Downtown Georgetown, Washington, DC
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| The Sign for the Entrance to the Blues Alley Jazz Dinner Club |
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| Blues Alley Entrance seen from the street 1073 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington,DC 20007 |
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| Side View of the Entrance to the Blues Alley Jazz Dinner Club |
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| Front View of the Entrance to the Blues Alley Jazz Dinner Club Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz dinner-and-nightclub in an alley off Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood. As of 2008, exclusively jazz musicians are booked into Blues Alley for approximately 360 nights out of the year. Over the years many of the world's very greatest jazz musicians have performed at Blues Alley, including Monty Alexander, Mose Allison, Tony Bennett, Ruby Braff, Charlie Byrd, Mel Clement, Buck Clayton, Billy Cobham, Larry Coryell, Roy Eldridge, Maynard Ferguson, Rachelle Ferrell, Ella Fitzgerald, Kenny Garrett, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett, Roland Hanna, Clancy Hayes, Buck Hill, Earl Hines, Freddie Hubbard, Lurlean Hunter, Phyllis Hyman, Ahmad Jamal, Dr John, Stanley Jordan, Steve Jordan, Stacey Kent, Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, Taj Mahal, Pat Martino, Wynton Marsalis, Charles Mingus, Mark Murphy, Oscar Peterson, Joshua Redman, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Rushing, Gil Scott-Heron, Charlie Shavers, George Shearing, Wayne Shorter, Maxine Sullivan, Stanley Turrentine, McCoy Tyner, Sarah Vaughan, Grover Washington, Jr., Mary Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Teddy Wilson and Sol Yaged.  Among the several jazz musicians to record a "Live at Blues Alley" album are the late Eva Cassidy and Dizzy Gillespie [featuring tenor saxophonist Ron Holloway], Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington, Jr. In 1975 Earl Fatha Hines spent a week, during the afternoons while the club was closed, making an hour-long solo film for British TV entirely in Blues Alley, prominently featuring Frank Hart, Blue's Alley's famous 'clean-up man'.  Terrance Blanchard, will be appearing at the Blues Alley Jazz Club from Thursday, August 23rd thru Sunday the 26th. Blues Alley also has a non-profit jazz arm, the Blues Alley Jazz Society, dedicated to jazz education and outreach for young performers in the local area. Education and outreach programs include the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra and Blues Alley Jazz Summer Camp. Blues Alley honors its most popular performers by allowing them to create dishes and have them as a regular part of the restaurant's menu. Phyllis Hymans jumbo shrimp dish is one of the most popular items on the menu. Not all performers have this honor and it is shared with the greats such as Nancy Wilson and John Williams.  The Blues Alley Jazz Club is a supporter of the JazzFest at Sea, "The Ultimate Jazz Cruise" from December 1st thru the 11th of 2012.  Jeff Coffin just appeared at the Blues Alley Jazz Club from Friday 08/10 thru Sunday 08/12/2012.  Jonathan Butler, (born 10 October 1961, Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa) is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is appearing at the Blues Alley Jazz Club from Thursday, 11/29 thru Sunday 12/02/2012.  Chris Thomas King, (born October 14, 1962) is an American New Orleans, Louisiana based blues musician and actor. Chris is also appearing at the Blues Alley Jazz Club on Tuesday, September 11th, 2012  Andre Manga, from Yaounde, Cameroon in West Africa, is best known for his work as Music Director for Manu DiBango and band member with Josh Groban, built his first musical instrument at the age of seven, a pseudo-marimba constructed from bamboo and part of a tree trunk; later designing a guitar with strings made from bicycle brake cables. Andre will be appearing at the Blues Alley Jazz Club on Tuesday, August 28th, 2012. ___________________________________________________________  Lee Ritenour with his unique Yamaha Silent Guitar Lee has played the Blues Alley Jazz Club a number of times over the years. His last gig there was on April 9th, 2011 and we were lucky enough to catch both of his performances that night. What a incredible evening . . . Lee actually asked my to hold his Gibson Les Paul while he straighten up his cables that were all tangled up at his feet. WOW ! Like a little kid, hugh?  Me and Lee Ritenour ___________________________________________ If you ever get the opportunity to catch a show at the Blues Alley Jazz Club, do it, you'll really enjoy yourself. The venue is small and quaint which allows you to be up-close and personal with the artists performing. The food is great and of course the people are all there to enjoy themselves and have a wonderful time so you don't have to worry about any riff-raff. "Go for it, you'll really enjoy yourself." Until next time, "remember to keep the blues playin' in your car, your house, where ever you are . . ." "I love good smooth jazz too, so keep an open mind for good ole' blues and smooth jazz; either way, you can't go wrong." MUSICIAN by Night  |
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