We’re not completely sure, but this is perhaps the ninth year in a row that Nate Najar has brought his holiday jazz show to the Palladium. It has had various names but it has always featured great players, the best holiday jazz tunes and there’s always been a sampling from the Duke Ellington “Nutcracker.”
The show comes to the Palladium’s beautiful Hough Hall on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m.
Harry Allen
This year, Nate has put together another stellar band, starting with New York City sax master, Harry Allen. I asked Nate for his description.
“I think Harry is one of the finest tenor sax players playing jazz today, period. I really do.”
Harry has been here before, both on our main stage with Nate, and also with Rebecca Kilgore, doing our “Songs of Marilyn Monroe” show, and in the Side Door. He looks a little like a banker in his dark suit, but his playing is powerful, fresh and always inventive. His jazz recordings for Arbors Records are among my favorites.
Nate agrees.
“I’m delighted that he enjoys coming to work with us. Anytime he’s on the bill, he’s the special guest.”
Both Nate and I are excited about the singer joining him this year.
“We have my favorite singer around – hands down – the very beautiful, and very talented, Ms. Theo Valentin,” he told me.
We’ll also have the new kid in town – trumpet player James Suggs, who sold out the side door in October with a Miles Davis tribute. Suggs relocated from Argentina to St. Petersburg recently.
“It’s not that I want a trumpet player – it’s that I want James,” Nate said. “It’s remarkable how musical he is. I’ve been trying to include him everywhere I possibly can.”
And putting James with Harry means this is a band with a first-class horn section.
“Which is really helpful,” Nate told me. “Having these two strong musical personalities open up all kinds of possibilities. We will revisit some of the Ellington Nutcracker, which requires multiple horns.
Speaking of Ellington, John Lamb will be playing bass. He will have charts, but he knows the Ellington Nutcracker from his days in Duke’s band in the 1960s. Mark Feinman, the La Lucha drummer who was just trading licks with Dick Hyman on our stage, rounds out the band.
“Feinman is a good addition, he brings a youthful energy and he and John Lamb play very well together as a unit,” says Nate.
It’s been a busy musical year for the St. Petersburg-based guitarist. Nate’s been to Europe twice for concerts, he’s played around the U.S., and released a great new record. That record – Aquarela do Brasil – features the great Chuck Redd on drums, and Tommy Cecil on bass; along with guest appearances by Harry Allen and acclaimed drummer Duduka da Fonseca.
Oh yeah, he also sold out the Side Door a few times.
Don’t miss this Palladium holiday tradition. Join us Thursday, Dec. 18. If you been once before, then you’ve likely already got tickets – they are selling fast. If you haven’t caught this show yet, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
For tickets contact the Palladium box office on our website or call 727 822-3590.
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