Ramsey Lewis & John Pizzarelli Sing Nat King Cole at Bay Area Cabaret Tonight

Bay Area Cabaret, the organization dedicated to presenting world renowned artists who expand the definition of cabaret, presents multi-Grammy-Award winning jazz pianist/composer Ramsey Lewis and jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli in Straighten up and Fly Right: A Tribute to Nat King Cole.

The Venetian Room is sure to swing as this phenomenal duo pays homage to Nat King Cole, who was himself a Venetian Room regular. Mr. Lewis is known for his recently re-mastered gold album Sun Goddess, and for his immortal hits "The In Crowd" (Grammy Award - Best Jazz Performance 1965 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame 2009), "Wade In The Water" (Gold Record), and "Hang On Sloopy" (Grammy Award). He will be joined by Mr. Pizzarelli, who has released more than twenty solo albums and has recorded with everyone from Paul McCartney to Rosemary Clooney. This historic evening also marks Mr. Lewis' first return to the Venetian Room in more than three decades.

The pair will play two concerts, 5pm and 8pm, tonight, March 21, 2015 in the Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco. For tickets ($65 general/$50 subscribers), visit www.bayareacabaret.org or call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400.

Ramsey Lewis first began taking piano lessons at the age of four, and joined his first jazz band, the Cleffs, when he was just fifteen. He later went on to form The Ramsey Lewis Trio, which originally played primarily jazz standards, but began to branch out to more popular styles after the success of the pioneering "The In Crowd." The Ramsey Lewis Trio has featured many legendary musicians, including Maurice White, who would go on to form Earth, Wind & Fire. Throughout his career Mr. Lewis has worked with a wide variety of musicians from Grammy-winning jazz singer Nancy Wilson to London's Philharmonia Orchestra. An arranger, producer, composer, and jazz pianist, Ramsey Lewis has made an immeasurable impact on the music world in the past fifty years, and has been honored with numerous accolades including three Grammys, seven Gold Records, and several honorary doctorates. His eightieth collection of songs, Ramsey, Taking Another Look, was released in 2011.

World-renowned jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has recorded more than twenty solo albums, in addition to dozens of collaborative recordings with some of the biggest names in music, including Sir Paul McCartney, James Taylor, George Shearing, and Rosemary Clooney. He regularly performs with his father, guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, and wife, singer/actress Jessica Molaskey, and has been called "as good as it gets in any entertainment medium" by The New York Times. Pizzarelli was nominated for a Grammy for his 2008 recording, With A Song In My Heart, and released his most recent album, Double Exposure, in 2012.

For their Venetian Room concerts, Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli will honor the work of the late, great Nat King Cole. The duo has performed Cole's repertoire together for the past few years, and in a review of a recent concert the Lincoln Journal Star wrote, "Pianist Ramsey Lewis plays with grace, modesty and soulfulness, a perfect complement to the relaxed swing of guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli." Nat King Cole was a regular in the Venetian Room when it was a dedicated supper club, and is known for classic hits such as "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Route 66," "L.O.V.E," and "Unforgettable."

Bay Area Cabaret (BAC) is a not-for profit organization founded by Marilyn Levinson, a fifth generation San Francisco native. Through its concert series and wide-ranging outreach activities, BAC aims to expand the definition of cabaret and broaden the audience for intimate entertainment, featuring Great American Songbook offerings from George and Ira Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. Past seasons have featured Marvin Hamlisch, Elaine Paige, Chita Rivera, Tommy Tune, Norm Lewis, Barbara Cook, Peter Gallagher, Nellie McKay, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Jane Monheit, and Karen Mason.

The 2014-2015 Bay Area Cabaret season continues with Tony-nominated Broadway and television star Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex, Tony nomination, Kinky Boots, You Can't Take it with You), who will make her West Coast cabaret debut on Sunday, April 19. Bay Area Cabaret's season concludes with two shows on Sunday, May 31: the cabaret debut of rising Broadway star Bobby Conte Thornton at 5pm, and a highly acclaimed new cabaret show by Tony winner Lillias White with musical direction by Billy Stritch at 8pm.

For Bay Area Cabaret patrons, The Fairmont San Francisco offers a delicious buffet dinner in the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar for $40 (plus tax and tip), plus four hours of free parking for all who dine in the Laurel Court. For more information, visit www.bayareacabaret.org.

Photo of John Pizzarelli (left) by Jimmy Katz.

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