Contemporary, Pop, and Jazz Music
Wendy Webb in Concert
at BIG ARTS Herb Strauss Theater
8 PM Monday, April 1, 2013
7:15 PM Reception
Herb Strauss Theater
Singer, songwriter, and keyboardist, performing original folk, jazz and blues, Wendy Webb returns to the Herb Strauss Theater by popular demand.
She will be joined on stage by Danny Morgan on guitar and John McLane on sax. The concert will feature songs from her recent albums, Moon Over Havana and Morning In New York. They will also perform songs from Webb's upcoming album, Edge of Town. Reception hosted by Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille.
General seating: $30, Student: $10
Herb Strauss Theater, 2200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
Island Jazz
Sunday, April 7, 21 and 28 at 3 PM
BIG ARTS Boler Garden
The band, comprised of talented amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, performs Big Band and Dixieland-style music in Boler Garden. In case of rain, the concert will move to BIG ARTS Gainer Veranda.
Concerts are free. Beach chairs recommended.
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Past Events:
Singer Songwriter Livingston Taylor
November 26, 2011
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
Livingston Taylor's long career in music includes Top Forty hits I Will Be in Love with You and I'll Come Running; and for his brother James he wrote, I Can Dream of You, and Boatman (off the double Grammy-winning album Hourglass).
The Mills Brothers
January 14, 2012
For nearly eighty years, The Mills Brothers have commanded the jazz and pop stage with their unmistakable and unforgettable repertoire of harmonies and hits. Formed in the late 1920s by four brothers from Piqua, Ohio, the band and the magic of its music continue today under the leadership of John Mills III, surviving son, grandson and nephew to three of the group's original members, and veteran musician Elmer Hopper, who spent 21 years touring with The Platters. Honored with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998, The Mills Brothers have released more than 2,000 recordings that combined have sold over 50 million copies. Memorable hits include Tiger Rag, Cab Driver, Glow Worm, Lazy River, Yellow Bird, Basin Street Blues and Paper Doll, all of which today's touring duo recreate with inimitable sound for a new millennium of audiences.
Brassy, Sassy & Classy -
January 19, 2012
Joan Curto breathes new life into classics from the celebrated catalogues of Broadway legends, Ethel Merman and Mary Martin in this one-woman show that Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich calls "an uncommonly effective homage." Described as "a seasoned interpreter who makes every note count," Curto is the recipient of a Chicago After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist and has performed at many of the country's most prestigious music venues, including New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. Curto channels Merman and Martin to capture the energy with which they commanded their roles in musicals composed by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Richie Cole and Five By Design
January 28, 2012
Combining warm, well-rounded vocals with vintage fashions and a touch of comedy, Five By Design's harmonies have made them a favorite of BIG ARTS audiences. Their latest production, "Cool and Swingin'," features alto sax legend, Richie Cole. Set in the format of a radio broadcast, the production touches upon Cole's 40-year career in music from his early days touring with Buddy Rich, to Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Band, to the present day. A reviewer in All About Jazz wrote, "Richie Cole is the last of a breed, a fast and competitive musical gunslinger acquiring legendary status for his willingness to demonstrate his command of Charlie Parker's bebop language by taking on all comers at any speed ... "
Riders in the Sky
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Known for their rich blend of Western harmony and unique sense of humor, Riders in the Sky are the two-time Grammy Award-winning group that has captivated audiences of all ages for more than three decades. They are keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, but are best known to younger audiences for their performance of Woody's Roundup in 1999's Toy Story 2. 2011 rang in the group's 6,000th live show, celebrating a career run that boasts 700 separate appearances at Nashville's Grande Ole Opry and even a special engagement at Carnegie Hall. Riders in the Sky have released more than 30 albums and have also enjoyed television success as comedic hosts of their own weekly CBS and TNN programs. They have been guests at major events like the Hollywood Bowl and featured on television shows Barney & Friends and Penn & Teller.
