Author: mitchmuse

Global communicator, Journalism, Entrepreneur, Web editor, Blogger, Freelance writer, Jazz enthusiast

Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole and others to headline Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ 20th Anniversary Festival

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 20, 2010

According to a recent news release, Jazz Aspen Snowmass will kick off their 20th Anniversary season from June 24-July 3, 2010, with some of the biggest names in jazz, pop and world music.
Making his first ever JAS appearance jazz pianist/vocalist Harry Connick Jr. and Orchestra have been added to the June Festival lineup appearing at the Benedict Music Tent (pictured at right) on Friday, June 25.
On Saturday, June 26 at the Benedict Tent JAS will present JAS @ 20!, a special evening of performances in a Grammy-like format of multiple guests artists backed by a crack Big Band. Directed by JAS Distinguished Artist in Residence Christian McBride, the show will also feature jazz legends Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Terence Blanchard, John Clayton and more.
Pink Martini will perform at the Benedict Music Tent on Sunday, June 27. The closing night of the JAS 20th June Festival will take place on Saturday, July 3 featuring Natalie Cole with Big Band and Musicians from the AMFS. Cole, who had to cancel an appearance with JAS last July due to a kidney transplant last May, is already back on stage feeling “healthy, whole and 100% again.”
The JAS Academy Summer Sessions, again with Christian McBride, will be in residence June 24-July 3. JAS’ flagship music education program, the Academy is the nation’s only all-scholarship jazz residency program, uniting the finest young jazz artists with the world’s “jazz legends.” JAS has contributed $5 million dollars to music education since 1996.
Attendees can obtain tickets by calling (866) 527-8499 or www.jazzaspen.org. For information on Patron (VIP) tickets, call the JAS office at (970) 920-4996. Ticket and lodging packages are also available at 800-SNOWMASS or www.snowmasstourism.com.

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Tulsa Community College Theater Department presents “The Last Five Years” starting Feb. 12

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 12, 2010

Tulsa Community College’s theater department presents “The Last Five Years” by Jason Robert Brown. The production is directed by Vernon L. Stefanic, playwright and former critic for the Tulsa World.
Performance times are at 8 p.m. Feb. 12-13; 18-20 and 2 p.m. Feb. 14 and 21 in the Studio Theatre at TCC VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st St. (81st St. and Highway 169) in Tulsa, OK. The Thursday, Feb. 18 performance will be sign interpreted for the deaf.
According to a news release, “The Last Five Years” is “a uniquely staged multimedia production, featuring the combined talents of the TCC’s theatre, music, and film departments. “The Last Five Years” is a contemporary, ambitious and emotional musical that ingeniously chronicles the five-year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up … or is it from break-up to meeting? Audiences have to decide, because “The Last Five Years” is an intensely personal and creative look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told simultaneously from both points of view – one telling the story from first date to eventual divorce, and the other story arc from divorce back to the magical first date. It is bittersweet; it is sweetly bitter?”
For more information, visit the PACE Ticket Office, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday or call (918) 595-7777.

arts comedy Muskogee Muskogee Little Theatre Oklahoma theater United States

Muskogee Little Theatre presents “The Foreigner” during Valentine’s Day weekend

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 12, 2010

Muskogee Little Theatre presents “The Foreigner” at 8 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and Feb. 18-20. There is a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14.
Advance tickets may be purchased at Soundworld, 123 E. Okmulgee in Muskogee, OK, or by calling (918) 683-4901. Tickets are also available one hour prior to curtain time at the Muskogee Little Theatre box office.
“The Foreigner” is an inspired comedy that celebrates curiosity and empathy for the outsider. Many people would relish the opportunity to be a fly on the wall, making themselves privy to private conversations. However, pretending to be a foreigner who doesn’t speak the language is possible. When Charlie, a shy Englishman, comes to a rural lodge in Georgia, he pretends to be a foreigner from an exotic country who doesn’t know English so he won’t have to talk to the locals. “The Foreigner” is a feel-good play where the characters grow and change before the audience’s eye. According to a news release, “The Foreigner” is one of the most beloved and crowd-pleasing comedies in community theatre repertory.
“The Foreigner” is sponsored by Creek Nation Casino. All productions at Muskogee Little Theatre are presented with the assistance from The Oklahoma Arts Council. For additional information, go to www.muskogeelittletheatre.com or call (918) 816-0688.

arts Oklahoma Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame performances tulsa Valentine's Day vocal performance

Brenda Johnson and Jeff Shadley headline heartwarming concerts this weekend

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 10, 2010

Tulsa’s Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame presents two shows this weekend that promises to be a heartfelt one for its attendees.

