Judy Collins

Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 7pm at The Grunin Center

Since her debut album, 1961’s Maid Of Constant Sorrow, Judy has remained a restlessly creative force with a vibrantly varied artistic palette. Today, she is recognized as a noted author, an Academy Award-nominated documentary director, a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, and a boldly vulnerable storyteller. As prolific and inspired as ever, Judy released her 29th studio album, Spellbound, on February 4th, 2022. The 13-song album is her most autobiographical and personal, and it is a special entry in her oeuvre, as it marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums.

*This is a rescheduled date for the postponed December 11, 2022 event. Active, unrefunded tickets dated December 11, 2022 are valid for this performance and patrons with these tickets do not need to obtain new tickets.

Paula Poundstone

Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 7pm at The Grunin Center for the Arts

Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and a spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Time magazine, in the March 2020 “Best of” issue, listed Paula’s HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff as one of The 5 Funniest Stand-Up Specials Ever. Paula can be heard weekly as the host of the comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone and as a regular panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

Also an author, Poundstone’s second book, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin 2017) was one of eight semi-finalists for The Thurber Prize for American Humor, the highest recognition of the art of humor writing in the United States. The audiobook was one of five finalists for the Audio Book of the Year AUDIE award.

Paula was the first female comic, in its then 73rd year, to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner.  She was the first female standup, in its then 5th year, to win the ACE award for Best Comedy Special on Cable television. She is recognized in innumerable lists, documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.

Red Hot Chili Pipers

Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 7pm at The Grunin Center for the Arts

Bagpipes with attitude.  Drums with a Scottish accent. A blazing rock band and show so hot, it carries its own health warning!

It’s Bagpipes. It’s Rock. It’s Bagrock. AC/DC meets the poet Robert Burns. Where rock anthems sit comfortably alongside the great tunes from the glens and the mountains of Scotland.

It’s The Red Hot Chilli PIPERS – (NOT the Peppers!) — a 9-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers — who have been rocking the world from New York to Beijing to Melbourne and everywhere in between with musicianship of the highest order and a passion for pipes that will leave you breathless.  The band has four music degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and all the pipers and drummers have played at the top level in bagpiping.

Since they walked away with the top prize on the primetime TV talent show, “When Will I Be Famous” in the U.K. in 2007, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers haven’t stopped for a breath, other than to inflate their bagpipes!  Formed in 2002, The Chillis have fast become a global phenomenon, taking their signature ‘Bagrock’ sound to the masses with their unique fusion of rocked up Bagpipes and clever covers of popular songs from all genres.  Their trademarked sound is a unique fusion of traditional pipe tunes – like “The Flowers of Scotland”, “The Hills of Argyll”, and “Amazing Grace” (done Chilli-style, of course!) — and contemporary anthems like Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, “Clocks” by Coldplay, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams, and a fantastic rock medley of “Deep Purple”, “Smoke on the Water”, and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”.

Judy Collins

Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 7pm at Grunin Center

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins will be performing a Holiday & Hits concert program for the winter 2022 season. The Christmas concert series will feature a program of holiday classics, songs from Judy’s latest album, Spellbound—her 55th album and her first ever complete album of originals—and beloved songs culled from her six-decade career.

Holiday & Hits will be an intimately elegant Christmas experience curated by Judy. Her singular baroque folk sensibility is uniquely suited to entries from the Great Christmas Songbook. Under a Christmas tree of classic songs, Judy thoughtfully places gifts from her era-defining oeuvre—including evergreens by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Judy original favorites—future classics from her latest album, Spellbound. On Holiday & Hits, a cultural icon welcomes you to a winter wonderland.

Since her debut album, 1961’s Maid Of Constant Sorrow, Judy has remained a restlessly creative force with a vibrantly varied artistic palette. Today, she is recognized as a noted author, an Academy Award-nominated documentary director, a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, and a boldly vulnerable storyteller. As prolific and inspired as ever, Judy released her 29th studio album, Spellbound, on February 4th, 2022. The 13-song album is her most autobiographical and personal, and it is a special entry in her oeuvre, as it marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums.

