The Velvet Note

Sunday, December 19th: Michelle Malone and The Hot Toddies
2021-12-19 19:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
“Michelle Malone and The Hot Toddies reinterpret classic Christmas songs, creating new jazz and blues arrangements all their own that display Malone’s vocal prowess and innate ability to let her music take you to another time and place. ”

— Tony Paris, Creative Loafing

SHOWTIMES: 7:00PM AND 9:00PM

Join the Hot Toddies for 2 swingin’ Christmas shows at 7pm and 9pm with all your favorite holiday songs! Come sing along to all your favorite Christmas songs, and get in the spirit, because…

….”“Nothing puts the ‘merry’ in Christmas like Michelle Malone and The Hot Toddies” — Scott Freeman, Arts Atlanta

The Hot Toddies are world renowned musicians who justhappened to meet in an Amtrak train station bar in Kalamazoo, MI on a snowy Christmas Eve. While stranded in a blizzard at the train station with no chance of getting home for the holidays, these fun-loving party favors decided to get out their instruments and provide the other stranded travelers with some real crazy holiday merriment that went into the wee hours of the morning when Santa finally arrived – and the rest is Hot Toddy history!

Saturday, December 18th: A Jody Jazzy Christmas
2021-12-18 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Having amassed a decades long resume that includes performing with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie, Grover Washington, Jr. jazz Violinist, Karen Briggs, Mike Phillips, and James Lloyd from Pieces Of A Dream, Jody Mayfield believes that jazz isn’t a style of music, but rather, how you play it.

On this holiday concert, jazz pianist, Jody Mayfield will feature jazzy holiday music from his number one Christmas EP “A Jody Jazzy Christmas.” This multi-talented keyboardist blends his remarkable sense of soulfulness with a warm, familiar intimacy, resulting in fresh takes on Christmas classics. As caressing atmospheres waft around the tight grooves and lush melodies, Mayfield switches seamlessly between piano and contemporary keyboard vibes.

First show at 7:30 is SOLD OUT! Purchase 9:30pm show below:

Friday, December 17th: Jazz Crooner Keenan Blount
2021-12-17 19:30 - 23:00
Take the phrasing of Sinatra, blend in the velvet styling of Nat King Cole and the soulful passion of Tony Bennett and you’ve got the formula for Love. Crooner Keenan Blount takes you through spirit of the season.

7:30 shows are SOLD OUT! Purchase 9:30 seats below:

Thursday, December 16th: Open Mic Jam Hosted by Singer/Actor Eric Moore
2021-12-16 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
A potpourri of performers entertains you throughout the night under the musical leadership of our house band, led by singer Eric Moore. Come out and jam with us– All genres welcomed!

PURCHASE TICKETS BELOW!

Wednesday, December 15th: JazzyCrab Night Featuring Wildman and The Funky Soul Band
2021-12-15 18:00 - 22:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
This is your chance to try our acclaimed Chesapeake Bay, Jumbo Lump crabcakes, all night long! Great deals on food and drink, live music (8-10), and NO ENTRY FEE! Come on out with your gang and enjoy! Reservations are NOT REQUIRED, but if you want to make one, call 855.5.VELVET. Featured Artist– Wildman and The Funky Soul Band.

Sunday, December 12th: OrpheusMaXX *** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***
2021-12-12 19:00 - 20:30 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
ONE SHOW ONLY: 7:00PM AND 8:30PM. Orpheus MaXX is a collective of legacy jazz musicians who are committed to honoring the history of great jazz music while applying their imaginations to its modern arrangements. The group stars American drummer, composer and arranger Eric Vaughn. Vaughn is the youngest inductee to the Coastal Jazz Hall of Fame where he received the award for his life’s contributions to the international jazz and art community.

Also featuring: Award-winning legacy pianist Kenny Banks, Jr., Trumpeter Terence Harper and Bassist Delbert Felix.

