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Tank and The Bangas with Special Guest J. Ivy

Blue Note Jazz Club, New York, NY
Tank and The Bangas with Special Guest J. Ivy

    $20 Minimum Per Person
    Full Bar & Dinner Menu
    NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES.

    • All seating is first come, first served. 
    • Bar Area seating is limited and first come first served. When all available seats are occupied, the remaining bar area is standing room only.
    • Table Seating is all ages, Bar Area is 21+. Bar Area tickets for patrons under 21 will not be honored. 
    Group Reservations:
    • Groups larger than 8 must purchase a group package at club@bluenote.net, or by calling 212.475.8592.
    • Groups larger than 8 without a group package will be subject to group surcharges added to your bill. 
    • Groups arriving late or separately are not guaranteed to be seated together. All seating is first come, first served. Arrive early for best seats.
    Tickets for Blue Note New York shows are only available for purchase on Ticketweb. We are not affiliated with any third-party sellers. Tickets purchased on third-party sites will not be honored. The credit card used for original purchase of tickets will be required at the door upon entry.
     
     

    • Tank and The Bangas

      Tank and the Bangas explore the most tender and true parts of life’s journey. Unique and with a vibrance that could only come from New Orleans, the lead vocalist, Tank has stretched her vocals over quirky raps, poetry, and rich melodies since the release of their first album, Think Tank in 2013. Four years later, they had a viral breakthrough as the winners of the NPR Tiny Desk Contest — an eclectic performance that has since been praised by musicians like Miguel and Anthony Hamilton and has now amassed over 14 million views on YouTube. Now, Tank and the Bangas arrive with a new 3-part album The Heart, The Mind, and The Soul. With this offering, Tank opens up about the wisdom she’s gained from new beginnings, endings, and in-betweens.

      The concept of an album series came to Tank two years ago while traveling on a train with her group members. Its structure makes it different from the rest of the catalog, and so does the special emphasis Tank has put on her poetry, collaborators, and its cohesive sound. “It explores self-discovery, the journey to confidence, believing in your ability, matters of the heart, the mind, and just free thought flowing,” Tank says about the album.

      On The Heart, the first part to be released and produced by James Poyser, Tank flows back and forth between poetry and a velvety alto that deepens every thoughtful word as she riffs about her deepest sentiments on life. The opening track, “A Poem Is” boasts a feature from Jill Scott — an appearance that Tank is thrilled about especially because her mission with this release is to magnify poetry as a music genre.

      “I want for poetry to get that much more respect and for even more young people to get into the expression of poetry,” Tank expresses. “I want it to be seen as even more cool again.”

      Tank has always considered herself a poet first, but at the start of her career, she used singing to draw listeners into her music. This album is a return to that first love and one we can hear on “Open to Thy Self,” a song Tank penned in a cottage in The Netherlands and a standout track that gives us a look into her gentle inner monologue as she gives herself unconditional self-love through all of her phases.

      Tank created a different soundscape with each collaborator for each part of the project. Producer Iman Omari, known for his lo-fi dreamy loops, paid attention to every detail of each beat and brought out a more “vibey” side of Tank on The Mind. She built The Soul with producer and jazz musician Robert Glasper, who led free-formed recording sessions that made room for Tank to discover the melodies and let ideas flow.

      Out of all the music, she feels especially drawn to a song co-produced by Kaidi Tatham, called “This Black Girl.” It’s a self-proclamation of the beauty and transformative power of black woman/girlhood — along with the realities of combating the privilege of white women and misogyny. “I think it’s one of the best poems in history. Yeah, I said it,” Tank says.

      With The Heart, The Mind, and The Soul, Tank and the Bangas affirm the thoughts, feelings, and complexities of these key parts of self. ”I'm writing about my experience and feeling more open, free, and much more confident,” Tank says. “Before, even though I had such a big voice, sometimes I felt quieted. It feels good to stretch on my own terms.”

    • J. Ivy

      Truly, when it comes to the art of Hip-Hop Poetry, J. Ivy is the 1st of his kind. He is a pioneer, a trendsetter, one who has knocked down impossible doors, taking the Art of Poetry directly to mainstream music & television arenas. His motivational motto, “Dreams Don't Come True, They Are True,” has guided him from his native home Chicago to becoming a GRAMMY®, Peabody, Clio, Telly, and NAACP Image Award Winning Poet and Artist.