Vienna Choir Boys

Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 7pm at The Grunin Center for the Arts

Boys have been singing at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel since 1296. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I (HRR) moved his court to Vienna, thus founding the “Hofmusikkapelle” (Chapel Imperial), and the Vienna Boys Choir. Throughout history, such noted composers as Heinrich Isaac, Philippe de Monte, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Anton Bruckner have worked with the choir. Jacobus Gallus and Franz Schubert were themselves choristers, and brothers Franz Joseph and Michael Haydn were members of the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, but frequently sang with the imperial boys choir as well. Until 1918, the boys sang exclusively for the imperial court. In 1924, the Choir was reestablished as a private organization.

Today, there are 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring groups. Each spends 11 weeks of the year on tour. Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, thousands of boys have experienced the joy of making choral music, on over 1000 tours, to 98 different countries. The boys’ first tour of the USA took place in 1931, their first world tour in 1934-35.

On Sundays, the Choir performs with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Chorus in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, as it has done for 520 years. In 2012, the Choir opened its own concert hall, “MuTh”, a hugely popular state-of-the-art facility. The repertoire includes everything from medieval to contemporary and experimental works. The Choir also performs with major orchestras, and have been invited to collaborate with such conductors as Mariss Jansons, Zubin Mehta, Marc Minkowski, Riccardo Muti, Kent Nagano, Seiji Ozawa, Christian Thielemann, Michael Tilson Thomas, Franz Welser-Möst, Simone Young and many others. The choir also regularly takes part in opera performances at the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Volksoper, and the Salzburg Festival.

Since their first recording in 1907, the boys have recorded 376 shellacks, singles, LPs, and CDs. In 2015, the choir signed a deal with Deutsche Grammophon whose latest release, Strauss For Ever, is composed of music by multiple members of the Strauss family.

Numerous films and TV documentaries attest to the Choir’s international appeal. New York filmmaker Curt Faudon has produced 3 major films about the boys (Silk Road, Bridging the Gap, Songs for Mary), with a fourth, Good Shepherds, currently in production.

300 boys and girls attend the Vienna Boys Choir Schools. The Choir has a primary school, a middle school, and a successful high school program catering to young singers. A quarter of the schools’ alumni go on to become professional musicians. Professor Gerald Wirth, himself a former choirboy, is the President and Artistic Director of the ensemble. The Choir’s education and singing tradition is considered so extraordinary that it is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in Austria.

Paul Reiser

w/s/g Vance Gilbert

Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 8pm at Grunin Center

Comedian, actor, television writer, author and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives—and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Reiser is starring in two hit shows for Netflix: Stranger Things as Dr. Sam Owens, in a role created by the Duffer Brothers specifically for Reiser, and Chuck Lorre’s The Kominsky Method, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Reiser received rave reviews for the latter, where he delivered a moving soliloquy on life and loss in a scene that MediaPost says “will stand… as one of the finest moments seen anywhere on television.” Reiser returned for the third and final season of The Kominsky Method, streaming now on Netflix. The multi-faceted actor also revived one of his most iconic roles in the highly-anticipated return of Mad About You, the long-running hit 90s comedy Reiser co-created and starred in with Helen Hunt. The Emmy, Peabody and Golden Globe-winning comedy ended in May 1999 and premiered 20 years later as a limited series on Spectrum Originals. All seven seasons of the original Mad About You and the reboot are available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

Reiser was also seen on Amazon’s Red Oaks for three seasons in a role singled out as “one of his absolute finest, not just of late, but of ever”—and in Mad Men creator Matt Weiner’s limited Amazon series The Romanoffs alongside Christina Hendricks and Isabelle Huppert. Additionally, Reiser joined Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams and producers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kale in FX’s Emmy-nominated Fosse/Verdon.

