City Winery/ATL

I was supposed to be home prepping for a surgery and celebrating my mother’s birthday June 25; however, my surgery was rescheduled; as a result, I made plans to travel to Atlanta, Georgia for my military drill weekend. While I was a bit perturbed about the late change, I made the decision to see if I could find a jazz concert in the area as a reward to myself at the conclusion of the my military excursion. Enter in: City Winery and saxophonist Trey Daniels.

As I entered the restuarant, the hostess ushered me to my seat. I mentioned to her that this was my first time visiting. She said that I had a pretty good seat (#43) to enjoy show.

I had absolutely no problem with the seating. The next task was food (Those that know me, sustenance is extremely important to me). The options were varied, but impressive.

I decided on the Kale Caesar salad with salmon (with water), and I/we waited for the entertainment to begin. We didn’t have to wait long. Almost immediately after I ordered, the concert began. Trey Jenkins opened with Bruce Hornsby/The Range’s “The Way It Is.” Hearing this song played with the saxophone as the lead was special.

The rest of the evening we were treated with more great music from the past. Trey Daniels performed renditions of classic songs from After 7’s “Ready or Not” and Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do.” Mr. Daniels also had a tribute section that featured his interpretation of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” and the definitive sound of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”

Known as a band member for Anita Baker, Trey also performed a moving version of Ms. Baker’s “Rapture” that had the entire crowd singing the entire song word for word. While all of these songs were great to hear, his performance of his original captivating song Rendezvous, that he wrote while in Jamaica, was a treat to hear.

Trey ended the night with the unmistakable sounds of The Gap Band’s “Yearning For Your Love” in which he came down from the stage and walked out amongst the audience and played his sax for about five minutes before returning to the stage to finish the timeless Gap Band song.

Everyone, including myself really enjoyed the concert. The venue was perfect for an evening event. I will be back. Until I return, let’s spread the word and tell a friend, about City Winery and saxophonist extraordinare Trey Daniels.