Hot House Jazz Fans Decision Award Winners presented In Concert, Thursday, 12/14

The Bickford Theatre and Hot House Jazz Magazine salute the 2017 Fans Decision Jazz Awards with a holiday concert featuring Female Jazz Vocalist winner Champian Fulton and Male Rising Star winner "King" Solomon Hicks on Thursday, December 14. Joining the young stars will be the celebrated emcee for the awards ceremony, singer Antoinette Montague and surprise guests.

The gala awards ceremony takes place in October each year thanks to Hot House Jazz Magazine, the oldest jazz publication in New York, and the Metropolitan Room, one of New York's top Jazz Cabaret Clubs. This year's event was held at The Triad and honored several legends of jazz including impresario George Wein and longtime greats Roy Haynes and Harold Mabern.

Internationally acclaimed pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton was the winner in the Female Vocalist category but was unable to attend the October ceremony. Recognized as Rising Jazz Star by Downbeat Magazine, Champian is a mainstay on the New York jazz scene. She has released eight recordings as a leader including her newest CD "Christmas with Champian" which received 4-stars from both Downbeat Magazine and All About Jazz. The concert will feature Champian and her quartet playing selections from her new Christmas CD.

Only 22, guitarist "King" Solomon Hicks effortlessly merges jazz and blues, opening for blues superstars like Joe Bonamassa and then performing with jazz stars such as Tony Bennett and Lee Ritenhour. His extraordinary talent has received coverage in a wide range of publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Daily News, and on PBS. And he has become a popular headliner at Shanghai Jazz in Madison. He will perform both as a solo artist and with the Champian Fulton Quartet.

Raised in Newark, singer Antoinette Montague is no stranger to New Jersey audiences. Drawing on a repertoire of standards, swing, blues, bebop and storytelling, she captivates listeners with her passion and her wonderful voice. Not only is she regularly applauded for her singing, she is also a fervent champion for young musicians. Her Jazz Women to the Rescue Foundation works to provide musical instruments and art supplies to schools in communities that don't have music or art programs. And her high-energy shows always bring an audience to its feet. She has been the emcee for the Hot House Jazz Magazine Awards Ceremony for the past three years.

Gwen Kelley, the publisher for Hot House, promises a great evening with some surprise guests. "We are thrilled to partner with the Bickford Theatre to bring this entertaining evening of Christmas music from our Fans Decision Jazz Award Winners. We will also be sharing film clips from this year's awards ceremony since it is almost impossible to get a ticket to the star-studded event. We hope our New Jersey friends will join us for what will become an annual holiday concert at the Bickford."

Tickets for the Hot House Jazz Magazine Awards Concert are $17 for museum members, $18 in advance, and $20 at the door. The show will be on Thursday, December 14, at 7:30 PM and all seats are reserved. Tickets may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org/jazz-showcase, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Morris Museum's Bickford Theatre is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

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