OSHMAN FAMILY JCC IN COLLABORATION WITH SAN JOSE WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL PRESENTS JAZZ GIANTS ROY AYERS - Feb 24 KIM NALLEY - Feb 26
PALO ALTO, CA (25 January, 2017) — The Oshman Family JCC, in collaboration with San Jose Winter Jazz Festival’s Jazz Giants series presents two acclaimed musicians, Roy Ayers and Kim Nalley. First up will be American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player Roy Ayers performing 7:30pm, Friday, February 24. The Oshman Family JCC will also present Kim Nalley and her special guest Kalil Wilson celebrating Ella Fitzgerald’s centennial birthday with a concert 6:00pm, Sunday, February 26. Performances will take place at the Oshman Family JCC Schultz Cultural Arts Hall, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. For tickets ($30-$65) and more information the public may visit http://paloaltojcc.org/royayers and http://paloaltojcc.org/kimnalley or call (650) 223-8664.
Launching this vibrant series is vibraphonist Roy Ayers. He is among the best-known, most loved, and most respected jazz/R&B artists in the music scene today. Ayers, known as the Godfather of Neo-soul, continues to bridge the gap between generations of music lovers and remains one of the most sampled musicians in the world by DJs and rap artists. In the 1960s, he was an award-winning jazz vibraphonist and transformed into a popular R&B band leader in the 1970s and 1980s. Of the vibraphonist, well-known for his signature compositions “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” and “Searchin,” the Huffington Post says “he has taken that instrument to a new level” and calls his music “timeless.” Ayers has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed artists including Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac, and Ice Cube. He most recently recorded with hip hop artist Talib Kweli and jazz/R&B singer Will Downing.
The critically lauded and sultry-voiced Kim Nalley, acclaimed for her three and a half octave range in jazz and blues, will be joined by special guest Kalil Wilson to celebrate the centennial birthday of
______MEDIA CONTACT: Christina Yoshihara- CARLA BEFERA & CO. 3600 West Bayshore Road, Suite 203/ Palo Alto, ca 94303 Phone 650.327.1200 Fax 650.327.6700 Email: [email protected]
the First Lady of Song. With an international reputation as one of the world’s best jazz and blues vocalists, Nalley’s performance has been described “as if a vocalist from the great post-war blues and jazz combos had been transported to the end of the century” (Blues Access Magazine). Nalley has performed globally from Moscow to New York, including major jazz festivals such as Umbria Jazz and the Monterey Jazz Festival. She was awarded “Most Influential African American in the Bay Area” in 2005 by City Flight magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle says, “Kim Nalley has pipes to burn and works the stage like she means it.”
Bay Area jazz vocalist, composer, arranger, and ethnomusicologist Kalil Wilson has become one of the most promising vocalists of his generation, spotted by the San Francisco Chronicle which called Wilson “a star on the rise.” Wilson has earned high marks from the music press and has captivated audiences from Barcelona to Berkeley with performances that defy easy categorization. His bright re-imaginings of jazz standards and originals are well-informed by the rich history of great jazz singing while melding seamlessly with his heartfelt, eclectic stylings. As a young musician, he was mentored by the Oakland Youth Chorus and the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley. He recorded and released his first album, Easy to Love, in 2009. Wilson’s most recent accomplishments include being selected as a semifinalist in the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, performing with guitarist Carlos Santana and the Oakland East Bay Symphony, and joining Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Cindy Blackman, Zakir Hussain, Dave Holland, and Carlos Santana at the 2012 Celebrating Peace concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
About the Oshman Family JCC The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC) on the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life is a community-supported nonprofit that serves the South Peninsula through educational, social, cultural, fitness, sports and other programs. The OFJCC is a multi-generational Jewish neighborhood where all are welcome and which fosters new personal and community connections through rich and rewarding experiences. The OFJCC provides a common ground for Jewish institutions, other local groups, organizations and individuals to work, learn and play together for the betterment of the whole community. The OFJCC’s registered trademarks are Live Fully® and J-Pass®. For more information, visit www.paloaltojcc.org or call (650) 223-8700.
For Calendar Editors:
WHAT: The Oshman Family JCC, in collaboration with San Jose Winter Jazz Festival’s Jazz Giants series presents two acclaimed musicians Roy Ayers and Kim Nalley.
______MEDIA CONTACT: Christina Yoshihara- CARLA BEFERA & CO. 3600 West Bayshore Road, Suite 203/ Palo Alto, ca 94303 Phone 650.327.1200 Fax 650.327.6700 Email: [email protected]
First up will be American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player Roy Ayers performing on February 24. The Oshman Family JCC will also present Kim Nalley and her special guest Kalil Wilson celebrating Ella Fitzgerald’s centennial birthday with a concert on February 26.
WHERE: Oshman Family JCC- Schultz Cultural Arts Hall 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto
WHEN: 7:30pm, Friday, February 24, 2017 – Roy Ayers 6:00pm, Sunday, February 26, 2017 – Kim Nalley – Ella Fitzgerald’s Centennial Birthday Celebration
TICKETS: $35-$42 General Public, $30-$40 Members and J-Pass Holders, $50-$65 Premium Seating (access to premium seating and post show reception) Visit www.paloaltojcc.org or call (650) 223-8664.
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PRESS: Contact Christina Yoshihara, Carla Befera & Co. 650.327.1200 | [email protected]
PHOTOS: Media may download high-res photos at: http://www.cb-pr.com/press/jazzgiants.html
______MEDIA CONTACT: Christina Yoshihara- CARLA BEFERA & CO. 3600 West Bayshore Road, Suite 203/ Palo Alto, ca 94303 Phone 650.327.1200 Fax 650.327.6700 Email: [email protected]