Jazzmobile – Summerfest 55 – Bill Saxton
August 8, 2018 | 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Bill has composed more than 80 musical compositions. Tunes such as “Beneath the Surface”, “One for Booker” and “Priorities” earned a three-star rating and critical acclaim in Downbeat and BeBop and Beyond magazines.
In Harlem, he also established himself as a bandleader of world-class musicians for over ten years being joined by Bobby Watson, Hilton Ruiz, Bobby Forester and John Hicks.
Bill rejuvenated a historical jazz landmark when he opened “Bill’s Place” in 2006. In 1927 during prohibition, the famous Swing Street, 133rd Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues, was the after-hours hangout for Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Moms Mabley, Langston Hughes, and the like. The popular joint at 148 West 133rd, a speakeasy, was home to Willie the Lion Smith on piano and a place in Harlem, for little known, young Billie Holiday. This space is now alive and full of the spirit of the jazz of the past.
Bill’s Place is continuing the purist legacy of serious straight-ahead-jazz. Bill Saxton lives his African American heritage and represents Harlem at its best. He is Jazz.
Cost: FREE
Grant’s Tomb – General Grant National Memorial
Riverside Drive and 122nd Street
New York NY 10027
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