Toast of the Nation 2025 : NPR

Pleasure to the New 12 months. It is time to join with your loved ones and pals with music. Be a part of us as we have a good time a particular homecoming live performance with singing sensation Samara Pleasure. We additionally take a look at the most well liked reside recordings from New York Metropolis’s Village Vanguard, after which enterprise to Copenhagen and get immersed within the sounds of “Apollonian Circles” by Hess Is Extra, a musical feast for the ears. We conclude our New Years’ celebration with a Brazilian celebration on the seashore that includes the Ricardo Herz Trio and Samuca e a Selva.

Samara Pleasure

Samara Pleasure reside at Buy Faculty

Set 1 of 4

One of many simple jazz acts of 2024 is Samara Pleasure, whose meteoric rise is nothing wanting astonishing. After solely three years (and a number of Grammy wins) since graduating, the singer returns to her alma mater, Buy Faculty, for her first homecoming live performance on the place the place she determined to grow to be a jazz singer. She delivers a efficiency filled with vocal fireworks along with her household, professors and pals within the viewers.

Setlist:

• “Reincarnation of a Lovebird” (Charles Mingus)
• “You Stepped Out of a Dream” (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn) 
• “A Idiot In Love Is Known as a Clown” (Donovan Austin)
• “Day by Day” (Axel Stordahl, Sammy Cahn)
• “Peace Of Thoughts / Desires Come True” (Samara Pleasure, Kendric McCallister, Jay Mayo)
• “Tight” (Betty Carter)
• “No Extra Blues” (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes)

Musicians: Samara Pleasure, vocals; Jason Charos, trumpet/flugelhorn; David Mason, alto saxophone/flute; Kendric McCallister, tenor saxophone; Donavan Austin, trombone; Connor Rohrer, piano; Paul Sikivie, double bass; Evan Sherman, drums

Reside on the Village Vanguard

Reside on the Village Vanguard

Set 2 of 4

New York Metropolis’s Village Vanguard isn’t solely one of many biggest locations to listen to reside jazz on the earth, but additionally features as a residing jazz museum, a spot the place musicians by the ages have gone to doc their musical expression, together with Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Invoice Evans. For this program, we take a look at a few of the finest reside recordings from 2024, together with performances from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, saxophonists Ben Wendel and Mark Turner, pianist Invoice Charlap and guitarist Gilad Hekselman.

Setlist:

• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, “My Centennial” (Thad Jones), from the album Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones (Reside on the Village Vanguard)
• Ben Wendel, “Lu” (Ben Wendel), from the album Understory: Reside on the Village Vanguard
• Invoice Charlap Trio, “And Then Once more” (Kenny Barron), from the album And Then Once more (Reside)
• Mark Turner Quartet, “Lennie Groove” (Mark Turner), from the album Reside on the Village Vanguard
• Gilad Hekselman, “City Delusion” (Gilad Hekselman), from the album Life, on the Village Vanguard 
• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, “Antigua” (Bob Mintzer), from the album Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones (Reside on the Village Vanguard)

Hess Is Extra, “Apollonian Circles”

“Apollonian Circles” by Hess Is Extra reside from Copenhagen

Set 3 of 4

Some live shows aren’t only for listening, however are full immersion experiences. Welcome to “Apollonian Circles” by the electro jazz outfit Hess Is Extra from Copenhagen. The group blurs the road between the performer and the viewers with an interactive presentation of disco, funk, and jazz improvisation. Partygoers get off your ft and begin transferring.

Setlist:

• “Creation Retains The Satan Away” (Mikkel Hess, Jenno)
• “You Are Not a Primate” (Mikkel Hess)
• “Name for a Change” (Mikkel Hess)
• “Walksong” (Mikkel Hess, Jenno)
• “80 Years”  (Mikkel Hess)
• “Would Would You Prefer to Disco” (Nikolaj Hess, Mikkel Hess)
• “You Do not Dance” (Mikkel Hess)
• “Go Go Go Go” (Nikolaj Hess, Mikkel Hess)
• “Typically You Get Fortunate” (Mikkel Hess)

Musicians: Mikkel Hess, drums and vocals; Nikolaj Hess, piano; Nomi Ruiz, vocals; Monika Heidemann, keys and vocals; David Mason, digital drums; Michael Hanf, vibraphone, guitar; Rasmus Bille Bähncke, synthesizer; Andrew Raposo, bass; Carter Yasutake, trumpet; Matt Parker, saxophone.

Particular due to Kat Jarby.

Brazil

Ricardo Herz Trio and Samuca e a Selva reside from Brazil

Set 4 of 4

What higher place to ring within the New 12 months than on a seashore in Brazil? We hear two scorching performances, first from a virtuoso fiddler Ricardo Herz and his trio. He composes unique music to sambas, choros, frevos, maracatus — seemingly each Brazilian rhythm underneath the solar. Watch their full efficiency right here on the SESC Pompeia in Sao Paulo.

Then we get right down to a brand new wave of Brazilian tropicali with Samuca e a Selva (Sam and the Jungle). Watch the group carry out at Casa Natura Musical and at Pageant Do Sol.

Half 1: Ricardo Herz

Setlist: 

• “Coco Embolado” (Ricardo Herz)
• “Sombo Chambado” (Herz)
• “Afrosudamérica” (Herz)
• “Sonhando o Brasil no Frevo” (Léa Freire)
• “Cavalo Marinho” (Herz)

Musicians: Ricardo Herz, fiddle; Fábio Leandro, piano; Pedro Ito, drums; Léa Freire, flute

Half 2: Samuca e a Selva

Setlist: 

• “Madurar” (Samuel Samuca, Rodolfo Dox Lacerda)
• “Jussara”https://www.npr.org/”Imensidão” (Samuca e a Selva, Xuxa Levy)
• “Afobado Peito Altivo” (Samuel Samuca)
• “Só” (Samuca e a Selva)

Musicians: Samuel Samuca, lead vocals; Allan Spirandelli, guitar/vocals; Carol Leão, keyboards/vocals; Gui Nakata, drums/vocals; Leo Malagrino, bass; Matheus Prado, percussion; Victor Fão, trombone; Kiko Bonato, tenor saxophone; Bio Bonato, baritone saxophone; Felipe Pipeta, trumpet in “Madurar” and “Só”; Larissa Oliveira, trumpet in “Jussara / Imensidão” and “Afobado Peito Altivo”;  Onã, visitor vocals on “Madurar”