Montco Jazz Festival Returns, Curated By Vocalist Joanna Pascale

Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board presents their second annual Montco Jazz Festival, an industry-leading entertainment offering that, for 2023, will celebrate female-identifying jazz artists across a variety of genres and styles. Curated by internationally-acclaimed jazz vocalist Joanna Pascale, Women in Jazz will feature dozens of concerts, brunches, and other community-focused events that honor the contribution of women to jazz music. The festival is also a part of the third annual Arts Montco Week promotion for the tourism board, which amplifies the over 200 Montgomery County art and entertainment venues which provide $100 million of positive economic impact to the region. Arts Montco Week will also celebrate the return of Cirque du Soleil's Big Top to Montgomery County.

"The Women in Jazz Festival is a one-of-a-kind offering that truly highlights Montgomery County as an arts tourism destination," notes Rachel Riley, Associate Vice President of Communications. "We are thrilled to have the incredible Joanna Pascale curate this year's series of events, which will truly elevate Montgomery County as a prime location for jazz and music lovers across the region."

"The musicians, artists, and venues of Montgomery County are helping us shape a momentous festival which shines the spotlight on women in jazz," adds Pascale. "This week-long celebration will take place in venues all over the county, featuring styles and events for everyone-from jazz connoisseurs to those who just enjoy good music."

The festival will feature concerts, workshops, and brunches throughout Montgomery County, including a special King of Prussia Mall Brunch Series that takes place throughout the month of September.

The Line-Up

Junior Jazz Festival

Saturday, September 16 through Sunday, September 17

Elmwood Park Zoo

I Got Life: A Celebration of Nina Simone featuring Carol Riddick and Gerald Veasley

Sunday, September 17

Ardmore Music Hall

23 East Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA

7PM

$18-$55

https://ardmoremusichall.com

Carol Riddick is a renaissance woman. She's a songstress, songwriter, radio show host, actress, label-owner, mentor and podcaster. In addition, her beautiful spirit, sensuous stage presence and passionate vocal delivery will soothe your ears and alter your spirit in the most alluring way. She'll be joined by Gerald Veasley, whose musical odyssey has taken him to the top of the contemporary music world as a bassist, bandleader, composer, producer, educator, and curator. His performance as a six-string bassist has been top shelf, as his extensive body of work attests. Veasley has recorded or performed with many of the world's top artists in Jazz, R&B and Gospel: Kirk Whalum, Will Downing, Chuck Loeb, Maysa, Nnenna Freelon, Special EFX, Pieces of a Dream, McCoy Tyner, The Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Philip Bailey, the Dixie Hummingbirds, John Blake, Odean Pope and Pat Martino.

The Lao Tizer Band Featuring Karen Briggs, Eric Marienthal, and Chieli Minucci

Wednesday, September 20

Montgomery County Community College

7:30PM

"Jazz Group of the Year" nominee, THE LAO TIZER BAND, featuring Karen Briggs, Eric Marienthal and Chieli Minucci, make their debut appearance at Montgomery County Community College as part of their Lively Art Series to kick-off their 40th season. Led by keyboardist, composer and former "Best New Jazz Artist" nominee Lao Tizer (Special EFX, Down To The Bone), the group features violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs (Yanni, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross), Grammy-winning sax legend Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea, Big Phat Band, Rippingtons), 3x Emmy-winning guitarist, composer and producer Chieli Minucci (Special EFX, Celine Dion), powerhouse vocalist extraordinaire Maiya Sykes (The Voice, Postmodern Jukebox), Grammy-winning drum phenom Gene Coye (Terence Blanchard, Hiromi, Larry Carlton), Grammy-winning percussion legend Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock) and Senegalese bassist, composer and producer Cheikh N'Doye (Baaba Maal, Mike Stern).

Once Upon a Summertime: The Music of Blossom Dearie with the Sharon Sable Quartet featuring Mary Lou Newnam, Amy Shook and Joe Holt

Wednesday, September 20

Elmwood Park Zoo

1661 Harding Blvd, Norristown, PA

Free

7:30PM

https://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org

With a career spanning six decades, Blossom Dearie's music delighted live audiences and inspired fellow musicians with her unpretentious vocal delivery, sophisticated piano accompaniment and unique repertoire. She performed in a variety of places from the small jazz clubs and cabarets of Paris, London and NYC, to concert audiences at Carnegie Hall. She played lesser known gems of the Great American Songbook, was one of the voices of the Grammy nominated "Schoolhouse Rock" album, and went on write and record original material with many artists such as Johnny Mercer, Michel Legrand and Sting. Dearie started Daffodil Records in 1974 and performed for loyal fans until she was in her eighties.

Montco Jazz Fest Kick-Off Jam

Wednesday, September 20

Troubles End Brewery

8PM

Montco Jazzfest Kickoff Jazz Jam will celebrate women in jazz, hosted by Calli Graver

and friends. The evening will feature female musicians and their original music, including Hailey Brinnel, Maria Marmarou, Audrey Welber, and Isabella Amand.

Fall Swing Social with Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Band

Thursday, September 21

Berman Museum

601 E Main St, Collegeville, PA

Free

6PM

https://www.ursinus.edu/berman/

In October 2012, vocalist and composer Chelsea Reed invited a few friends over to play for dancers in a South Philly living room. Since that fateful day, she's been singing and playing for audiences all over the world and adding band members along the way. With four albums and a decade of touring under their belts, the Fair Weather Band continue to bring the soul of a swing dance to any show--whether at a jazz club, backroom blues bar, or a festival stage. They have shared a bandstand with trumpeter Terell Stafford and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, who is featured on their 2017 release Spreadin' Rhythm Around. Their 2020 release Carolina Lullaby showcases original songs steeped in jazz, blues, and folk traditions where Reed's soaring vocals and swing musicality shine. When not composing, the band loves exploring the roots of American music to uncover long forgotten songs. Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Band draw upon the intensity of powerhouse vocalists, the ingenuity of 20th century composers, and the energy of a full dance floor. They are silly, passionate people who love playing this music. And that's all there is to it. Join them at the Berman, where there will be a free swing dancing class, Kersner Brothers' beer and wine, plus a Plum Caterer's food truck.

All Star Montco Big Band with Amy Banks

Thursday, September 21

Rivet Canteen & Assembly

238 E. High St. Pottstown, PA

7PM

The All Star Montco Jazz Festival Big Band is a 16 piece jazz orchestra that features world class jazz musicians that live in Montgomery County and the surrounding area. Under the direction of drummer/arranger Marko Marcinko, this large jazz ensemble performs classic big band arrangements as well as modern selections that play a monumental role in jazz history. On September 21st vocalist Amy Banks will join the band and pay tribute to the great jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, "First Lady of Song". This all star jazz ensemble with an exciting brassy sound will perform some of Ella's classic hits such as: "Cheek to Cheek," "Caravan,"and "A Tisket- A Tasket." This evening will bring you back to the days when Big Bands would perform every week at the historic Pottstown Sunny Brook ballroom.

An Evening with Michelle Lordi

Friday, September 22

Abington Arts Center

515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA

Free

6:00PM cocktail hour; 7:00PM show

https://abingtonartcenter.org

A native Philadelphian, vocalist/songwriter/artist Michelle Lordi performs in concerts and festivals across the US. Like a Victorian "Cabinet of Wonder", Lordi collects extraordinary musicians together regardless of genre to create her unique sound: a blend of Jazz, Folk, and Americana with an alt rock sensibility.

The Laura Orzehoski Quintet

Friday, September 22

Troubles End Brewery

9:00PM

Laura Orzehoski is a Philadelphia-based trombonist enrolled in Jazz Studies at Temple University. She studies under trombonist Mark Patterson and is under the direction of Terell Stafford in the Temple University Jazz Band. Laura has had the pleasure to study with well-known trombonists Chris Crenshaw and Vincent Gardner of the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra along with local Philadelphia trombonists Randy Kapralick and Jarred Antonacci. Laura, at the age of nineteen, was featured on the Grace Fox Big Band's debut album "Eleven O' Seven". The band took the stage at Birdland Jazz in March 2022 and Dizzy's Club in Jazz at the Lincoln Center in September 2022 to perform the original music of trumpeter Grace Fox. Laura has performed at multiple venues across the East Coast including Dizzy's Club, Birdland Jazz Club, and National Sawdust. Laura is the former lead trombonist in the New York Youth Symphony Big Band and a current member of the all-female big band, The Grace Fox Big Band. Laura has played alongside saxophonist Melissa Aldana, vocalist Shenel Johns, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonists Dick Oatts and Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, and trumpeter Terell Stafford. Laura is currently featured in Jazz Philadelphia's "Philadelphia's Rising Women in Jazz" along with debuting her original music and arrangements at the Temple University "Rite of Swing" series in November 2022 along with Chris' Jazz Cafe on July 5th, 2023.

A Jazz Brunch Starring Elle.Morris

Saturday, September 23

Theatre Horizon

11:00AM

Accomplished vocalist Elle.Morris, who previously appeared on Theatre Horizon's stage, will headline a one-day only jazz brunch. Join Elle. and featured performers from the Norristown community in this one-of-a-kind musical event.

