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Yellowjackets
Friday, September 24, 2021, 7:30 p.m. + Saturday, September 25, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
The Yellowjackets have consistently forged ahead in their evolving artistic statements. The band has recorded close to 30 albums, been nominated for 17 GRAMMY® Awards, and has adventurously amplified the eclectic, electro-acoustic soundscape creating a unique jazz sound since its fusion beginnings.
While the Los Angeles-based Yellowjackets have been a creative force on the jazz scene since 1981 when they recorded their eponymous debut, their fourth Mack Avenue Records album, “Raising Our Voice,” once again ups the ante with bold new strides.
“The band keeps moving forward,” says saxophonist Bob Mintzer who joined the group in 1990. “It’s one of the few partnership bands in the last four decades. It’s democratic, laissez-faire and accommodating to everyone in the band to contribute. We’re constantly reinventing ourselves as a reflection of what’s happening in the world.”
The Jackets are comprised of pianist/keyboardist/co-founder Russell Ferrante, bassist Dane Alderson in his second recording with the group and drummer Will Kennedy, who joined the band in 1987 and then in 2000 took a 10-year hiatus before returning to the drum chair.
Mintzer sees a bright future for the Yellowjackets. “What attracts me about the group is how stylistically broad we are,” he says. “There are no barriers. We’re free to try new things without making the music overly complex. I always say this is the band you always wanted to be in. We’ll see where we go next.”
Find out more »Central PA Friends of Jazz Fundraiser Honoring Steve Rudolph
Steve will be playing in concert with a band of some of his favorite musicians from over the years. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime performance for Steve, and you don’t want to miss it!
Following the concert, event guests will join Steve for a light reception. Rumor has it that Steve and his musician friends may start a jam session at the reception…
A co-founder of the Friends of Jazz, Steve retired as executive director in October 2019. This gives Steve more time to play, compose, and teach. However, our commitment to sharing live jazz doesn’t end with Steve’s retirement. In addition to celebrating Steve’s years of service to the Friends of Jazz, This One’s For You! will expand the community of supporters we need to ensure that jazz continues to be a major part of the cultural landscape of Central Pennsylvania.
Kirk Whalum & Keiko Matsui
Kirk WHALUM & KEIKO MATSUI
OCTOBER 2, 2021
6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
In a career spanning decades, Kirk Whalum has a sound that is uniquely his;
it is a sound that leaves an indelible imprint on the listener.
Keiko Matsui is one of the most dynamic and important voices in
instrumental music. Acclaimed pianist, composer and humanitarian,
her transcendent and haunting melodies have long sought to build bridges.
Marty Ashby Claudio Roditi Tribute
Marty Ashby pays tribute to master trumpeter and composer, Brazilian Jazz superstar, Claudio Roditi.
Joining Marty will be James Moore on trumpet, Jay Ashby on Trombone, Paul Thompson on bass and James Johnson III on drums.
Con Alma Ellsworth
Find out more »Ann Hampton Callaway & Tierney Sutton
Saturday, October 16, 2021 6:00 p.m. + 8:30 p.m.
These two world-renowned jazz stars team up for the first time as their new albums share a common theme: unforgettable film songs. Ann Hampton Callaway’s focus is mostly on the iconic gems from the 1930s and 1940s, while Tierney Sutton lends her imagination to beloved contemporary classics. Featuring the Tierney Sutton Band rhythm section, the night is filled with solos and duets arranged in fresh ways featuring the two singers’ dazzling musicality and connection to the brilliant lyrics of their songs.
An Omaha native, Sutton found her footing as a singer and bandleader shortly after arriving in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s where she’s led one of the most durable working bands in jazz for the last two decades. She is a nine-time GRAMMY® nominated jazz vocalist that has received a nomination for every project she’s released in the past decade. Appropriately, her latest project is the 19-track opus “ScreenPlay”—an innovative approach to the history of film music released monthly as a series of digital EPs along with an accompanying podcast and background material.
An artist who has made indelible marks on jazz, cabaret, and on Broadway as a writer and performer. Callaway has composed over 250 songs for the stage, screen, and television making an indelible mark on jazz, cabaret, and Broadway. A prolific writer and performer, Callaway’s music has been recorded and performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Michael Feinstein, and Carole King. Callaway has shared the stage with great artists from many genres including George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, Liza Minnelli, Betty Buckley, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Audra McDonald, Harvey Fierstein, Ramsey Lewis, and Kurt Elling. Callaway has released 15 albums since 1992 including her 2018 Shanachie Records session “Jazz Goes to the Movies,” an entrancing collection of songs from Hollywood’s golden age.
