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| Ladies in Jazz Series Presents Becca Byram with Samirah Evans The November edition of "Ladies in Jazz' at the Arts Block brings jazz and blues vocalist Samirah Evans together with keyboardist/vocalist Becca Byram, Saturday, November 10 at 8:30pm. The disparate backgrounds of the two artists promises an eclectic evening filled with jazz standards, originals composition and a few choice pop, R&B and soul numbers mixed in. Evans and Byram will perform solos and duets over the course of two sets, backed by Evans's "Handsome Devils" Joe LaCreta (guitar), Dave Picchi (bass) and Jonathan Fisher (drums). Born into a family of classical musicians, Becca Byram began traveling back and forth to London to play in a jazz quartet while attending Clare College in Cambridge on a choral scholarship. She moved to New York City in 1995 and garnered a reputation in the music industry for her knowledge and expertise with a number of vintage keyboards and synthesizers, including Wurlitzers, Fender Rhodes, and the Hammond B-3 organ. She spent a year as the Assistant Musical Director on NBC's Saturday Night Live and her songs have appeared in such films as Coyote Ugly, The Heartbreakers, Any Given Sunday and Sweet November. In addition to her own release, "Becca's Smoke and Candy Store, " she has written songs for Jennifer Lopez ("Only When I Dance"), Dead Presidents ("Round and Round) and No Mercy ("This is My Promise to You"). Samirah Evans was a fixture on the New Orleans music scene for more than 15 years before relocating to Brattleboro, Vermont in the wake of hurricane Katrina. She formed Samirah Evans & Her Handsome Devils in 2007 and has performed at clubs, concert halls and music festivals throughout the northeast. In 2011, Evans released Hot Club: Live at the Vermont Jazz Center (Misha Records), her third CD and first recorded outside of Louisiana. She has shared stages with legendary artists James Brown, B.B. King, Irma Thomas, Sheila Jordan, Terence Blanchard, and Donald Harrison, Jr., among others in her career, and has toured Europe, Asia and South America as a headliner. Advance tickets can be purchased for $12 at theartsblock.com or by calling 413-774-0150. Tickets will be available at the door the evening of the concert for $15 or $8 for students with a valid ID. The Arts Block is located at 289 Main Street in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Ladies in Jazz is a new musical series conceived by Silktone Productions and co-produced with the Arts Block. Every other month, the series brings Samirah Evans together in concert with another female jazz vocalist or instrumentalist. The goal is to introduce new women artists to audiences in western Massachusetts, as well as bring established women artists to the area. The series debuted in July with a concert by Evans and jazz vocalist, Jill Connolly, with a second installment in September featuring Smith College student, Rebecca Holtz. WHEN: Saturday, November 10, 8:30pm WHERE: Arts Block, 289 Main Street, Greenfield, Massachusetts. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |