Coming Soon 9/8,9, and 10/2022
Blue Bamboo Jazz Festival
The first ever, annual Blue Bamboo Jazz Festival is 3 nights of free concerts featuring artists from the Blue Bamboo Music record label including: guitarist/vocalist Chris Cortez, Houston guitarist Mike Wheeler, New York trumpeter Carol Morgan, and Houston musicians Will Cruz, Paul English, and Glen Ackerman. Orlando area musicians Greg Parnell, Chuck Archard, Walt Hubbard, Doug Mathews, Ed Krout, Bob Thornton, Jeff Rupert, Dan Jordan, and John DePaola will support the various ensembles throughout the 3 day event, and the performers will also participate in a jam session each night.
Before there was a Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, Chris and Melody created Blue Bamboo Music, a jazz record label that supports a dozen artists with 28 international releases. Most of their work charts on jazz radio and earns rave reviews from the music press. Their most recent release, Hermanos by the Cortez/Williams Project relaunched the label and is still on Jazzweek's top 100 after 20+ weeks on the charts.
A free reunion show featuring our dear friends from Texas and New York seems like a great way to introduce Central Florida to these wonderful musicians. There is limited capacity so reservations are strongly suggested. Call 407-636-9951 or click here to reserve seats.
September 8 @ 8PM. Chris Cortez CD release party
Chris Cortez is releasing his first ever live CD, recorded at Blue Bamboo. The concert will feature music from the new album. Chris will be joined by Jeff Rupert, John DePaola, Doug Mathews, Walt Hubbard, Ed Krout, and Bob Thornton.
Click here to listen to Chris' CDs.
Sept 9 @ 8PM Mike Wheeler
In 2010, Mike Wheeler's CD Mikey's Waltz was one of the first CDs Blue Bamboo Music produced in Houston, Texas and it went to #1 on national jazz radio. Mike is professor of jazz guitar at the University of Houston and a perennial favorite on the Houston jazz scene.
Mike will lead a trio featuring Chuck Archard on bass, and Greg Parnell on drums.
Click here to listen to Mikey's Waltz.
Sept 9 @ 9PM. Carol Morgan
Trumpeter Carol Morgan has made 3 CDs for Blue Bamboo. Her first, Opening featured drummer Rich DeRosa and bassist Harvie S. The second was Retroactive, which featured Mike Stern, Jeff Sipe, Lincoln Goines, Keith Vivens, Tim Keiper, Andrew Lienhard, and Chris Cortez. Her third CD for Blue Bamboo was Blue Glass Music featuring Joel Framm, Matrtin Wind, and Matt Wilson.
Carol is a Juliard graduate immersed in the NY jazz scene. At the festival, her set will also feature Chuck Archard, Greg Parnell, and Chris Cortez.
Click here to listen to Carol's CDs.
Sept 10 @ 8PM Sambuca Quartet
Chris Cortez, Glen Ackerman, Will Cruz, and Paul English were one of the steady house bands performing regularly at Sambuca, a popular downtown destination in Houston. The gig was a proving ground for ongoing recording projects at the label and this group became part of the regular cast of characters for many BBM releases from 2010 and beyond.
Their set is very much a family reunion, as they haven't played together in 7 years.
Click here to listen to BBM releases featuring members of the Sambuca Quartet.
(Aunt Nasty, Top Secret, Glenious Inner Planet, Noel)
Sept 10 @ 9PM The Glenious Inner Planet
One of the most musically ambitious, far reaching, and imaginative composers, Glen presented the concepts for his 2 releases on Blue Bamboo. The Glenious Inner Planet, which was followed by The Glenious Alien Landscape. Low tech, retro sci-fi graphics accompany his quirky, energetic melodies. It rocks, it swings, it is funky, and full of surprises. Everything is infused with Glen's incredible propulsive, energy as one of the finest bassists on the planet. Fasten your seat belts! Joining Glen are Paul English, Chris Cortez, Walt Hubbard, and Dan Jordan.
Click here to listen to Glenious Inner Planet and other releases featuring Glen Ackerman.