SARASOTA JAZZ SoundsWinter 2020 photo credit: John Abbott photo credit: John Manhattan Transfer to perform at the 40th Sarasota Jazz Festival Inside Our Stars over the 40 Years 330 S. Pineapple Ave, Suite 111 Sarasota, FL 34236 2020 Sarasota Jazz Festival 941.366.1552 W-F www.jazzclubsarasota.org Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes The Jazz Club of Sarasota and much more! Sounds is sponsored by SARASOTA JAZZ Sounds Sounds Staff Dear Members and Friends of the Jazz Club of Sarasota, Editor Happy New Year! As I write this message to you about a third of the 2019- Susan Leavis 20 season has already passed. We have enjoyed: an exciting kick-off to the season with our Shelly Berg Trio concert at Holley Hall; three more Contributors Monday Night Jazz Cabaret sellout performances, with Paul Gavin’s Mosaic Carol LoRicco Band, Diego Figueiredo and the Valerie Gillespie Ensemble; an exciting San Francisco Bay Area Vocalist Returns To Sarasota Jazz Festival Club Photographer Clairdee start to our ever popular Jazz At Two series; and a fabulous Lebarge Cruise Ken Franckling with Rensito Avich. I can still taste those piña coladas. Life is good here in Ed Linehan Sarasota, the heart of Florida’s Jazz Coast! Jo Morello There’s lots more to come with more Monday Night Cabaret and Jazz At Two concerts; the start of our free Sunday afternoon Joy of Jazz series Nancy Roucher at Centennial Park in Venice; the 2nd Annual High School Jazz Band " My mission is to engage, uplift Board of Directors Competition; the large contingent of folks going on The Jazz Cruise and Ed Linehan the Blue Note At Sea cruises out of Miami; and of course our 40th Annual and build community through President Sarasota Jazz Festival in March. You’ll find more details about these and other events throughout this edition of the Sounds and on our website: George McLain music, creating a narrative that https://jazzclubsarasota.org/. Vice President This year’s festival will shine at the Municipal Auditorium on the Sarasota TBD inspires beyond the stage." Bayfront with headline performances by Dick Hyman, Clairdee, Houston Secretary Person, Russell Malone, Charles McPherson, Terrell Stafford, Ken Peplowski, Peter Anderson La Lucha, and a grand finale with The Manhattan Transfer. Saturday Treasurer afternoon will feature a “Jazz Party” with four concurrent theme stages Vocalist - Educator - Arts Advocate Directors featuring: Randy Sandke, Gumbi Ortiz, Jeremy Carter, Betty Fox, Katt Mark Gruder Hefner, Frankie Pineiro, Art Siegel and Bobby Blackmon. One ticket is all you need to see all these artists from noon to 5 PM at the Jazz Party! Prince Knight Festival week will start on Sunday March 8th with our traditional Free Jazz Don Levine in the Park concert at the Philippi Estate Park featuring three area bands. No less than the illustrious Nancy Carlos Pagan During the week the festival will also include the ten stop Jazz Trolley Pub Wilson has said of the soulful and Nancy Roucher* Crawl and two showings of the Quincy Jones documentary film Keep On jazzy force of interpretive nature Keepin’ ON, depicting Clark Terry’s late in life mentoring relationship with Debbie Silver* a young, blind piano prodigy. called Clairdee, "In the tradition of Taylor Wald all great vocalists, she infuses each This year’s festival is also very happy to include two fabulous Master Dave Walrath* Class workshops. The first presented by renown trumpetist and educator song with her own unique style while Lenore Walsh* Terell Stafford focusing on instrumentalists and bands; and the second always remaining true to the song for jazz vocalists led by Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer. For ticket Bob Weitz itself." That dead-on assessment information visit: https://www.sarasotajazzfestival.org/ applies to her studio albums and Honorary Board Members In closing I want to thank our many sponsors and contributors who have live performances — rich and multi- Dick Hyman stepped-up over the past year to support our festival, concerts, master Bob Seymour* classes, high school band competition and our scholarship fund program. faceted. Aside from creating joyful These individuals, together with our growing membership, make it possible *Life Members renditions of great vocal soul-jazz, for us to sustain and expand our efforts to preserve and promote Jazz… Clairdee takes the opportunity to fill America’s original musical art form. her growing fan base in on a wide Hope to see you out and about at our many events. multitude of influences. Very truly yours, continued Ed Linehan, President Photo credit: Dimitry Loiseau 2 WINTER 2020 WINTER 2020 3 Clairdee most notable jazz masters including Dick Count Basie hit "All Right, Okay, You Win" Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Houston Person, with the lean instrumental funk of Les Cyrus Chestnut, and the late Nancy Wilson. McCann and Eddie Harris’, “Cold Duck And with her impressive ability and ease Time.” It’s a fascinating counterpoint to in singing a variety of