Vaughn moved to Berlin in January 2010 and is the resident jazz curator at the Wekstatt der Kulturen, which produces music and art events. He performs and tours throughout Europe, and as a composer/arranger, has worked on musical projects for CNN and Walt Disney with jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

**** SOLD OUT!!! SOLD OUT!!! SOLD OUT!!! SOLD OUT!!! SOLD OUT !!! ****

Saturday, December 11th: Grant Green, Jr. Celebrates The Music of Burt Bacharach *** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***
2021-12-11 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Grant Green Jr. is a jazz guitarist and son of jazz guitarist Grant Green. He is a member of the group Masters of Groove with Bernard Purdie and Reuben Wilson.[1] Born in St Louis, Missouri on August 4, 1955, Grant Green Jr. started playing guitar at the age of fourteen. In 1969 moved to Detroit with his father. His neighbors included Stevie Wonder‘s parents, Marvin Gaye, and members of the Four Tops. He has worked with Richard Groove Holmes, Leon Thomas, Jimmy McGriff, Lou Donaldson, and Lonnie Smith. This performance is the pre-release of Grant’s upcoming CD in celebration of iconic composer Burt Bacharach.

*** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***

Friday, December 10th: The Bill Hart International Jazz Fusion Band
2021-12-10 20:00 - 22:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Canadian Guitarist Bill Hart performs each Friday night, featuring his unique take on world music with international musicians and genre-bending selections. Come hang with us, and take a trip around the world without converting your currency or expediting your passport!

Thursday, December 9th: Open Mic Jam Hosted by Singer/Actor Eric Moore
2021-12-09 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States

Wednesday, December 8th: JazzyCrab! With Hughes Taylor, Blues Singer/Guitarist
2021-12-08 17:00 - 22:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States

Thursday, December 2nd: Open Mic Jam Hosted by Singer/Actor Eric Moore
2021-12-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States

Wednesday, December 1st: JazzyCrab!
2021-12-01 17:00 - 22:00
This is your chance to try our acclaimed Chesapeake Bay, Jumbo Lump crabcakes, all night long! Great deals on food and drink, live music (8-10), and NO ENTRY FEE! Come on out with your gang and enjoy!

Featured Artist– Wildman and The Funky Soul Band

Reservations are NOT REQUIRED, but if you want to make one, call 855.5.VELVET

November 26-28: Thanksgiving Weekend Party with Smooth Jazz Star Bob Baldwin
2021-11-26 19:30 - 2021-11-28 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
New York native Bob Baldwin has recorded on six of the seven inhabitable continents, and while Antarctica is not on his recording bucket list, his international list, including Dubai, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, UK, Canada, is quite impressive. “Whether it’s a massive festival crowd of 30,000 or an intimate restaurant audience of 60, I refuse to rob my audience of great music and a good experience”, says Baldwin. The pianist’s personal goal is to release a 12-song project per year, and since 1988, he has released over 34 projects, of which 27 are owned by his company, City Sketches Records.Bob’s upcoming disc, “The Stay at Home Series” is an industry adjustment. Recorded in 2020-2021, this is a closed live recording in the studio with some of his New York musical compadres. With Cafe Da Silva and Chembo Corniel on percussion, and his longtime music friends Tony Lewis and Dave Anderson on drums and bass, the new project will spit out a Volume 2 in the near future.“Being a musician, we obviously had to make adjustments to the way we all do music,” says the Native New Yorker. “Concerts were eliminated in 2020, but fortunately, owning your own music makes you halfway covid-proof.”His current 2021 release “The UrbanSmooth Suite” was a vocal extravaganza with various vocalists Monica Mason, Regina Troupe, Toni Redd and others as well as Earth, Wind and Fire original Ralph Johnson on the uptempo “Dance 3000” are all highlights.His 2020 piece, “Henna” explored a more natural sound with the aforementioned Da’ Silva, Anderson and Lewis, but his 12-solo piece with Nils, Beasley, Alford, Whiteside and company on “Club Life” was the record highlight.His ‘theme’ projects of Stevie Wonder, Thom Bell and Michael Jackson have all charted mightily on the Billboard Jazz charts, all hitting in the top 15. His very latest, Abbey Road and the Beatles has also crept into the top 20 on the charts as well.Previous releases of Never Can Say Goodbye and Never out of Season, were both remixed and remastered in the spirit of hi-def. Whereas older recordings would peak at the average 16-bit maximum, Bob is trying to push the envelope in re-tracking some of the music in 24-bit (and sometimes 32-bit mode).What’s next? Well…funny you should ask. Bob Baldwin is re-writing and updating his book, “You Better Ask Somebody”, and will go in a little deeper on subjects like music streaming and the lowdown on Croton Jazz.The Brazilian-American Soundtrack (2016) was his 22nd disc, and is a fantastic journey through Rio, Ipanema Beach, Atlanta and New York City and showcases original music, plus music from legendary writers and artists like Djavan, Ivan Lins and Antonio Carlos Jobim.Also, check out his holiday disc, “The Gift of Christmas”, featuring Marcus Anderson and Corvina Nielsen, released in 2016.

