Advertisement
Steeped in the jazz tradition, trumpeter and bandleader Muneer Nasser was exposed to great music under the influence of his father, jazz bassist Jamil Nasser, before becoming a master of music in his own right. Nasser leads The Annapolis Jazz & Roots Opening Night concert which pays homage to three legendary musicians born in 1926 whose artistry inspired and profoundly influenced Muneer Nasser's musical development. Moreover, their brave explorations led to seismic shifts in our sonic landscape and continue to resonate around the globe.
Among the tunes to be heard are John Coltrane's “All Morning Long,” a down-home blues composed by Red Garland in 1957. The original recording featured Muneer's father (then known as George Joyner), along with Garland, Coltrane, Donald Byrd and Art Taylor. The immensely popular 1957 post-bop tune “Giant Steps” represents Coltrane’s departure from drug addiction toward a cleaner, more productive life.
A sampling of Miles Davis compositions has to include “All Blues.” Composed in 1959, the blues tune is the lead track on one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. Composed in 1963, the up-tempo swing tune “Seven Steps to Heaven” is the title track of a 1963 album that introduced Memphis saxophonist George Coleman as a new player in the Miles Davis group.
Pianist Randy Weston was surely an ethnomusicologist before the term was ever used. His music was shaped by a quest to explore his African ancestry and he incorporated elements of African music into his jazz compositions. Enjoy hearing Weston's 1958 jazz waltz, “Hi Fly.” (Jamil Nasser appeared on the first recorded version of the tune made at the Newport Jazz Festival.) Hear also the 1961 Weston ballad “Cry Me Not,” paying tribute to Billie Holiday.
The band will also perform Muneer Nasser composition “A Soldier’s Story.” The title track of his 2019 debut album, the modal march pays tribute to his father. (It is a companion to Muneer's book, Upright Bass: The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser.) Listeners will also be treated to “Nasser’s Blues,” a Memphis style blues with a contemporary twist. The band's second album, Blue House Session, was released in 2024. Both appear on the Vertical Visions Media label.
The Muneer Nasser Band features: Muneer Nasser - Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Elijah Easton - Tenor Saxophone
James King - Bass
John Lamkin III - Drums
Darius Scott - Piano
The band has performed at the D.C. Jazz Festival, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and Silver Spring Jazz Festival as well as Blues Alley, Westminster Jazz and Takoma Station in the DMV. In New York, they've appeared at Smalls Jazz and The National Jazz Museum of Harlem.
https://muneernassermusic.com/music
Advertisement
Event venue
St. Luke's Eastport, 1101 Bay Ridge Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.
Discover more events by tag
Music in AnnapolisEntertainment in AnnapolisFestivals in AnnapolisJazz in AnnapolisConcerts in AnnapolisLive-music in AnnapolisArt in AnnapolisPiano in AnnapolisHoliday in AnnapolisDrumming in AnnapolisBlues in AnnapolisPiano-concerts in Annapolis