Throughout his prolific career, Reiser has worked with both independent and mainstream filmmakers. Reiser earned acclaim for his supporting roles in the Academy Award-winning film Whiplash, John McDonagh’s War on Everyone and frequent collaborator Jeff Baena’s The Little Hours and Horse Girl, which premiered at Sundance 2020 and is the fourth film the pair has worked on together. The veteran actor has garnered praise for notable performances in films such as Diner, Bye Bye Love, Aliens, One Night At McCool’s, Beverly Hills Cop I/II and The Thing About My Folks, which Reiser wrote for his co-star Peter Falk. Recently, Reiser starred alongside Kevin Hart in the touching comedy Fatherhood, out now on Netflix.

Reiser is a fixture behind the camera as well. He co-created and co-produced There’s Johnny!, a seven-episode series which originally streamed on Hulu and now streams on Peacock. The show, co-created with filmmaker David Steven Simon and co-produced with David Gordon Green in conjunction with The Carson Company, premiered to critical praise, with Decider saying There’s Johnny! is “a television experience unlike any I’ve seen on TV in recent years” and “unfolds like a dream, a memory fondly recalled.”

Reiser’s first book, Couplehood, sold over two million copies and reached the number one spot on The New York Times best sellers list. His subsequent books, Babyhood and Familyhood, were best sellers as well. Reiser regularly performs standup at sold-out venues nationwide and was voted one of the “Top 100 Comedians of All Time” by Comedy Central.

Reiser, a SUNY Binghamton graduate in the prestigious music program, co-wrote the theme song from Mad About You, “The Final Frontier,” with Grammy-winning producer Don Was. He released an album of original songs with British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham called Unusual Suspects. Over the course of his career, Reiser has received multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, American Comedy Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

Reiser and his family reside in Los Angeles.

Jukebox Saturday Night

Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 7:00pm at Grunin Center

Jukebox Saturday Night is a music review of the great Big Bands during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. A fun filled event for all ages that captures the exciting sounds of great melodies and lyrics performed by an energetic group of instrumentalists and vocalists who will keep you moving in your seats, tapping your toes and clapping your hands. Join Jukebox Saturday night as they celebrate America’s Swing Era performing the greatest hits as recorded by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Lunceford, Harry James, Artie Shaw, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Bunny Berigan, Count Basie and more! Vocal selections will include songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Bob Eberly, Helen O’Connell, Rosemary Clooney, and other vocal idols.

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters

Friday May 27, 2022 at 8:00pm at The Grunin Center

The music of Asheville, North Carolina-based outfit Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters is nuanced, bringing insight and wit to the stories Platt tells through songwriting. Lyrically driven, the band’s country roots music often inspires introspection, whether it be about life on the road, heartache or hope.

There is an empathetic and charming wit ingrained in Platt’s songwriting. She has a knack for accessing a deep well of emotion and applying it to her story-telling, whether she is writing from her own experiences or immersing herself into the melody of emotions in another person’s life.

Performing along with Platt, The Honeycutters are Matt Smith (pedal steel and electric guitars), Rick Cooper (bass/vocals), Evan Martin (drums/vocals), and Kevin Williams (keys/vocals).

Shawn Colvin

Steady On 30th Anniversary Tour

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022 AT 8:00 PM AT THE JAY AND LINDA GRUNIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Three-time GRAMMY winner Shawn Colvin’s debut album, Steady On, was released in October 1989, a stunning introduction to an artist who quickly established herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. The album was lauded for its confessional songwriting and well-crafted melodies, and for Colvin’s tender and provocative vocals. Colvin received the ultimate acknowledgement for Steady On when she was awarded the GRAMMY award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. She swiftly amassed a dedicated and passionate fanbase.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of this landmark album, Colvin has released a newly-recorded solo-acoustic version. Colvin brings a 30-year lens to her treasured songs, casting new light on the stories she first told as a young artist. Colvin has long been hailed as an exemplary solo acoustic performer and these new recordings are a brilliant showcase for her enduring artistry.