musical genres, her first release, Destination . she concertizes with pops symphony orchestras and big bands and has opened Moon, a luminous collection of beloved for artists as diverse as David Sanborn, standards, such as "Star Eyes" and "Time Johnny Mathis, and the late, great Etta After Time." James. In 2018, Clairdee received the Bay A consummate professional and entertainer, Area Jazz and Blues Artist Lifetime it was Clairdee’s finely honed jazz sensibility Achievement Award for her continuous and old-school attitude about the importance commitment to the community. She is a of communicating with audiences that passionate advocate for music education: attracted the legendary manager John Levy. Collegiate professor of Jazz Voice at the For Levy, who worked with many of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and music industry’s greatest artists — Shirley an Artist Advisory Committee member Photo credit: Rick Gilbert Horn, Joe Williams, George Shearing, and and active mentor in the Bay Area-based Nancy Wilson who was fan — Clairdee’s gift non-profit Jazz in the Neighborhood. for putting her own stamp on a song while She is a former vocal jazz instructor at “In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee Photo credit: Dimitry Loiseau capturing its essence has broad appeal. University of California Berkeley's Jazz infuses her own unique style while always Department and Diablo Valley College, remaining true to the song itself." Heralded for her inventive artistry and Clairdee's stylistically encompassing and a long-time teaching artist with the — Nancy Wilson magnetic stage presence, Clairdee’s approach — which includes arranging and San Francisco Symphony’s education lustrous voice and expressive delivery producing — is beautifully documented on department. Clairdee holds a Bachelor of "Clairdee is a wonderful, swinging singer with hearken back to a time when jazz, pop, her third album, Music Moves, recorded Arts Degree in Fine Arts and Education whom I look forward to getting together with and rhythm and blues often blended live in concert. Her knack for pairing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, again and again." seamlessly together. Combining scene- songs that enhance each other is perfectly and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the stealing charisma with heartfelt humility, embodied in a mashup of the Joe Williams/ University of San Francisco in Information — Dick Hyman she presents a repertoire of American Systems Management. "Generous spirit and unpretentious sincerity." Standards and blues set to state of the art arrangements that are equally smart Born in Tucson and raised in Denver, — Down Beat Clairdee grew up harmonizing with her and entertaining. 2020 Jazz Festival Main Stage "In sassy, solidly assured, crowd pleasing form. sisters and brothers in school and at church A whole lot of interpretive brilliance." Her soulfully alluring vocal style has been Municipal Auditorium where she also played viola. She moved to featured in concert halls, festivals and the San Francisco Bay Area in 1986 where — JazzTimes Friday March 13 - 7:30 PM nightclubs from Monterey, Edinburgh, she began honing a singular sound while “Clairdee proves without a doubt that she should Tokyo, Bangkok, Toronto, Paris, Moscow working with jazz luminaries trumpeter and St. Petersburg Russia, to New York, Clairdee Eddie Henderson, alto saxophonist John be considered as one of the jazz vocalists certainly deserving of wider recognition.” New Hampshire, San Francisco and Houston Person Terell Stafford Handy, and pianist Roland Hanna. points in between. In addition to leading — Jazz Review her world-class touring band, Clairdee Ken Peplowski La Lucha has performed with some of America’s 4 WINTER 2020 WINTER 2020 5 MARCH Z th Z 40 SARASOTA JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE JA8 - 14 SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 12-4 pm: JAZZ IN THE PARK • FREE • Outdoor Concert • 3 bands. Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Jazz in the Park, begun in 1988, is a popular tradition for jazz lovers of all ages. Families with th children, empty-nesters, and others of all ages can enjoy a music-filled afternoon in beautiful Phillippi Jazz Club of Sarasota celebrates 40 anniversary Estate Park while lively music wafts through the air. Through this event the Jazz Club continues its mission to preserve jazz by providing experience and opportunities for young musicians in a high school band, a lively combo, and a popular band. The scheduled performers are the RIVERVIEW March 8-14, 2020 JAZZ ENSEMBLE, DON LEVINE ENSEMBLE and the DEBBIE KEETON BAND. Bring your chairs and suntan lotion! Food and beverages are available for purchase • NO COOLERS, with the star-studded, event-filled please. Admission: FREE. SARASOTA JAZZ FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 23rd ANNUAL PUB CRAWL BY TROLLEY 5 trolleys • 10 venues • 10 bands 5:30 pm: Trolleys begin boarding at Van Wezel parking lot, 777 N.