Brenda Johnson and her jazz Rhapsody Trio will headline the performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Jazz Hall, 111 East 1st Street (upper level) in Tulsa, OK. Included is special musical guest vocalist Tavis Minner. There will be complimentary desserts, roses for the ladies, dancing and sumptuous romantic music. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

On Sunday, Feb. 14, vocalist, trumpeter and band leader Jeff Shadley presents “Big Band, Big Hearts” featuring jazz vocalist and Oklahoma Jazz Hall inductee Olivia Duhon at 5 p.m. at the Jazz Hall. Tickets are $15 and $10 for seniors and $20 for table seating.

For tickets or more information, call the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame at (918) 281-8600 or go to okjazz.org. Gift shop and concessions are available. All major credit cards are accepted.

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“Shoutin’ Down the Aisles” inches up on Billboard Charts

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 9, 2010

According to a news release, the “Shoutin’ Down the Aisles” release by Time Life is rocking the church rafters. It has debuted at #8 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart.
Opening with Vickie Winans’ 1997 smash “As Long As I Got King Jesus,” the collection takes on the aura of a Pentecostal church service with such up-tempo favorites as Fred Hammond’s “Jesus Be a Fence Around Me”, the Chicago Mass Choir’s “Holy Ghost Power” with Lemmie Battles’ earth-quaking hoops and hollers, Jimmy Hick’s “Born Blessed”, Shirley Caesar & Tonex’s “I Know the Truth”, Keith Wonderboy Johnson’s quartet staple “Let and Let God” and Bryan Wilson & the Bapolstogic band’s burner “If You’re Talking About Jesus.”
The compilation rounds out with two bonus cuts not featured on the previous Shoutin’ set. The Blind Boys of Alabama’s rootsy “Down in the Hole” and Deniece Williams’ praise jam “Glory to Glory to Glory” complete this must have album for any fan of traditional gospel music.

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Donna Cox opens Carol Brice Series on February 20 in Oklahoma City

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 8, 2010

Soprano vocalist Donna Cox will open Black Liberated Arts Center Inc.’s (BLAC) 2010 Carol Brice Series at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Douglass High School Auditorium, 900 N. Martin L. King in Oklahoma City, OK.
Cox is an assistant professor of Voice at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK, where she teaches Applied Voice at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a pedagogue, she has facilitated vocal master classes in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, North Carolina and New York.
Cox has performed as the soprano soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Salome Orchestra and conductor Ken Hakoda in Kansas with Academia Phil harmonica and Chorale. She has performed the soprano solos in Vivaldi’s “Dixit Dominus,” Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass,” “Theresan Messes,” Mozart’s “Requiem,” and Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.”
In February 2007, she performed with Dave Brubeck in his mass “To Hope” with the Canterbury Choral Society under the direction of Russell Gloyd. As a recitalist, Cox has performed on numerous university campuses in the United States. She has also toured extensively throughout Germany, featured in recitals focusing on Mozart opera, oratorio and Lied.
Cox’s Feb. 20 performance will focus on three African Americans – Robert Owens, Margaret Bonds and John Carter. Poets Owens and Bonds often compared to none other than poet Langston Hughes. The music is quite sophisticated with its lush harmonies and unexpected contrast which is an Owens’ trait. It is also spiritual and includes John Carter’s arrangements as well as Cox’s arrangements.
The program is supported by the Ad Astra Foundation and the Oklahoma Arts Council. Tickets are $10 and are on sale at Capitol Square Station, Charlie’s Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Store, KM66 and Learning Tree Toy Store in the Oklahoma City metro area. For more information or to buy tickets, call BLAC Inc. at (405) 524-3800.

