A major holiday jazz event featuring the best in smooth jazz from Columbus and beyond in support of Columbus’ jazz radio station is coming up next week! SEMM Foundation and its Jazz 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP radio station are presenting The 3rd Annual Jazz Brew Fundraising Concert at the Walter Armes Learning Center Auditorium at Whitehall-Yearling High School on Saturday, December 9th at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm for this kickoff to the 2018 Jazz Brew fundraising concert series – tickets are available here. The concert boasts a star-studded lineup topped by smooth jazz superstar saxophonist Paul Taylor and also featuring performances from Columbus’ own NexLevel and Urban Jazz Coalition. The program will feature 3 sets, with UJC opening, NexLevel performing second, and Paul Taylor closing the show with support from NexLevel. The event is in need of volunteers – click here to learn more and sign up. Read below for full details from the SEMM Foundation on this exciting evening of live jazz!
SEMM FOUNDATION AND JAZZ 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP
PRESENTS
THE 3RD ANNUAL JAZZ BREW FUNDRAISING CONCERT
FEATURING INTERNATIONAL SAXOPHONIST PAUL TAYLOR, NEXLEVEL AND URBAN JAZZ COALITION
Columbus, OH – SEMM Foundation and Jazz 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP radio station proudly presents The 3rd Annual Jazz Brew Fundraising Concert at the Walter Armes Learning Center Auditorium at Whitehall-Yearling High School, located at 675 S. Yearling Road in Whitehall.The kick off to the 2018 Jazz Brew Concert fundraising concert series is scheduled for 7:00 pm, Saturday, December 9, 2017. Appearing that evening will be the international jazz recording hit maker, saxophonist Paul Taylor, along with two of Central Ohio’s renowned jazz groups, NexLevel and Urban Jazz Coalition.
Tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices range from $10 to $35 with special prices for Seniors and Students. Tickets and more information are available online at www.myjazzbrew.com or directly at https://wsaxpaultaylor.
eventbrite.com. Paul Taylor has been a groundbreaking force among the sax elite in the genre since his hit 1995 debut On The Horn. His 2014 #1 hit “Supernova” continued the exhilarating upswing he has been enjoying since he started his second decade as an artist with Ladies’ Choice (2007) – his first ever #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart. “Burnin’,” the title track from his 2009 album, hit #1 on the airplay charts, and “Push To Start” from Prime Time (2011), hit the pole position on the Smooth Jazz Songs chart. Prime Time further lived up to its colorful name by reaching the Top Ten on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
The Denver native has been mesmerizing thousands of fans, headlining hundreds of shows and being part of exciting all-star tours – most recently doing dates with Peter White and Euge Groove in a lineup affectionately dubbed “Peter, Paul and Euge.” Before that he was part of the blockbuster summer tours Gentlemen of the Night (with Marion Meadows and Warren Hill) and Sax and the City (with Meadows and Vincent Ingala). Over the years, he has also hit the road with The Rippingtons and the acclaimed “Groovin’ For Grover” tour.
After over ten albums of non-stop hit making, thousands of charismatic performances worldwide and years of setting new standards for the sonic possibilities of contemporary urban jazz, Paul Taylor’s still got his antenna up – ready to pounce on, absorb and be inspired by every vibe he hears that’s fresh, hip and edgy. Now, with his newest CD, Countdown, he’s blasting off into the next phase of his career, excited about the road ahead and equally excited about supporting and performing at the SEMM Foundation and Jazz 98.5 FM Jazz Brew Fundraising Concert!
NexLevel is one of Central Ohio’s preeminent national recording groups, known for wowing and amazing audiences around the country, and scheduled to perform hits from their new CD “Midnight Blue”. Also scheduled to perform is the Urban Jazz Coalition, one of the hottest live performance ensembles on the contemporary jazz scene for some time now, and they’ll be performing many new songs from their newly released CD, XXII, appropriately named as 2017 marked the celebration of this ground breaking band’s 22nd Anniversary as a performing group.
Ticket purchases help support SEMM Foundation’s music education programs, the construction and operations of their new 24 hour non-commercial Jazz 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP radio station, with proceeds also benefiting the auditorium improvement campaign for the Walter Armes Learning Center Auditorium at Whitehall-Yearling Highs School.
The Walter Armes Learning Center Auditorium at Whitehall-Yearling High School has been the primary host venue for the Jazz Brew concerts featuring stellar Straight-Ahead, Smooth Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Latin and Classic Big Band performances by National and notable Local “Homegrown” musicians hailing from the Central Ohio area.