The Onaje Allan Gumbs Trio/ The John Di Martino Trio/ Cynthia Scott and her Trio/ Bill Lee and His Mo’ Better Quintet/ The Danny Mixon Trio/ Lafayette Harris Trio/ Lou Myers and His Band/ Chester Gregory and His Band/ The Bob Cunningham Trio/ Eric Frazier and his Quintet/Patience Higgins and The Sugar Hill Quartet/ The Bill Saxton Trio/ The Donald Smith Trio/ George V. Johnson Jr./ The William Ash Trio/ The Japanese Jazz Connection/ Blueswing Jazz/ Lakecia Benjamin Trio/ The Sayuri Goto Trio/ The Mamiko Watanabe Trio/ Nick Porcaro Trio/ The Atiba Wilson Trio/ The Goussy Celestin Trio/ The Efacho Okeke Jazz Trio/ Seth Sharp and the Shinya Yonezawa Trio/ IC EXPRESS/ Flash Drive/ Courtney Bryan and the Marvtastic Ladies in Jazz/ Mfergu Trio
-----
The Banana Puddin' Jazz Jam and Open Mic was conceived by Rome Neal in 2003 at the world famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe. after going out to many jazz clubs doing research on jazz musicians in order to develop the Thelonious Monk character in Laurence Holder's one-man play (Monk), Neal found himself at quite a few jazz jam sessions. He became ecstatic over the musicianship and environment which instilled in him a desire to bring (that same energy of the jazz jams of 40s and 50s, which still exist in some clubs in harlem today) downtown to his artistic home (the Nuyorican Poets Cafe).
In personalizing his particular jazz jam, Neal added his favorite banana puddin dish which he makes for everyone to eat, and the banana puddin jazz jam poem, a group poem written by the audience in attendance on the night of the event and recited by a member of the audience with jazz music as it’s underscore and finally e-mailed to everyone on his e-mail list.
The Banana Puddin' Jazz Jam evenings begins with a featured band, and is preceded by an open mic with musicians, singers and poets. all hosted by Rome Neal, who sings and dances his way into the hearts of those in attendance as well as serves up his legendary banana pudding for desert.
Over the passed years the featured bands have been:
The Onaje Allan Gumbs Trio
The John Di Martino Trio
Cynthia Scott and her Trio
Bill Lee and His Mo’ Better Quintet
The Danny Mixon Trio
Lafayette Harris Trio
Lou Myers and His Band
Chester Gregory and His Band
The Bob Cunningham Trio
Eric Frazier and his Quintet
Patience Higgins and The Sugar Hill Quartet
The Bill Saxton Trio
The Donald Smith Trio
George V. Johnson Jr.
The William Ash Trio
The Japanese Jazz Connection
Blueswing Jazz
Lakecia Benjamin Trio
The Sayuri Goto Trio
The Mamiko Watanabe Trio
Nick Porcaro Trio
The Atiba Wilson Trio
The Goussy Celestin Trio
The Efacho Okeke Jazz Trio
Seth Sharp and the Shinya Yonezawa Trio
IC EXPRESS
Flash Drive
Courtney Bryan and the Marvtastic Ladies in Jazz
Mfergu Trio
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe founded by Miguel Algarin, has been around for over thirty years and is known as one of the premier spaces for award winning poetry and poetry slams, award winning theatre and music.
Over the years some of the people of celebrity status who have attended or performed in events at the cafe have been: Lawrence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, the late John Kennedy Jr., Mary Wilson (of The Supremes), Erica Badu, Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis, Max Roach, Gary Walker (WBGO),George Wein, Barry Harris, Ray Barrito, Natalie Portman, Amiri Baraka, Amina Baraka, Louie Guzman, John Leguizamo, John Amos, Savion Glover, the late Gregory Hines, George C. Wolfe, George Faison, the late Joseph Papp, the late Alvin Ailey, Woodie King Jr., and Benjamin Bratt (who partied and filmed scenes from his break out role of Miguel Pinero in the Leon Ichaso film, Pinero) just to name a few.
ROME NEAL
Actor/Director/Producer/Jazz Vocalist)
Is the Artistic Theatre Director of the Nuyorican Poets Café theatre program. Mr. Neal received an Obie Grant with Café founder Miguel Algarin for excellence in theatre. Over the years he has received five Audelco Awards for his direction of Pepe Carril’s "SHANGO de IMA" and Samuel Harp’s "DON”T EXPLAIN" Mr. Neal also received two Audelcos for his acting: one for Lead Actor in Gabrielle N. Lane's "SIGNS," and one for Solo Performance in his critically acclaimed "MONK," by Laurence Holder.
Neal also received the National Black Theatre Festival's coverted Lloyd Richards Director’s Award.
His fifth Audelco Award was a technical award for his light design of "SHANGO de IMA." Mr. Neal received a Triumph Award for his acting in Alex Mc Donald's "PRISM" and a Monarch Merit Award for his outstanding contributions in New York Theatre. His directorial credits includes his adaptation of William Shakespeare's "JULIUS CAESAR SET IN AFRICA," Sekou Sundiata's "THE CIRCLE UNBROKEN IS A HARD BOP" Amiri Baraka's "MEETING LILLIE," "SHANGO de IMA," "Prism," Ishmael Reed's "THE C ABOVE C ABOVE HIGH C" and Amiri Baraka's "PRIMITIVE WORLD: AN ANTI- NUCLEAR JAZZ MUSICAL," all performed at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and National Black Theatre Festival in Winston Salem North Carolina.
Rome directed Wesley Brown's "LIFE DURING WARTIME" at the Cafe and The National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta Georgia. His production of Alex McDonald's "PRISM" was performed at the Ex-Ponto Festival in Slovenia, Eastern Europe.
His acting credits include Dan Owen's "FOREVER MY DARLIN’," directed by Daune Jones at the Richard Allen Center, and later by John Amos, and Judi Ann Mason's "A STAR AIN’T NOTHIN BUT A HOLE IN HEAVEN" directed by Mikel Pickney.
Rome’s film acting credits include Michael Almereyda’s "HAMLET" Spike Lee’s "SUMMER OF SAM" and Leon Ichaso’s "PINERO."
As a Jazz Vocalist, Rome has performed at Lenox Lounge, Joe’s Pub, Saint Nick's Pub, Minton's Playhouse, Showman's, 966Jazz, Baker's Keyboard Lounge, The Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The Jazz Spot, and has performed around town as the lead vocalist for the Bill Lee Mo' Betta quintet (Spike's father). Mr. Neal has a CD entitled: "A Brighter Crooner", and now his live concert "All in The Puddin'" recently released on DVD along with his "Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz Jam... A Night To Remember"
Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin Jazz Jam's Friend Space (Top 7)
Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin Jazz Jam has 38 friends.
