Two Powerful Jazz Vocalists are coming to the Folly Theater
The Folly Theater is now in the last half of its jazz season, but that doesn’t mean that things are getting quiet. Stacey Kent, the multi-linguist with a heart for romantic jazz visits the theater on Saturday, February 22nd (ProTip – This could be a great Valentine’s Day gift)! The Grammy-Award winner, Luciana Souza follows her on Saturday, March 7th with her new album The Book of Longing. Jazz icons Chico Pinheiro & Scott Colley will join Luciana on stage.
Don’t miss the Folly Theater’s JazzTalks occurring at 7 PM before the show. Stacey Kent will be interviewed by fellow jazz vocalist and KC jazz award-winner Molly Hammer on February 22nd. Doug Auwarter of the local band Sons of Brasil will interview Luciana at 7 PM on March 7th. These JazzTalks are an opportunity for audiences to gain a more personal understanding of the artists and, often, ask their own questions!
Stacey Kent
Saturday, February 22nd at 8 PM
JazzTalk with award-winning Kansas City jazz vocalist, Molly Hammer, at 7 PM
Stacey Kent brings her French, Italian, and German inspirations into her romantic music on this tour. With 7 best-selling albums, the 2001 British Jazz Award, and 2002 BBC Jazz Award (among many other awards), Stacey is an icon in romantic vocal jazz. Stacey is herself an avowed romantic, and the songs she sings are timeless stories that touch young and old alike, fulfilling a desire for sophisticated love songs that is not catered to by today’s pop music industry.
“Stacey Kent’s mezzo-soprano voice is a beautiful instrument for offsetting orchestral accompaniment, a fact that I KNOW I DREAM illustrates well. The orchestra, a 52-piece London studio assemblage, has a lushness that would smother Nelson Riddle – yet Kent cuts through it effortlessly.” – Michael J. West, Downbeat Magazine
Performing with Stacey Kent will be Jim Tomlinson on saxophone & flutes, Art Hirahara on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums.
Luciana Souza: The Book of Longing, featuring Chico Pinheiro & Scott Colley
Saturday, March 7th at 8 PM
JazzTalk with Doug Auwarter of The Sons of Brasil at 7 PM
Grammy winner Luciana Souza is one of jazz’s leading singers and interpreters. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, in the late sixties, she grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators – her father, a singer and songwriter, her mother, a poet and lyricist. Luciana’s work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to new music.
Luciana has gone on to perform with great names such as Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, composer Osvaldo Golijov, and the New York Philharmonic. The Jazz Journalists Association has also awarded Best Female Jazz Singer to Souza in 2005 and 2013.
Performing with Luciana Souza will be Chico Pinheiro on guitar and Scott Colley on bass.
Coming to the Folly in April…
John Pizzarelli Trio for Centennial Reason: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole
Friday, April 24th at 8 PM
JazzTalk with Local Influencer & Personality, Joel Nichols, at 7 PM
World-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” The Toronto Star pegged him as “the genial genius of the guitar.” In addition, the Seattle Times saluted him as “a rare entertainer of the old school.”
John Pizzarelli recently released his new album, For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole on Ghostlight Deluxe, an imprint of Ghostlight Records. Following high-profile collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald, Pizzarelli returns to his roots to honor his hero, the legendary jazz/pop vocalist and pianist Nat King Cole, whose centennial is being celebrated around the world this year with various concerts, books, and recordings. For Centennial Reasons… completes an epic trio of Pizzarelli albums saluting Cole, starting with Dear Mr. Cole, which helped put Pizzarelli on the map as an influential jazz guitarist and singer in 1994, and continuing with P.S. Mr. Cole, which cemented his legacy five years later.
John Pizzarelli will be performing with Mike Karn on bass and Konrad Paszkidzki on piano.
Tickets for any of the Folly Jazz Series concerts can be purchased by visiting www.FollyTheater.org, calling 816-474-4444, or by visiting the Folly Box Office during normal business hours at 1020 Central St., Ste. 200.
The Folly Theater is 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of preserving Kansas City’s most historic theater as a premier performance venue, committing to maintaining the building’s heritage, proactively diversifying its programming and entertainment offerings, and to be an enthusiastic participant in the revitalization of downtown Kansas City.
You can learn more about the Folly Theater, it’s history, and other upcoming concerts at www.FollyTheater.org.
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