“I was 32 years old, and the dream of my life had been fulfilled,” Colvin says, “not only because I made an album but mostly because I had written or co-written every song, an accomplishment that was hard won. I was so proud. My feeling was then—and still is—that if I never made another album, Steady On would have been enough.”

Steady On Acoustic strips each song to the core, placing Colvin’s songwriting masterclass on full display. “I’ve played these songs countless times, primarily as a solo acoustic artist,” she says. “All in all, this is the incarnation that feels most genuine. And so, to commemorate this milestone I decided to celebrate Steady On by recording it again, this time using only my voice and my guitar. This represents who I am as an artist and all I ever wanted to be, and I believe it does its predecessor proud.”

Over the course of three decades, Colvin has established herself as a legacy artist by creating a remarkable canon of work, touring relentlessly both nationally and internationally, and having her songs featured in television and film. She is a revered storyteller deserving of the special recognition of both her peers and those who have been inspired by her songs. The reworking of her iconic debut feels not only timely but essential, further underscoring that Colvin remains a vital voice for women in music and reaffirming her status as an Americana gamechanger.

Shawn Colvin will perform Steady On Acoustic in its entirety in what promises to be a very special evening for her longtime fans.

VIP Meet & Greet

VIP Meet & Greet Package seats include the following:

• One premium reserved ticket located in the first 3 rows

• Early access into the venue

• Personal photograph with Shawn Colvin

• Private and intimate pre-show acoustic performance by Shawn Colvin

• Q&A with Shawn Colvin

• Exclusive Steady On tote bag

• Limited edition reprint of 1980’s Shawn Colvin show flyer, autographed by Shawn Colvin

• Official meet & greet laminate

• Very limited availability

Customers can contact INFO@FUTURE-BEAT.COM with any questions concerning their package.

About Daphne Willis

There is something real and raw that emanates from Daphne Willis when she performs. Her songs and her voice convey hope and compassion for others; her lyrics are sincere, compelling and relevant. She has a critical message to relay to others when she speaks and performs to her audiences nationwide.

Raised in Chicago, Daphne now calls Los Angeles home after living in both Nashville and NYC. Willis cites influences as varied as Ella Fitzgerald, The Beatles and Eminem.  Her musical output cleverly incorporates such inspirations into a style that crosses multiple genres ranging from Acoustic to Pop to Hip Hop to R&B, yet is refreshing and singularly her own.

In early 2016, Daphne caught the eyes and ears of Sony/ATV Music Publishing who quickly signed her to a worldwide publishing agreement. Their partnership has resulted in several of her songs being recorded by other artists and used in Commercial, Film and TV productions such as One Tree Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019), Empire, Samsung, Royal Caribbean, Target, Clinique and Microsoft Ad Campaigns and Volkswagen/Women’s World Cup.

Daphne has also dedicated her artist platform to defeating the stigma around mental health, addiction recovery, trauma and family dysfunction. Her famed “Somebody’s Someone” has fast become an anthem for the addiction recovery community. The song, a heartfelt call for kindness and compassion for those suffering with addiction, is a loving reminder that we are all human, we are all ‘somebody’s someone.’

A prolific writer and performer, Daphne has released four albums to date and will release 5 new singles in the coming months.

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2021 AT 8:00 PM AT THE JAY AND LINDA GRUNIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The first Glenn Miller Orchestra did not make it at all. It was a total and absolute economic failure. But Glenn knew what he wanted, held to that dedication, and relentlessly worked to succeed. He launched his second band – the one that lives on today – in March of 1938. The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been a “hit” ever since.

The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all dance bandleaders back in the Swing Era of the 1930s and ’40s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts, and the drawing power at theatres, hotels, and dance pavilion, built and sustained the momentum of popularity.

