Benny Goodman News

On Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:30 PM, an all-star cast will take to the stage for a one-night-only benefit performance of 'COME RAIN OR COME SHINE: Celebrating the Songs of Johnny Mercer.' The event will take place at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, in the West Village. All proceeds from the event will benefit GREENWICH HOUSE MUSIC School's music education programs and assist with vital facility upgrades.

New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker, who will retire from the Orchestra at the end of the 2008?09 season concluding a 60-year tenure, will give his final concerto appearances in performances of Copland?s Clarinet Concerto, conducted by Lorin Maazel, Tuesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 6, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Drucker, who joined the New York Philharmonic at age 19 in 1948, and whose tenure encompasses one-third of the history of the 167-year-old orchestra, will have performed as soloist with the Orchestra some 200 times (both at home and abroad), and will have played in more than 10,200 concerts under nine New York Philharmonic conductors at the conclusion of his tenure.

On Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:30 PM, an all-star cast will take to the stage for a one-night-only benefit performance of 'COME RAIN OR COME SHINE: Celebrating the Songs of Johnny Mercer.' The event will take place at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, in the West Village. All proceeds from the event will benefit GREENWICH HOUSE MUSIC School's music education programs and assist with vital facility upgrades.

The music lineup at Lincoln Center Festival 09 includes US debuts by Algerian music icon Idir and Moroccan Chaabi singer Najat Aatabou; a double bill with Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, and Issa Bagayogo; and a tribute to celebrated New Orleans songwriter Wardell Quezergue, featuring a roster of noted musical artists from that city's annual Ponderosa Stomp music festival.

On Monday, June 15, 2009 at 8PM, an all-star cast will take to the stage for a one-night-only benefit performance of COME RAIN OR COME SHINE: Celebrating the Songs of Johnny Mercer. The event will take place at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street, in the West Village. All proceeds from the event will benefit GREENWICH HOUSE MUSIC School's music education programs and assist with vital facility upgrades.

New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker, who will retire from the Orchestra at the end of the 2008?09 season concluding a 60-year tenure, will give his final concerto appearances in performances of Copland?s Clarinet Concerto, conducted by Lorin Maazel, Tuesday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 6, at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Drucker, who joined the New York Philharmonic at age 19 in 1948, and whose tenure encompasses one-third of the history of the 167-year-old orchestra, will have performed as soloist with the Orchestra some 200 times (both at home and abroad), and will have played in more than 10,200 concerts under nine New York Philharmonic conductors at the conclusion of his tenure.

The Yale School of Music announces an especially exciting third season of Yale in New York, the acclaimed series in which distinguished faculty-many of them famous soloists-share the limelight with exceptional alumni and students on Carnegie's stages, capturing the intense collaboration found on every level at the Yale School of Music.

Girl Crazy, with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and Jack McGowan, will open New York City Center's 2009-2010 Encores! season on November 19, 2009. The season will continue with Fanny, with music and lyrics by Harold Rome and book by S. N. Behrman and Joshua Logan, on February 4, 2010. Fanny will be the 50th Encores! production presented by City Center since 1994. The season will conclude with Anyone Can Whistle, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' legendary 1964 musical, on April 8, 2010.

On Saturday March 14, at 8 PM, the Riverdale Y will present a quartet of internationally known jazz performers. Nicki Parrott, jazz bassist and vocalist is making her second appearance at the Y. She will be joined by Derek Smith, the world's most recorded commercial/jazz pianist; Randy Sandke, noted trumpeter, composer and arranger, whom The Wall Street Journal dubbed 'the greatest trumpeter nobody knows'; and Joe Ascione, who has joined the three in concert on his birthday! Ms. Parrott, who plays regularly with legendary Les Paul at Manhattan's Iridium Club came to New York from her native Australia in 1994 on an Arts Council Grant to study with acclaimed bassist Rufus Reid. She has performed all over the world with jazz greats like Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizarelli, Skitch Henderson and Warren Vache. She appears at major jazz festivals throughout the US and abroad and is a favorite on the cruise ship circuit. She also plays Klezmer music and appeared at the Riverdale Y last year with noted Klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals as well as touring Europe with David Krakeur. Randy Sandke has also appeared in clubs and festivals worldwide and is known for his virtuosity. He has recorded over 20 albums with musicians ranging from Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway and Dick Hyman to Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Art Garfunkle and Barbara Carroll. His work has been heard on the soundtracks of many well known films including five Woody Allen pictures. As a composer he has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and his works have been featured at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Hall; more than 50 of his compositions have been recorded.

