Benny Goodman News

Al Hirschfeld immortalized celebrities, politicians, Broadway productions, films, television shows and beyond with his iconic linear drawings for nine decades, establishing himself as one of the most important contemporary portrait artists. Over a decade since the legendary artist drew his final line drawing, he continues to inspire. This spring, Hirschfeld will be celebrated with the publication of a new book and a major exhibition at the New-York Historical Society.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Peter and Will Anderson with THE JOY OF SAX, featuring Pat Bianchi on the Hammond B-3 Organ. Produced by Reardon-Anderson Music, LLC., THE JOY OF SAX begins performances on Tuesday, April 28 for a limited engagement through Thursday, May 7. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7 PM; Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 5 PM & 8 PM; Sunday at 3 PM. Single tickets are $45 ($31.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at ?(212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

Headline acts of BRASS 2015 announced today as Fun Lovin' Criminals , the world's shiniest brass bands and a top dollar tribute to Swing's Kings.

The 13th Street Repertory Theater will honor the woman widely considered to be the world's greatest blues singer by making Sunday, April 19th, 'Bessie Smith Day.' The theater will be offering free admission to its new hit show, 'Mad About the Boy' (which includes a tribute to Smith) to anyone who can sing a chorus of a song recorded by Smith. ASCAP award-winning playwright/director Chip Deffaa, who's created and produced 'Mad About the Boy,' will also award prizes to those who do the best job of singing Smith's songs. Deffaa--who profiled Smith in the book 'Harlem Speaks: A Living History of the Harlem Renaissance' (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and has lectured on her (most recently at the University of Idaho)--will be the judge, assisted by members of his theater company.

Jazz at Lincoln Center guitarist James Chirillo will perform at Mesa Arts Center (MAC) in a free concert with Tucson's national award winning Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band on Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m., as a culmination of the 2015-16 season of Jazz from A to Z. Tickets are available now and must be reserved in advance through Mesa Arts Center's Box Office, or by calling 480-644-6500.

Just in time for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Billie Holiday on April 7, 2015, Universal Music Enterprises honors the iconic artist with the simultaneous digital release of 17 classic Holiday albums.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the acclaimed pop/jazz vocalist called 'ingenious' by The Wall Street Journal and known from her tours with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, appearances at the 92nd Street Y and her long-running Soho jazz brunch - will join tenor saxophonist Ed Finkel as he brings a group of well-known New York jazz artists to the Heinz W. Otto Gallery at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, NJ tonight, March 28 at 8 PM. A dessert reception will follow the performance.

Following the success of the previous two festivals, the 3rd Annual New York Hot Jazz Festival -- produced by the impresario Michael 'Misha' Katsobashvili, performer Bria Skonberg, and composer/producer Patrick Soluri (of Prohibition Productions and The Salon) -- returns to The Players this year and promises some of the biggest stars of the Hot Jazz and swing scenes in a summit of uptown and downtown talent spanning three generations.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the acclaimed pop/jazz vocalist called 'ingenious' by The Wall Street Journal and known from her tours with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, appearances at the 92nd Street Y and her long-running Soho jazz brunch - will join tenor saxophonist Ed Finkel as he brings a group of well-known New York jazz artists to the Heinz W. Otto Gallery at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, NJ on Saturday, March 28 at 8 PM. A dessert reception will follow the performance.

William 'Count' Basie started The Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become 'The greatest swing band in all the land!' A phenomenon was born in 1935 that is still going strong today! Harris Center for the Arts is proud to present this legendary orchestra.

Berkshire Theatre Group welcomes the Mount Holyoke Jazz Ensembles 10th annual The Big Broadcast! hosted by WWLP-TV personality Brian Lapis tonight, March 13, 2015 at 7pm at The Colonial Theatre.

IN THE MOOD, a rhythmic, jazzy, brassy, sentimental, and patriotic 1940s musical revue, featuring a company of 19 on stage, including a thirteen-piece Big Band and six singers and swing dancing, jitterbugs into the Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre for two weeks only, running Tuesday, May 12 through Sunday, May 24, 2015.

On May 3, 2015, the Kennedy Center will open its doors for the 2015 Spring Gala: It Don't Mean A Thing...A Celebration of Swing. Renowned artists Audra McDonald, Paquito D'Rivera, Megan Hilty, John Clayton, Terence Blanchard, the Puppini Sisters, and Paul Taylor Dance Company will join for a festive evening in celebration of the Swing Era.

On Monday, March 9, the Broadway at Birdland concert series was proud to present the return of singer Trevor McQueen in a brand new show, 'The Sounds of '66.' Scroll down for photos!

Arete Productions -- the performance wing of the Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts -- will present the smash Broadway musical Swing!, a high-voltage celebration of the swing era of jazz, at the New Vic Theatre, tonight, March 5-7 and March 13-15.

CALEDON, South Africa

William 'Count' Basie started The Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become 'The greatest swing band in all the land!' A phenomenon was born in 1935 that is still going strong today! Harris Center for the Arts is proud to present this legendary orchestra.

Arete Productions -- the performance wing of the Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts -- will present the smash Broadway musical Swing!, a high-voltage celebration of the swing era of jazz, at the New Vic Theatre, March 5-7 and March 13-15.

Join Perth sextet The Darling Buds of May in a celebration of the life and music of Miss Peggy Lee. With a recording and performing career spanning 6 decades, Peggy Lee was one of the most successful and prolific singers of the 20th century.