Geri Allen

This concert was one of the highlights of this years Jazz Appreciation Month in my opinion. First of all the venue and seating are comfortable and the sound is great. The night began with a performance by Howard University's a capella groups Afro Blue in celebration of their new CD release. Next up Howard University's Traces of Blue another a capella group who I seen on NBC's "The Sing-Off." The energy ramped up with Howard Alumnus and virtuoso pianist Geri Allen performing in a Trio setting. After a brief intermission the evening continued with more World Class music from the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, the Howard University Jazz Ensemble Alumni Band and a Grand Finale performance by the Legendary Hugh Masekela. I learned that the Jazz Studies program at Howard University was established by the late Donald Byrd in 1970, and is one of a relatively small programs offering a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies. If the April 14, 2014 performance these young people was any indication of the quality of the Howard University program, I believe that Jazz is in good hands.

A Touch of Blue, offshoot and different generations of AfroBlue alumni was worth hearing too. The featured jazz pianist and composer Gerri Allen and her accompanying Dashiell father on bass and son on drums, anchored the affair with an extended piano piece that transformed into changing tempos and time signatures interweaving classical with traditional and avant garde. The selections by the Howard University Jazz Ensemble highlighted the strong and confident playing of their drummers and horn players, not to forget the piano, guitars and bass. Again featuring alumni and seasoned journeymen, already fixtures in the extended jazz community. An unusually-long but welcome concert was closed with the venerable and beloved Hugh Masekela who walked and talked and carried his students through 2 classic pieces, ending with his own 'Grazing in the Grass' .

This event brought together some of the most talented and gifted groups that I have ever seen. The organization and performances were beyond belief. The show ran one hour beyond which I had expected and I was spell bound the entire time.

The performances were all superb. I would've given this 5 stars were it not for the attempt at providing a storyline to this otherwise great show.

Unforgettable performance in fine Apollo Theater New York.

This show was phenomenal from the beginning to the end.

Then Great Jazz Women show was EXCELLENT! Lizz Wright, Gerri Allen, Dianne Reeves, Tia Fuller, Afro Blue, The Tap Man (and partner) gave an awesome show!! I was fortunate enough to be front and center and I thoroughly enjoyed the show and whole Apollo Theatre Experience. Thank you!!

This was the best performance of jazz I have ever seen, not only were the woman all beautiful sexy sisters, they were phenomenal artists. This should been there for the entire weekend not just one day.

Brought my mom and sis to this for Mother's Day weekend. Wow! Amazing! Simply amazing! The singers had breathtakingly beautiful voices and have the female jazz legends there just due and then some. AfroBlu was also great. Go Bison! The tap dancers, ESP. the male one, spectacular. Geri Allen did amazing with this! The female drummer and saxaphonist were all inspiring. Amazing! Sign me up for the next concert!

Amazing Concert !!!!! This should have been sold out !! People must support real music and not nonsense !!!!

It was well put together and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our first visit to the Apollo Theatre - what a gem. Great seating, intimate and comfortable. Really polite and helpful Ushers. Fabulous performance: such strength of feeling put into the entire production. I expected a good rendition of well known jazz pieces but I got so much more. It was a story, a performance with emotion given to the audience in an inclusive and enthusiastic way with great talent and polish. The very best of music with extremely able musicians, fantastic singers and the added bonus of a pair of tap dancers with such verve and spirit. It took our breath away

The best jazz concert I've been in a long time.Every moment of it is magical.Apollo theater is a true American treasure.

Dianne Reeves is a great artist, and it is a privilege to see her in any setting. Lizz Wright, Geri Allen, and the musicians were all terrific, as were the two dancers. But the "concept" of a sound-check for a concert was distracting and unnecessary, especially because the idea of a young wannabe-singer who knows absolutely NOTHING of the great ladies of jazz was pretty far-fetched. Worse, the whole thing felt like the audience was being talked down to. Whatever the truth is for some fictional young singer, I can't imagine anyone in the audience for this concert didn't know who most of these great ladies were, and the performers seemed embarrassed to have to condescend to the audience with the stilted dialogue. The young woman, who wasn't identified in the program, was a good singer but a terrible actress, and it was insulting to the other musicians onstage that there was so much focus on her. I figure there must be some nepotism involved. The actress who played the stage manager and Moms Mabley bore the brunt of the bad script, and it's a tribute to her talent that she came off well despite it all -- but if this is done again, lose the script, and give the young singer maybe ONE number -- don't take time away from Dianne, Lizz, and Geri!

From the very first minute until the last note : UNFORGETTABLE!

Enjoy the show and all the performances, inclusive of the tap dance - Was very good, many thanks, keep doing such shows. I would have come back with my sons but it was only scheduled once. What a pity!

A wonderful evening of jazz; vocal and instrumental. They were fantastic!

This show was a perfect example of a pairing of artists that never should have shared the same stage. Tierney Sutton was self-absorbed, over-rehearsed, and entirely without an improvisational bone in her body. She has a good voice, but belongs in the category of 'jazz-ish' with Kenny G and the like. The people in the audience who have their car radios tuned to easy listening were enthralled. We were not.. Geri Allen was absolutely exceptional. Her playing, and song selections were both exemplary. Her band-mates were also top shelf. Real Jazz. Real improvisation. Real Soul. Needless to say, the easy listening crowd would have rather heard another hour of over-rehearsed Sutton, while the jazz fans in the house were left wishing they could have had a second hour of Geri Allen. Jazz Museum programmers: Bring us more Geri Allen and her peers. If you must bring stale 'jazz-ish' performers, please don't make us sit through them as a sacrifice before we get to hear the real deal.

Both groups were enjoyable, but they had different styles. There was a lot of talent in those two groups.

It was a fine evening and thoroughly enjoyable. However, I thnk the double billing of the two groups left fans of both groups a little less than satisfied. I went primarily to see and listen to the Tierney Sutton Band and would have liked to seen more than the single set to which they were limited. The positives were: we did get to see Sutton in the KC area (not a common occurence) and we did get introduced to Geri Allen and her group. Fabulous drummer!!! Life is a compromise.