Get ready for a night of sensational cinematic delights!
Find out more »Marty Ashby Trio
Georgia On My Mind: Celebrating The Music Of Ray Charles
“GEORGIA ON MY MIND: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF RAY CHARLES”
WITH TAKE 6, NNENNA FREELON, and TOM SCOTT
NOVEMBER 6, 2021, 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
Ray Charles, a Georgia native son, was an American treasure who won every major honor from the Georgia Music Hall of Fame to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. From the Kennedy Honors to a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, Ray Charles transcended racism and cultural upheavals, and spread his music based on Gospel, Blues, Jazz and Country around the world. Boasting iconic tunes from the catalogue of the genius himself, the artists make each song a winning part of the tapestry that is Ray Charles’ music. Join us as we celebrate Ray’s music with an all-star cast of award winning performers.
Find out more »Patti Austin
PATTI AUSTIN
NOVEMBER 20 , 2021
6:00 pm & 8:30 PM
Since breaking through to solo success in the mid 1970s, Grammy winner Patti Austin has become one of the world’s most popular and versatile vocalists. In the past decade, it is in the world of jazz (a genre that is close to her heart) that Ms. Austin has been building a solid international audience.
The New York native is in constant demand globally for live performances, thanks to a legacy of recordings that started in 1955; she continued through the ‘60s with success as a teenage R&B star before establishing herself as a mainstay among jazz and soul audiences through her ‘70s recordings. By the ‘80s Ms. Austin became known to the wider international audience as a result of the Grammy -nominated “Baby Come to Me” and “How Do You Keep the Music Playing”, her early ‘80s classic duets with James Ingram, masterminded by musical godfather Quincy Jones.
Unquestionably a 21st century renaissance woman, Patti Austin continues to create milestones in an incredible career; a further testament to her status as a member of that rare breed: a true artist whose creativity knows no limits.
Find out more »The Hot Sardines “Holiday Stomp”
THE HOT SARDINES “HOLIDAY STOMP”
DECEMBER 4, 2021
6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
Celebrate in the holiday season with The Hot Sardines “Holiday Stomp. This hot jazz band will infuse yuletide classics with their unique and swinging sound. Fun arrangements of holiday tunes include: “White Christmas,” “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Fueled by the belief that classic jazz feeds the heart and soul, The Hot Sardines are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world.
Find out more »Marty Ashby’s Holiday Jam Featuring Gloria Reuben
Join guitarist and five-time Grammy Award–winning producer Marty Ashby for his annual holiday concert celebration. This year’s special guest is actress and singer Gloria Reuben.
Ashby is the executive producer of MCG Jazz, a program of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG), which he started in 1987. He has performed with a wide variety of musicians, ranging from Nancy Wilson and Ann Hampton Callaway to Paquito D’Rivera and James Moody. Ashby’s annual holiday celebration at MIM has become a tradition since the museum opened in 2010.
Reuben is well known for her roles in major films such as Lincoln, Reasonable Doubt, and Admission, as well as her appearances in various TV series, including Mr. Robot, ER, and Cloak & Dagger. American saxophonist Dave Koz says of Reuben, “It’s Gloria’s elegant, refined voice that holds the listener. So intimate and present, she’s able to paint amazing pictures with her interpretations for these classic songs.”
Please note, the MIM is requiring that audience members either be vaccinated or have a negative COVID test within 72 hours prior to the performance. We also strongly encourage guests to wear masks.
Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result will be required for entry and may include the following options: a vaccination card (or photo), a digital record within an app, an official immunization record, or documentation of a negative test result. All MIM Music Theater team members are vaccinated and will wear masks.
Brubeck Brothers Quartet
BRUBECK BROTHERS
“PLAY BRUBECK: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF DAVE BRUBECK”
January 22, 2022, 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
To celebrate the life and legacy of Dave Brubeck his son’s Chris and Dan Brubeck, who performed and recorded with their father since the 1970s, curate a multimedia show with their own Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Through stories told by his sons and music performed by the Quartet, the show invites audiences to travel along the timeline of Dave’s extraordinary life and career.
Find out more »David Sanborn
DAVID SANBORN
FEBRUARY 26, 2022, 6:00 p m & 8:30 pm
Universally known as one of the most iconic saxophonists of the current age, David Sanborn is a jazz musician at heart, but has transcended genres and musical boundaries throughout his entire career. Rolling Stone says, ‘Among the great saxophonists of the past four decades, David Sanborn has earned an identity all his own. He’s jazz, he’s funk, he’s soul, he’s pop, he’s blues, he’s rock. Most remarkably, he excels in each of these genres with a voice that is forceful and tender, sensuous and subtle. Sanborn has released 24 albums, won six GRAMMY Awards, and has had eight gold albums and one platinum. He continues to be one of the most active musicians of his genre and an inspiration to countless other musicians. Sanborn is excited to bring his acoustic program to audiences soon.
