Category Archives: Events

Freddy Cole, brother of Nat King Cole, to appear at JAMM Fundraiser!

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Freddy Cole, shown here with well-known jazz guitarist and educator, Randy Napoleon.

 

International recording artist Freddy Cole will pay a special visit to East Lansing soon! He sings as well as plays the piano, upright bass and guitar. His successful career has spanned five decades and is still flourishing today.

We hope to hear a song or two from his latest CD, honoring his late brother, the wonderful Nat King Cole. The title is “He Was the King.”

MSU Professor and jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon helped make all this happen. He tours regularly with Mr. Cole and will be playing, as well. at this show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This special event is on Wednesday, August 22nd 7-8:30 pm. Tickets for the first show sold out so quickly that a second show has been added, starting at 9 pm. Use the same link below if interested in attending that show. Student tickets are being offered for this second show only at a cost of $10 each.

Location:
1267 Lakeside Drive, East Lansing

Tickets: $35
Student Tickets, 9pm show only: $10

Purchase tickets here.

Proceeds from this special show will benefit the Sandy Izenson JAMM Scholarship Fund, given each year to a high school student to pursue their jazz studies after graduation.

Tribute Honoree: Nominations and More

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Thank you so much to everyone who submitted the name of a nominee for our 2019 JAMM Tribute Honoree. As you likely know, the celebration and event takes place each November. That date and information will be forthcoming by the end of summer, so you can all plan ahead and “save the date.”

The next step in this process, to finalize who will be the Honoree, will be to organize and tally the names that came to us, discern who the top three names are, and send those to all JAMM members to vote on.

Again, stay tuned here, read your weekly e-news, sent on Saturdays, and/or keep in touch on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jazzjamm.

Shown here, tremendous party and Tribute to Randy Gelispie!

JAMM Members Do More Than Play Music!

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There are at least three connections with Jazz Alliance of Mid-Michigan members to a special show on June 1 in Lansing, and only one is playing music!

UrbanBeat Event Center in Old Town Lansing

First, the venue, UrbanBeat Event Center, is owned by Terry Terry, a JAMM Founding Member and current 2018 member. He tells us he’s been wanting to use this space for years, as a jazz club, and other kinds of performances. Now, that’s a reality!

Connection number two on this is Elden Kelly, who will be performing with Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet on this evening, along with Carolyn Koebel, Igor Houwat, and Henrik Karapetyan. Elden is also a JAMM Founding Member and a local favorite among many members, as a guitarist, vocalist, composer and teacher.

The third connection is Candice Wilmore, JAMM’s current Secretary and the owner of a small company called Big Barn Productions. Some may recall the jazz shows she first started producing in the big red barn on Jolly and Okemos Roads, a few years ago. Big Barn is working on this June 1 show in the areas of public relations and promotion.

About this event, Candice says, “Whatever your concepts are of jazz, blues, funk or folk music, toss ’em out and come hear these unique and seriously talented players. You won’t be sorry.”

Dave Sharp, jazz bassist

If you don’t know about Dave Sharp, the group’s leader, he was born in Detroit, Michigan where he was inspired by the city’s deep musical heritage. While studying at the University of Michigan, Sharp became deeply devoted to the study of jazz and improvisation. This led to a move to San Francisco where Dave studied with legendary bassist Herbie Lewis (McCoy Tyner, Cannonball Adderley, Les McCann) at the New College of California.

While living in San Francisco, Sharp performed in art spaces and venues like Cafe Du Nord and the Fillmore, and served as bassist and composer for the modern jazz ensemble the Spheres of Influence. After a brief tour of Japan, Sharp returned home to the Ann Arbor area of Michigan, where he continues to compose, record, engineer, teach and perform live.

Click here for ticket information:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3432500