For the penultimate installment of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s 2016-17 “Swingin’ with the CJO” Series, Artistic Director Byron Stripling and the band are honoring a pair of the top bandleaders of the Big Band era with an internationally recognized lineup. Jazz Arts Group presents “Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton & The Big Band Explosion!” featuring Harry Allen and Warren Wolf at the Southern Theatre Thursday – Sunday, March 16th – 19th. Tickets for all four shows (Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm) are available here. Tickets are also available by phone and in person – see below for details. Tenor saxophonist Allen is in demand as one of the top traditionally-styled tenor players on the scene who has collaborated with many legends, and vibraphonist Warren Wolf is regarded as one of the finest on his instrument in the world, with acclaimed albums and spots with high-profile ensembles. Beyond the concerts, Allen and Wolf will also take part in the “Offstage at the Academy” series of interactive workshops on Saturday the 18th at 2pm at the Jazz Academy in the Lincoln Theatre – register for free here. And don’t forget that a free performance by the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra precedes the Sunday matinee show at 2pm on the 19th! Keep reading for more details from JAG, including thoughts from Stripling on the swingin’ program:
JAZZ ARTS GROUP PRESENTS BYRON STRIPLING AND THE COLUMBUS JAZZ ORCHESTRA IN A SALUTE TO CAB CALLOWAY, LIONEL HAMPTON AND THE MUSIC OF AMERICA’S BIG BAND ERA
“CAB CALLOWAY, LIONEL HAMPTON AND THE BIG BAND EXPLOSION!” PLAYS MARCH 16 – 19 AT THE SOUTHERN THEATRE
Tenor Saxophone Standout Harry Allen and Renowned Vibraphonist Warren Wolf Are Featured Guest Artists
Jazz trumpet virtuoso and Columbus Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Byron Stripling leads the musicians of the CJO in a celebration of two of the Big Band era’s most popular bandleaders – Cab Calloway and Lionel Hampton – in “Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton and The Big Band Explosion!,” the fourth offering on the CJO’s “Swingin’ with the CJO” Series at the Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street) Thursday – Sunday, March 16 – 19. Tickets start at just $25 and are available at the CAPA Ticket Office (39 East State Street), at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.
Expect performances bursting with spontaneous, raucous, red-hot solos from members of the CJO and from the outstanding guest artists on the docket – tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and rising vibraphone star Warren Wolf.
ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS:
Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen’s resume reads like a who’s who of jazz. He has performed with Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Kenny Burrell, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Herb Ellis, Hank Jones, Johnny Mandel, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, and pop singers Cheryl Crow and James Taylor, to name a few. And his frequent guest appearances at the jazz world’s top venues and international festivals continue to earn him the respect of fellow musicians and audiences alike.
The vibraphone is just one of the instruments mastered by Warren Wolf, who also plays piano, drums and marimba. He began his musical training at the Peabody School of Music in Baltimore and completed his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Warren is a frequent guest and collaborator with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and is a member of the San Francisco Jazz Collective, an all-star ensemble comprised of eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today including alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon, tenor saxophonist David Sanchez, trumpeter Sean Jones, trombonist Robin Eubanks, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Obed Calvaire.
“We’re privileged to have such outstanding artists sharing the stage with us,” said Byron Stripling. “It affords us the opportunity to not only celebrate two of the greatest band leaders of the Big Band Era, but also to explore some repertoire we don’t often perform. In the case of Harry Allen, who has been compared to Stan Getz, we’ll perform something from Getz’s classic ‘Big Band Bossa Nova’ album and ‘The Girl from Ipanema.’ Other selections we’re considering include Cab Calloway’s ‘Minnie the Moocher’ and Lionel Hampton’s ‘Flyin’ Home,’ plus several tunes closely associated with the big bands of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman.”
“Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton and The Big Band Explosion!” featuring Byron Stripling and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra with special guests saxophonist Harry Allen and vibraphonist Warren Wolf plays at the Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street) Thursday – Sunday, March 16 – 19. Tickets start at just $25 and are available at the CAPA Ticket Office (39 East State Street), at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.