Find out more »Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlap
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER WITH BILL CHARLAP
MARCH 12, 2022, 6:00 p m & 8:30 p m
Over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, GRAMMY and Tony Award-winning jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time GRAMMY winner recently won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee. One of the world’s premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand.
Find out more »Jobim with Strings
“JOBIM WITH STRINGS”
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MARCH 19, 20 22, 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and MCG Jazz celebrate the music of Brazilian icon, Antonio Carols Jobim. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, Byron Stripling, will conduct and play and will be joined by native Brazilian’s and Jobim collaborators: Maucha Adnet, vocalist, and Duduka da Fonseca, percussionist, and members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra strings and woodwinds sections.
Find out more »Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Friday, March 25, 2022 7:00 p.m. & Saturday March 26, 2022 6:00 p.m. + 8:30 p.m.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (JLCO) comprises 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. Led by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs a vast repertoire ranging from original compositions and Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works to rare historic compositions and masterworks by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus, and many others. The JLCO has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988, performing and leading educational events in New York, across the United States, and around the globe. Guest conductors have included Benny Carter, John Lewis, Chico O’Farrill, Ray Santos, Paquito D’Rivera, Jon Faddis, Robert Sadin, David Berger, and Loren Schoenberg.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961, Marsalis began his classical training on trumpet at age 12, entered The Juilliard School at age 17, and then joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He made his recording debut as a leader in 1982 and has since recorded more than 60 jazz and classical recordings, which have won him nine GRAMMY® Awards. In 1983, he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz GRAMMY® Awards in the same year and repeated this feat in 1984. Marsalis is also an internationally respected teacher and spokesman for music education, and has received honorary doctorates from dozens of U.S. universities and colleges. In 1997, Marsalis became the first jazz artist to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music for his oratorio “Blood on the Fields.” In 2001, he was appointed Messenger of Peace by Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and he has also been designated cultural ambassador to the United States of America by the U.S. State Department through their CultureConnect program.
Find out more »SFJAZZ Collective
Saturday, April 2, 2022 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
The SFJAZZ Collective is the All-Star Jazz Supergroup featuring Lizz Wright on vocals, Chris Potter on saxophones, David Sánchez on saxophones, Etienne Charles on trumpet, Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Edward Simon on keyboards, Aneesa Strings on bass, Kendrick A.D. Scott on drums. Founded in 2004 by SFJAZZ in San Francisco, the award-winning SFJAZZ Collective is a composer’s workshop that represents what is happening now in jazz. The group’s membership evolves with each member being one of the most influential instrumentalists and performers in modern music. This year’s lineup includes multiple GRAMMY winners and nominees, Critics and Readers Poll winners, and all are recipients of industry recognition and media accolades. For this performance, the SFJAZZ Collective will present a vital program of new compositions by the band inspired by and in response to the extraordinary social and global issues we have faced over the last year.
Find out more »
Stefon Harris & Blackout with Victor Provost
STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT WITH VICTOR PROVOST
APRIL 30, 2022, 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
Stefon Harris’ passionate artistry and astonishing virtuosity have propelled him to the forefront of the jazz scene. Heralded as “one of the most important artists in jazz” by the Los Angeles Times. Harris was named a recipient of the 2018 Doris Duke Artis Awards. Harris’ community work in arts education in Kalamazoo, MI is “The Art of Listening” series of documentaries and has won three Gold Camera awards and three Michigan EMMY nominations.
Victor Provost is one of a small group of musicians who have tirelessly sought to change popular misconceptions about the role of steelpans in jazz. In addition to being a pannist, he is a composer, educator, and recording artist. As a sideman with deep jazz and Caribbean music bona fides, he has toured and recorded with a long list of luminaries including Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela, Ron Blake, Wycliffe Gordon.
Find out more »Poncho Sanchez
Poncho Sanchez
May 21, 2022, 6:00 pm & 8:30 pm
For more than three decades, conguero Poncho Sanchez has stirred up a fiery stew of straight-ahead jazz, gritty soul music, and infectious melodies and rhythms from a variety of Latin American and South American sources. Throughout his career Sanchez has held aloft the torch lit by such innovators as Mongo Santamaría, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader, embraced by each of those icons and entrusted to carry forward the traditions of Latin Jazz.
Find out more »
