Where the original club in its 1920s-1930s heyday was located on 142nd Street & Lenox Ave., the present location sits on 125th Street. And, when this new launch opens, the headliner will be all-around entertainer Elijah Rock, a singing and dancing firestorm who has long made his mission clear of keeping the proud traditions and legacies of the music not just alive…but vibrant.
Duly, Elijah Rock will officially become “A New Face of The Cotton Club.”
“The opportunity to open and headline at The Cotton Club – the historical space where so many of my greatest inspirations graced the stage - is a dream come true,” Rock states. “It’s also a homecoming. I lived on 127th & Morningside for 10 years, mere blocks way! I am thrilled to be working with entrepreneur/promoter Charles Piazza to extend the legacy of The Cotton Club and ventures across the globe.”
Assessing his gifts, one major outlet praised Rock thusly, “IT TAKES A CERTAIN KIND OF ARTIST THESE DAYS TO CARRY ON THE TORCH PASSED ON FROM THE LIKES OF NAT “KING” COLE, FREDDIE COLE, BILLY ECKSTINE AND JOE WILLIAMS.” -JAZZ WEEKLY
A torch-bearing interpreter of The Great American Songbook, Elijah Rock has been making his mark as an entertainer based in Las Vegas where he headlines top showrooms, starred as the lead vocalist in Vegas! The Show at Planet Hollywood, and released his acclaimed albums Gershwin For My Soul and the recent, Matters of The Heart.” “Winner of an NAACP Theater Award for his lead in “Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes,” Rock also portrayed Cotton Club legend Cab Calloway in the musical “I Only Have Eyes For You,” earning an Ovation Award nomination.
“Harlem will love this new grandiose opening of The Cotton Club,” Elijah enthuses. “When I headline the grand opening black tie/red carpet event, I will be backed by a 10-piece band led by Brooklyn’s own highly respected reed man Lou Caputo (Bobby Short, Lou Rawls, The Temptations, Bobby Sanabria) and reflective of my generation – a group of mixed gender and mixed race younger and older players. I’ll be singing repertoires from my extensive big band book and, of course, I will have a Duke Ellington medley. It’s going to be Uptown New York…with a splash of my spin on Las Vegas.”
John Beatty, long time President and CEO of The Cotton Club, has given his full blessing for this spectacular event and continuance of the hallowed Harlem venue. On this resurrection of Old World NYC Splendor, The Cotton Club’s promoter Charles Piazza shares, “Shows are going to be upscale, formal attire in a New York evening destination spot featuring various styles of live music for dancing – Jazz, show music, vocal stars and top lounge performers. I originally had shows booked for early 2020 – pre-COVID – but, everything was shut down. We’re finally comfortable enough to take it off hold. Our premier show will be Elijah Rock. Poring over his website and YouTube clips, I was knocked out by his talent and the ‘full package’ image he projects. I knew immediately, Elijah Rock would be “the only one to launch this re-opening of The Cotton Club.”
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