An Afternoon of Vocal Jazz

Saturday, June 4
Jackson Theater, SCDS | 4 – 8pm
4400 Day School Ln, Santa Rosa

Tickets:  Gold Circle: $45 |  Seniors 65+ $35
General Seating: $25 Students w/ID |  Seniors 65+ $15
Children 10 and under: FREE
Tickets Available Now

No region outside of New York boasts a richer collection of singular singers than the Bay Area, and One Voice puts that dazzling wealth of talent on vivid display with a mini-festival unlike any event in recent memory.  All of these illustrious artists are generously donating their talents to ensure the festival’s future.

NOTE: The location for this concert has been changed. Please see this page for details.

The afternoon kicks off in style with a masterly vocal triumvirate. Jackie Ryan’s big, lustrous voice; deft sense of swing; and multilingual repertoire have earned an avid international following, along with chart-topping CDs, including last year’s double album “Doozy” (OpenArt). Bobbe Norris possesses a sultry sound, acute rhythmic sensibility, and unerring taste—all attributes of a top-shelf singer.

At 82, Ed Reed is one of the most dramatic and heartening stories in contemporary jazz. He spent his formative years in Los Angeles’s vibrant Central Avenue scene, but addiction derailed his career before it got started. In recent years, he has emerged as a breathtaking musical storyteller who turns familiar ballads into soul-bearing adventures.

Pianist Larry Dunlap, known for his work accompanying vocal greats such as Joe Williams, Dame Cleo Laine, and his wife Bobbe Norris,  leads the rhythm section, with veteran bassist Robb Fisher and versatile drummer Jim Zimmerman. Noel Jewkes weighs in on saxophone.

The second set features a surfeit of soul. The East Bay’s Cultural Heritage Choir is an a cappella ensemble that draws on the entire history of African-American music, from spirituals and blues to gospel, jazz, and R&B. As a founding member, Rhonda Benin is deeply versed in the depth and breadth of African-American music, though as a solo performer she evokes the great jazz and soul divas of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Nicolas Bearde is a charismatic crooner who applies his sensuous baritone to jazz and soul standards, exploring songs associated with artists such as Lou Rawls, Arthur Prysock, and Nat “King” Cole.

The program closes with two sensational talents. A major force in the West Coast music scene for more than three decades, Madeline Eastman is an inspired improviser and educator. Kenny Washington is a larger-than-life talent who can scat with the harmonic daring and rhythmic command of a bebop saxophonist and croon with the simmering intensity of Donny Hathaway.

The inimitable piano master George Cables leads the rhythm section with bass expert Peter Barshay and drum maestro Billy Hart, along with Rob Roth on saxophone.