Theater Watch: Jazz and Folk Music Fill the Air

This week Count Basie welcomes Grammy Award winning trumpet player Chris Botti on Thursday, August 18th. Botti mixes the sound of romantic jazz with a blend of contemporary, traditional and pop inspired jazz music.

Botti began his music career early, when he picked up the trumpet at just nine years old.  Learning early paid off, and in his senior year of college, Botti scored gigs playing with the legendary Frank Sinatra and Buddy Rich. 

Those early career breaks lead him to a decade long touring and recording relationship with Paul Simon, beginning in 1990. During this time, he also performed with Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Merchant and others.

Between 1995 and 2009, Botti released 9 albums, including four number one jazz albums. He also earned five Grammy nominations and enjoyed the success of his records reaching gold and platinum sales status.  He is the best selling American jazz instrumental artist, and shares his 2006 Grammy Award with Sting for the songWhat Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?

His most recent release, 2009’s Chris Botti in Boston, was recorded at Boston’s Symphony Hall with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra. It features special guests Sting, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler, Yo-Yo Ma, John Mayer and Katherine McPhee.

On Sunday, August 21st, Two River Theater presents an Intimate Evening with Judy Collins. This is a special benefit performance presented by the Better Days Ahead Foundation and the Count Basie Theater Foundation.

Judy Collins is a legendary singer and songwriter.  Her eclectic musical style blends folk, pop, rock and roll and even show tunes.

Collins got her first taste for music at a young age when she began to play the classical piano. She made her first piano debut at age 13, and hasn’t looked back since. Shortly after her piano debut, Collins learned how to play guitar and developed a love of lyrics.

In 1961, at the age of 22, Collins released her first album A Maid of Constant Sorrow. The album was a mix of folk music with lyrics written by others, most often protest poets of the time period, such as Tom Paxton. She also recorded covers of popular music at the time, such as her own version of Mr. Tambourine Man.

In 1966, she released In My Life, where she included works from the Beatles, Leonard Cohn, Jacques Brel and others.  The album was far from her folk roots, but caught the attention of many and paved the way for the rest of her career.

In the 1970’s Collins began to stand out for her own compositions and writing.  She performed a wide range of music, covering songs such as Amazing Grace and the Broadway ballad Send in the Clowns.

These days, Collins is considered a “modern day Renaissance woman” because her talents are expressed in a variety of ways.  She is a Grammy Award winning singer songwriter, but also an Academy Award nominated director, author, publisher of children’s books, painter and an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.

Schedule

• Thursday, August 18th, 2011: Chris Botti, 8pm
• Sunday, August 21st, 2011: An Intimate Evening with Judy Collins, 7:30pm at Two River Theater