Jazz Singer Teri Roiger Appears at Birdland Theater NYC in a Birthday Tribute to the Musical Legacy of Abbey Lincoln 8.7.19

Teri Roiger celebrates the Music, Lyrics, and Legacy of Abbey Lincoln: Birdland Theater in NYC, Wednesday, August 7, 2019.

Roiger brings her Quartet to the beautiful new jazz venue Birdland Theater, in celebration of the music, lyrics, legacy and birthday of Abbey Lincoln. Born August 6, 1930, Abbey Lincoln left this world on August 14, 2010. Her legacy continues to inspire musical artists worldwide.

Ms. Roiger will be singing songs written by Ms. Lincoln, songs Ms. Lincoln made her own, and lyrics written by Abbey Lincoln to prominent jazz musicians’ compositions. Roiger will feature music from Ms. Lincoln’s 1960 Civil Rights landmark recording with then-husband Max Roach, “We Insist: Freedom Now Suite.” This recording contributed to the beginning of politically motivated music that ushered in a new genre of music highlighting the evolution of African American consciousness.

Ms. Roiger’s 2012 release, "DEAR ABBEY: The Music of Abbey Lincoln", produced by Brian Bacchus, made the Jazz Journalist Association’s “best of” vocal releases list for 2012. The CD was also featured as one of the five best tribute releases chosen by Laurence Donohue-Greene, Editor of New York City Jazz Record in their January 2013 issue.

Abbey Lincoln was one of the most profound and original artists of our time; a master vocalist, prolific composer and lyricist, actor, poet, and activist. She left an indelible footprint on our culture every decade and across all disciplines. Those who admired, worked with, and loved Abbey will be forever touched by her standard, her magic, her perspective and her spirit.

Teri Roiger will be joined on Wednesday, August 7, by James Weidman on piano, John Menegon on bass, and Neal Smith on drums.

James Weidman is one of the most versatile pianists in the world of music. He performed for many years with Abbey Lincoln and currently performs with Joe Lovano among many others. Well known for his versatility, he is hailed as "unfailingly lyrical," "convivially assertive," and "exquisite.” A longtime pianist in Ms. Roiger's bands, Weidman’s style complements the voice perfectly.

John Menegon, bassist with legendary saxophonists David “Fathead” Newman and Dewey Redman, as well as drummer Neal Smith, whose experience playing with Anita Baker, Kenny Burrell, and James Moody, bring their musical finesse to this performance and round out the rhythm section.

With the rich, combined experience of Roiger, Weidman, Menegon & Smith’s collaborations, expect a dynamic evening of inventive, spontaneous musicianship.

JACK DEJOHNETTE (Legendary Jazz Drummer & 2012 NEA Jazz Master): "Teri has an intuitive laid-back sense of time reminiscent of Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter but with her own uniqueness."

STANLEY CROUCH (Author, Cultural Critic & 2019 NEA Jazz Master): “The very fine singer Teri Roiger is one of the few who truly comprehended what Abbey Lincoln did with time, timbre, and phrasing. Most importantly, she is not what they call a clone. Teri absorbed everything into her own individuality, can actually swing hard, sing impressive ballads, and emote the invincible and real feeling of jazz.”

MARC MYERS (www.jazzwax.com) waxes most poetic about Teri’s new release DEAR ABBEY on his award-winning blog www.jazzwax.com. “It’s brave for any singer to take on songs written by or associated with Abbey Lincoln. The late vocalist had a distinct laid-back style that many singers have found difficult to enter and explore. Not so Teri Roiger. On Dear Abbey: The Music of Abbey Lincoln, Roiger delivers a joyous, deeply felt vocal tribute that gives Lincoln’s material fresh consideration … sample Bird Alone and You Gotta Pay The Band. A vocalist who wraps Lincoln’s complex songs around her finger.”

JAZZTIMES, Christopher Loudon 2013 Newcomers to vocalist Teri Roiger might, quite fairly, presume she is attempting to mimic Abbey Lincoln across this tribute album’s 13 tracks. But the vocal resemblance is not put-on: Roiger’s phrasing – which, in turn, demonstrates how big a debt Lincoln’s phrasing owed to Billie Holiday – and her engagingly raspy, crushed-velvet sound are genuinely similar...Lincoln was always the straightest of shooters: no teasing, no modesty, no evasiveness. Like Nina Simone, she tackled songs, particularly her own, with unflinching honesty and hard-won wisdom. Roiger evinces the same gut-level sincerity, though she tends to do so with a cunning coyness. It’s as if Lincoln is being filtered through Peggy Lee and, for the most part, it works refreshingly well. The dreaminess she lends to “When I’m Called home,” for instance, is powerfully moving, as is the sagacious warmth of her “You Gotta Pay the Band.” The gap between Roiger and Lincoln can seem tremendously narrow – Roiger shapes “The World Is Falling Down” around a half-smile rather than a half-frown, and casts “Throw It Away” a subtle shade darker than Lincoln did – yet the contrast between the two singers is, in its understated imaginativeness, in fact impressively deep. The album’s interpretive luster isn’t solely Roiger’s achievement, however. Pianist Frank Kimbrough, bassist John Menegon and drummer Steve Williams prove equally astute co-conspirators, masterfully augmented by Greg Osby’s alto sax on five tracks, including a hauntingly beautiful “First Song.”

