John Pizzarelli And Sy Smith Join Pacific Jazz Orchestra For Two September Shows

Pacific Jazz Orchestra, led by seven-time Grammy-nominated Artistic Director Chris Walden, launches its 2024-25 season with a program of exceptional straight-ahead jazz, swing, soul, and traditional big band sounds at two leading Southern California venues.

The 40-piece hybrid big band and string orchestra features guest artists jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli.

The ensemble swings by Santa Barbara's historic Granada Theatre on Friday, September 6, 7:00 pm, then heads south to delight Orange County music lovers at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Saturday, September 7, 2024, 8:00 pm.

“John Pizzarelli and Sy Smith, both iconic and distinctive artists who are deeply engaging, will be highlighted individually and will also share the stage together,” says Walden, an acclaimed composer and arranger who creates original arrangements for each of the ensemble's unique shows. “The program also showcases the tremendous versatility of Pacific Jazz Orchestra and its incredible musicians.”

Walden adds, “We're excited to return to The Granada Theatre with this new show, following the incredible reception we received for our performance there last spring. We are also thrilled to introduce audiences in Orange County to Pacific Jazz Orchestra.”

John Pizzarelli, one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and the Beatles. In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as Natalie Cole, Kristin Chenoweth, Tom Wopat, Rickie Lee Jones, and Dave Van Ronk, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ruby Braff, Johnny Frigo, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen, and, of course, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor's American Standard in 2021. A radio personality who got his start in the medium in 1984, Pizzarelli is co-host, alongside wife Jessica Molaskey, of Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli. He has performed on America's most popular national television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and Great Performances, as well as the talk shows of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Sy Smith has long been renowned as the “Queen of Underground Soul” for her edgy, progressive mix of funk, neo-soul and R&B. A heartfelt incisive storyteller, the singer/songwriter/producer helped cultivate LA's nu-soul scene more than 10 years ago, a scene that now boasts some of the genre's most progressive artists to date, including some who came directly from Smith's own band line-ups, such as Thundercat and Kamasi Washington. With five albums to her credit, Smith has been heralded by critics around the globe for her lyrical dexterity and vocal whimsy, often colored with a distinctive rhythmic swing that's all her own. Smith's vocal range moves effortlessly from a gritty speakeasy alto all the way to a stratospheric soprano whistle register reminiscent of the late Minnie Riperton. Smith began her career as a backing vocalist for Whitney Houston, Sheila E., Meshell Ndegeocello, Chaka Khan, Usher, Macy Gray and The Rickey Minor Band. Most recently, she's caught the ear of jazz aficionados as a featured guest with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti, with whom she engages a note-for-note in playful competition on stage and is also featured on his Grammy-nominated DVD “Live In Boston.”

Tickets

The Granada Theatre is located at 1214 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For tickets ($42-$157) and information, visit www.granadasb.org or call 805.899.2222.

The Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at 4242 Campus Dr, Irvine, CA 92697. For tickets ($44-$140) and information, visit www.thebarclay.org or call 949.854.4646.

For information about Pacific Jazz Orchestra, visit www.pacificjazz.org.

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