New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club Announces Special 2023 Programming 

The famed Blue Note Jazz Club is gearing up for a fantastic year of shows with residency dates from DJ Logic, Soulive, Lettuce, Galactic featuring special guests, Antibalas, Karl Denson, Ghost Note, Butcher Brown and more. An announcement from the venue, which calls New York’s Greenwich Village home, proclaims that 2023’s special programming will “highlight the synergies between the funk, jazz and jam music communities.”

Blue Note Director of Programming Alex Kurland said in a statement: “The power of jazz has impacted and influenced many musical genres, and has its fingerprint deep within jam band culture and funk. Blue Note greatly celebrates this legacy and presents a broad range of artistry. We feel it’s important for us to embrace jam band culture, funk, progressive and soulful music all of which have been influenced by jazz. We’re proud to have genre-bending artists upcoming at Blue Note ranging from Lettuce, Soulive, Galactic & Friends, to Ghost Note, and Butcher Brown. Jazz and improvisation lives and breathes within progressive funk and jam band artistry. As a legendary jazz institution, it’s Blue Note’s responsibility to continue presenting innovative and soulful artists with musical integrity influenced by its exposure to jazz and improvised music.”

The programming kicks off with DJ Logic & Friends Jan. 19-22. The New York City-based DJ, who is also an admired session musician and bandleader, will be joined by James Carter, James Genus, Robert “Sput” Searight and Neal Evans Jan. 19-20. The Jan. 21 lineup features James Genus, Robert “Sput” Searight, Neal Evans and Casey Benjamin, followed by Jan. 22 with special guests John Popper, Paul Shaffer, James Genus, Robert “Sput” Searight and Casey Benjamin.

New Orleans jam band Galactic – which features Ben Ellman on saxophone and harmonica, Robert Mercurio on bass, Stanton Moore on drums and percussion, Jeffrey Raines on guitar and Richard Vogal on keyboards – takes over the Blue Note Jazz Club Jan. 25-29. The group will take the stage with James Carter Jan. 25, Robert Randolph Jan. 26-27, Matisyahu Jan. 28 and Nicholas Payton Jan. 29. 

Blue Note Jazz Club welcomes the Karl Denson Project Feb. 23-26. The band lineup for the run of gigs features acclaimed saxophonist Karl Denson along with trumpeter Keyon Harrold, pianist James Francies, bassist Burniss Travis and drummer Blaque Dynamite. 

Next up is the Krasno Moore Project featuring Eric Finland March 16-19. The Krasno Moore Project is made up of Eric Krasno, a founding member of Lettuce and Soulive, and Stanton Moore, a founding member of Galactic and Garage-a-Trois. Eric Finland is an accomplished organist/keyboardist who has also worked with Gregg Allman, Michael McDonald, George Clinton, Joe Louis Walker, Nona Hendrix and Derek Trucks.

Butcher Brown with special guests is scheduled May 8-10. The jazz quintet hails from Richmond, Virginia, and features Tennishu, Morgan Burrs, Corey Fonville, Andrew Randazzo and DJ Harrison.

Brooklyn-based music collective/Afrobeat band Antibalas is set for May 18-21. 

Ghost Note is set to play Blue Note June 1-4. The group – known for its mix of funk, hip-hop and jazz – is headed up by Snarky Puppy’s Grammy–winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth. The band’s roster features musicians who have played with Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake and more.

Funk band Lettuce is scheduled June 8-11. The sextet is composed of Adam Deitch on drums, Ryan Zoidis on saxophone, Adam Smirnoff on guitar, Erick Coomes on bass, Nigel Hall on keyboards/vocals, and Eric “Benny” Bloom on trumpet. 

Funk/jazz trio Soulive takes the stage June 15-18, June 29 and July 2. The group features guitarist Eric Krasno, drummer Alan Evans and keyboardist Neal Evans.

Fans should stay tuned because Blue Note Jazz Club is expected to unveil more special show announcements in January.