Glenn disbanded his musical organization in 1942 at the height of its popularity to volunteer for the Army. There, he organized and led the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. It went to Europe to entertain servicemen performing numerous live and radio shows. On December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single-engine plane from Europe to precede his band to France, disappearing over the English Channel, never to be seen again. The army declared him officially dead a year later.

With the release of the major motion movie The Glenn Miller Story featuring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson in 1954, interest and popular demand led the Miller Estate to authorize the formation of the present Glenn Miller Orchestra. On June 6, 1956, and under the direction of drummer Ray McKinley who had become the unofficial leader of the Army Air Force Band after Glenn’s disappearance, the reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra performed its first concert and has been on the road ever since. Other leaders have followed Ray including clarinetists Buddy DeFranco and Peanuts Hucko, trombonists Buddy Morrow, Jimmy Henderson, Larry O’Brien, and Gary Tole, and tenor saxophonist Dick Gerhart. Since January 2012, vocalist Nick Hilscher leads the band.

Today, the 18 member ensemble continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements both from the civilian band and the AAFB libraries. Additionally, it also plays some more modern selections arranged and performed in the Miller style and sound. Just as it was in Glenn’s day, the Glenn Miller Orchestra today is still the most sought-after big band in the world.

John Pizzarelli & Catherine Russell present:

Billie & Blue Eyes

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2021 AT 7:00 PM AT THE JAY AND LINDA GRUNIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell teams up with jazz guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader John Pizzarelli in a stunning tribute to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra in Billie & Blue Eyes. Dubbed “the essential duo,” Russell and Pizzarelli transport audiences to the glory days of jazz with masterful ease, capturing Holiday’s effortless grace and Sinatra’s cool swagger.

About John Pizzarelli

John Pizzarelli, the world-renowned guitarist, and singer, has established himself as a prime contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook and beyond, with a repertoire that includes Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. He has been hailed by The Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” The Toronto Star pegged him as “the genial genius of the guitar.” And The Seattle Times saluted him as “a rare entertainer of the old school.”

Following high-profile collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald, Pizzarelli returns to his roots to honor his hero, the legendary jazz/pop vocalist and pianist Nat King Cole, whose centennial is being celebrated around the world this year with various concerts, books, and recordings. For Centennial Reasons… completes an epic trio of Pizzarelli albums saluting Cole, starting with Dear Mr. Cole, which helped put Pizzarelli on the map as an influential jazz guitarist and singer in 1994, and continuing with P.S. Mr. Cole, which cemented his legacy five years later.

For Centennial Reasons… – featuring John Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals, Mike Karn on double bass, and Konrad Paszkudzki on piano – is produced by John Pizzarelli and co-produced by Jessica Molaskey.

“Nat King Cole is the reason why I do what I do,” comments Pizzarelli. “The joy that he brought me has never faded and the musicality of his group remains fresh and vibrant to this day. I even got to work with Natalie Cole, Nat’s daughter, meet Nat’s wife Maria Cole, and become friends with and play with Freddy Cole, Nat’s brother. We are lucky to have lived in a world that gave us Nat Cole, the man, and the music.”

For Centennial Reasons… features several songs Pizzarelli hasn’t previously recorded, from timeless well-known ballads (“When I Fall in Love,” “Body and Soul,” “The Very Thought of You”) to idiosyncratic jazz classics (Bobby Troup’s “I’m Such a Hungry Man,” “Save the Bones for Henry Jones”). The album also revisits and updates several numbers that Pizzarelli recorded earlier in his career. “After years of performing live,” he explains, “the trio has developed and refined these songs and, over time, figured out what we feel have become the definitive versions. Some arrangements, like ‘Route 66,’ have gotten much faster. But ‘Straighten Up and Fly Right,’ which I recorded for my first album way back in 1983, has settled into more of a mellow tone. After all this time, I can slow down and savor it. These songs never get old.”

