Blue Note Quintet

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courtesy Missing Piece Group

Blue Note Quintet (from left): Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott, Matt Brewer.

Blue Note Quintet (from left): Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott, Matt Brewer.

Blue Note Records, again in the vanguard of jazz under the leadership of musician Don Was, celebrates its 85th anniversary in 2024. What better way to mark the anniversary than a tour by an all-star ensemble of label artists? Four Blue Note bandleaders — pianist Gerald Clayton, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins — are joined by another bandleader, bassist Matt Brewer, for a concert that will pay tribute to the past and look to the future.

media release: This event is part of the annual Jazz Series.

The Blue Note Quintet—an all-star collective comprised of Blue Note recording artists pianist and musical director Gerald Clayton, alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and drummer Kendrick Scott, as well as bassist Matt Brewer—will embark on an extensive North American tour next month in celebration of Blue Note’s 85th Anniversary.

“Blue Note has been such a wonderful home for the community, for incredible musicians, for creativity, for all these years,” says Clayton. “You can’t help but think about all those masters, all those heroes that you’ve grown up listening to. To get a chance to pay tribute and try to carry some of that essence forward is truly just an honor.”

Blue Note Records was founded on January 6, 1939 when a German-Jewish immigrant and passionate Jazz fan named Alfred Lion produced his first recording session in New York City. The label has gone on to represent The Finest In Jazz, tracing the entire history of the music from Hot Jazz, Boogie Woogie, and Swing, through Bebop, Hard Bop, Post-Bop, Soul Jazz, Avant-Garde, and Fusion, and—after being relaunched by Bruce Lundvall in 1984—has remained the leading label dedicated to documenting today’s vibrant and creatively thriving Jazz scene under the leadership of current President Don Was, who took the helm in 2012.

The visionary young voices of jazz have long been the lifeblood of Blue Note Records, and The Blue Note Quintet continues the tradition of rising stars of the roster joining forces to celebrate the label’s unparalleled legacy including Out of the Blue, Superblue, New Directions, The Blue Note 7, and The Blue Note All-Stars.

Gerald Clayton joined Blue Note in 2020 and has released two albums—Happening: Live At The Village Vanguard and Bells On Sand—as well as performing on Blue Note albums by Charles Lloyd, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Bill Frisell.

Kendrick Scott signed with Blue Note in 2015 and has released three albums for the label—We Are The Drum, A Wall Becomes A Bridge, and Corridors—and appeared on Blue Note albums by Terence Blanchard, Walter Smith III, and the Blue Note All-Stars.

Joel Ross came to Blue Note in 2019 with the release of KingMaker and has since released Who Am I? and The Parable Of The Poet with his latest album nublues due out in February 2024. He’s been featured on Blue Note albums by Makaya McCraven, Johnathan Blake, Joshua Redman, and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Immanuel Wilkins released his Blue Note debut Omega in 2020 followed by The 7th Hand in 2022. He is a member of Joel Ross Good Vibes and Johnathan Blake Pentad and was part of the Leonard Cohen tribute band Here It Is.