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VJC Big Band Celebrates Nat King Cole
July 24, 2021 @ 6:30 pm
With Special Guest Vocalist Peter Eldridge
Part of the free Music Under The Stars Series, a co- production of the Brattleboro Music Center and Retreat Farm.
Location: Farmhouse Square at Retreat Farm
Date: July 24th, 2021 (Rain date: July 25th, 2021)
Time: Gates open at 5:30, concert at 6:30
Bring blankets, lawn chairs and a picnic. Food truck fare, maple creemees and beverages at The Thirsty Goat bar will be on offer. Plan to arrive early to order food.
The Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, under the direction of Rob Freeberg, will honor one of the greatest vocalists and pianists in jazz history: Grammy Hall of famer Nat King Cole.
Nat King Cole recorded over 150 Billboard singles, selling more than 50 million copies during his lifetime. The pallbearers at his funeral included Robert F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Johnny Mathis and Sammy Davis Jr.. He was the first African American to host his own radio program (1946) and TV show (1956) in the US. But really, Cole’s biggest legacy are the recordings he left : “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” “ L-O-V-E,” “The Christmas Song,” “Route 66,” “Nature Boy,” “Sweet Loraine.”
Expressing Cole’s music, using many of the big band arrangements prepared for Cole himself, will be vocalist, Peter Eldridge who has performed in some of the world’s most preeminent venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Kennedy Center. As a member of New York Voices, Eldridge is a two-time Grammy-award winner. His original music has been covered by artists such as Nancy Wilson, Paquito D’Rivera, and Jane Monheit.
The VJC Big Band was originally a collaborative project initiated by former VJC board president Howard Brofsky and board member, Sherm Fox. This year the big band celebrates 19 years of performances thanks in great part to Fox’s persistence and organizational efforts as Band Manager, and Rob Freeberg’s wisdom and leadership as Music Director. The performers of the VJC Big Band include trumpeters Don Anderson, Rick Anderson, Steve Sonntag, Dave Dell and Rob Freeberg; woodwind players Michael Zsoldos, Sherm Fox, Bob Stabach, Carl Clements and Ron Smith; trombonists John Wheeler, Bob Thies, Dave Sporny and Caroline Cole; and rhythm section members Wes Brown (bass), Steve Rice (drums), Eugene Uman (piano).
—All About Jazz on Peter Eldridge
