Previous events

Great live music and excellent seafood mixes very well, especially if Austin's First Lady of Jazz, Pamela Hart, is on the stage. The evening begins at 6:30 pm, Pamela is joined by Glenn Rexach on guitar and Aaron Allen on bass. It's worth the drive to SH 71 not far from the US 290 West and SH 71 intersection. The Shore Raw Bar & Grill has excellent tasting food & beverages, good atmosphere, and great live music. Weather permitting, the music will be outdoors on the comfortable and beautiful covered patio.

Jazz Legacy: A Community Tribute to Dr. James Polk

Austin Community pays tribute to jazz legend Dr. James Polk February 19 Sunday, February 19, 2023, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM CST Historic Victory Grill, 1104 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702

Jazz Legacy: A Community Tribute to Dr. James Polk will be held February 19, 2023 @ 5:00 pm at the historic Victory grill, 1104 E 11th St, Austin. The tribute is Produced by Women in Jazz Association, Inc. and DiverseArts, in association with Community Partners: Six Square, East Austin Creative Coalition, Texas Music Museum.

About Dr. James Polk

DR. JAMES Polk was born in Yoakum, Texas but spent his childhood in Corpus Christi. Although his family's gene pool virtually overflowed with piano players, including both parents, his sister and an aunt, James came to the piano relatively late in his youth. After being initiated into a life of music as an eight-year-old, violinist, James soon gladly changed to the saxophone, only to discover in middle school, his band director needed trombone players. So, James switched his attention to mastering the trombone in high school and college. By the time he had finished undergraduate degree in 1963, James was already a professional musician. But he had had enough of the trombone and decided to marry his family heritage and his own musical talent to the piano. His decision not only kept alive his family's tradition, but gave birth to one of the finest blues and jazz keyboard artists to come out of the Texas music scene in the last half century.

James started playing blues at thirteen with a local band. But a great part of his education in music came in and after college by listening to and studying the composition and organization of blues and jazz greats recordings of that period. Since live performances by James Brown, B.B. King and Ray Charles were unheard of in Austin, James had to be content with attending “jam sessions” with other young musicians in Dallas and Houston as an “internship”, perfecting his skills and developing his style.

Finally, in his last year at Huston-Tillotson University he organized the “James Polk and the Brothers” band. As he would throughout his career, James would transcribe sheet music for his band members so rehearsals were more productive, and performances well played.

The band was renowned for spotlighting its fine musicians, such as Martin Banks and W.C. Clark, as well as soulful singer, Angela Strehli. Being one of the first integrated bands in Austin, opened venues to the band that otherwise would have been closed.

The band toured Texas for over a decade in a school bus painted green and white that James renovated for overnight travel throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. By the mid 1970's James had moved onto a new, more jazz-oriented group called JAMAD.

In 1978 James got a phone call from “Brother Ray” offering him a job as piano player in the Ray Charles Orchestra. This was the beginning of a close personal and professional relationship lasting over the next ten years. James not only played piano in the orchestra but became the band's organist, a writer, an arranger, and musical director, working closely with the band's iconic leader. His work took James all over the world, and his arrangements and playing were featured in many live and televised performances. More notably he was featured with the Ray Charles Orchestra on recordings, such as “Brother Ray Is At It Again” (1980), “The Spirit of Christmas” (1985); and on the Grammy nominated “Ain't It So” (1979) and “Wish You Were Here Tonight” (1983).

Never entirely retiring from performing, James pursued a very active career teaching music, from being a high school band director, just out of college, to retirement as a college lecturer and director of jazz studies. After receiving his BA in music from Huston-Tillotson College (University) in 1962, he earned his MA from Texas State University, serving on the faculty as lecturer of music history and jazz studies from 1990 to1996. Huston-Tillotson University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Music in 1995. After retiring from Texas State University, their School of Music bestowed on James the honor of Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies in 2007.

Dr. Polk is currently associated with the Dr. James Polk Academy of Arts and Technology and the Austin Jazz Workshop. His most recently formed jazz ensemble is Centerpeace, which performed regularly in Austin is made up of young jazz musicians who see him as their leader, mentor and friend, from whom they can learn valuable lessons of music and life. He is also the organist for the very popular and award-winning jazz blues ensemble, Church on Monday.

So, one can be sure that Dr. James Polk is still following the motto that he taught his students over the years: “Don't forsake the groove. You've always got to make the music groove. Make it groove and make somebody else feel good by listening to your music. The way to do that, you play the music correct, put yourself into it, (and) make sure it's technically right...”

