Toast of the Nation 2025

Joy to the New Year. It's time to connect with your family and friends with music. Join us as we celebrate a special homecoming concert with singing sensation Samara Joy. We also check out the hottest live recordings from New York City's Village Vanguard, and then venture to Copenhagen and get immersed in the sounds of "Apollonian Circles" by Hess Is More, a musical feast for the ears. We conclude our New Years' celebration with a Brazilian party on the beach featuring the Ricardo Herz Trio and Samuca e a Selva.

Samara Joy

Set 1 of 4

One of the undeniable jazz acts of 2024 is Samara Joy, whose meteoric rise is nothing short of astonishing. After only three years (and multiple Grammy wins) since graduating, the singer returns to her alma mater, Purchase College, for her first homecoming concert at the place where she decided to become a jazz singer. She delivers a performance full of vocal fireworks with her family, professors and friends in the audience.

Setlist:

• "Reincarnation of a Lovebird" (Charles Mingus)
• "You Stepped Out of a Dream" (Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn) 
• "A Fool In Love Is Called a Clown" (Donovan Austin)
• "Day by Day" (Axel Stordahl, Sammy Cahn)
• "Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True" (Samara Joy, Kendric McCallister, Jay Mayo)
• "Tight" (Betty Carter)
• "No More Blues" (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes)

Musicians: Samara Joy, vocals; Jason Charos, trumpet/flugelhorn; David Mason, alto saxophone/flute; Kendric McCallister, tenor saxophone; Donavan Austin, trombone; Connor Rohrer, piano; Paul Sikivie, double bass; Evan Sherman, drums

Live at the Village Vanguard

Set 2 of 4

New York City's Village Vanguard is not only one of the greatest places to hear live jazz in the world, but also functions as a living jazz museum, a place where musicians through the ages have gone to document their musical expression, including Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Bill Evans. For this program, we check out some of the best live recordings from 2024, including performances from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, saxophonists Ben Wendel and Mark Turner, pianist Bill Charlap and guitarist Gilad Hekselman.

Setlist:

• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, "My Centennial" (Thad Jones), from the album Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones (Live at the Village Vanguard)
• Ben Wendel, "Lu" (Ben Wendel), from the album Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard
• Bill Charlap Trio, "And Then Again" (Kenny Barron), from the album And Then Again (Live)
• Mark Turner Quartet, "Lennie Groove" (Mark Turner), from the album Live at the Village Vanguard
• Gilad Hekselman, "Urban Myth" (Gilad Hekselman), from the album Life, at the Village Vanguard 
• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, "Antigua" (Bob Mintzer), from the album Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones (Live at the Village Vanguard)

Hess Is More, "Apollonian Circles"

Courtesy of the artists

Set 3 of 4

Some concerts aren't just for listening, but are full immersion experiences. Welcome to "Apollonian Circles" by the electro jazz outfit Hess Is More from Copenhagen. The group blurs the line between the performer and the audience with an interactive presentation of disco, funk, and jazz improvisation. Partygoers get off your feet and start moving.

Setlist:

• "Creation Keeps The Devil Away"
• "You Are Not a Primate"
• "Call for a Change"
• "Walksong"
• "80 Years"
• "Would Would You Like to Disco"
• "You Don't Dance"
• "Go Go Go Go"
• "Sometimes You Get Lucky"

Musicians: Mikkel Hess, drums and vocals; Nikolaj Hess, piano; Nomi Ruiz, vocals; Monika Heidemann, keys and vocals; David Mason, electronic drums; Michael Hanf, vibraphone, guitar; Rasmus Bille Bähncke, synthesizer; Andrew Raposo, bass; Carter Yasutake, trumpet; Matt Parker, saxophone. All music by Hess Is More.

Special thanks to Kat Jarby.

Brazil

Set 4 of 4

What better place to ring in the New Year than on a beach in Brazil? We hear two scorching performances, first from a virtuoso fiddler Ricardo Herz and his trio. He composes original music to sambas, choros, frevos, maracatus — seemingly every Brazilian rhythm under the sun. Watch their full performance here at the SESC Pompeia in Sao Paulo.

Then we get down to a new wave of Brazilian tropicali with Samuca e a Selva (Sam and the Jungle). Watch the group perform at Casa Natura Musical and at Festival Do Sol.

Part 1: Ricardo Herz

Setlist: 

• "Coco Embolado" (Ricardo Herz)
• "Sombo Chambado" (Herz)
• "Afrosudamérica" (Herz)
• "Sonhando o Brasil no Frevo" (Léa Freire)
• "Cavalo Marinho" (Herz)

Musicians: Ricardo Herz, fiddle; Fábio Leandro, piano; Pedro Ito, drums; Léa Freire, flute

Part 2: Samuca e a Selva

Setlist: 

• "Madurar" (Samuel Samuca, Rodolfo Dox Lacerda)
• "Jussara" / "Imensidão" (Samuca e a Selva, Xuxa Levy)
• "Afobado Peito Altivo" (Samuel Samuca)
• "Só" (Samuca e a Selva)

Musicians: Samuel Samuca, lead vocals; Allan Spirandelli, guitar/vocals; Carol Leão, keyboards/vocals; Gui Nakata, drums/vocals; Leo Malagrino, bass; Matheus Prado, percussion; Victor Fão, trombone; Kiko Bonato, tenor saxophone; Bio Bonato, baritone saxophone; Felipe Pipeta, trumpet in "Madurar" and "Só"; Larissa Oliveira, trumpet in "Jussara / Imensidão" and "Afobado Peito Altivo";  Onã, guest vocals on "Madurar"