Gregory Porter
Jazzanooga announced Tuesday that Gregory Porter, Lalah Hathaway, Ruben Studdard and more will appear at the annual music festival, scheduled for April. Scheduled during Jazz Appreciation Month, April, Jazzanooga draws fans from all across the region for a month of performances, educational opportunities and good times.
Jazzanooga schedule and reviews:
Lalah Hathaway and Ruben Studdard, April 25, the Tivoli Theater, 8 p.m.
Hathaway, a Grammy winning and currently nominated artist, has been described by London Jazz News as a remarkable presence – musical, jazzy, soulful, serene, funny and one of the most celebrated contemporary jazz vocalists of her generation. Hathaway will perform with Ruben Studdard, a Grammy nominated crooner and former winner of American Idol. This show promises to be an evening of classic soul and jazz coupled with rhythm and blues hits – one elegant show with a seamless blending of classic duets, fan favorites, and selections from each artist’s respective catalogs. Tickets: http://chattanoogaonstage.com/events/jazzanooga-2014-lalah-hathaway-ruben-studdard/
Gregory Porter, April 27, The Robert Kirk Walker Community Theater at Memorial Auditorium, 6:45 p.m.
Some critics are inspired to comment on Porter as a new “king’ of jazz,” and a “leader of the pack,” a performer of extraordinary presence who has been compared with the greatest of the greats, such as Joe Williams, Nat Cole, Donny Hathaway, and Marvin Gaye. As musically solid as his recordings are and as powerful and honest as Porter’s magnificent voice is, it may just well be the brilliance of his poetry and the unguarded depth of his emotional delivery that is most fueling his rapid rise to fame. An internationally renowned, multiple Grammy nominated, jazz vocalist, this will be Mr. Porter’s first performance in Chattanooga. Tickets: http://chattanoogaonstage.com/events/jazzanooga-2014-gregory-porter/
The weekend includes a reception at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, an exhibit of jazz photography, a day of jazz and blues at various Martin Luther King Boulevard venues and opportunities to mingle with regional jazz fanatics. A limited number of Jazzanooga JAM Passes, which offer patrons VIP access and priority seating to all festival events and headline concerts, are available at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-jazzanooga-jam-pass-tickets-9912119416
Jazzanooga, started in 2010 as a one-day community festival and has grown to a month-long celebration that celebrates and promotes Chattanooga’s jazz heritage. The festival is supported by the Benwood Foundation and the Lyndhurst Foundation. Event sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.jazzanooga.org.
Lalah Hathaway and Ruben Studdard