The Buffalo AKG Art Museum announced the lineup for the upcoming Lipsey Summer Jazz at the AKG season. The Lipsey Summer Jazz at the AKG concerts take place on the museum’s Lincoln Stairs overlooking Hoyt Lake. Admission is free. Parking is available on the roads surrounding the museum, or in the AKG’s underground Parking Garage off Elmwood Avenue. Please take care to adhere to all parking regulations. In case of inclement weather, the performances will be moved indoors to the Stanford and Judith Lipsey Auditorium. Lipsey Summer Jazz at the AKG is presented by The Standford and Judith Lipsey Foundation.

***

Sunday, July 6, at 2 pm
Wendell Rivera

Wendell Rivera is a leading ambassador of Latin jazz, an invigorating sound that incorporates Afro-Caribbean grooves with the free, melodic, and harmonic elements of progressive jazz. Rivera’s Latin Jazz Ensemble has been the cornerstone of Latin music in the Western New York/Niagara Falls region for more than two decades.

As a percussionist, he has performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Arturo Sandovar, Ben Vereen, Dave Valentin, Bob Mintzer, and John Patitucci, among others. In 2000, Rivera was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, an award that recognized his achievements and musical contributions to the Western New York area.

This performance will feature Lisa Hasselback on piano, Ben Levitt on bass, Nelson Rivera on tenor, Hansel Herrera on trumpet, Calvin Rice on trumpet, and Joey Gonzalez on drums.

***

Sunday, July 13, at 2 pm
Joe Gransden with Special Guest John Sandfort

Immerse yourself in the cool, soulful sounds of Chet Baker and Stan Getz in a concert celebrating their timeless jazz legacy. From Baker’s hauntingly beautiful trumpet and vocals to Getz’s smooth, lyrical saxophone, this unforgettable afternoon brings their iconic music to life. Sharing the stage with Gransden and Sandfort are jazz pianist Michael T. Jones, Pau LaDuca on bass, and drummer Danny Hull.

"When I first heard Joe five years ago, I immediately thought of Chet," says Jazziz Magazine critic James Rozzi, “but lately his voice has taken on its own style with a deeper resonance. His trumpet has always alternated lyricism with an aggressive, angular approach. He has the ability to cover the gamut of emotions."

***

Sunday, July 20, at 2 pm
George Caldwell

George Caldwell will perform with lifelong friends from Memphis: Legendary saxophonist Bill Easley and bassist Sylvester Sample, who has been described as the best bass player no one has ever heard of. They will be joined by trumpeter Tim Clarke and drummer Sean Jefferson.

George Caldwell has performed and conducted around the world with well-known singers and bands including the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra. He has played at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Montreux and Newport Jazz Festivals, and Tivoli Gardens, just to name a few.

He is featured as instrumentalist, arranger, and composer on works by Tito Puente, Craig Bailey, Lewis Nash, Joe Williams, Bill Easley, and Hank Crawford, among others.

***

Sunday, July 27, at 2 pm
Vocalist Cindy Miller with Special Guest Dave Schiavone

Dave Schiavone, one of the premier saxophone/flute players in Western New York, is a member of the Amherst Saxophone Quartet and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and tours nationally with his own group, The Dave Schiavone Quartet. He was a professor of music at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State University, and Canisius College from 1995 to 2015.

Cindy Miller is from upstate New York, where she received her master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music. Her professional engagements have ranged from intimate clubs to large stadium concert performances, and as a guest soloist with symphony orchestras. She has performed with noted jazz greats such as flautist Hubert Laws, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, Chuck Mangione, and world-famous vibraphonist Peter Appleyard, and made numerous appearances with the Gap Mangione Big Band and the Benny Goodman Tribute Band.

Cindy Miller, vocals
Dave Schiavone, saxophone and flute
Don Rebic, piano
Wayne Moose, bass
Danny Hull, drums

***

Sunday, August 3, at 2 pm
The David Kayne/Jay Bianchi Project Performing the Music of The Beatles

Dave Kayne has written ten jazz arrangements of songs by The Beatles, which are being recorded and produced by keyboardist Jay Bianchi. Songs played in a variety of styles include: “Norwegian Wood,” “Michelle,” “Come Together,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Lady Madonna,” “Day Tripper,” “Black Bird,” “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” and “Hey Jude.” This performance will include many of these songs, plus Kayne’s arrangements of jazz standards: “Alone Together,” “All Blues,” “Pools,” “Summer Wind,” and more.

Dave Kayne, vibraphone and arrangements
Jay Bianchi, piano
Gary Keller, saxophone
Cameron Kayne, bass
Danny Hull, drums

***

About the Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Founded in 1862, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum is the sixth-oldest public art institution in the United States. For more than 160 years, the Buffalo AKG has collected, conserved, and exhibited the art of its time, often working directly with living artists. This tradition has given rise to one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of modern and contemporary art.

In June 2023, following the completion of the most significant campus development and expansion project in its history, the Buffalo AKG opened anew to the public. The project was funded by a $230 million capital campaign, the largest such campaign for a cultural institution in the history of Western New York, including $195 million raised for construction and $35 million in additional operating endowment funds.

###