Jazz All Stars: Bassist and Louisville native John Goldsby, guitarist, Roni Ben-Hur at Varanese Friday, Jan. 6

The Jazz Education Network convention will be in Louisville all next week.

So, some of the top jazz musicians in the world will be popping up here and there.

Case in point: Friday, January 6, Israeli guitarist Roni Ben-Hur and Louisville native John Goldsby, bassist with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, will be joining regulars Jeff Sherman and Michael Ferraraccio at Varanese restaurant, 2106 Frankfort Ave.

The group is scheduled to play from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

More on Roni Ben Hur from his Website:

Roni Ben-Hur immigrated to New York in 1985 and quickly became an established player in the New York scene. He has a new album, Mojave, his eighth CD release as a leader, and his second major educational release, the DVD, Chordability.

2011 has brought much International notoriety for Ben-Hur. Performing tour dates around the US, France, Belgium, Holland, Brazil and Croatia, and leading 4 popular jazz camps in Brazil, South of France and Maine, Ben-Hur’s touring calendar was busier than ever. Mojave was released simultaneously in the US and Europe, gaining accolades from JazzTimes, Jazziz, and The Columbia Tribune. Hot on the heels of Fortuna, which peaked at #2 on the JazzWeek jazz radio chart, Mojave climbed up to the #18 spot.

John Goldsby

More about John Goldsby:

Since 1994, John Goldsby has been a member of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (the Cologne Radio Big Band). From 1980 to 1994, John lived in New York City and was an active fixture on the New York jazz scene, performing everywhere from Carnegie Hall, to the nightclubs of Greenwich Village, to concert stages around the world. John is actively involved in the jazz scene as a bassist, bandleader, composer, teacher, clinician and author.

 The son of a Baptist minister, John was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He played piano, guitar, and electric bass before taking up the double bass at age 18. His early musical experiences include work with hometown jazz greats Jimmy Raney, Helen Humes, and Jamey Aebersold. In 1979, John got the gig with the house trio at a jazz club in Louisville that brought in famous jazz soloists to play with the trio. For almost one year, John played with some of the legends of jazz including: Jay McShann, Buddy Tate, Johnny Hartman, Barney Kessel, Tom Harrell, Dave Liebman, Buddy DeFranco, and others. When this gig ended, John knew he had to move to New York. In 1980, he put the bass in the car and made his move…

There’s no cover charge for what promises to be an unforgettable night of music.

But, this is a relatively small venue, so don’t wait to make reservations at 502-899-9904.

Varanese is at 2106 Frankfort Ave. in Clifton.