Black Box Jazz presents the Kenny Hadley Big Band

THE BLACK BOX, downtown Franklin's theater, music, and event venue, presents a Big Band Brunch with the renowned Kenny Hadley Big Band on Sunday, March 5. The critically acclaimed 16-piece ensemble, led by drummer Kenny Hadley, boasts masterful musicians with performance ties to Big Band legends Woody Herman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich and more. The band has shared the stage with such notables as the Count Basie Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra and has hosted guest soloists including Clark Terry and Louie Bellson.

Hadley was 14 when he first heard Buddy Rich's band play live. He caught Duke Ellington at The Boston Globe Jazz Festival and saw Basie, Kenton and Ferguson, among the greats, at the tail end of that era. Forming his own band at 23, Hadley has grown that ensemble to showcase a distinguished rotation of some 45 or 50 players. Now more than 30 years later, the Kenny Hadley Big Band continues to wow audiences and keep the big band tradition alive.

Combination tickets for brunch and music are $45; tickets for the concert alone are $20. Brunch begins at 11:30 a.m., with music beginning at noon. THE BLACK BOX, home of the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), is located at 15 West Central Street. For tickets and more information, visit www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com or call (508) 528-3370. Dean Bank sponsors this BLACK BOX Jazz series presentation.