Thursday, November 25th: Thanksgiving Open Mic Jam Hosted by Joyce Licorish
2021-11-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
THIS is your source of musical entertainment for friends and family on Thanksgiving! A potpourri of performers entertains you throughout the night under the musical leadership of our house band, led by singer Joyce Licorish. Come out and jam with us– All genres welcomed!

Wednesday, November 24th: JazzyCrab!
2021-11-24 17:00 - 22:00
This is your chance to try our acclaimed Chesapeake Bay, Jumbo Lump crabcakes, all night long! Great deals on food and drink, live music (8-10), and NO ENTRY FEE! Come on out with your gang and enjoy! Reservations are NOT REQUIRED, but if you want to make one, call 855.5.VELVET. Featured Artists– Bob Bakert and Dustin Cottrell

Sunday, November 21st: Our Annual Steely Dan Tribute Thanksgiving Jam
2021-11-21 19:30 - 22:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
THIS is your chance to spend an exhilarating evening celebrating the music of Steely Dan! Donald Fagen and Walter Becker accomplished over 40 years in music, and we love to honor their success. This is a feast for the listening ear that grew up on this great music and appreciates live performance. Musicians will include an array of local, passionate instrumentalists and vocals, with Adrian Ash herding the cats and guiding us through the songbook.

Saturday, November 20th: The Eric Wyatt Quartet also starring Jeff "Tain" Watts
2021-11-20 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
A Song of Hope,his second album for Whaling City Sound, saxophonist Eric Wyatt more than hope; he offers assurance that contemporary jazz is alive and well in and around his home base of Brooklyn, NY. Wyatt, the godson of another rather well-known saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, performs in groups of various sizes, from quartet to octet, with vocals by Samara Joy on two numbers, “Fragile” and Wyatt’s “Say Her Name.” The almost-constants are pianist Donald Vega, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Jeff Watts, who are on board for eight numbers but step aside for a pair of Wyatt-Watts duets and are replaced by bassist Mike Boone and his talented fourteen-year-old son, drummer Mekhi Boone, on John Coltrane‘s “Central Park West” and McCoy Tyner‘s “Contemplation.”

While there are occasional glimpses of Rollins (and Coltrane) in Wyatt’s broad-shouldered tenor, for the most part it is strictly Wyatt, blowing with awareness and enthusiasm on every number. That is to say, almost every number, as he plays soprano on “Fragile” whose oracular lyric (by Sting) no doubt conveys a profound message to today’s younger listeners.

