composed by the pianist Billy Taylor or the song “Throw It Away” of the singer, actress and activist Abbey Lincoln.
With all the confidence that comes from her talent recognised all around the world and her legendary generosity, Dee Dee Bridgewater imposes her convictions in a very positive way. Her pleasure is infectious and her contact with the public is unique. An evening with her is a real show: it means laughing, crying, quivering and living!

Line-up : 

• Dee Dee Bridgewater (voice)
• Carmen Staaf (piano)
• Rosa Brunello (bass)
• Evita Polidoro (drums)

If Monty Alexander’s life had been just a little different, one of the greatest jazz pianists may not have existed. Known today as one of the most important jazz references, this native of Jamaica took his first steps with big artists of the Jamaican popular music (ska, rocksteady…), like Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd-Studio One, Duke Reid-Treasure Isle, and Bob Marley’s future producer, Chris Blackwell. His passion for American music got stronger and became a part of him after going to the concerts of Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole in Kingston. However, when he arrived in the United-States in 1961, at the age of 17, he stayed close to Afro-Caribbean music which made his piano playing and his compositions unique, but also brought happiness to his employers, as prestigious as Dizzy Gillespie or Frank Sinatra. Also, his career is punctuated of collaborations with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis or Quincy Jones. His vast discography includes great reggae artists (Ernest Ranglin, Sly & Robbie) and jazz leaders (Ray Brown, Clark Terry). Released in 2024, his last album has an enormous symbolic significance. The splendid D-Day record is a nod to his destiny: he was born on June 6th 1944, when the Allied forces landed on the Normandy beaches and changed history. A worthy representative of the purest swing tradition, Monty Alexander continues to write his own.

Line-up : 

• Monty Alexander (piano)
• Luke Sellick (double basse)
• Jason Brown (drums)