Donna Cox – Voice from OU School of Music on Vimeo.

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Jazz Vocalist Jackie Ryan releases a collection of love songs

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 6, 2010

Jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan will release a collection of 15 love songs in time for Valentine’s Day, according to a news release. Proceeds from the compact disc “Best of Love Songs” will go to Oxfam for ongoing Haiti Relief fund.
Ryan is best known as a “musician’s singer.” She has performed, recorded, or toured with Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Cyrus Chestnut, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Red Holloway, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Ernie Watts, Benny Green, Tamir Hendelman, Jeff Hamilton, Amina Figarova, Mike Wofford, Jon Mayer, Larry Vuckovich, and Jon Hendricks.
Ryan’s 2009 release “DOOZY” was the third most played jazz CD on radio for the entire year, finished at #3 on JazzWeek‘s Top 100 CDs of 2009, received four-star reviews from both “DownBeat” and “All Music Guide,” and sat atop many critics’ end of year lists. Jackie was one of 5 vocalists voted by critics to make “JazzTimes‘” “Top 50 CDs of the Year.”
Selected from three recordings released from 2002 to 2006, “Best of Love Songs” reflects Ryan’s myriad of musical talent. Joining Ryan on the project is legendary two-time Grammy-Award nominees Ernie Watts and Red Holloway, backed by Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Hamilton, Jeff Chambers and others.

arts Oklahoma Sapulpa Sapulpa Community Theatre theater

Sapulpa Community Theatre presents “Our Town” this weekend

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 5, 2010

Sapulpa Community Theatre presents “Our Town” at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays on Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-14, 2010, at the Sapulpa Community Theatre, 124 S Water St., Sapulpa, OK. The production is directed by Harley Cartee and sponsored in part by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Our Town,” written by Thornton Wilder, is about changes that come slowly to a small New Hampshire town in the early 20th century.
Tickets are $10 adults and $5 for students and children. Attendees who bring a food item for Sapulpa’s Community Care Food Bank (canned or dry packaged) will receive another entry in the drawing for free tickets to the next production “Everybody Loves Opal.”
Sapulpa Community Theatre is funded in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. Sapulpa Community Theatre is a member of Oklahoma Community Theatre Association, the American Association of Community Theatres, and the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Alliance.
For more information, call (918) 227-2169 or e-mail stheatre@sbcglobal.net.

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Clark Youth Theatre to hold auditions for “The Land of the Dragon” on Feb. 6

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 4, 2010

Clark Youth Theatre will hold auditions for “The Land of the Dragon” by Madge Miller at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at Henthorne Park, 4825 S. Quaker, in Tulsa, OK.
Set in a mythical version of ancient China, this is a fantasy of pure princesses, helpful minstrels, evil step-aunts, and of course, dragons. “Land of the Dragon” offers our younger actors their chance to shine onstage. Anyone 14 and younger is welcome to audition. The show is directed by Genie Reiman.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 8-10 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11. For more information or reservations, call 746-5065 or go to www.clarktheatre.com.
Clark Theatre is a youth theater program and is part of the City of Tulsa Park and Recreation Department. Clark Theatre won the Tulsa Area Theatre Excellence award for Outstanding Youth Production for 2009.

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Laughter abounds at Heller Adult and Teen Laughing Matter Improv on Feb. 5-6

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date February 4, 2010

What happens at an Adult and Teen Laughing Matter Improv show? It is interactive theatre with audience participation — in fact, it’s the audience who makes the performance happen. Improvisation is theatre of the moment, and the moment is always something to laugh at. If you like “Whose Line is it Anyway?” or “Second City,”you’ll love Tulsa’s version.
Show time is 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
The Clark Teen Laughing Matter Improv is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at the same location. Tickets are also $5.
Heller Theatre and Clark Theatre are both at Henthorne Park at 4825 S. Quaker, in Tulsa, OK. For more information, call (918) 746-5065 or go to www.hellertheatre.com or www.clarktheatre.com.