Friday, November 19th: The Eric Wyatt Quartet with Jeff "Tain" Watts *** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***
2021-11-19 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
On A Song of Hope, his second album for Whaling City Sound, saxophonist Eric Wyatt offers more than hope; he offers assurance that contemporary jazz is alive and well in and around his home base of Brooklyn, NY. Wyatt, the godson of another rather well-known saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, performs in groups of various sizes, from quartet to octet, with vocals by Samara Joy on two numbers, “Fragile” and Wyatt’s “Say Her Name.” The almost-constants are pianist Donald Vega, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Jeff Watts, who are on board for eight numbers but step aside for a pair of Wyatt-Watts duets and are replaced by bassist Mike Boone and his talented fourteen-year-old son, drummer Mekhi Boone, on John Coltrane‘s “Central Park West” and McCoy Tyner‘s “Contemplation.”

While there are occasional glimpses of Rollins (and Coltrane) in Wyatt’s broad-shouldered tenor, for the most part it is strictly Wyatt, blowing with awareness and enthusiasm on every number. That is to say, almost every number, as he plays soprano on “Fragile” whose oracular lyric (by Sting) no doubt conveys a profound message to today’s younger listeners.

*** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***

Thursday, November 18th: Open Mic Jam Hosted by Singer Joyce Licorish
2021-11-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
A potpourri of performers entertains you throughout the night under the musical leadership of our house band, led by singer Joyce Licorish. Come out and jam with us– All genres welcomed!

Wednesday, November 17th: JazzyCrab with Musical Guest Wildman & The Funky Soul Band
2021-11-17 17:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
This is your chance to try our acclaimed Chesapeake Bay, Jumbo Lump crabcakes, all night long! Great deals on food and drink, live music (8-10), and NO ENTRY FEE! Come on out with your gang and enjoy! Reservations are NOT REQUIRED, but if you want to make one, call 855.5.VELVET. Featured Artist–Wildman & the Funky Soul Band

Sunday, November 14th: Jennifer Wrobleski *** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***
2021-11-14 19:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Ms. Wrobleski has lived up and down the east coast. She studied opera at the New England Conservatory of Music and musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory of Music.

After school, she began her singing career with The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL. As the character, Cinderella, she sang and danced in the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Surprise Celebration show. She also played the role of Belle in MGM’s Beauty & The Beast show.

In early 2005, she formed a jazz quartet and performed throughout Florida and Georgia, including Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, the House of Blues Orlando, Nikki Beach Miami, Churchill Grounds Atlanta and Sambuca in Buckhead.

Later, having moved to NYC, Ms. Farnsworth performed regularly with Harold Mabern Jr, Joseph Farnsworth, Eric Alexander, John Webber, Sharp Radway and Anthony Wonsey. Oftentimes, she was a featured vocalist with the Harold Mabern Jr Trio at the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club and clubs around the world including Greece, Vienna, Russia and Italy.

In addition to the music, Ms. Wrobleski is an avid painter. Her portrait of jazz legend, Harold Mabern Jr is on display at Smalls Jazz Club NYC, a portrait of Teddy Wilson is hanging on the walls at Mezzrow Jazz Club in NYC, as well as a mural at the famed Harlem restaurant, Charlie’s Bar & Kitchen.

This performance, in celebration of her recently released album Jennifer Wrobleski Sings for Harold features Kevin Bales on piano, Kevin Smith on Bass and Bernard Linette on Drums.

*** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! ***

Saturday, November 13th: Lady A Guitarist Slim Gambill
2021-11-13 19:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Fresh off of features in ROLLING STONE, BILLBOARD, GUITAR PLAYER, PARADE, and JAZZ GUITAR TODAY, Lady Antebellum guitarist Slim Gambill is making his return to Alpharetta with his instrumental jazz/rock/jam band project! Jason “Slim” Gambill Is a multi-genre guitarist, producer, composer, arranger and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the multi- platinum Capitol Nashville recording artist Lady Antebellum, who has sold more than 16 million albums worldwide, racked up 7 GRAMMYs and countless ACM, CMA and People’s Choice Awards, and had 9 #1 songs.