HRAYR ATTARIAN, 2013, AllAboutJazz.com With Dear Abbey, singer Teri Roiger does something remarkable. She interprets thirteen of vocalist Abbey Lincoln's compositions, maintaining the legendary singer's emotive articulation and dramatic delivery, yet marking each song with her own individuality. She thus pays the ultimate homage to an innovator who blazed her own unique artistic path. Roiger's warm contralto, like aged, fine whiskey, is smooth but heady, as heard on her yearning interpretation of "Angel Face," a ballad colored with nocturnal shades. She delivers the mixture of melancholy and joy inherent in the classic "The World Is Falling Down" with a wistful wit as her bittersweet voice floats over the swells of pianist Frank Kimbrough's earthy tones. A versatile improviser par excellence, Kimbrough effectively supports and complements Roiger's very personal, interpretation of the music. Never a mere accompanist his contemplative, complex piano solo on "Bird Alone" reflects the lyrics' absorbing poetry. Alto saxophonist Greg Osby's clean, understated yet edgy solo closes the tune on a sublime note. Osby and Roiger engage in a sonic tango on the passionately dark "Throw It Away," a haunting and vivid feature for bassist John Menegon's lyrical and intriguing pizzicato. The bassist's relaxed and drifting string work is paired with drummer Steve Williams' reserved, percolating rumble on the iconic "You Gotta Pay The Band." The duo's undulating rhythms also form the framework over which Roiger's relaxed and rich vocals glide on the nostalgic and heartfelt "Not To Worry." Roiger's timber and phrasing are well-suited for the blues, as she demonstrates on the "Hey Lordy Mama (Blues For Mama)," her smoky growls simmering over guitarist Mark Dziuba's fervent tones. An imaginative musician, Roiger has assembled a band of superlative talent on Dear Abbey: The Music of Abbey Lincoln. The result is an exquisite tribute to a virtuoso of originality who is both intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

KINGSTON DAILY FREEMAN, David Malachowski, 2013 Dear Abbey: The Music Of Abbey Lincoln” (Inner Circle Music): Renowned Hudson Valley jazz singer Teri Roiger pays tribute to the legendary Abbey Lincoln with her latest release,“Dear Abbey: The Music Of Abbey Lincoln,” and it’s simply spectacular. In this album, Roiger does not copy or imitate Lincoln, but interprets and reinvents her songs with respect and love. Starting out with “Wholly Earth,” Roiger simply shines as she serpentines around a percolating rhythm section, with a pure natural delivery that is soft, yet sure and emotive. Next up, in “The Music Is The Magic,” she sings the all- too-true “Music is the magic through the raging storm” and “It a world that’s always within” with knowing conviction. The playing here is out of this world, featuring famed bassist John Menegon, pianist Frank Kimbrough, drummer Steve Williams, Greg Osby (alto sax) and Mark Dziuba (guitar) and Roiger’s voice, itself an instrument of monumental skill, with reserved, understated passion. The bluesy "Hey Lordy Mama" is a sure highlight, as are the dramatic “I’m In Love” (which sizzles), the soaring “Bird Alone”, the timely “The World Is Falling Down” (with a wicked bass solo by Menegon) and the timeless and true “You Gotta Pay the Band.” Well, no truer words have ever been said! ROIGER is a world-class singer. Fans of Lincoln will love this record, as will fans of Roiger, and fans of really, really good music.

(VIC GARBARINI, Playboy Magazine) "Teri Roiger has a voice like the finest bittersweet chocolate full of rich, dark, contradicting flavors that miraculously blend to create one of the most original vocal instruments in decades."

Teri’s four CDs as a bandleader include such stellar musicians as Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell, John Menegon, Gil Goldstein, Matt Wilson, Steve Williams, Frank Kimbrough, Greg Osby, Roswell Rudd, Jay Collins, Steve Gorn, etc.

Teri’s latest CD, GHOST OF YESTERDAY: Shades of Lady Day, was chosen by acclaimed author & critic Scott Yanow as one of his 30 top new releases of 2017.

Teri Roiger Celebrates Abbey Lincoln Birdland Theater NYC