Cindy Blackman Santana
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Cindy Blackman Santana appears at Blue Note with a five-piece lineup that brings together Aurelien Budynek on guitar, Marc Cary on keyboards, Benny Rietveld on bass, and Emilio Modeste on saxophone. Modeste is the saxophonist named for the December 4 performance, with JD Allen scheduled on saxophone on the following dates instead. The billing frames the night as a full band performance under Blackman Santana's name, with each accompanying musician and role specified.
At Blue Note, a dedicated listening room in Manhattan's jazz district, the band plays with the audience seated close to the stage. The club's room is designed to put the sound in focus, a setting that suits a lineup whose listed parts are guitar, keyboards, bass and saxophone. Budynek, Cary, Rietveld and Modeste supply the named ensemble around Blackman Santana, and Modeste's appearance on December 4 distinguishes this particular date from the later listings involving JD Allen.
Blue Note Jazz Club is a dedicated listening room in the heart of Manhattan's jazz district, where the music is the focus and the space is designed to let the sound fill the room. The club features a stage with a small audience area, and the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration on the music. Shows typically begin at 8:00 PM with a second set at 10:30 PM, and the audience sits on chairs close to the stage. The club has a bar, and drinks are available. The experience is primarily about listening to live jazz, with occasional gospel and soul performances, and the audience often stays to talk and enjoy the music after the sets.