Concert Dates: 03/28/08 - 03/28/08
Ticket Cost: $15.00
Show Time(s): 9:00pm - 1:00am
Event Description: Two Bones with Rhythm
Trombonists Dupor Georges and Reginald Cyntje co-lead the band at historic Washington, DC jazz venue Bohemian Caverns.
Dupor Georges - Trombone
Eric Wheeler - Bass Hope Udobi - Piano
John Lamkin - Drums
Reginald Cyntje - Trombone
Artist / Group Bio: Trombonist Reginald Cyntje was born on an island named Dominica in 1976. When he was 6 months old, he moved with his family to St. Thomas, VI. His love affair with music began 12 years later. The trombone became Reginald’s tool of expression. Anyone that has heard this young man perform knows that he is passionate about his craft. “I love life and I illustrate that every time I play my horn. I want the audience to experience all of me; my love, anger, sorrow, or joy. I open up myself so that they and I can embark on a spiritual journey together”.
The masters of jazz trombone, i.e. J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, among others, have demonstrated the importance of artistry. “Everyday I strive for perfection. I spend hours practicing so I can clearly articulate the nuances of any given song.” Early beginnings included listening to the music of Bach. “A friend once told me Bach could hear around corners.” Then at Interlochen, Reginald was exposed to the virtuoso trombonist Christian Lindberg. “When I was younger, my dream was to be a great trombone player. While that is still an aspiration of mine, I want to pay attention to the lessons of life so I can be a well rounded human being.”
In 1993 Reginald began studying jazz trombone at Berklee College of Music. While in school, he performed with well-known artists, which included Roy Hargrove, Bill Pierce, Phil Wilson, and Bobby McFerrin. Throughout all his studies, “Cyntje (pronounced sin-chee)” as most of his friends refer to him, has taken time to always pass on knowledge about music to others. Growing up with the sounds of calypso, reggae, and other African influenced music enables Cyntje to have a personal approach to performing jazz.
As a professional Cyntje has performed and/or recorded with: Nasar Abadey, Wayne Andre, Harry Appelman, Amiri Baraka, Ron Blake, George Botts, Michael Bowie, Herman Burney, Marc Cary, Gavin Fallow, Janelle Gill, Benito Gonzalez, Amin Gumbs, Michael Hawkins, Buck Hill, Ron Jackson, Illinois Jacquet, Allyn Johnson, Sean Jones, Eric Kennedy, James King, Pedro Martinez, Donvonte' McCoy, Rene’ McLean, New Life Jazz Orchestra (Boston, MA), Antonio Parker, Dion Parson, Jeff Reed, Kenny Rittenhouse, Lenny Robinson, Reuben Rogers, Rashawn Ross, Robert Thomas, Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Bruce Williams, Larry Willis, Thad Wilson, Charlie Young, and other fine musicians. Cyntje is currently leading The Reginald Cyntje Group and working as a sideman in other jazz, latin, and calypso groups.
Reginald has toured the U.S. and the Caribbean. Club/festival experience includes the Jazz Standard (New York, NY), Jazz Gallery (New York, NY), JVC Jazz Festival (New York, NY), Blues Alley (Washington, DC), Twins Jazz Club (Washington, DC), One Step Down (Washington, DC), BET on JAZZ (Washington, DC), and the St. Croix Jazz Festival (U.S.V.I.)
Artist's Website: http://www.cyntjejazz.com/
Bohemian Caverns Address: 2001 Eleventh Street N.W. Washington DC 20001 U.S.
About the Venue: Bohemian Caverns began its rich history of showcasing Jazz on U Street in 1926. The original venue, known as Club Caverns, consisted of the basement level only, operated from 1926 until 1942. In 1943 Cab Calloway purchased the venue and operated under the name of The Crystal Caverns until 1958. In 1959 Tony Taylor and Angelo Alvino renamed the venue Bohemian Caverns and operated it until 1968.
The Caverns derived its name from the unique cave-like décor, faux stalactites and stalagmites that adorned the walls and ceilings of the club. Designed after a Hollywood set, The Caverns catered to the elite of its day and attracted an endless array of top Jazz performers such as Shirley Horn, Duke Ellington, Pearl Bailey, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ramsey Lewis, Less McCann, The Supremes, Roberta Flak, John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy, JFK Quintet, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Holiday. The club's unique décor coupled with its dynamic artist line-up made it THE fashionable place to see and be seen.
During the roaring 20's and throughout the late 60's The Caverns and the U Street corridor served as the epicenter of Black nightlife in Washington, DC. The Caverns served for many decades as a central business along the bustling U Street Corridor that included several large theaters, restaurants, after-hours clubs and private jazz societies. It was one of the few places in Washington, DC where blacks and whites came together as equals to equally share their love of jazz. During de-segregation, many U Street businesses began to decline as expanded social, shopping, residential and entertainment opportunities became available for Blacks beyond the U Street corridor. After the riots of 1968, Bohemian Caverns experienced several decades of decaying vacancy until it was purchased by Al Afshar in 1997. During the three year renovation particular attention to detail was used to ensure the original design was maintained.
On Jul 6, 2000, Bohemian Caverns opened its doors to the public with a Grand Gala Reception. The event celebrated both the rich history of The Caverns and marked the first of numerous new business and residential construction projects along the U Street corridor. The current structure is an expanded, state-of-the-art facility consisting of the elegantly adorned Bohemian Caverns Restaurant (main level), The Caverns Jazz Lounge (basement level) and Club 2001 Nightclub (2nd and 3rd levels). Weekly events include live jazz performances, happy hour events, dance parties and other social events. In addition, the facility caters various special events such as weddings, fund-raisers, birthday parties and other celebrations ranging in size from parties of two to as many as 1,000 guests.
Phone: 202.299.0801
Directions: Bohemian Caverns is located at the corner of 11th and U Streets, NW. Valet parking is available for all performances.
Venue Website: http://www.bohemiancaverns.com
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