The Philly POPS Caps the TOPS of the POPS Season with SINATRA: A MAN AND HIS MUSIC

The Philly POPS raises a glass to an iconic Copa room performance in a toast to the Chairman-SINATRA: A Man and His Music, May 1-3, 2020 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

The program plays from the immortal Sinatra at the Sands album-Sinatra's first live album, performed with the dynamic Count Basie Orchestra, under the direction of the legendary Quincy Jones, who arranged and conducted. Sinatra at the Sands reinfused Sinatra's career with new energy-featuring definitive versions of many of his songs. The album is a snapshot of a night where The Chairman, The Count, and Q made musical history-starting right off the bat with an invigorated take on "Come Fly With Me." The program also features favorites like "My Kind of Town," "Luck Be a Lady," and "Fly Me to the Moon."

When talking about Sinatra at the Sands in his autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, Quincy Jones said, "Frank was at the height of his powers then, and I was steering his musical ship, [the Count Basie Orchestra,] the greatest band in the world."

Stepping into the shoes of the original arranger and conductor Quincy Jones is the explosive Rickey Minor-a renowned conductor, most recently seen as the Music Director of the 2020 Academy Awards. He's has worked with many household names and contemporary talents, including Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ariana Grande, and many more. As Quincy's friend and mentee, this program is a profound fit for Rickey.

"Quincy Jones is the quintessential renaissance man," said Minor. "He has shown that talent, hard work, and perseverance can be a formula for a successful life in any career. He not only set the stage, he built it. He's my friend, mentor, and an inspiration to us all."

Returning for his fourth performance with the POPS is the incredible Michael Andrew. Michael previously performed two Sinatra programs, including 2015's Sinatra: A Centennial Celebration and 2018's Sinatra & Friends. Michael is an acclaimed singer, bandleader, and an authority on Sinatra. Michael was formerly the headline singer and bandleader at the Rainbow Room in New York, as well as the singer and bandleader of Merv Griffin's Coconut Club. His Atomic Big Band has performed at high-profile events, including Presidential Inaugural Balls and movie premieres.

Sinatra started singing at the Copa Room at the Sands in 1953, and by the early '60s, it was the home of the Rat Pack. Quincy Jones first worked with Sinatra in 1958 for a benefit concert at the Monaco Sporting Club, organized by Princess Grace. Six years later, Sinatra hired Jones to arrange and conduct his second collaboration with Count Basie, It Might as Well Be Swing. Jones arranged and conducted another benefit in 1965, which featured the Rat Pack and the Count Basie Orchestra and was broadcast to movie theaters around the country. Later that year, he was the arranger and conductor when Sinatra and Basie appeared on The Hollywood Palace TV show. Sinatra and Basie had worked together on multiple occasions since 1962, starting with Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First. After all of these performances, the three men were musically in-sync and primed for this historic live album. The following year, Sinatra continued his big band success at the Sands with a new album with Duke Ellington and his big band-Francis A. & Edward K.

"Frank Sinatra took me to a whole new planet. I worked with him until he passed away in '98," said Quincy Jones. "He left me his ring. I never take it off."

Finishing the TOPS of the POPS Season with a bang, this concert series will feature a fourth show-a second Sunday performance at 7:30pm. This joins the two other shows that achieved a four-show run by popular demand in the last five years-SINATRA: A Centennial Celebration in 2015 and Elvis: The King's Songbook in 2016.

SINATRA: A Man and His Music runs May 1-3 at The Kimmel Center for The Performing Arts. This performance is part of The Philly POPS Legacy Series, sponsored by Citizens Bank.

Tickets are available at www.phillypops.org/sinatra

About Michael Andrew
For two years, Michael Andrew was the headline singer and bandleader at the world-famous Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center in New York City, where he entertained audiences nightly and hosted a live radio broadcast, Live from the Rainbow Room. He was the bandleader and singer at Merv Griffin's "Coconut Club" in the Beverly Hilton in California. While on Larry King Live, Merv called Michael Andrew "one of the great singers of all time."

