Jazz Club of Sarasota resumes Jazz at Two concerts on Friday, October 16
SARASOTA, FL: The Jazz Club of Sarasota resumes Jazz at Two, its longstanding series of weekly concerts, on Friday, October 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3975 Fruitville Road. The 2015-16 concerts are presented on Friday afternoons through April 15 according to Peg Pluto, Jazz Club president. The admission charge of $10 for Jazz Club members and $15 for nonmembers includes a one-dollar contribution to the Jazz Club Scholarship Fund, Pluto says.
Here’s the October schedule:
October 16—Synia Carroll and the Bob Miner Quartet kick off the series with Synia’s vocal renditions inspired by the jazz legends of the’40s,’50s and’60s. Her voice carries hints of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan as she sings tunes that range from sultry to raucous to up-tempo swing. Accompanying her are Miner on saxophone, Joe Bruno on bass, Shawn Doolittle on drums and Bill Buchman on piano. Synia and Bob Miner also have teamed to play at the Blue Rooster on October 7 as part of the Jazz Club’s Oktoberfest Pub Crawl.
October 23—Reedman Tony Benade headlines his group for the Jazz Club, bringing a broad musical background that began in Chicago. He played with the Tex Beneke Orchestra, toured the U.S., worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, was featured in the Fallbrook Jazz Festival and the Temecula Jazz Festival. He also played backup for the Temptations, Four Tops, Steve Allen and others. A gifted teacher and composer, he currently performs with the Sarasota Jazz Project and will play music for The Color Purple at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in October and November.
October 30—Lorri Hafer’s quartet—husband Mike Hafer on piano, son Paul on bass and Dave Dunscombe on drums–present music from the Great American Songbook and songs of the Big Band era. The daughter of musicians, Lorri began her career at 5 on the Guy Mitchell record “If You Ever Go Away” and was lead vocalist with the Hillside Singers. She and her mother later recorded Coca-Cola’s song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” She toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, was featured vocalist with Les Brown’s Band of Renown and guest vocalist with Buddy Morrow and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. She appeared on the PBS Special “This Land Is Your Land” with the Rooftop Singers, Sandpipers, Mamas and the Papas, and Trini Lopez and was also the opening act for Bob Newhart. The Hafers were headliners on “Music Of Your Life” and jazz cruises for almost a decade and continue to perform in major U.S. clubs. Nominated as Best Jazz Vocalist in Tampa Bay, Lorri sings frequently at the Palladium in St. Petersburg and will join Ellington bassist John Lamb at the Suncoast Jazz Classic. She is also weekend morning host on the “Music Of Your Life” Radio Network heard in the Tampa Bay area on WTAN 1340 AM.
Coming to Jazz at Two in November:
November 6—Tom Ellison
November 20—Mike Markaverich
November 27—Nate Najar
For further information, visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org, email [email protected] or phone 941.366.1552.
The Jazz Club of Sarasota, founded in 1980, is one of the most active jazz clubs in the United States. Dedicated to preserving, promoting and presenting jazz, America’s original musical art form, the Club has provided over 50 jazz-related events annually for more than 35 years. Chief among them is the highly respected Sarasota Jazz Festival, with the 36th Festival set for March 3-12, 2016. In addition to producing numerous jazz events, over the years the Club has granted approximately $200,000 to aspiring young jazz musicians. To learn more, visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org.