The Sedaka Show
Friday, March 2, 2012
Critically-acclaimed and award-winning singer, songwriter and recording artist Jim Van Slyke has headlined concert stages around the globe. Neil Sedaka himself has not only joined Van Slyke on stage for a duet in The Sedaka Show in Hollywood, San Francisco, and New York, but has also highly endorsed the tribute. After seeing the show, Sedaka gushed, "I had the great pleasure of seeing Jim Van Slyke perform a revue of my songs. It blew me away! The voice, the stage presence, the thought and preparation that went into the show were all superb. I've seen many singers over the years do my songs, but nobody has moved me more than Jim. His performance exceeded my expectations ... " Slyke ranks performing with Sedaka and receiving his personal endorsement as one of his greatest career highlights, along with a solo performance at The White House, and being a featured entertainer for President Clinton's second Inaugural Ball.
Bay Street Brassworks
Friday, March 16, 2012
Performing a wide variety of musical genres ranging from classical to Dixieland, show tunes, classic rock, swing, big band, and everything in between, Bay Street Brassworks performances have included opening ceremonies at National League baseball games and a special engagement alongside the American Brass Quintet. They will be playing music from their new album, Brass on Fire, including songs played on a 12 foot-long alphorn. Among its numerous awards, the Bay Street Brassworks received the Grand Prize at the New York Brass Conference International Brass Quintet Competition in 2003.
Island Jazz
Sundays
April 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at 3 PM
The band, comprised of talented amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, performs Big Band and Dixieland-style music in Boler Garden. In case of rain, the concert will move to the Gainer Veranda.
Concerts are free. Beach chairs recommended.
Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael
"All in the Musical Family"
November 2012
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael's "All in the Musical Family" celebrates the most popular music of famous singing families, including The Carpenters, The Jacksons, The Andrew Sisters, The Judds, Steve & Eydie, The Bee Gees, John and Bonnie Raitt, and many more.
Menzie and Michael have appeared at The Auditorium Theatre, Park West, The Pritzker Stage at Millenium Park, The Metropolis, The Empire Room and Maxim's. The pair has also recently appeared at New York's Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Town Hall, and has been included in New York's Cabaret Scene's Magazine's "Top Ten Cabaret Acts" for five consecutive years.
General seating: $37, Loge: $42, Student: $15
Tom Rush in Concert
Saturday, January 12, 2013
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
A folk pioneer, Tom Rush helped to shape the folk movement revival of the 1960s and contributed to its renaissance in the 1980s and '90s. James Taylor once told Rolling Stone, "Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences." Signed by Elektra in 1965, Rush recorded three albums for the label, culminating in The Circle Game in 1968, which included his signature hit, No Regrets. Rolling Stone credited The Circle Game with ushering in the era of the singer/songwriter.
In 2009, Rush released What I Know, his first studio album in 35 years. A review by Randy Lewis of The Los Angeles Times says, "[Rush] hasn't recorded a studio album in more than 30 years, but you'd never guess that he'd been away so long, from the lithe spirit in his voice on these 15 tracks ... At 68, Rush shows no sign of trying to push the boundaries of anything. Rather, he's happy to sing about what matters to him and put the welcome mat out for anyone who cares to drop by and listen in."
Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer whose distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him a legend to fans around the world. His shows are filled with the laughter of terrific story-telling, the simple delight of gentle ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
General seating: $37, Loge: $42, Student: $15
Kathy Kosins
with Her Jazz Quartet in
"A Toast to the Ladies of Cool"
Saturday, January 26, 2013
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
ASCAP Award-winning vocalist Kathy Kosins has won the hearts of critics and fans around the globe with her eclectic musical palette that expands the rich history of jazz. Together with her jazz quartet, Kosins sings from the catalogues of June Christy, Chris Connor, Julie London and Anita O'Day in "A Toast to the Ladies of Cool." A veteran jazz icon and interpreter of the West Coast "cool school" style, Kosins is described by the Chicago Tribune as "one of the most alluring voices in jazz." Songs in the show include When in Rome, Look Out Up There, Lullaby in Rhythm, Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast and You're a Heavenly Thing.
Born and raised during the Motown era in Detroit, Kosin's debut album, To the Ladies of Cool, was released in spring 2012 to excellent reviews. Jazz journalist Ralph Miriello reviewed the recording, writing on The Huffington Post, " ... [Kosins'] words flow as effortlessly as maple syrup over hot pancakes."
