The Halifax Jazz Festival is expanding its annual holiday fundraiser this season, adding a new show, “Swing Into The Holidays,” for the evening entertainment, along with perennial family favorite, “Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas,” featuring Jerry Granelli, for the matinee show. Both shows are all ages and part of the Jazz Festival’s 15th annual fundraiser for music education and will be presented December 10, 2017 at the Spatz Theatre, Citadel High School, Halifax. Tickets are on sale now, and are available online through the festival’s official provider, etixnow or at halifaxjazzfestival.ca.
Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas Matinee Show
Halifax Jazz Festival presents “Tales of a Charlie Brown Christmas,” featuring jazz legend Jerry Granelli, and the Jerry Granelli Trio, matinee performance at 2 pm Sunday, December 10. Experience this beloved music with the artist who was a part of its inception! Esteemed jazz percussionist Jerry Granelli was a member of the Vince Guaraldi Trio when the band scored and performed the original recording of A Charlie Brown Christmas more than a half century ago. The soundtrack featured the Guaraldi Trio’s cutting edge contemporary jazz, which was unusual at the time for children’s programming. Since the television special’s debut in 1965, the music has gone on to become an iconic soundtrack for the holiday season.
Granelli is no stranger to the Halifax Jazz Festival audiences, and is one of three parts of the Jerry Granelli Trio, which also includes Calgary’s Simon Fisk on bass, and Vancouver’s Chris Gestrin on piano. For this special performance, the Jerry Granelli Trio is joined by Sacred Heart Elementary School Choir.
The Halifax Jazz Festival extends a warm welcome to families to share in the festivities and as in years past, milk, cookies and children’s activities will be offered before the show. Tickets for the show are $40 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, children 5 and under FREE, purchase HERE, more ticket information below.
Tickets are available online through the festival’s official provider, etixnow HERE: or at halifaxjazzfestival.ca
Swing Into the Holidays Evening Show
This year’s evening show is all new. “Swing Into the Holidays,” produced by acclaimed jazz percussionist, Artie Irwin. “Swing Into the Holidays” features an exciting lineup of seasonal music from some the area’s most popular jazz bands, and ensembles, including The Tuesday Night Band, Kitty & the Katz, George Hebert & Standard Time, and The Back Alley Big Band, ft. Doris Mason. Irwin brings decades of experience as a jazz drummer as well as many years producing shows for television and radio, dance bands, and a wide variety of musical productions to the Spatz Theatre stage.
For a quarter of a century, The Tuesday Night Band has been a mainstay of the Halifax Jazz scene, proving over and over again that big band music is alive and thriving. A mix of professionals and talented amateurs who rehearse every Tuesday night, year round, Bob Bauer will conduct the band in a set of music sure to put everyone in a holiday spirit.
Kitty and the Katz were nominated for a Music Nova Scotia Award for their signature brand of swingy, bluesy jazz. They are well-known to Halifax audiences, having performed at the Halifax Jazz Festival, recorded a live album at the Music Room, and won Bronze in The Coast’s Jazz Group” category. If you’ve seen their show, you love them, if not, get ready to be enchanted by Kitty and the Katz.
Georges Hébert has been entertaining audiences since the 1960s. He toured with Anne Murray for more than 30 years, playing legendary music halls throughout the world including Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall in New York, The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium, and Victoria Palace in London, as well as Centennial Hall in Monte Carlo. Georges will be leading the Standard Time trio in a set of beautiful holiday music.
For swing music that gets the audience on its feet, no one beats Halifax’s own Back Alley Big Band. The 19-piece Back Alley Big Band will be joined by Doris Mason. Doris is a well-known performer on the East Coast music scene, and has successfully juggled a busy solo career, work as Musical Director for the hit touring show “DRUM!,” and has starred in Denny Doherty’s “Dream a Little Dream”- the nearly true story of the Mamas and Papas.
Tickets are available online through the festival’s official provider etixnow HERE or via halifaxjazzfestival.ca
About the Halifax Jazz Festival
Since 1987 the Halifax Jazz Festival, presented by the non-profit organization JazzEast, has organized a diverse range of musical and educational activities including the annual TD Halifax Jazz Festival, happening July 11-15, 2018. Follow ‘HalifaxJazz Festival‘ on Facebook and Twitter @HFXJazzFest
