Cindy Blackman Santana
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Cindy Blackman Santana appears at Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan for the night’s later set. She is joined by Aurelien Budynek on guitar, Marc Cary on keyboards, Benny Rietveld on bass, and JD Allen on saxophone. Allen is listed for the December 5 and 6 dates, making this a five-piece bill built around Blackman Santana with guitar, keyboards, bass, and saxophone alongside her.
The event information identifies Blackman Santana as the billed artist and names the musicians appearing with her, but gives no further biographical background, musical history, collaborations, or critical descriptions. What it does establish is the personnel for this date: Budynek, Cary, Rietveld, and Allen each have a defined role in the group. The show takes place in Blue Note’s dedicated listening room, where the audience is seated close to the stage and the focus is on the performance itself. It is presented as the second set of the evening, following the club’s usual schedule.
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.