Jazz critic Leonard Feather called her “the most important singer to emerge from the bop era.” Ella Fitzgerald called her the world’s “greatest singing talent.” During the course of a career that spanned nearly fifty years, she was the singer’s singer, influencing everyone from Mel Torme to Anita Baker. She was among the musical elite identified by their first names. She was Sarah, [...]
Bird Lives! That was the famous, death-denying, Beatnik graffiti that popped up on subway walls all over the Big Apple after Charlie "Bird" Parker, the legendary king of bebop, died March 12, 1955. Now, thanks to the Jazz and Strings, the soaring spirit of Bird is alive in a concert that pays homage to the alto saxophonist/composer's celebrated " Charlie Parker with Strings" albums. This Parker [...]
Tina Fabrique, the versatile actress/singer with a thick stage and jazz resume, knows Ella Fitzgerald's repertoire as she has proven many times to Hartford audiences. Fabrique, who has played the First Lady of Song on stage in theatrical productions at Hartford Stage and Hartford's TheaterWorks and other regional theaters throughout the United States, once again assumes the Ella mantle as she [...]
"Jazz & Strings Series," the versatile Broadway vocalist/actress Rosena Hill-Jackson dons the "Lady in Satin" mantle, singing songs from the 1958 studio string session that decked out the then dying Holiday's tragically tattered but still emotionally charged voice in high-fashion orchestrations. Besides songs from "Lady in Satin," the concert features such classic Holiday signature songs as [...]
With an infusion of star power, this Jazz & Strings concert features the celebrated guitarist Mike Stern, a six-time Grammy nominee, in a concert paying homage to guitarist Wes Montgomery's 1963 album "Fusion!" — the iconic guitarist's first release with string section accompaniment. Stern, the concert's symbolic stand-in for Montgomery (1923-1968), was born in Boston in 1953 and got his [...]
This concert is a tribute to saxophonist Art Pepper’s Winter Moon album and will feature guest saxophonist “Sweet” Sue Terry performing selections from the album as well as her own original charts. Recorded in 1980 by a band of famous West coast jazz musicians, Art Pepper’s Winter Moon is often considered the gold standard of jazz and string collaborations. In addition to Hoagy [...]
A native of Hartford, Connecticut, saxophonist, composer, and educator Jimmy Greene has emerged as a formidable force in the jazz world, with eight critically acclaimed solo albums, 70 ensemble recordings, and countless international performances. The Jazz and Strings ensemble will feature Greene and his original arrangements in “Jimmy Greene with Strings”.
Shawnn Monteiro, an ardent advocate of The Great American Songbook, is featured with the Jazz and Strings ensemble as they pay homage to the classic album, "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook." In the most lavish project of her nearly six-decade career, vocalist Ella Fitzgerald collaborated with celebrated conductor Nelson Riddle and his king-size orchestra in 1959 to [...]
Trumpeter Brian Lynch is cast in the lead soloing role in a tribute to the legendary trumpeter Freddie Hubbard in this performance of "Jazz and Strings". Lynch, a Grammy Award winner and trumpeter of choice for bebop master Phil Woods and Latin jazz great Eddie Palmieri, is the sterling surrogate for Hubbard (1938-2008) in "Jazz and Strings” tribute to Hubbard's 1971 album, "First Light," a [...]
Focus is a one of a kind album. The strings do not sound as if they were added as a second thought. Their contribution is integral to the music that is "Focus". The composer, Eddie Sauter, who arranged for Betty Goodman as well as Getz, has successfully united both strings and horn into one joyous celebration of sound. The sax and strings interact in a "call and response" which is why this music [...]
Jazz and Strings presents a tribute to trumpeter Clifford Brown in a program that features guest trumpeter Claudio Roditi performing selections from the album Clifford Brown with Strings, including “Yesterday,” by Harbach/Kern, “Where or When,” by Rodgers/Hart and “Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man” by Kern/Hammerstein, plus original music by Clifford Brown and Claudio Roditi. Drummer Gene [...]
Jazz and Strings Series will pay tribute to legendary saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley in a concert featuring guest saxophonist and West Hartford native Erica von Kleist and guest trumpet artist Nadje Noordhuis performing alongside Jazz and Strings Artistic Director Gene Bozzi, bassist Rick Rozie, arranger and pianist Walter Gwardyak, and members of the HSO string section. Program [...]
A tribute to saxophone legend John Coltrane and bebop singer Johnny Hartman that features guest saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and vocalist Giacomo Gates performing selections from the album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, including “You Are Too Beautiful,” “Lush Life,” and “Autumn Serenade” plus Coltrane and Hartman fan favorites including “Giant Steps” and “My Favorite [...]