Sarasota Jazz Festival present Valerie Gillespie & "Ladies of Jazz" Band and the Jeff Hamilton Trio

Headlining the Sarasota Jazz Festival’s main stage concert is the Jeff Hamilton Trio with Akiko Tsuruga on the organ and Steve Kovalcheck on guitar. Born in Richmond, Indiana, Jeff Hamilton grew up listening to his parent’s big band records and at the age of eight began playing drums along with Oscar Peterson records. Hamilton has received rave reviews for his dynamic drumming. In addition to his iconic recordings with Ray Brown, Jeff is featured on nearly 200 recordings with artists such as Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Milt Jackson, Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Mel Torme, John Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, George Shearing, Dr. John, Clark Terry, Gene Harris, Toshiko Akioshi, Scott Hamilton, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Keely Smith, Bill Holman, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Mark Murphy. “Akiko’s playing is like watching a flower blooming, a bird spreading her wigs in the music world. Akiko is here to stay…. Dr. Lonnie Smith Akiko plays her personality...intense, positive, energetic and joyous. She plays to make others sound as good as they possibly can. It is always a joy to share the stage with her and play off of each other's energy." I look forward to many more great musical experiences from her and with her!"….Jeff Hamilton Guitarist/composer/educator Steve Kovalcheck has a diverse musical background. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Kovalcheck grew up in a rich musical environment. While his roots are in hard rock, he became interested in jazz in his late teens, and has gone on to work with many well known artists including Jeff Hamilton. While Kovalcheck’s main focus has been on jazz guitar and jazz education, he maintains an active involvement in rock, blues, funk, country, and bluegrass styles on the guitar. March is Women’s History Month. Valerie Gillespie and the “Women in Jazz” band, an all female group pay tribute to the early “women in jazz”. Along with Valerie, the band features Judi Glover, piano and others TBA. Valerie Gillespie had the distinct honor of being the cover story and feature article in Saxophone Today Magazine. In addition to leading the “Women in Jazz”, she leads her own jazz group that frequently performs throughout the Tampa Bay area and central Florida. Valerie has numerous CDs, on which, she sings and plays all the saxophones, flutes and clarinet. She is also frequently the featured soloist with The Florida Orchestra and has performed at many jazz festivals including The Suncoast Jazz Classic and The Clearwater Jazz Holiday. Information, visit: https://www.sarasotajazzfestival.com. Tickets from $60, Jazz Club members receive a discount on tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sarasota-jazz-festival-jeff-hamilton-valerie-gillespie-tickets-763371483657

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Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2279023-0

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