Music from around the world, from the ?40s Big Band Song and Dance Revue IN THE MOOD, the very funny and entertaining 3 REDNECK TENORS, the ever popular IRISH ROVERS, Miami?s hot Cuban timba band TIEMPO LIBRE, Portuguese fado singer MARIZA along with a newly added performance by the MARIACHI LOS CAMPEROS de NATI CANO who will bring the second performance season at the Balboa Theatre to a resounding close!

On Saturday March 14, at 8 PM, the Riverdale Y will present a quartet of internationally known jazz performers. Nicki Parrott, jazz bassist and vocalist is making her second appearance at the Y. She will be joined by Derek Smith, the world's most recorded commercial/jazz pianist; Randy Sandke, noted trumpeter, composer and arranger, whom The Wall Street Journal dubbed 'the greatest trumpeter nobody knows'; and Joe Ascione, who has joined the three in concert on his birthday! Ms. Parrott, who plays regularly with legendary Les Paul at Manhattan's Iridium Club came to New York from her native Australia in 1994 on an Arts Council Grant to study with acclaimed bassist Rufus Reid. She has performed all over the world with jazz greats like Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizarelli, Skitch Henderson and Warren Vache. She appears at major jazz festivals throughout the US and abroad and is a favorite on the cruise ship circuit. She also plays Klezmer music and appeared at the Riverdale Y last year with noted Klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals as well as touring Europe with David Krakeur. Randy Sandke has also appeared in clubs and festivals worldwide and is known for his virtuosity. He has recorded over 20 albums with musicians ranging from Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway and Dick Hyman to Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Art Garfunkle and Barbara Carroll. His work has been heard on the soundtracks of many well known films including five Woody Allen pictures. As a composer he has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and his works have been featured at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Hall; more than 50 of his compositions have been recorded.

Music arranger Angela Morley, who won Emmys for arranging two of Julie Andrews television specials has died at 84 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She's said to have passed away from complications of a fall and a subsequent heart attack. The three-time Emmy winner, also received Oscar nominations for adaptaing the songs in the musicals 'The Little Prince' and 'The Slipper and the Rose' This prolific woman also wrote her own official bio for her web site, which we reprint below. A very full life! Our thoughts and prayers go out to her partner Christine Parker, along with her son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren during this difficult time.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg will present the Handel Medallion to Neil Simon at a reception at the Apollo Theatre Monday evening, November 10. The Handel Medallion is the highest official honor given by the City of New York and is presented for outstanding achievement in the arts.

42nd Street Moon gears up for its second production of the season: George and Ira Gershwin's great musical romp of 1930, Girl Crazy, the slam-bang hit that boasts one of the greatest Broadway scores including the songs 'I Got Rhythm,' 'Embraceable You,' 'But Not for Me,' and 'Sam and Delilah.' The show previews on October 23 and 24, and opens on Saturday, October 25 and runs through November 16.

JAMS celebrates their 9th season at The Harriet on Feb. 24, as pianist and University of Miami Frost School of Music Dean Shelly Berg and his trio team up with clarinet virtuouso Ken Peplowski for what's sure to be an exciting set of traditional jazz. Peplowski apprenticed with the bands of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman in the late '70s and early '80s, and is perhaps best known for his sparkling duet work with guitarist Howard Alden, with whom he also teamed for the soundtrack to the Woody Allen movie Sweet and Lowdown.

Before there was TV's hit Dancing With The Stars, there was Mitzi Gaynor --- the original television star dancer! Mitzi Gaynor dazzled audiences with her annual award winning network television variety spectaculars, from 1968 to 1978, averaging over 30 million viewers each, showcasing the singing, dancing and comedic talents that made her a star in the theatre, film, television, nightclub and concert worlds.

42nd Street Moon gears up for its second production of the season: George and Ira Gershwin's great musical romp of 1930, Girl Crazy, the slam-bang hit that boasts one of the greatest Broadway scores including the songs 'I Got Rhythm,' 'Embraceable You,' 'But Not for Me,' and 'Sam and Delilah.' The show previews on October 23 and 24, and opens on Saturday, October 25 and runs through November 16.

The Friend Center at the The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) today announced details of its comprehensive Performing Arts programming for 2008/09. The eclectic array of performances in intimate Kanbar Hall will include solo performances by luminaries such as Bebe Neuwirth, Phoebe Snow and Arlo Guthrie, and five fascinating thematic series: Abracadabra: an exploration of the conjuring arts and Jewish tradition; a salute to American icon Leonard Bernstein; an Italian Jewish film series; Let the Games Begin, a series of sports related programming; and Evolve, part of a city-wide celebration of Charles Darwin's 200th birthday

North Shore Music Theatre presents CONTACT through June 29th.

Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing, now in its 20th Anniversary season, concludes its season with a thumping third week of dancing under the stars with performances by orchestras from around the world. Because of the ongoing construction on Josie Robertson Plaza, this program will take place in Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, W. 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.