2011 Jazz in the Gardens Information

The 3rd Annual Moonlght Jazz in the Gardens Event

This year is the 3rd Annual Moonlight Jazz in the Gardens event.  It’s going to be the best concert we have had yet, with great jazz entertainers. The Deborah Lawson Group and Mark Russell will serenade you from the front porch of the Maclay House.  So bring your blanket or lawn chairs, food and drinks, and join us for a relaxed evening under the stars.  If we’re lucky, we may have a full moon.  Here’s a little background on these talented people.

The Deborah Lawson Group

Vocalist Deborah Lawson’s love of music started at the age of four.  Inspired by the soulfulness of Aretha Franklin and the creative talents of jazz greats like Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday, she soon knew she had to sing jazz.  Lawson loves à capella singing and has performed in that style solo, as a duo and with quartets.

Stanton Rosenthal, on keys, guitar, bass, ukelele and percussion, was born to a musical family. His father is a retired school band director and professional musician and his mother (also retired) was a church organist. 
While in high school Stan bought a guitar in Mexico for $15 and taught himself how to play both classical guitar and the blues.

Pam Ryan has served as Professor of Viola at the Florida State University College of Music since 1989.  She was the winner of the 1983 Aspen Music Festival Young Artist Concerto Competition.  In addition to performing with the Deborah Lawson Group, Pam is principal viola with the Tallahassee Symphony and performs on the rebab, having studies with Balinese masters in Bali.

Michael Bakan, percussionist is Professor of Ethnomusicology/World Music program at Florida State University (FSU).  He is the author of World Music: Traditions and Transformations (McGraw-Hill, 2007), which has been adopted as a textbook at more than a hundred universities and colleges nationwide and internationally, and also of the book Music of Death and New Creation (University of Chicago Press, 1999), which was recognized by the Times of London as one of the two “most significant publications on Balinese music in almost half a century.”

Richard Bertram, who plays bass and tenor saxophone, began playing clarinet and saxophone in high school. He joined his first professional group at the age of 17 (too young to legally play in bars, but no one ever asked). 
Since returning to Tallahassee in 1999, Richard has focused on jazz and blues.

David Copps’ interest in drumming began with the British Invasion of the 1960s. He drove his family to near insanity when playing along to recordings by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

Michael Blizzard is a versatile musician who plays clute, keys, and bass. He joined the band in 1999.

Mark Russell is Equally Remarkable. 

Mark is a violinist, composer, and teacher. He began studying violin at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. His interest in Jazz and Blues began in his youth and continued to grow through direct contact with artists such as Stephane Grappelli and Brownie Macgee.  In 1991 he moved to Paris, where he continued to explore diverse venues for violin performance in theater as well as clubs. Moving to the United States in 1994, he formed the groups Paris Match, and Ekyo, recording cds with both.  He also toured as featured artist with the Phat Cat, a Soul/R&B group.  His Phat Cat backed performance of Ain’t no Sunshine was an R&B hit in 2000 and was recently included on the Atlantic records compilation Rare Requests.  

In addition to live performance, Russell has become increasingly involved with studio work, performance art, and film music. In 1999 he produced a cd of unaccompanied solo improvisations, and with Ekyo, Earth Music a cd of compositions and improvisations for violin, didgeridoo and percussion. In 2001 he was invited to perform at the Max-Planck-Institut in Bonn, Germany, and at the Centre International de Rencontres Mathématiques in Luminy, France.  For these performances he conceived an ongoing project to express the process of mathematical discovery through music.  He plans to produce a cd based on this concept. He recorded music for the Victor Nunez film Coastlines, which premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

How can you not have a great time—food, relaxing under the stars in a romantic setting, and hearing spectacular jazz.. Tickets are available at garden centers and at the ranger station at the park gate; $25 for adults, $10 for students.  $20 discount for members at the ranger station.  So mark your calendars for October 23rd. You don’t want to miss this event.