NJPAC Presents SING THE TRUTH 12/18

In Sing the Truth, a New York/New Jersey metro-area exclusive that comes to NJPAC's Prudential Hall on December 18, 2011 at 3pm, three great women of contemporary song – multilingual singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo, Grammy-winning jazz legend Dianne Reeves and jazz/gospel-inspired diva Lizz Wright – pay tribute to three recently departed legends: Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln, and Odetta. The concert will include numbers made famous by that trio of greats, original compositions and titles by other leading ladies of song, ranging from Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill. The all-star ensemble backing the trio includes pianist Geri Allen, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist James Genus, and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

Tickets are $25-$90 and can be purchased by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark, or at www.njpac.org. This performance is part of the Wells Fargo Jazz Series. Additional support is provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Discover Jersey Arts.

Sing the Truth started at the 2004 JVC Jazz Festival when it celebrated the music of Nina Simone. In 2008, the concert morphed into a touring production that has appeared at venues including the Barbican Centre in London, Jazz a Vienne in France, the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and at the Sydney Opera House. When Kidjo, Reeves and Wright performed together in the Sing The Truth tour in 2009, they formed a close friendship that blossomed into this new tour.

About the Artists:
African-born songstress Angelique Kidjo has received six Grammy nominations, wining the award in 2007. Her music blends the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Kidjo is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and her Batonga Foundation provides educational aid to young African girls. www.kidjo.com

Blue Note recording artist Dianne Reeves won a record three consecutive Grammy awards for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. She also won a Grammy for her performance on the "Good Night and Good Luck" soundtrack. She has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was a featured soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic. www.diannereeves.com

Lizz Wright, whose professional career reached new heights after her performance at a Hollywood Bowl celebration of Billie Holiday, is a genre-defying vocalist who is as comfortable singing jazz as drawing from pop, folk and her gospel roots. She released her debut solo album, Salt, in 2003 on Verve. www.lizzwright.net

For more information: www.singthetruth.net
Calendar Listing:
New Jersey Performing Arts Center presents
Sing the Truth:
Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright
Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 3:00pm
NJPAC's Prudential Hall
1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102

In Sing the Truth, a New York/New Jersey metro-area exclusive, three great women of contemporary song – multilingual singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo, Grammy-winning jazz legend Dianne Reeves and jazz/gospel-inspired diva Lizz Wright – pay tribute to three recently departed legends: Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta.

Tickets: $25-$90
Available at www.njpac.org, 1-888-466-5722 or at the box office at 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ

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New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over 6 million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit www.njpac.org for more information.

Programming has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

NJPAC is a wheelchair accessible facility and provides assistive services for patrons with disabilities. For more information, call 888-GO-NJPAC.

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