Barbara Morrison to Perform at The Women in Jazz and Blues Festival

Organizer Barbara Morrison has constructed a magnificent array of musical talent with vocalists Sherry Pruitt, Mary Bogue, Deborah Ash, Lady GiGi and Almita Delone for The Women in Jazz and Blues Festival June 18 at Morrison's Performing Arts Center and the adjacent California Jazz and Blues Museum in Leimert Park.

The show, a benefit for the Morrison-founded museum, will begin with Pruitt, Bogue, Ash and Lady GiGi performing at the performing arts center starting at 5 p.m., followed by shows at 5:45 and 6:30. The singers will take turns occupying the stage and will be backed up by the Bu-Crew.

The music shifts to the museum with Morrison and Delone singing with backing from an 18-piece big band with shows scheduled for 7:30 and 8:30.

"We have a line-up of female stars from the clubs and smaller-sized concert venues who will be performing in the same place, a who's who gathering from the jazz-and-blues mecca of metro Los Angeles that will offer jazz and blues of the highest quality," Morrison said. "It will be entertaining and memorable."

Morrison has three Grammy nominations, most recently in 2014 for her vocals, along with Ernie Andrews, for "The L.A. Treasures Project" performed with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category. Morrison also had a very successful CD release in 2014, "I Love You, Yes I Do," which climbed to No. 4 on the JazzWeek.com national chart and spent eight weeks in the top 20.

Morrison also won Best Musical Director from NAACP's Beverly Hills/Hollywood Theatre Award in 2009 for "Howlin' Blues and Dirty Dogs! The Story of Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton." Morrison also played the lead role of Big Mama Thornton.

Pruitt, born in Texas and a Long Beach, Calif., resident, sings regularly with The Deacon Jones Blues Band and the Delgado Brothers Band. The Southern California Blues Society awarded Pruitt's CD, made with guitarist Makoto Miyashita, the Best Produced CD of 2003.

Bogue has been singing in Los Angeles for a decade, performing at Nola's and the Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill. The venerable Les McCann says, "When Mary Bogue opens her mouth, ain't no one else like her. Her voice is beautiful."

Ash has had a multi-faceted career as a singer, song writer and playwright. Her songs have been recorded by Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holliday and Carmen Lundy. A Los Angeles resident, Ash's performances include at the Luckman Theatre, the Pasadena Jazz Festival, Lunaria, Sunset Junction, the Trubador and the Ice House.

Lady GiGi is a veteran of the south Los Angeles jazz and blues scene and in recent years has performed regularly with Ray Goren and The Soul Fixers and Ray Goren's Generation Blues Experience.

The Bu-Crew plays regularly in clubs with Morrison. It includes pianist Ron Bishop, guitar player Charles Small, drummer Peter Buck and bassist Ricky Taylor.

The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center is located at 4305 Degnan Boulevard and the California Jazz and Blues Museum is at 4317 Degnan, both in Leimert Park. Tickets for "The Women in Jazz and Blues Festival" are $25 and available by calling 310-462-1439 or at www.californiajazzandbluesmuseum.com.

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