In addition to these original takes on recognized Cole standards, this album introduces two new songs inspired by Cole’s spirit. “Nat King Cool,” written by Pizzarelli, is a sophisticated homage to the Cole Trio’s famous instrumental tracks. With his wife, singer Jessica Molaskey, he penned “A Hundred Years from Now,” which craftily uses oft-cited jazz phrases to express the essence of long-term romance.

About Catherine Russell

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, the late Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with Carrie Smith, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Toshi Reagon, and Rosanne Cash, among others, appearing on over 200 albums.

Her 2006 debut album Cat, (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), garnered rave reviews, paving the way for her 2008 sophomore release, Sentimental Streak.  Catherine was a guest on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, PBS-TV’s “Tavis Smiley Show”, and NPR’s “Fresh Air”, “Piano Jazz”, “Mountain Stage”, “World Café”, and “Jazz Night in America.” She has won a prestigious German Record Critics Award and a Living Blues magazine critics’ poll. Catherine Russell’s third album, Inside This Heart of Mine, reached #1 on JazzWeek and Roots Music Report radio charts, while also charting on Billboard and reaching #1 on iTunes jazz charts. A fourth album, Strictly Romancin’ was released in February 2012 and was awarded Prix du Jazz Vocal (Vocal Album of The Year) by the French Jazz Academy, Grand Prix du Hot Club de France, and a Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording. Also in 2012, Catherine Russell received a Grammy® Award as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for the HBO-TV series, Boardwalk Empire.

In 2013, Catherine contributed 3 songs to the soundtrack of the film, Kill Your Darlings. Her 5th solo album, Bring It Back, was released worldwide in February of 2014 on the Jazz Village label, receiving a 5 Star review in Downbeat Magazine. In September 2016, Catherine Russell released her 6th solo album, titled Harlem On My Mind, featuring songs from the Great African American Songbook, receiving a Grammy® Nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Her 7th album as a leader, Alone Together, was released in March 2019 on Dot Time Records, held the #1 position on the JazzWeek 2019 Year End chart for national airplay, and received her second Grammy® Nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Also in 2019, Catherine appeared in the feature film Bolden, and contributed vocals to the soundtrack album by Wynton Marsalis. She appears as featured vocalist on three tracks on Big Band Holidays II, accompanied by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920s through the present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the-beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

Max Weinberg’s Jukebox

Friday, November 22, 2019 at 8:00 PM at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

Fresh off the hugely successful The River Tour 2016-2017 of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band—where the group played 89 concerts nearly four hours long each night in 15 countries amassing $300,000,000 in ticket sales, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Drummer Max Weinberg announces a new touring concept for the small venue—“Max Weinberg’s Jukebox”.

A truly interactive experience, Weinberg invites the audience to create in real time the set list he and his crack four piece group will play that night. Performing songs from the glory days of rock and roll your guests get to choose from a video menu of over 200 songs– everything from the Beatles to the Stones to Bruce and The E Street Band’s biggest hits—and hear the group play ‘em the way they want to hear them played!

That’s right—the crowd gets to yell out their choices and Max plays them! This unique approach is fun and satisfying. How many times have you attended a show where you yearned to hear your favorite performer play your favorite song? With Max Weinberg’s Jukebox your dream will be realized.

Weinberg, the driving rhythmic force propelling The E Street Band for 43 years, is also known to millions of fans for his 17 year stint as the bandleader and comedic foil to talk show host Conan O’Brien and is the only musician in history to make the leap from a starring role in one of the world’s iconic rock groups to leading his eponymous band on NBC’s “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show”. And if that wasn’t enough Weinberg managed to do both gigs simultaneously from 1999-2009.

Throughout his 50 year professional career Weinberg has played with some of the biggest and most diverse names in music-—James Brown, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, BB King, Tony Bennett, Ringo Starr, John Fogerty, Stevie Winwood, Sheryl Crow—even Isaac Hayes performing his legendary “Shaft” with a 30 piece orchestra Max conducted on the Late Night broadcast.