Pamela Hart teams up with vocalists Sondra Johnson, Rupert Blaise and Kylie Phillips to perform a birthday concert with a jam session following the concert! The great concert band includes Ryan Howard on piano, Nick Lewis on bass, Charles Phillips on drums and Billy Blunt on guitar. Prepare for an exciting afternoon of jazz, R&B, calypso and more. Anything can happen!

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

$40

Pamela Hart - UHCL Bayou Theatre

Pamela Hart and the Darrell Lavigne Quartet perform a jazz concert at the University of Houston Clear Lake Bayou Theatre.

Adults $35, Faculty $30, Seniors $25, Students $20

Pamela Hart Quintet at the Elephant room

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Elephant Room, 305 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

Pamela Hart Quintet at the Elephant Room featuring Pamela on vocals, Ryan Howard on piano, Mike Stevens on base, Mike Malone on saxophone, and Adam Jackson on drums. This will be an exciting evening of great jazz music with "Austin's First Lady of Jazz", Pamela Hart and her band.

Starts at 9:00 pm to 1:00 am on Friday, Dec 30th. The Elephant Room us located at 305 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

For more information on Pamela's upcoming events or booking, visit www.pamelahart.com

Pamela Hart Quartet at the Shore Raw Bar & Grill

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Shore Raw Bar & Grill - (512) 618-6400, 8665 W Highway 71 Suite 100 , Austin, TX 78735

Great live music and excellent seafood mixes very well, especially if Austin's First Lady of Jazz, Pamela Hart, is on the stage. The evening begins at 6:30 pm, Pamela is joined by Mike Malone on sax, Glenn Rexach on guitar, and Aaron Allen on bass. It's worth the drive to SH 71 not far from the US 290 West and SH 71 intersection. The Shore Raw Bar & Grill has excellent tasting food & beverages, good atmosphere, and great live music.

Tapestry’s 2022 rendition of The Precious Present - The Jazz Element and the answers are thread throughout a collaborative concert within the creative play of jazz music and sensibilities.

December 17th; Sat @ 2pm & 8pm (two showtimes) December 18th; Sun @ 2pm

​This holiday season’s concert features vocalists Pamela Hart and Denisha Adrianna modern/contemporary dancers Sharon Marroquin and Jun “Sunny” Shen, Bharatanatyam master Anuradha Naimpally, local Flamenco legend Olivia Chacon, Ballet Afrique’s China Smith, flow artist Kelly Bach, Tapestry alumni Jesse Berry, Tapestry director Acia Gray and the spontaneous, evening length visual artistry of Ami Plasse.

Introduced to the stage once again by our disembodied “inner voice” and thought provoking wisdom of Austin Chronicle legend Robert Faires, we are all reminded of what it truly means to be present…right here…right now.

With production design by Stephen Pruitt the audience and artists are led by a soundscape of incredible jazz musicians including Masumi Jones on drums, Dylan Jones on bass and Austin Kimble on piano.

This new work celebrates a musical and physical collaboration of diverse voices within our Austin arts ecosystem. All unique yet traveling together and not alone - an artistic human tapestry of life that holds itself together as ONE.

Tapestry’s 2022 rendition of The Precious Present - The Jazz Element and the answers are thread throughout a collaborative concert within the creative play of jazz music and sensibilities.

December 17th-18th, 2022; Sat @ 2pm & 8pm - Sun @ 2pm

​This holiday season’s concert features vocalists Pamela Hart and Denisha Adrianna modern/contemporary dancers Sharon Marroquin and Jun “Sunny” Shen, Bharatanatyam master Anuradha Naimpally, local Flamenco legend Olivia Chacon, Ballet Afrique’s China Smith, flow artist Kelly Bach, Tapestry alumni Jesse Berry, Tapestry director Acia Gray and the spontaneous, evening length visual artistry of Ami Plasse.

Introduced to the stage once again by our disembodied “inner voice” and thought provoking wisdom of Austin Chronicle legend Robert Faires, we are all reminded of what it truly means to be present…right here…right now.

With production design by Stephen Pruitt the audience and artists are led by a soundscape of incredible jazz musicians including Masumi Jones on drums, Dylan Jones on bass and Austin Kimble on piano.

This new work celebrates a musical and physical collaboration of diverse voices within our Austin arts ecosystem. All unique yet traveling together and not alone - an artistic human tapestry of life that holds itself together as ONE.