A frequent symphonic pops guest artist, Michael Andrew has appeared with orchestras in Akron, Albuquerque, Birmingham, Charlotte, Melbourne (Florida), Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Missoula, Orlando, Pasadena, Philadelphia, Providence, Palm Beach, Palm Springs, San Antonio, Sarasota, and other cities across America.

He wrote the musical comedy, Mickey Swingerhead & the Earthgirls, that was a hit with audiences and the press. The hit show led to the formation of his band, Swingerhead, which remains a favorite among audiences and has toured extensively throughout the country. Michael also formed the Atomic Big Band, an 18-piece band that has performed in Hollywood for the premier of the Warner Bros. movie, Poseidon, and his bands continue to play engagements from Presidential Inaugural Balls to high society fundraisers.

On the other side of the curtain, as a composer, lyricist and book writer, he's created shows paying tribute to the writers of the American Songbook including Johnny Mercer, Sammy Cahn, and the Gershwins. He composed / performed his music for motion pictures including Heartbreakers, Inglourious Basterds, Mad Hot Ballroom, Bobby Jones - Stroke of Genius, and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Recently, he produced music for Mitch Album's new musical, Hockey, which debuted in Detroit.

Michael Andrew starred in the world premiere of the new musical, The Nutty Professor, written by Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes and directed by Jerry Lewis. Time Magazine praised his "terrific lead performance" and Jerry Lewis called him "one of the best talents to come down the pike in 50 years."

Rickey Minor is an Emmy award-winning music director, conductor, composer, and producer.

He has worked with renowned recording artists such as: Whitney Houston, Adele, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Janelle Monáe, Demi Lovato, Keith Urban, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Khalid, Katy Perry, Sting, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, H.E.R., Ariana Grande, John Legend, Carrie Underwood, Lenny Kravitz, Gladys Knight, Brandi Carlile, Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, Ella Mai, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Elton John, Common, Andra Day, Cynthia Erivo, Ed Sheeran, Usher, and Beyoncé.

His numerous television credits include The Tonight Show, starring Jay Leno, American Idol, The Kennedy Center Honors, The American Music Awards, The Super Bowl, The GRAMMY Awards, The Emmy Awards, and The Academy Awards.

He has received nine Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Music Direction: Aretha! A Celebration for the Queen of Soul, The 91st Academy Awards, Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America (winner), Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, The Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House, The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards, The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, An Evening of Stars: A Tribute to Chaka Khan, and Genius: A Night for Ray Charles.

The Philly POPS Legacy Series is one of The Philly POPS signature brands. The Legacy Series includes performances of American popular music from the early 20th century, including swing, big band, ragtime, and pieces from the Great American Songbook.

Through the Legacy Series, The Philly POPS celebrates artists who are representative of the formative years of American popular music, as well this music's strong connections to Philadelphia and the community. Past Philly POPS Legacy Series shows have included The Carole King Songbook, Elvis: The King's Songbook, Sinatra & Friends, Leslie Odom, Jr: Celebrating The POPS 40th Anniversary, and At The Hop! A Philadelphia Story at The Birth of Rock 'N' Roll.

The 2020 Philly POPS Legacy Series is sponsored by Citizens Bank.

The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert performances and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.

As the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia's partner in civic celebration, The Philly POPS serves a consistently growing audience of over 200,000 annually. Music Director and Principal Conductor David Charles Abell and the 65-piece Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditional music up through to today's chart-toppers.

In addition to Subscription Series performances at The Kimmel Center, The Philly POPS presents innovative programming with contemporary artists at the Met Philadelphia in The Philly POPS at the Met Philadelphia series. Other ensembles that make up The Philly POPS are: The Philly POPS BIG Band, which plays a rock and rhythm and blues repertoire, and The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, under the direction of Artistic Director for Jazz, Terell Stafford.

Outside the concert hall, free Salute Series performances - including Memorial Salute, July 3 POPS on Independence, July 4 POPS on the Parkway and the I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders concert - celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays. POPS in Schools enhances music education for 3,000 Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities. The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as the Principal Orchestra of the Met Philadelphia, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

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