May Concerts at AMP - Billy Hart, Bowie's Saxophonist, Strawbs and More

Billy Hart visits AMP by Strathmore, May 5th

From our friends at AMP by Strathmore...

May Concerts at AMP

Big names including Billy Hart, Bowie’s sax man, progressive rock outfit Strawbs; tribute to Luther Vandross; eclectic ensembles Sultans of String, Dustbowl Revival, Chopteeth

Ten concerts at AMP in May pay tribute to legends, pull together unconventional ensembles, and feature big names in disparate fields, including legendary jazz sideman Billy Hart, who kicks off the month with his quartet and pianist Ethan Iverson. Other big names visiting the Pike are progressive rock group Strawbs and the late David Bowie’s saxophonist Donny McCaslin. The Re-Lives pay tribute to the iconic Luther Vandross, while jazz vocalist Barb Jungr and jazz pianist Laurence Hobgood put their spin on a classic rock. Eclectic ensembles hit the stage throughout the month, including the globetrotting Sultans of String, rip-roaring California collective The Dustbowl Revival, and Afrobeat band Chopteeth. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.AMPbyStrathmore.com.

Upcoming concerts at AMP in May 2016 include:

BILLY HART QUARTET
FT. ETHAN IVERSON
Thursday, May 5, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $35-$45

Legendary jazz drummer and son of Washington, DC, Billy Hart celebrates his 75th birthday with confidants, pianist Ethan Iverson, saxophonist Mark Turner, and bassist Ben Street - together, the forward-looking Billy Hart Quartet. Hart has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz history, including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Buck Hill, Shirley Horn, Wayne Shorter, Steve Getz, and even Miles Davis on 1972’s On the Corner. After being voted #1 Jazz Drummer in the 2015 Modern Drummer Readers Poll, Hart reflects on some his favorite jazz tunes and career-making performances.

LUTHER RE-LIVES
TRIBUTE TO LUTHER VANDROSS
Friday, May 6, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $25-$35

They called him “The Velvet Voice.” With iconic hits like “Power of Love/Love Power,” “Never Too Much,” “Here and Now,” and “Any Love,” the late R&B legend Luther Vandross captivated a generation. Now, you’ll be transported on a romantic journey through Vandross’ iconic catalog. The Re-Lives, featuring William “Smooth” Wardlaw, pay tribute to the original with love, respect, and faithful accuracy. Smooth is an exceptional entertainer and the spitting image of Vandross, with an uncanny resemblance in both mannerism and voice.

BIG PANTS & HOT FLASHES
JULIA SCOTTI & KEVIN MEANEY
WITH RAHMEIN MOSTAFAVI
Friday, May 13, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $20-$30

Few comedians can skip back and forth across the sexual and gender lines like industry veterans Julia Scotti and Kevin Meaney. It is that comic experience and Swiss watch timing that promises a night of endless truth, fearlessness, and nonstop laughter, with a no holds barred Q&A following the show.

Kevin Meaney will be familiar to audiences from appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, 30 Rock, and Gotham Comedy Live. He was on Broadway in Hairspray for over five years. Nationally headlining transgender comedian Julia Scotti was one of the winners of the Laughlin Comedy Festival, a finalist in the Ladies of Laughter festival, and was named one of The Advocate’s Top 5 Hottest Transgendered Comedians.

CHOPTEETH
Saturday, May 14, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $20-$30

This 12-piece Afro-funk orchestra explores the common groove between the funkiest, most hip-shakin’ West African beats and American popular music. At the core of Chopteeth’s sound is Afrobeat - a big-band funk invented by Fela Kuti in 1970’s Nigeria that’s a spicy stew of modern jazz, Yoruba tribal music, and burning, James Brown-inspired rhythms. “A storming powerhouse of big-band African funk, Chopteeth is smart, tight and relentlessly driving: a definite don't miss” (Washington Post.)

BARB JUNGR
WITH LAURENCE HOBGOOD
Sunday, May 15, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $30-$40

Barb Jungr is renowned for her unique vocal style, interpretation of song, and radical approach to arrangements. On her latest release, a collaboration with virtuoso jazz pianist Laurence Hobgood, she explores “The New American Songbook” - songs by classic rockers like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Peter Gabriel, and David Bowie - in addition to a handful of originals. But this is no ordinary covers set. As The New York Times raved, Jungr “interprets (other artists’ work) with a ferocity and truthfulness that demolishes every cover version you’ve ever heard.”

STRAWBS
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $30-$40

Drawing from a vast and eclectic repertoire that includes the group’s early folk sound to their later, progressive rock soundscapes, Strawbs has been pushing boundaries since the 1960s. The British group has found great success here in the States, with seven consecutive albums in the Billboard Top 200 and critical comparisons to acts such as Yes, King Crimson, and The Moody Blues. Strawbs has proven to be a fertile launching pad for many careers, with Rick Wakeman (Yes), Blue Weaver (The Bee Gees), John Hawken (Renaissance), and Don Airey (Deep Purple) among its former members. Don’t miss this rare tour by Strawb’s full electric line-up performing the 1974 album Hero & Heroine live in its entirety.

SULTANS OF STRING
Thursday, May 19, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $22-$32

Sultans of String take you on a trip around the world with a thrilling musical itinerary that includes Celtic reels, Flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, and South Asian rhythms, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar, and sitar-driven grooves. Since making their debut eight years ago, Sultans of String have had several number one hits on Canadian charts and received multiple awards and accolades, including two JUNO nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Awards. The group has previously collaborated and shared the stage with such luminaries as The Chieftains and David Bromberg.

THE ERIC FELTEN SEPTET
Friday, May 20, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $30-$40

A big band sound packed into a lean, mean seven-piece, The Eric Felten Septet is known for its interpretations of jazz classics by legends like Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, and more. A formidable trombonist and a velvet-voiced crooner, Felten possesses a charismatic style that’s be likened to Harry Connick, Jr. and Michael Bublé. You may recognize Felten and his band from their appearance on The Big Band Sound of WWII, a concert special televised on PBS that now been seen by over 15 million viewers.

THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL
WITH SPECIAL GUEST LETITIA VANSANT
Thursday, May 26, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $20-$30

This California collective merges old school bluegrass, gospel, pre-war blues, and the hot swing of New Orleans to form what some might call a string band-brass band mash up. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show teaming up with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens or maybe Bob Dylan and The Band jamming with Benny Goodman and his orchestra in 1938. Any way you look at it, Dustbowl Revival plays joyous music, offering a youthful take on classic American sounds.

DONNY MCCASLIN GROUP
WITH MARK GUILIANA, JASON LINDNER, AND JONATHAN MARON
Friday, May 27, 2016
8:00 PM
Tickets $30-$40

David Bowie was a saxophonist himself, so his standards for accompanying sax players were especially high. Given Bowie’s penchant for edgy innovation, it’s no surprise he chose McCaslin to perform on his final album, Blackstar. McCaslin is a Grammy-nominated performer known for his superb musicianship and acrobatic phrasing. His work often blurs the line between jazz and electronica, delving into fusion, angular post-bop, polyphonic funk, ethereal balladry, and so much more. He has a gift for juxtaposing brawny melodies and atmospherics for a uniquely modern jazz sound.

About AMP, powered by Strathmore:

AMP is great music and food at Pike & Rose, an urban-minded, Metro-accessible neighborhood along Rockville Pike that puts a premium on authentic live music experiences, bringing new energy beyond the Beltway. The live music and dining concept is a collaborative venture of Strathmore, Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT), the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Rogue Fine Catering. Located in the thriving and rapidly changing North Bethesda District in Montgomery County, AMP is the nexus of live entertainment in the growing Pike & Rose neighborhood, and together with iPic Theaters and a roster of restaurants will foster a vibrant nighttime economy in Montgomery County.