In 2009 Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band performed the halftime show at Super Bowl 43 to the largest audience ever recorded for that event—over 100,000,000 people. Weinberg also has the distinction of being the drummer on the two biggest selling rock albums in history—Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA” and Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell”.

An Evening with Cowboy Junkies

Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 7:30 PM at Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

Anyone who has followed Cowboy Junkies’ three decade-long journey knows the band has always traveled its own path. In 1988, they proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise — and it was compelling. With their new album, All That Reckoning, the band once again gently shakes the listener to wake up. It also may be the most powerful album Cowboy Junkies have yet recorded. An Evening with Cowboy Junkies will traverse the new album and three decades of their unique history.

An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories with Graham Nash

Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 7:30 PM at the Grunin Center

Legendary artist Graham Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and is a GRAMMY Award winner.

Towering above virtually everything that Graham Nash has accomplished in his multi-faceted career stands the litany of songs that constitute his remarkable body of work, beginning with his contributions to the Hollies through This Path Tonight (2016), his most recent solo album.

The original union of Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young) lasted but twenty months.  Yet their songs are embedded in our DNA, starting with Nash’s “Marrakesh Express,” and “Lady of the Island,” from the first Crosby, Stills & Nash LP (1969), and “Teach Your Children” and “Our House” on CSNY’s Déjà Vu (1970).

Nash’s solo career debuted with Songs For Beginners (1971), which included “Chicago/We Can Change the World” and “Military Madness”. In addition to his solo albums, he has performed and recorded with David Crosby. Their eponymously titled Graham Nash/David Crosby (1972), is bookended by Nash’s “Southbound Train” and “Immigration Man”.

John Pizzarelli

A Centennial Celebration of Nat King Cole

Friday, April 26, 2019 at 8PM at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

World-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” The Toronto Star pegged him as “the genial genius of the guitar,” and the Seattle Times saluted him as “a rare entertainer of the old school.” For this show, he honors the music of the Nat King Cole Trio with a selection of their classics.

Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and The Beatles. His themed shows, often performed with his wife Jessica Molaskey, suggest there is no limit to Pizzarelli’s imagination or talent.

Having concentrated on the music of Paul McCartney, Johnny Mercer and Frank Sinatra over the last two years, Pizzarelli has returned to the bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim with his July 28, 2017 Concord Jazz release Sinatra & Jobim @ 50. With co-vocalist Daniel Jobim, grandson of the legendary Brazilian composer, the two explore songs Sinatra and Jobim recorded in 1967 and 1969 as well as add new songs to the mix flavored with the spirit of the classic Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim album.

Pizzarelli’s latest album for Concord is a follow-up to his wildly successful Midnight McCartney, an album The New Yorker said “may be the best collection of McCartney covers ever recorded.”

Since its release in 2015, Pizzarelli has toured North America, South America, Asia and Europe performing shows centered on Frank Sinatra’s centennial, the songs of Johnny Mercer and a McCartney program in which his quartet is joined by strings and a horn section. He also tours on a double bill with pianist Ramsey Lewis and is looking forward to touring a celebration of Nat King Cole’s music for his centennial, which will be in 2019.

While plenty of jazz greats influenced his work – Benny Goodman, Les Paul, Zoot Sims, Clark Terry and Slam Stewart, among others – Cole has been Pizzarelli’s hero and foundation over the last 25 years. He devoted two albums to his music, Dear Mr. Cole in 1994 and P.S. Mr. Cole, recorded and released five years later.

In addition to being a bandleader and solo performer, John has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as James Taylor, 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, Bucky Pizzarelli. He was featured opposite Donna Summer, Jon Secada and Roberta Flack on the GRAMMY Award-winning CD, Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mr. Rogers in 2005.

John has performed on the country’s most popular national television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Great Performances and the talk shows of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Regis Philbin and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Also in New York are regular stands at Birdland with his combo where he premiered the Sinatra-Jobim collection in August 2017.

