Jazz Arts Music Society of Palm Beach-9th Season Announced
By: Beau Higgins Oct. 20, 2008
Jazz up your Tuesday nights with JAMS
The Jazz Arts Music Society of Palm Beach (JAMS) kicks off its ninth concert season on Monday, Nov. 17 with a performance by gifted young pianist Jeremy Siskind and his trio, and concludes in April with the sublime vocals of seasoned singer and pianist Dena DeRose. Along the way, the monthly series also will present Brazilian jazz, bluesy swing and sophisticated bebop by some expert practitioners. Jazz lovers could hardly ask for a better excuse to get out of the house on a Tuesday night, which is when all the shows but the first one take place.
The Siskind Trio concert, a Tribute to Irving Berlin featuring guest guitarist Graham Dechter, and a Dec. 9 Brazilian jazz performance by guitarist Paulinho Garcia and his group, will take place at The Cuillo Centre for the Arts, 201 Clematis St., in downtown West Palm Beach. Starting with the Jan. 27 concert by vocalist Jamie Davis, the series shifts to The Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace, 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach. Tickets for all the 8 p.m. performances cost $35 and can be ordered by calling 1-877-722-2820 or by visiting www.JAMsociety.org. Of course, admission is free for JAMS members.
The smoky, impassioned vocals of Davis, who held the vocal spot out front of the Count Basie Orchestra in recent years, will appeal to fans of Johnny Hartman and Billy Eckstine. He and his quintet will help JAMS celebrate its ninth birthday, as Davis revisits classic jazz, blues and swing. His latest album, Vibe Over Perfection, finds the self-described "chocolate baritone" interpreting songs by everyone from Thelonious Monk to Burt Bacharach.
JAMS celebrates their 9th season at The Harriet on Feb. 24, as pianist and University of Miami Frost School of Music Dean Shelly Berg and his trio team up with clarinet virtuouso Ken Peplowski for what's sure to be an exciting set of traditional jazz. Peplowski apprenticed with the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman in the late '70s and early '80s, and is perhaps best known for his sparkling duet work with guitarist Howard Alden, with whom he also teamed for the soundtrack to the Woody Allen movie Sweet and Lowdown.
On March 24, JAMS presents another inspired pairing, as pianist and vocalist Johnny O'Neal and his trio join up with Wycliffe Gordon, one of the finest trombonists in the jazz world today. O'Neal was the perfect choice to portray the legendary Art Tatum in the 2004 movie Ray, as his lightning-fingered lyricism recalls Tatum, as well as touchstones such as Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner. Having performed and toured with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, as well as jazz divas Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Carmen McRae, O'Neal knows a thing or two about entertaining. The same could be said of Gordon, who came up through the Wynton Marsalis Septet and has consistently copped top honors as Trombonist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association.
The JAMS concert series concludes on April 28 with vocalist and pianist Dena DeRose and her trio. A bit of misfortune brought DeRose a renewed career as a vocalist. After carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis effectively took her off the piano bench, she got up to sing at a club on a dare. While DeRose did return to the piano after a couple of years, she had developed her vocal chops to such a high degree that she's become a singer with a passionate following of fans.
JAMS memberships are $150 per adult and $50 for students. The membership includes admission to the six concerts. For more information about the concert series, or to join JAMS, call 561-835-0382 or visit www.JAMsociety.org.
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