Friday, November 12th: The Bill Hart International Jazz Fusion Band
2021-11-12 20:00 - 22:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States

Sunday, November 7th: Songs of Pannonica *** SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! SOLD OUT!! **
2021-11-07 19:00 - 20:30 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
The Velvet Note presents another segment of its ninth series of Legends of Jazz, featuring the music inspired by the jazz champion, friend and unlikely benefactor Baronness Kathleen Pannonica Rothschild. As with the entire monthly Legends of Jazz series, The Justin Varnes Quartet will guide guests–in engaging, narrative form– through the life and music of this great character in the history and culture of jazz. It’s like taking in a concert and taking a jazz history class at the same time, and…, oh… they’ll also play their behinds off!​

Saturday, November 6th: Blues Artist Dave Keller
2021-11-06 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
4 stars - Downbeat
"a magnificent soul singer" -- Elmore Magazine

"Steve Cropper-like guitar and soaring vocals...songwriting genius...infectious rhythms...straight-to-the-heart soul" -- Living Blues

2021 Blues Blast Music Award nominee, Best Male Artist
2021 Blues Blast Music Award nominee, Best Soul Blues Album
2019 Blues Music Award (BMA) nominee, Best Soul Blues Album
2014 Blues Music Award (BMA) nominee, Best Soul Blues Album

Dave Keller is an award-winning, triple-threat: an outstanding singer, an intense guitarist, and a talented
songwriter. Fueled by his love of deep Southern soul and blues music, his performances ring out with
passion, integrity, and an ability to break down the barriers between performer and audience.

Ever since legendary guitarist Ronnie Earl chose Dave Keller to sing on his 2010 album, Living In The Light, Keller has been on the rise, earning two Blues Music Award nominations for Best Soul/Blues Album, winning the International Blues Challenge 'Best Self-Released CD Award', and being chosen for Downbeat’s “Best Recordings of the Year.” His 2018 CD, Every Soul's a Star, released on esteemed soul/blues label Catfood Records, was produced by multiple-Grammy-winning legend Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Miller, Tower of Power, Luther Allison, etc.). Gaines, the man responsible for some of the most revered albums in modern music, says, “I love Dave's vocals. Dave has a remarkable voice.”

In February 2020, Keller released his first-ever live album, Live At The Killer Guitar Thriller! (Tastee-Tone Records), which won the Tammie Award for Best Album of the Year. Based in Vermont, Keller has performed for audiences across the U.S., including major festivals such as the North Atlantic Blues Fest, Discover Jazz Fest, and PA Blues Fest and many of the finest clubs, including B.B. King's in Memphis and Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco. In addition to his own recordings, Keller has co-written and recorded with legendary guitarist Ronnie Earl (2010's BMA-nominated Living In The Light).

Other well-regarded performers have invited him onstage, including but not limited to: Otis Clay, Fontella Bass, John Nemeth, Sugaray Rayford, John Primer, Mike Welch, Mike Ledbetter, Southern Avenue, Big Jack Johnson, Terrence Simien, Anthony Geraci, Alexis P. Suter, Dawn Tyler Watson, Dwight and Nicole, and Grammy-winning Native American singer/songwriter Joanne Shenandoah.

A bit of a late bloomer, Keller grew up in Massachusetts, loving music, but not picking up a guitar until age 16, and not singing in his first band until age 20. But blessed with mentors including deep soul singer Mighty Sam McClain, mystical soul guitarist Robert Ward, acoustic blues master Paul Rishell, and soul/blues man Johnny Rawls, Keller made up for the lost time.
Relocating to icy Vermont in 1993, Keller found fertile ground to grow his audience, and during the ensuing years has spread his name far and wide. Famous for his live-wire shows, Keller can often be found fifty feet out in the crowd, teasing fiery licks from his trusty Stratocaster, and singing off-mike as the audience sings along.

Friday, November 5th: Vibraphone Artist Drew Tucker
2021-11-05 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
Drew Tucker is a musician, educator and social entrepreneur – a unique combination that place him at the intersection of the arts and activism.

Artistically, he’s at the forefront of the movement to reinvent the vibraphone – a dynamic instrument that he melds with soul, funk, jazz and hip-hop influences. His jazz influenced twists on modern-day standards from Michael Jackson, to Prince and The Police, have earned him key endorsements from Mike Balter, Malletech and Sabian Cymbals – and the applause of soldout audiences nationwide.