Hearing Your Way Through a Song: A Jazz Performance Workshop with Lauren Lark

Saturday, September 23

Community Music School

775 West Main Street, Trappe, PA

Free

7:00 PM

https://www.cmsmusic.org

This performance workshop focuses on what we do naturally as we listen to music. Listening sounds easy enough, but have you really heard the form of a song? Do you know when to start singing/playing? Audience members will participate in singing their way through a song while having fun clapping and along with Lauren. Lark will demonstrate the three ways of identifying your place in a song. As a native to Philadelphia, Lark began singing and playing the violin at the early age seven. This exposure pushed Lauren to attend the acclaimed Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. There she began to cultivate her knowledge of Gospel, Hip-Hop, Blues, Classical and Jazz music. Pursuing this extensive study of all these genres of music enabled Lark's overall sense of versatility as a vocalist. Her personal preference and style, though, is heavily jazz-influenced. She went on to complete her B.M. and Masters in Music Performance at the University of the Arts and received the coveted Best Jazz Vocalist Award upon graduation. Having had the opportunity to work with the percussionist Doc Gibbs, Lark has extended her musical vocabulary into the rhythmic genre of Afro-Cuban music as well. As a sought- after musician in the Tri-State area and having performed regularly in various jazz and classical ensembles, Lauren's voice has graced the stages of The Cape May Jazz Festival, Welcome America Parade, Coltrane Jazz Festival, Philadelphia's Clef Club for Performing Arts, Barnes Museum and The Kimmel Cultural Campus. She has been a featured soloist for the Philly Pops as well as a member of The Voices of the Pops. Lark continues to direct and perform with her own groups such as The Lauren Lark Big Band and Quartet. Recently she has had the opportunity to show her comedic side while acting in the Musical Theater production of 3 Divas 3. Lauren also has co-founded Lark Music Studio, a private music studio for voice, piano, and harp; as well as Tyke Quest, an infant and toddler music, movement, and exploration program.

Corrine Kite-Dean and the Estrogen Avengers

Saturday, September 23

Troubles End Brewery

9:00PM

The Estrogen Avengers assemble once per millennium to save the universe from big egos and bad vibes. Each member was brought to this Earth to do one thing, and one thing only: make people dance at breweries. The group is led by the heroine of the hang, Corinne Kite-Dean (she/her). The belle of the bass frequencies is the effervescent Bella Amada (she/her). On drums is the debutante of downbeats, Kyah McCall (she/her). Taking up keys and vocals is none other than the matriarch of musicality, Shan Chua (she/they). Individually, they all bring monstrous energy and wicked chops to the bandstand, and when brought together, it will culminate in a fusion-style jam that makes audiences say, "Wow, girls do just wanna have fun!"

King of Prussia Mall Jazz Brunch Series

This unique extension of the Women in Jazz Festival will feature different jazz artists performing at a variety of King of Prussia Mall eateries.

Brazilian Jazz by MINAS

Sunday, September 3

True Food Kitchen

11AM

Composer, pianist, and vocalist Patricia King Haddad, along with partner, guitarist, Orlando Haddad, and guest artist, saxophonist Andrew Neu, will perform songs from MINAS' catalog of originals and Bossa Nova classics. Based in Philadelphia for a great part of their career, MINAS has been on the forefront of world music and Brazilian Jazz in the Northeast for the past 39 years. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Music degree in classical voice from UNCSA (North Carolina School of the Arts), and a Masters in Jazz Piano Performance from The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia. Patricia and husband, guitarist Orlando Haddad, have produced and performed countless musical shows under their MINAS name. They have released 8 albums on their own label, Blue Azul Records, including a 60-piece orchestra project, Symphony in Bossa. Their latest CD/double vinyl, Beatles in Bossa, explores 14 Beatles Songs with Brazilian rhythms, and was among the top 10 Latin Jazz albums of 2022, according to Roots Music Report. MINAS has performed in many major national venues including Lincoln Center in NY, Kennedy Center in DC, and The Kimmel Cultural Campus in Philadelphia.

Lynn Riley and World Mix

Sunday, September 19

Morgan's Brooklyn BBQ

11AM

Philadelphia homegrown Jazz meets World Music: Lynn Riley and her band The World Mix are known for melding captivating melodies with driving funk and world rhythms. A powerful dynamo in a tiny package, Riley has been described more than once as the "Superwoman" of the sax.

Ella y Amigos

Sunday, September 17

Outside between North Italia and Bar Taco

11AM

The band Ellas y Amigos originated in Philadelphia, PA in 1997 and was co-founded by bandmates, Suzette Ortiz (piano, vocals, arranger), Donna Bostock (congas, vocals) and Paula Breslin (drums, percussion The band performs an array of infectious Latin repertoire including song genres such as Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue, Bolero, Samba, Cumbia, Bossa Nova and Rumba. Over the years Ellas y Amigos has not only succeeded in delighting audiences in the tri-state area but also in Cuba and Bolivia. There will be a salsa instructor giving lessons in the beginning of the event.

Hailey Brinnel Quartet featuring Leigh Pilzer

Sunday, September 24

Nordstrom Court

11AM

Trombonist and vocalist, Hailey Brinnel, along with her always energetic quartet, breathes new life into jazz standards of the 1920s through the 40s. Their swingin' music honors Jazz tradition while incorporating original compositions and new interpretations of familiar songs. They will be joined by acclaimed Baritone Saxophonist and arranger Leigh Pilzer (Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra).

Additional Details

Other programs and shows will be added to the Jazz Festival; patrons can visit valleyforge.org or artsmontcoweek.com for complete details on the Montco Jazz Fest and Arts Montco Week.

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