Press Release Contact: Office of the College President, Coni Chavez, (209) 588-5115 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 2013
The Columbia Jazz Artist Series is announcing the start of their 35th season with a special double concert weekend on Saturday, Oct 5 and Sunday, Oct 6. The concerts will feature top jazz performers, vocalist Elaine Gibbs and woodwind artist Paul Contos, with the 20-piece Columbia Big Band and singers. Two concerts will be held, both in the Columbia College Dogwood Forum theatre, one on Saturday, Oct 5 at 7:30 p.m. and one on Sunday, Oct 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets for each concert are $20 for reserved seating. Reserved seating tickets are available two weeks prior to each concert at the College’s Manzanita Bookstore and at Mountain Bookshop in the East Sonora Junction Shopping Center. Concert tickets are also available by phone M-F from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at (209) 588-5126. Remaining seats may be available for purchase at the door.
Elaine Gibbs began singing Gospel and R&B as a young child, honing her craft in church performances and later on National tours. She has performed in more than 25 countries and with some of the biggest names in the music business including, the Temptations, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Chaka Chan, Rod Stewart, and Justin Timberlake. Her career got a further boost when she finished in 4th place in season one of Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor.” She is a dear friend of Jazz Series favorite Barbara Morrison and performed for the first time at Columbia last year to a stunned audience of instant fans.
Woodwind artist Paul Contos has been appearing with the Columbia Jazz Series for more than 20 years. He is the director of several all-star jazz groups, has performed in many world tours including Brazil, Japan, Italy and Russia and recently performed in Carnegie Hall. He has long been a regular with the Monterey Jazz Festival educational staff and performs every year. In addition to playing virtuoso sax and flute he always brings along a few unusual woodwinds to demonstrate.
The 2013-14 Columbia Jazz Series Season will continue with concerts each month featuring more than 20 guest artists including the return of blues great Barbara Morrison (November), Tower of Power trumpeter Mic Gillette (February), pianist/arranger Bob Secor (December), Huey Lewis trumpeter Marvin McFadden (January), and singers Don Shelton and Kenny Washington (March). The Jazz Series will also feature guest percussionists Carlos Caro, Mike Miler, David Hawkes and Mario Flores, pianists Clint Day, LeRoy Bumgarner, Mark Gee and Krista White, trombonists Jamie Dubberly, Kenny Karst and Ken Taylor, trumpeters Patrick Fraracci and Mike Rocha, guitarist Johnny Valdez, and big band regulars Jim Anderson on drums, Gordon Giedt on clarinet, the college vocal jazz quartet and jazz series director Rod Harris. All Jazz Series concerts are held in the 180 seat Dogwood Forum theater on the Columbia College campus. Season tickets are available for $90 for the full 7 concert season which includes a 40% discount and VIP seats for every concert. For season tickets call Gaylin Ray at (209) 559-0565.
The Season continues featuring more than 20 top jazz artists in 7 monthly concerts …. Including:
Nov 9-10 – Barbara Morrison
Dec 8 – It’s a Big Band Christmas
Jan 19 – Johnny Valdez
Jan 31 and Feb 1 – Big Band Jazz Festival Weekend
Feb 28 and March 1 – Vocal Jazz Festival Weekend
April 19 – Latin Jazz