Paul Crewes Rachel Fine Artistic Director Managing Director
PRESENTS DIANE SCHUUR “I REMEMBER YOU” WITH LOVE TO FRANK AND STAN THE MUSIC OF FRANK SINATRA, STAN GETZ AND OTHER GEMS
Musicians Program
VOCALS & PIANO Diane Schuur is one of those rare Diane Schuur singers, like Sinatra and Judy Garland,
SAXOPHONE both a superb vocalist and alluring Ernie Watts entertainer. Through standards from
BASS the great American songbook, her Bruce Lett singing conjures the emotions that
DRUMS burn in our hearts, wild romance and Kendall Kay the thirst for love and happiness. Ms. Schuur embraces this music with artistic integrity and deep respect for the lyrics, giving true meaning to the elegance and swing of both Sinatra and Getz.
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017 AT 8PM Bram Goldsmith Theater
Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
Special thanks to Marilyn Ziering for her gift of the Steinway & Sons piano featured in tonight’s performance. About the Artists
DIANE SCHUUR (Vocals ERNIE WATTS (Saxophone) and Piano). Long regarded as The two-time Grammy Award one of Contemporary Jazz's winner has been featured on leading vocalists, Diane Schuur over 500 recordings by artists is as eclectic as she is brilliant. ranging from Cannonball Born in Tacoma, Washington, Adderley to Frank Zappa. He PHOTO BY LANI GARFIELD Schuur was blind from birth; PHOTO BY PATRICIA WATTS started playing saxophone at but she was gifted with perfect pitch and initially age 13, and won a scholarship to the Wilmington taught herself piano by ear. She later received Music School in Delaware where he studied classical formal piano training at The Washington State music. Soon after, he won a Downbeat Scholarship to School for the Blind, which she attended until she the Berklee College of Music. From Berklee he joined was 11 years of age. Nicknamed "Deedles" as a Buddy Rich’s Big Band, before moving to Los child, she grew up surrounded by the world of Jazz Angeles. His signature sound was soon heard on embraced by both of her parents: Her father was an countless TV shows and movie scores and with pop amateur pianist, and her mother kept a formidable stars such as Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan. In collection of Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington 1983, he began performing with Charlie Haden’s albums in her home. Not surprisingly, Dinah Liberation Music Orchestra and became a charter Washington is often listed as Schuur's major vocal member in Haden’s critically acclaimed Quartet influence, and she learned the iconic singer's What West. With 24 albums as a leader, he has generated IN HER a Difference a Day Makes while she was still a an impressive artistic legacy on the world’s major toddler. She also developed her own rich, resonant stages. A respected educator, Watts also conducts OWN WORDS vocal style at a very young age. With a university master classes and performs orchestral "Stan Getz was a great friend programs with symphonies internationally. In distinguished recording career that spans three as well as a mentor. He decades, including two Grammy awards (Timeless addition to his two Grammys, he was awarded the and Diane Schuur and The Count Basie Orchestra prestigious Frankfurt Music Prize for lifetime taught me less is more when on GRP Records), as well as three additional achievement in performance and composition. singing into the microphone. GRAMMY® nominations, Schuur's music has The microphone can be your explored almost every corner of the 20th Century KENDALL KAY (Drums) friend. You don't have to musical landscape. Her musical collaborations Born in Durban, South shout out every note and he include the aforementioned Count Basie Orchestra, Africa, Kendall showed an also instilled the importance interest in the drums at an early Barry Manilow, B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Jose of enunciating while singing Feliciano, among countless others. These age. He pursued collaborations have resulted in numerous #1 this interest, eventually playing the words to a song. Billboard Chart recordings, including Pure Schuur and recording with many of the I had the honor to perform and Heart to Heart with B.B. King; Ms. Schuur has region’s major artists, including Steve with Frank Sinatra as a appeared on PBS and many other television Kekana, Johnny Fourie and Izzio Gross. In1983 replacement for Liza Minnelli specials...as well as a very special visit to the Kendall moved to Texas, and studied at North Texas who was ill. Everyone was beloved TV show, "Sesame Street." Diane has been State University, graduating with a degree in Jazz against it except Frank. He Studies. Kendall arrived in Los Angeles in 1987 and invited to perform at The White House on multiple gave me a chance to be occasions, and was one of the select musical guests has been playing and recording here ever since. invited to perform for Stevie Wonder at the Credits include work with; Cecilia Coleman, Kenny part of his group. Once I Kennedy Center Honors when he received his Burrell, Rickie Lee Jones, Kyle Eastwood, Allan started singing, the audience prestigious award. She continues to tour and Broadbent, Clare Fischer and Mary Wilson. responded quite positively perform extensively at major concert halls and to his choice. We had many venues around the world. Most recently, Ms. BRUCE LETT (Bass) intimate conversations about Schuur recorded an homage to two of her very Lett’s playing is “distinguished life and my blindness. by a resilient tone and buoyant important mentors, Frank Sinatra and Stan Getz. He ended up painting a The CD, entitled I Remember You (With Love To rhythmic attitude,” writes the Stan and Frank) released in June 2014 also Los Angeles Times. The bassist beautiful abstract canvas for commemorates her "official" discovery 35 years has played with Nancy Wilson, me, which hangs in my home. ago by Stan Getz at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Billy Cobham, Gerry Mulligan, He said to me I have seen so Festival. The recording features all new the Bill Holman Big Band and has been Jack much beauty in my life I wish arrangements by Alan Broadbent. Sheldon’s bassist for 20 years. He is proficient on I could give you my eyes for both electric and acoustic instruments. His major one day to see this beautiful influences include Ray Brown, Paul Chambers and world we live in. Then he Jaco Pastorius. Lett has established himself as one of the Southern California jazz scene’s most realized I could see it too in in-demand players and also serves on the faculty at my own way. " California State University, Long Beach, as their jazz bass instructor. — Diane Schuur
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