Kate Campbell Strauss Trio and Benito Gonzalez

Join us at Greene Block + Studios for a special First Friday Jazz Trio featuring saxophonist and composer Kate Campbell Strauss, with Jake Hickey on organ and Kevin Lee on drums. Following the trio, stick around for a solo performance by GRAMMY nominee Benito Gonzalez. Kate Campbell Strauss is a saxophonist, composer/arranger, and activist with musical roots in New England and New Orleans. They play saxophone in a variety of contexts, from parades and backyards to concert halls and festivals. As an arranger, they have had new works commissioned by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – pieces that have featured voices such as Cyrille Aimée, Renee Neufville, John Boutté, and Irma Thomas. Kate is a 2024 alum of OneBeat, a global music exchange program run by the U.S. Department of State and Found Sound Nation. Kate’s creative life is grounded in the power of music to build community, and their collaborations promote empathy and inclusivity. Their debut album, Give Way, is out on ears+eyes Records on January 24, 2025. Learn more about Kate’s music at www.katecampbellstrauss.com Two time Grammy nominated Pianist Benito Gonzalez is an internationally beloved artist who combines a long lineage of American jazz traditions with rhythms from around the world. The Venezuela-born, New York-based artist grew up playing traditional Venezuelan folk music with his family before absorbing the influences of such pianists as Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. In 2005 he won the Great America Jazz Piano Competition, and was honored in 2020 to be a Steinway & Sons artist. Gonzalez came to prominance in the band of saxophone legend Jackie McLean, played in Kenny Garrett’s quartet for seven years, and worked as musician director for Pharoah Sanders. He has also performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Bobby Hutcherson, Christian McBride, Nicholas Peyton, Gary Bartz, Curtis Fuller, Al Foster, Billy Hart, Ignacio Berroa, Jeff”Tain” Watts, Buster Williams, and Antonio Sanchez.