The New York Times declares, "Ms. Kosins's nonstandard choice of standards is almost as winsome as her easy going, swinging style ..."
General seating: $42, Loge: $47, Student: $15
Island Jazz
Sunday, January 13 and 20, at 3 PM
BIG ARTS Boler Garden
The band, comprised of talented amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, performs Big Band and Dixieland-style music in Boler Garden. In case of rain, the concert will move to BIG ARTS Gainer Veranda.
Concerts are free. Beach chairs recommended.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
February 2, 2013
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
Considered by many to be one of the greatest bands of all time, The Glenn Miller Orchestra returns to BIG ARTS by popular demand. Formed in 1956 to continue the tradition and music of Glenn Miller, The Orchestra has toured consistently since its inception over the years and has included some of the most talented musicians in the world. One of the best-selling recording artists from the big band era, Miller's hits include In the Mood, Tuxedo Junction, Moonlight Serenade, A String of Pearls, At Last, and That Old Black Magic. Today, the Music Director for the Glenn Miller Orchestra is Nick Hilscher.
General seating: $42, Loge: $47, Student: $15
Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues
with Special Guest Matthew Santos
8 PM Saturday, February 16
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues is a genre-defying musical ensemble merging the sparkling qualities of classical music with the emotional, melodic style of blues. Says The Chicago Tribune, "... Blues and rarefied classical chamber music might not seem like a match made in heaven - until you've heard Corky Siegel bring the two together ... a crowning achievement." Under Corky's lead, The West End String Quartet and percussionist Frank Donaldson make up the Chamber Blues band, this concert also features special guest Matthew Santos. Explains Corky, "Chamber Blues is a juxtaposition of classical and blues flavors. I consider jazz to be a blend of classical and blues and I think George Gershwin certainly blended the forms in a beautiful way. With jazz, for instance, the blues seem to disappear into the classical and vice versa, turning up a third form - called jazz."
Grammy-nominee Matthew Santos will join Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues on stage. Santos is a rock and folk singer/songwriter, musician, and painter.
General seating: $42, Loge: $47, Student: $15
Island Jazz
Sunday, February 3, 10 and 24 at 3 PM
BIG ARTS Boler Garden
The band, comprised of talented amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, performs Big Band and Dixieland-style music in Boler Garden. In case of rain, the concert will move to BIG ARTS Gainer Veranda.
Concerts are free. Beach chairs recommended.
Fred Hersch Trio
March 2013
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
Winner of the Jazz Journalists' Association's award for Jazz Pianist of the Year in 2011, Fred Hersch is a five-time Grammy-nominated musician proclaimed by Vanity Fair to be "the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade ..." Hersch's 2011 CD, Alone at the Vanguard, was nominated for two 2012 Grammy Awards: Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Jazz Improvised Solo (for his interpretation of Thelonious Monk's Work). Fred Hersch Trio's most recent CD, Whirl, also received critical acclaim, finding its way onto many 2010 best-recordings-of-the-year lists. Hersch is the recipient of a Rockefeller Fellowship and a Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition.
General seating: $42, Loge: $47, Student: $15
Island Jazz
Sunday, March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 3 PM
BIG ARTS Boler Garden
The band, comprised of talented amateur, semi-professional, and professional musicians, performs Big Band and Dixieland-style music in Boler Garden. In case of rain, the concert will move to BIG ARTS Gainer Veranda.
Concerts are free. Beach chairs recommended.
Cinema Toast
Celebrating The Music of the Movies
8 PM Friday, March 15
BIG ARTS Schein Performance Hall
A showcase of the greatest music on the silver screen, Cinema Toast salutes classic Hollywood films, including The Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Graduate, The Way We Were and Titanic.
You can expect to hear all your favorite tunes, including Moon River, Over the Rainbow, Staying Alive, Goldfinger, The Rose, Footloose, Fame, Colors of the Wind, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and The Sound of Music.
Cinema Toast features singers Scott Coulter, Jessica Hendy, and Lee Lessack accompanied by pianist John Boswell and jazz musicians.
