Ella Fitzgerald News

It's hard to find fault with Leslie Uggams. The immensely talented lady can act and sing up a storm. She didn't soar as Lena Horne in Stormy Weather for naught. Now in Uptown Downtown, her own musical journey, she excels once more, this time in the comfort of her own shoes.

The David Berger Jazz Orchestra - the acclaimed band featured in the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and PBS TV - recently released their latest CD, 'Sing Me A Love Song: Harry Warren's Undiscovered Standards', featuring Freda Payne ('Band Of Gold,' 'Bring The Boys Home') and Denzal Sinclaire (National Jazz Award Winner). The CD has had great radio airplay and was singled out in USA Today's Best Tracks of the Week and is on sale now at retailers nationwide, as well as Amazon.com, iTunes, CD Baby and their website, http://www.davidbergerjazz.com.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College concludes their 2010 Headliners series with We Wish You a Merry Christmas, a holiday concert by the Grammy-winning Christian vocal jazz group Take 6 on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 8pm.

National Jazz Museum in Harlem Nov. 22 - Nov. 28, 2010 Schedule

Bay Area Cabaret audiences will get a first look at the national tour concert ADAM & ANTHONY LIVE starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. After 15 years of friendship and co-starring roles in Jonathan Larsen's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent, these two iconic Broadway stars are coming together to bring fans what they've been waiting for: an up-close-and-personal concert featuring their individual work as well as fan-favorite numbers from the production that rocketed them to international stardom. The concert plays one night only 7pm, Sunday, November 21, 2010 in the Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco. For tickets ($20 students under 21/ $35 subscribers / $40 general) call City Box Office (415) 392-4400 or visit www.bayareacabaret.org. A limited number of attendees will be treated to a post-show party with the artists. For reservations ($75) to the post-show party, call Bay Area Cabaret at 415-927-4636.

National Jazz Museum in Harlem Nov. 22 - Nov. 28, 2010 Schedule

An exciting range of performances, including, Behind-the-Scenes at Harlem's famed Apollo theater, a New York Film Festival Sneak Preview, the U.S. Premiere of La Gruta de Baba, a multimedia work by leading contemporary Mexican composer/singer Juan Pablo Villa, the Fish Police, South London funk-punk-hip hop band in its U.S. debut, new works by Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects, and Christmas in Balthrop Alabama, a down-home style, off-beat holiday celebration, are on the schedule for the new fall season of Target®Free Thursdays at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

The TINA FABRIQUE concert at Bay Street Theatre on November 27 at 8 pm has been CANCELLED due to a scheduling conflict. Bay Street Theatre is pleased to present an evening of jazz with Broadway veteran TINA FABRIQUE on Saturday, November 27 at 8 pm. Fabrique will perform her treatment of jazz standards, songs from her CD, and by Ella Fitzgerald. Tickets are $35 and $45. Call the box office at 631-725-9500 or log on to www.baystreet.org.

Antoinette Montague will appear on Saturday, December 4, 2010, in a return engagement as the featured performer in the St. Albans Very Special Holiday Jazz Vespers, St. Albans Congregational Church, 172-17 Linden Boulevard, St. Albans, Queens, NY 11434, 718-657-8282. Antoinette will be accompanied by a group of the jazz world's top professionals, including Bill Easley on saxes, clarinet and flute (who has a new release entitled 'Love Stories' www.billeasley.net) and Jay Hoggart on vibes. Montague will be singing standards from her new recording 'Behind The Smile', which features pianist Mulgrew Miller.

Bay Street Theatre is pleased to present an evening of jazz with Broadway veteran TINA FABRIQUE on Saturday, November 27 at 8 pm. Fabrique will perform her treatment of jazz standards, songs from her CD, and by Ella Fitzgerald. Tickets are $35 and $45. Call the box office at 631-725-9500 or log on to www.baystreet.org.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College concludes their 2010 Headliners series with We Wish You a Merry Christmas, a holiday concert by the Grammy-winning Christian vocal jazz group Take 6 on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 8pm.

Gospel recording artists VaShawn Mitchell and Zacardi Cortez will each make a special guest appearance at select performances of the Washington-area premiere of the award-winning new gospel musical comedy Sanctified, playing the historic Lincoln Theatre now through November 14.

TAEKO to appear at the Cape May Jazz Festival Friday, November 12th 9pm-1am

Freda Payne returns to the Iridium Nov 12-14 doing her tribute Ella and now Lena. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Freda grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which inspired her growing interest in music. While still in school, she began her musical career by singing radio commercial jingles. It was then that her polished voice first caught the attention of music executives and other artists. She was wooed with offers of contracts from the likes of Berry Gordy and Duke Ellington, but her mother wanted her to finish school first. After she did, the legendary Pearl Bailey gave Freda her first professional job and this paved the way for her to share the stage with other legends such as Lionel Hampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Quincy ]ones, Bill Cosby and many others. Freda toured with Quincy Jones during his big band era, performing at the world famous Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago, among others, and soon after, recorded her first album When The Lights Go Down for Impulse Records.

An exciting range of performances, including, Behind-the-Scenes at Harlem's famed Apollo theater, a New York Film Festival Sneak Preview, the U.S. Premiere of La Gruta de Baba, a multimedia work by leading contemporary Mexican composer/singer Juan Pablo Villa, the Fish Police, South London funk-punk-hip hop band in its U.S. debut, new works by Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects, and Christmas in Balthrop Alabama, a down-home style, off-beat holiday celebration, are on the schedule for the new fall season of Target®Free Thursdays at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

TAEKO to appear at the Cape May Jazz Festival Friday, November 12th 9pm-1am

Freda Payne returns to the Iridium Nov 12-14 doing her tribute Ella and now Lena. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Freda grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which inspired her growing interest in music. While still in school, she began her musical career by singing radio commercial jingles. It was then that her polished voice first caught the attention of music executives and other artists. She was wooed with offers of contracts from the likes of Berry Gordy and Duke Ellington, but her mother wanted her to finish school first. After she did, the legendary Pearl Bailey gave Freda her first professional job and this paved the way for her to share the stage with other legends such as Lionel Hampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Quincy ]ones, Bill Cosby and many others. Freda toured with Quincy Jones during his big band era, performing at the world famous Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago, among others, and soon after, recorded her first album When The Lights Go Down for Impulse Records.

On Monday, November 8, 2010, Behind the Scenes: Careers On and Off Broadway, a free panel discussion highlighting backstage careers in theatre, will take place at the Apollo Theater, presented by the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, the Apollo Theater Education Program, and the Broadway League.

Richard Myrle Buckley, aka Lord Buckley, was an American lounge comic (1906-1960), who had a cult following in the 50s; he went in for hip semantic and scat, associated with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald. His word play was delivered with a cool one-of-a-kind lightening-like speed, making him a forerunner of the Beat Generation. He influenced such comics as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and Robin Williams. Bringing him to life requires formidable skill: bold, fearless and hypnotic, all rolled into one. Jake Broder, who essayed Louis Prima on stage in Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara to critical and popular acclaim, is currently getting under the skin of Lord Buckley and creating an intense, furiously fast and deliriously brazen characterization through word and song that manifests a truly dizzying brilliance. On November 2 and 3 - back by popular demand - Broder brought the show to the Inner Circle of the Magic Castle for the second time this year.

Two-time Tony Award winner CHITA RIVERA will perform songs from her legendary Broadway career with an intimate evening of music in CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY coming to the Venetian Room 8pm, November 5, 2010 as the first subscriber show of Bay Area Cabaret's ongoing series.