      In February of 2023, 30 years after his first performance, J. Ivy won a GRAMMY® for his album, THE POET WHO SAT BY THE DOOR, becoming the first Poet to win in the GRAMMY® Awards’ new category, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Not only is he the first Poet to win a GRAMMY® since the great Dr. Maya Angelou, he also won a GRAMMY® for his work on the Tennessee State Marching Band’s The Urban Hymnal, which won in the Best Gospel Roots category. For his follow up, in September of 2023 J. Ivy released his 7th album, THE LIGHT INSIDE.

      J first discovered his affinity for the written art during a routine high school assignment. After hearing the talent in J’s writing, as well as in his voice, his English teacher, Ms. Paula Argue, demanded he share his gift on stage. Reluctant, but never afraid, J performed for his peers and to his surprise he received a standing ovation. Since that life changing moment, J has never stopped creating. He headed to Illinois State University, where he soon became known on campus as “The Poet,” which later led him to performing throughout Chicago.

      In no time, J. Ivy became a staple on the Chicago arts scene. Excited about his quick success, but far from satisfied, J pressed on becoming the 1st African-American Poet to represent Chicago on Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry performing his captivating poem, “I NEED To Write.” Again he received a standing ovation and was invited back for two encore appearances on the award winning show, which included his heartfelt poem “Dear Father.”

      As a seasoned performer, J. Ivy’s artistry and accomplishments have range, carrying him and allowing him to work in an array of creative outlets.

      From his work on the classic song "Never Let Me Down" with Kanye West & Jay-Z, to performing a poem for NBA Hall of Fame Legend Michael Jordan, to MC'ing and performing at events for Deepak Chopra, to voicing openings for sporting events like the NFL’s Sunday Night Football on NBC, ESPN’s US Open, National Spelling Bee, the 2017 NBA Draft, and The Undefeated's Dear Black Athlete, to co-starring in and narrating B.E.T.'s award winning film Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ & Martin: The Legacy of a King, to starring in a national ad for AARP, to collaborating with artists like Estelle, Marsha Ambrosius, Slum Village, and John Stephens, who J. Ivy renamed John Legend (featured on Oprah’s Next Chapter), J’s versatility continues to surprise and inspire all walks of life.

       

      After the world shut down due to Covid-19, in July of 2020, J. Ivy wrote and narrated Beyoncé’s Black Is King promo for the Return of the NBA.

      Not only is he a poet, writer, and voice-over artist, who has shared stages with the likes of Prince, Sia, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick the Ruler, Jim Carrey, Sway in the Morning, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Lauryn Hill, Dave Chappelle, and many more, but he also collaborates his poetry with music, and is humbly a superb photographer.

      After touring with his book "Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain," published by Beyond Words Publishing, an imprint of Atria Books & Simon and Schuster, J. Ivy released his 4th studio album, Catching Dreams, which is a beautiful blend of poetry and music. Due to the fact that venues were shut down world wide, J. Ivy recorded and filmed a concert titled Catching Dreams: Live at Fort Knox Chicago, which was Nominated for the 2022 GRAMMY Awards in the Best Spoken Word Category alongside Levar Burton, Don Cheadle, Dave Chappelle, Amir Sulaiman, and Barack Obama.

      After J. Ivy’s first nomination, he went on to author a proposal that led to the GRAMMYs creating a new category titled the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Due to J. Ivy’s work, this year, for the first time in the history of the GRAMMY Awards, five Poets were nominated for this prestigious award.

      At the same time, J. Ivy was busy working as the Lead Writer, Voice Director, and Cast Member of Netflix’s new film, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.

      Beyond music, television, and the touring circuit, J. continues to support community arts through The Dear Father Movement, which encourages people of all ages to explore the arts and find strength through The Power of Forgiveness by writing their own Dear Father Letter.

      J. Ivy is a modern day renaissance man magically merging art and leaving a beautiful mark for the world and the future to embrace. From his breath taking performances for people of all ages to his appearances on countless television networks, J. Ivy’s passionate delivery always leaves spectators transfixed in a state of inspiration, and because of that he is recognized World Wide.

      Corporate clients include: AARP, ABC, Allstate, American Family Insurance, Benjamin Moore, Brand Jordan, BET, Bulleit Partners, Coca-Cola, ESPN, FedEx, Ford, HBO, Kellogg, Martha Stewart, McDonalds, Microsoft, Miller Lite, NBA, NBC, Nike, Nissan, Sprite, Walmart and more.  

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