The passion he brings to the stage is also present in his classroom. Drew’s one of the most sought after educators in mallet education, which he led to him being a top front ensemble coach in Florida. He’s proud to note that 100% of his students have gone on to succeed in art school and university auditions.

As a community activist and Cultural Arts Director at Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) , he’s driven to revitalize areas of Florida through the creation of arts centers in underserved neighborhoods. Through his leadership and musicianship, he strives to not only raise spirits, but set an example of excellence and open opportunities for students, families and communities to realize their potential.

Whether performing alongside Grammy winners as a world-class vibraphonist, coaching eager high school students through national music competitions, or leading and directing the growth of local arts institutions, Drew’s passion for improving people’s lives through artistic endeavor is unwavering.

Sunday, October 31st: Curtis Lundy with the Legendary Bobby Watson
2021-10-31 19:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
SHOWTIMES: 7:00pm and 9:00pm A saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator, Bobby Watson grew up in Kansas City, Kan. He trained formally at the University of Miami, a school with a distinguished and well-respected jazz program. After graduating, he proceeded to earn his “doctorate” – on the bandstand – as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. The group, created in 1955 by late legendary drummer who died in 1990, showcased a rotating cast of players, many who, like Watson, would go on to have substantial careers as bandleaders in their own right. The Jazz Messengers – frequently referred to as the “University of Blakey” – served as the ultimate “postgraduate school” for ambitious young players.

Saturday, October 30th: Alexis Cole
2021-10-30 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
“…A beguiling voice and charming…stage manner.”— Ralph Miriello, Notes on Jazz blog, March 2018. Award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole may be the most talented singer to ever hold a top-secret military clearance. A dozen albums into her critically acclaimed career, she may also be the best-kept secret in jazz, a status that’s certain to change as more people are discovering her for themselves.

Friday, October 29th: Alexis Cole
2021-10-29 19:30 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
“…A beguiling voice and charming…stage manner.”— Ralph Miriello, Notes on Jazz blog, March 2018

Award-winning jazz vocalist Alexis Cole may be the most talented singer to ever hold a top-secret military clearance. A dozen albums into her critically acclaimed career, she may also be the best-kept secret in jazz, a status that’s certain to change as more people are discovering her for themselves.

The year 2009 was a big one for Alexis: She released her first albums on both Motéma Music and Venus Records… and went to Basic Training to prepare for her new job as a jazz singer for the US Army.

During her seven years in the Army’s Big Band, Cole had the opportunity to grow as a musician and a person, sharing the stage with ensembles as diverse as the New York Philharmonic and Kool and the Gang. Alexis continued recording throughout her tour of duty, releasing a string of well-received albums, including four titles for Venus, two for Motema, and two on Chesky Records. She proved her versatility on everything from jazz standards to Paul Simon’s lesser known compositions, to Disney love songs to a project on which she teamed up with a fellow serviceman 50 years her senior, the legendary guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

Alexis has blossomed since leaving the service in 2016, trading her uniforms and fatigues for sleek cocktail dresses and chic hats, and focusing fully on her art. The singer’s career has taken on exciting new momentum, with recent accomplishments including gigs at celebrated venues like The Carlyle, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Blue Note; and performances as a soloist with prominent orchestras such as the Boston Pops and the Detroit Symphony. Alexis also recently contributed a guest turn on pianist Harold Mabern’s star-studded album Afro Blue, alongside the likes of fellow guests Norah Jones, Gregory Porter, and Jane Monheit.

Thursday, October 28th: Open Mic Jam Hosted by Guitarist/Singer Andrew Black
2021-10-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Velvet Note Main Stage, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta, 30005, United States
A potpourri of performers entertains you throughout the night under the musical leadership of our house band, led by singer and guitarist Andrew Black. Come out and jam with us– All genres welcomed!
