ALEX BELHAJ'S CRESCENT CITY QUINTET
Boodle-AM SHAKE
Friday, September 10th @ 8:00 PM
Kerrytown Concert House kicks off its Fall season with music inspired by the great New Orleans tradition! Led by guitarist and vocalist, Alex Belhaj, an outstanding interpreter of vintage jazz guitar styles, the group celebrates the release of its latest CD: Boodle-Am Shake! Joining Belhaj is an impressive line-up with Ray Heitger (clarinet/vocals), Dave Kosmyna (cornet/vocals), Jordan Schug (string bass), and Pete Siers (drums).
Periodically, Alex Belhaj’s strongly steeped devotion to living tradition transports him and his guitar to New Orleans where he sits in and absorbs the continuum firsthand.
For this ensemble, Alex has assembled an intimate group of skilled improvisers who share his passion for traditional jazz and music from the 1920’s and ‘30s. Clarinetist Ray Heitger has served for many years as Toledo, Ohio’s grand interpreter of traditional jazz. His inspired solos and visceral vocals bring caloric urgency to any gathering. Cornetist Dave Kosmyna has devoted much of his life to the early strata of the jazz tradition. Alex Belhaj’s Crescent City Quartet is anchored and illuminated by Hamtramck-based string bassist Jordan Schug and mad-skilled drummer Pete Siers.
A message from Bandleader ALEX BELHAJ:
“The Crescent City Quintet’s music is deeply rooted in New Orleans traditional music and is inspired directly by Black American Music. In the spirit of reciprocity, I believe that it is essential to give back to the people from whom the music comes. 50% of any sales from the Sugar Blues and/or Boodle-Am Shake albums will be going to BIPOC led New Orleans based cultural organizations. For anyone who loves the people and culture of New Orleans, please consider donating to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.”
Suggested Organizations/Businesses:- Guardians Institute (http://www.
guardiansinstitute.org/) - Backstreet Cultural Museum (https://www.backstreetmuseum.
org/) - Congo Square Preservation Society (https://www.
congosquarepreservationsociety .org/) - Burnell Colton’s Lower 9th Market (https://gofund.me/9811cc4e)
COVID-19 Safety Policy for Indoor Concerts
- Moving forward, all patrons and artists who wish to attend or present performances indoors at KCH must provide a valid, complete COVID-19 vaccination card OR proof of a negative COVID-19 test performed within the previous 72 hours prior to entry. Such proof must be presented at concert check-in, may be displayed on a smartphone OR presented as a physical copy, and must also be accompanied by a matching, valid ID for verification.**
- Additionally, according to current CDC recommendations, masks are required for audiences inside the House and can only be removed when seated with a beverage (when available). When performing, artists may wear a mask, or not, at their own discretion.
**Proof of vaccination exceptions will be made for children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious beliefs that prevent vaccination. These guests must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours prior to entry.
Alex Belhaj is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he led his own Crescent City Quartet in addition to playing folk music and original music. He also worked with the James Dapogny Quartet, the Cakewalkin’ Jass Band and guitarist Joe Summers before moving to New Orleans in 2015.
In the Crescent City, Alex works frequently with Duke Heitger, Steve Pistorius, Tim Laughlin, the Riverside Jazz Collective and Hal Smith’s On The Levee Jazz Band, to name a few. Alex is an outstanding interpreter of vintage Jazz guitar stylists like Johnny St. Cyr and Kid Ory’s longtime sideman Bud Scott.
Like Clark Kent, jazz percussionist Pete Siers is soft-spoken and unassuming – but put him behind a drum set, and a hard-swinging, intensely physical, dynamically sensitive drummer emerges. According to the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association, when Pete plays, “readily apparent musical joy” can be expected. Paul Pearce of Bass World magazine writes that “Pete absolutely ‘sings’ with his drum kit.”
Siers has played with jazz luminaries such as Russell Malone, Mulgrew Miller, Marian McPartland, Lee Konitz, Benny Golson, James Moody, Kenny Werner, David “Fathead” Newman, Eddie Daniels, Frank Morgan, Scott Hamilton, Bob Wilber, and Barry Harris. In addition to his expansive performance career, Siers has played on over 50 recordings.
Pete has taught percussion and jazz drumming for over 25 years, teaching privately, as well as at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor School for Performing Arts, Emory University, Purdue University and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
