GRANTHAM, N.H., Nov.19, 2018– The Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon series (JOSA) launches its 27thyear of bringing exceptional jazz artists to the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region with rollicking performances by tenor saxophonist extraordinaire Dan Moretti on Dec. 9thand the amazing alto saxophonist Greg Abate on Dec. 23rdat the Center at Eastman in Grantham.
Morretti’s eclectic musical career has spanned three decades and he’s just as comfortable performing Latin, funk and soul as he is playing straight-ahead jazz. Abate was the lead alto saxophonist for the Ray Charles Orchestra early in his career, and today he’s known for his easy virtuosity and souring solos of jazz standards.
Donna Byrne, a masterful jazz vocalist with excellent range and diction and a cool, clear voice, will usher in the New Year with one of her spirited performances on Jan. 13th. Jazz Times calls Byrne “one of the best singers currently on the scene who approaches her lyrics with both intelligence and swinging time.” On Jan. 27th, JOSA welcomes Richie Cole, the versatile alto saxophonist who helped to popularize bebop, has more than 50 albums, and has performed atCarnegie Hall and for the Queen of England.
Jazz vocalist Nancy Kelly will warm up the winter night of Feb. 10thwith one of her legendary live performances featuring a trademark swing/bop, back-to-the-roots style that has captivated fans at jazz clubs and festivals around the world. On Feb. 24th, renowned trumpeter Tiger Okoshi returns to take the JOSA Ensemble and his fans on a musical roller-coaster ride that meanders through his sensitive and lyrical original compositions before exploding into high-energy renditions of classic jazz standards.
With spring just around the corner, JOSA will welcome the dynamic duo of jazz vocalist Dominique Eade and alto saxophonist Cerci Miller for a sure-to-be sizzling performance on March 10th. Eade is an award-winning jazz singer known for her radiant yet deeply grounded voice that plumbs the emotional depths of her songs. Miller, who founded the Cerci Miller Jazz Quartet and the avant-garde jazz collective Your Neighborhood Saxophone Quartet Jazz, is a commanding performer whose solos can be torrid or scorching but always entertaining.
Boston native Steve Marvin – a versatile jazz vocalist and entertainer who effortlessly spans the musical genres of jazz, blues and cabaret – will perform on the JOSA stage of March 24th. Marvin is known for his outstanding jazz voice, his ease and authority with scat, and his knack for telling stories that make audiences laugh, cry and remember.
For its Season Finale on April 7th, JOSA welcomes Greta Matassa, a powerful and unforgettable jazz vocalist and mainstay on the jazz stages of Seattle who has been voted “Northwest Vocalist of the Year” by Earshot Jazz in seven of the last 15 years. Jazz Review described Matassa “worldly, gentle, bold and dynamic” and “one of America’s finest singers,” while the Los Angeles Times called her performance “a marvel of virtuosity.”
JOSA shows are held at the Center at Eastman in Grantham, N. H., from 4 to 7 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. A bistro menu and full beverage selection is offered during all performances by the award-winning restaurant, Bistro Nouveau. For a full schedule of JOSA events, visit www.josajazz.com.called
Tickets are $20 for adults; $18 for seniors (62+) and students (-17).For reservations, call the Wightsteeple Box Office at 603.763.8732;603.381.1662 (cell); visit www.josajazz.com; or email [email protected]. For reservations after 2 p.m. on the day of the show, please call the Center at Eastman at 603.863.8000.
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