“Mahogany is blessed with a voice that is instantly seductive—smooth as butter, sweet as honey and deep as a freshly dug well.” –Jack Bowers, All About Jazz.

Kevin Mahogany © Andrea Canter

Human baritone and brass tenor combine with a keyboard dynamo in tribute to blues legend Big Joe Turner when Kevin Mahogany, Red Holloway and Cyrus Chestnut come to Manhattan’s “jazz corner of the world” at Birdland, July 18-21.

Known for hits such as “Shake, Rattle & Roll," “Cherry Red,” and “Roll ‘Em Pete,” as well as his ability to sing over a band without a microphone, Turner was a significant inspiration to fellow Kansas City native Kevin Mahogany. From bop to blues, ballads to swing, Mahogany showed his early gifts on piano, clarinet, and bari sax, and was a member of Eddie Baker’s Orchestra while still in his teens. In high school he played in multiple concert and marching bands, finally discovering his vocal talents during his senior year after hearing Al Jarreau. At Baker University, he continued to pursue both instrumental and vocal music, forming his own jazz choir. After graduation, he formed bands performing a largely R&B repertoire, and become a popular vocalist in Kansas City throughout the 1980s. Meanwhile he was evolving his own distinct style, influenced by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Al Jarreau and Eddie Jefferson.

With his debut recording Double Rainbow in 1993, Mahogany was soon in the limelight, recording three more albums for Enja before signing on with Warner Brothers in 1995, and more recently with Telarc. Now, with 11 recordings to his credit, he has formed his own label and has been anointed by Newsweek as “the standout vocalist of his generation.” Kevin has also appeared on film, in Robert Altman’s Kansas City where he portrayed a character based on Big Joe Turner. In addition to performance, Kevin has a long history as a teacher—starting when he was fourteen, continuing on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music when he lived in Boston, and moving on to the University of Miami. In recent tours, the 49-year-old baritone has drawn on the works of Johnny Hartman, the subject of a recent release on his new label, Mahogany Jazz (To Johnny Hartman). "Singers like Johnny Hartmann," he says. "People call him a singer's singer. But I'm hoping to take him to a wider audience."

Red Holloway and Kevin Mahogany © Andrea Canter

At Birdland, Mahogany is joined by a popular tenor sax star of an earlier generation, Red Holloway, best known for his partnership with Sonny Stitt and recent affiliation with Clark Terry. Red is a native of Arkansas where he was naturally pulled into music by his mother who played piano and his father who played violin. He moved to Chicago as a young child, where he ultimately attended the Conservatory of Music. In grade school Red played banjo, harmonica, and tenor, and as a member of the DuSable High School band, he played with fellow student Johnny Griffin. His first employer was bassist Eugene Wright who became a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. At nineteen, Red joined the Army and was bandmaster of the 5^th Army Band. Back in Chicago after the service, he played with Yuseff Lateef and Dexter Gordon before joining Roosevelt Sykes and touring with various blues artists. In the 50s, he played with Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Lionel Hampton, and Sonny Stitt, among others, but it was not until the 60s and his affiliation with Jack McDuff that he received widespread recognition. In the late 60s he moved to LA where he managed talent for the famed Parisian Room for the next fifteen years. During that time, he toured frequently with Sonny Stitt until Stitt’s death in 1982. Mostly recently he has partnered with Clark Terry. Now 80, he continues to maintain a busy touring schedule.

Cyrus Chestnut

Three soulful jazzmen pay tribute to a blues legend—don’t miss this memorable gig at Birdland!

Kevin Mahogany, Red Holloway and Cyrus Chestnut salute Big Joe Turner at Birdland (315 W.44^th St, New York City) on July 18-21; www.birdlandjazz.com