Cindy Blackman Santana
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Cindy Blackman Santana leads a late Blue Note set with Aurelien Budynek on guitar, Marc Cary on keyboards, Benny Rietveld on bass, and two saxophonists: Emilio Modeste and JD Allen. Modeste is listed for December 4 and 5, while Allen joins on December 5 and 6, making this date a rare overlap for the two saxophone players. The billed group places Blackman Santana at the helm of a full electric-acoustic ensemble, with guitar, keyboards, bass, and saxophones shaping the night’s lineup.
Cindy Blackman Santana is the act named for this performance. The available event information identifies the musicians scheduled to appear but provides no biographical background, hometown, prior collaborators, recordings, or critical commentary. What it does establish is a band configuration built around Blackman Santana with Budynek, Cary, Rietveld, Modeste, and Allen, rather than a solo appearance or an unspecified pickup group.
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.