Coltrane: Cookin' & Sweatin' at Celebrating Coltrane Festival at New Barbers Hall

Drummer Lucky Thompson and percussionist Karen Smith present a blazing concert exploring the vibes of the mid-1950s, as John Coltrane developed into the artist we all know and love. This is about the birth of Hard Bop. The music gets funky and more soulful in that period. The house band features Jim Holton – piano, Justin Sekelewski – bass, Josh Lee - tenor sax, Lauren Lark Jones & Michael Andrews – vocals. The spirit of dance is surely to be in the house. If the spirit moves…. then do what comes naturally.

LUCKY THOMPSON is a South Philly percussionist that has been playing drums since the age of 8, when he played at churches and special engagements. In the 1970s, Lucky began traveling and making TV appearances with his group, The Current Survivors, and has toured in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as worked with Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul, Nina Simone, Sonny Stitt, Val-Ray and Big Mamma Thornton. Since 1997, Lucky has served as the Musical Director of Natalie's Lounge, at 40th & Market, where the likes of jazz greats Hank Mobley, Mickey Roker, Shirley Scott, Sam Reed, Grover Washington, Jr., Tony Williams, and even a young John Coltrane have performed. This dynamic drummer can be heard on recordings with Umar Raheem, the Arpeggio Ensemble, Denise King, Val-Ray, and as bandleader with, Lucky Thompson's DNA....

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Drummer Lucky Thompson and percussionist Karen Smith present a blazing concert exploring the vibes of the mid-1950s, as John Coltrane developed into the artist we all know and love. This is about the birth of Hard Bop. The music gets funky and more soulful in that period. The house band features Jim Holton – piano, Justin Sekelewski – bass, Josh Lee - tenor sax, Lauren Lark Jones & Michael Andrews – vocals. The spirit of dance is surely to be in the house. If the spirit moves…. then do what comes naturally.

LUCKY THOMPSON is a South Philly percussionist that has been playing drums since the age of 8, when he played at churches and special engagements. In the 1970s, Lucky began traveling and making TV appearances with his group, The Current Survivors, and has toured in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as worked with Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul, Nina Simone, Sonny Stitt, Val-Ray and Big Mamma Thornton. Since 1997, Lucky has served as the Musical Director of Natalie's Lounge, at 40th & Market, where the likes of jazz greats Hank Mobley, Mickey Roker, Shirley Scott, Sam Reed, Grover Washington, Jr., Tony Williams, and even a young John Coltrane have performed. This dynamic drummer can be heard on recordings with Umar Raheem, the Arpeggio Ensemble, Denise King, Val-Ray, and as bandleader with, Lucky Thompson's DNA.

KAREN SMITH is a percussionist, playwright, director, producer and poet based in Philadelphia. She is also leader of two musical groups: Weez The Peeple and Sistahs Laying Down Hands With Love. She has performed at the Suzanne Roberts Theater, Dell Music Center, Free Library of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Ethical Society, Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant, Painted Bride Art Center, Community Education Center, Stars Under the Stars Festival At Vernon Park, Lancaster Avenue Jazz Festival in Philadelphia, the Annual Breukelen Country Fair in Brooklyn, New York and other venues.

Philadelphia Jazz Project, in collaboration with Temple University Libraries, WRTI, PhillyCAM, Jazz Near You and other partners present a celebration of John Coltrane's 90th Birthday with 9 days of FREE events in Philadelphia. These events will take place between September 17th to 25th, 2016.

ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FREE OF CHARGE
BUT TO ATTEND, YOU MUST REGISTER AT EVENTBRITE

The Coltrane At 90 Celebration was made possible by support from the The Wyncote Foundation / Philadelphia Jazz Project is a sponsored project of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, with funding provided by The Wyncote Foundation.

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