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn

Friday, April 5, 2019 at 8PM at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, “the king and queen of the banjo” (Paste Magazine), have a musical partnership like no other. Béla Fleck is a fifteen-time Grammy Award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and Abigail Washburn a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who re-radicalized it by combining it with Far East culture and sounds. The two met at a square dance, began collaborating musically and eventually fell in love. Over the years, they played together most visibly in the Sparrow Quartet alongside Ben Sollee and Casey Driessen and informally at a pickin’ party here, a benefit there, or occasionally popping up in each other’s solo shows. Fans of tradition-tweaking acoustic fare eagerly anticipated that Béla & Abigail would begin making music together as a duo.

Fleck has the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots. His collaborations range from his ground-breaking standard-setting ensemble Béla Fleck and the Flecktones to a staggeringly broad array of musical experiments. From writing concertos for full symphony orchestra, exploring the banjo’s African roots, to jazz duos with Chick Corea, many tout that Béla Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player. Washburn has the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter who has drawn critical acclaim for her solo albums. She has done fascinating work in folk musical diplomacy in China, presented an original theatrical production, and has contributed to singular side groups Uncle Earl and The Wu-Force. In addition, Washburn has recently created a non-profit with Chinese zither-master, Wu Fei, called the Ripple Effect, whose mission is to unite and open hearts through the unique sounds and harmony of American and Chinese folk music.

On stage, Fleck & Washburn will perform pieces from their Grammy-winning self-titled debut as well as their new record, Echo in the Valley (Rounder 2017). With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, Bela & Abigail meet in the mean, head-on, to present music that feels wildly innovative and familiar at the same time. Whether at home, on stage or on record, their deep bond, combined with the way their distinct musical personalities and banjo styles interact, makes theirs a picking partnership unlike any other on the planet.

An Intimate Evening with Rickie Lee Jones

Friday, February 22, 2019 at 8PM at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center

Two-time Grammy winner Rickie Lee Jones exploded onto the pop scene in 1978 and has made a career of fearlessly experimenting with her sound and persona over 15 critically acclaimed albums. A cultural phenomenon, Rolling Stone magazine put her on its cover twice in two years, and Saturday Night Live gave her an unprecedented three songs for her second appearance. Rickie is both a character in the songs and the songwriter singing, defying convention with her sometimes brazen sexuality and the mixed bag of jazz, rock and what has come to be known as ‘confessional’ songwriter performances.

Her latest album The Other Side of Desire was written, recorded and rooted in the city of New Orleans, where Jones lives on the opposite side of the street made famous by Tennesse Williams. Produced by John Porter (of Roxy Music) and Mark Howard, this is the first new music Jones has written in over a decade.

“This work is inspired by many years of sitting with all the events of my life until I had something to paint with,” says Rickie. “I came to New Orleans to write and to live a different way than what I have known in on the west coast…. Here is another record then, made of my imagination, and whatever else that has no words, using the clay of this place and the shapes of my eyes to form some kind of picture of my life, or my heart, that I alone can understand, and hopefully that others can enjoy.”

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra

Friday, December 21, 2018 at 8PM at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

The World Famous, Glenn Miller Orchestra, the most popular and sought after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements. With its unique jazz sound, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world. Nick Hilscher is the orchestra’s present music director.

Max Weinberg's Jukebox

Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 7PM at the The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Drummer Max Weinberg announces a new touring concept for the intimate venue—“Max Weinberg’s Jukebox.” A truly interactive experience, Weinberg invites the audience to create in real time the set list he and his crack four piece group will play that night. Performing songs from the glory days of rock and roll, you get to choose from a video menu of over 200 songs—everything from the Beatles to the Stones to Bruce and The E Street Band’s biggest hits—and hear the group play ‘em the way you want to hear them played! That’s right—the crowd gets to yell out their choices and Max plays them! This unique approach is fun and satisfying. How many times have you attended a show where you yearned to hear your favorite performer play your favorite song? With Max Weinberg’s Jukebox your dream will be realized.