A NIGHT IN TREME
This Thursday is our closing concert for the summer series.  “A Night in Treme” – Featuring Jon Cleary and Donald Harrison. Two of the most talented musicians out of New Orleans. They also star in HBO’s hit series “Treme”.

JON CLEARY’S PHILTHY PHEW
In the hallowed ranks of New Orleans “piano professors,” Jon Cleary is on the tenure track. Born in England and bred in New Orleans, Cleary is a triple threat combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a knack for composing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. He balances performing on solo piano, with noted funk band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and his new trio Piano, Bass & Drums, alongside a career as a notorious hired gun with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and John Scofield. Cleary is featured on vocals and keyboards on the recently released, “Piety Street” by John Scofield & The Piety Street Band. Cleary has toured with Raitt since 1999, and has appeared on the albums “Silver Lining” and “Souls Alike.” On these recordings, Raitt covered the Cleary originals, “Fool’s Game,” “Monkey Business,” “Unnecessarily Mercenary,” and “Love on One Condition.”
Cleary has produced five recordings to date including his latest, a live recording from Sydney, Australia called “Mo Hippa,” which features a mix of the styles that inform the New Orleans’ sound — from island rhythms, to soul-drenched funk jams, to Mardi Gras Indian street-parades.

Learn More: www.joncleary.com

DONALD HARRISON ELECTRIC GROUP
DONALD HARRISON, JR. (The King of Nouveau Swing) Donald Harrison is being called one of the most important musicians of the new millennium by CBS Sunday Morning. A list of his accomplishments shows that he has developed into a musical category unto himself. In the classic jazz genre, he is the originator of the Nouveau Swing style which merges acoustic swing with modern R&B, second-line, hip-hop, (New Orleans African American roots culture), and reggae rhythms. His smooth jazz recording, ‘The Power of Cool,’went to the top of Billboard Magazine’s Smooth Jazz and R&B charts and is considered a classic.

His ground-breaking recording, “Indian Blues”captured the essence of Mardi Gras Indian culture within a jazz context. His latest New Orleans recording, “The New Sounds of Mardi Gras,” updates New Orleans music. It puts the sounds of Mardi Gras into Hip-hop, R&B, and Funk. It also marks Harrison’s debut as a rapper. The great singer-pianist Dr. John says of the recording, “This is the freshest thing to come out of New Orleans in years. You deserve an award for this one.”

Learn More: http://www.donaldharrison.com/

The Twilight Dance Series is about Discovery, Music, and Community! The series was designed to bring us together  through emerging, eclectic and established music while embracing the very special and unique community that has fueled the series’ growth. Now in its 27th year, the Twilight Dance Series will again present ten free concerts on the deck of the Santa Monica Pier this year, beginning Thursday July 7, 2011. Each Thursday night the highly attended concert series will showcase a different musical theme: The SaMo Mambo: Salsa, ‘80s Pop, Australia Rocks the Pier!, Reggae/Ska, La Monica Ballroom Then & Now, Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar, Tango on the Timbers, New Americana, and A Night in Treme!