Lake Effect Jazz Big Band Concert

Description

Lake Effect Jazz Big Band will finish its summer concert season with special guests at the Box Factory for the Arts. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 23, 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance at ticketstripe.com/lakeeffectjazz2024, $15 at the door, and free for children 12 and under.

This is the 25th year Lake Effect Jazz Big Band has brought its unique blend of traditional big band and contemporary jazz arrangements to audiences at festivals and concert venues throughout Southwest Michigan. Made up of about 20 musicians, the band has a truly big sound. They will perform the music of such greats as the Count Basie Orchestra, Woody Herman Thundering Herd, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band, The Big Phat Big Band, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Michael Buble, among others.

Lake Effect Jazz is led by retired St. Joseph music teacher and musician Steve Reed. Several other members are also current or retired music educators, making jazz education a priority. "Our mission is to promote the art of jazz through performance, education, and community outreach," Reed said.

The band will be joined by two outstanding vocalists. Andrew Fisher, a Southwestern Michigan native, studied vocal performance at Andrews University. While he’s drawn to classical music, Fisher is also passionate about other genres and has performed jazz, soul, rock, R&B and showtunes, and is the vocal instructor at the Citadel Dance and Music center in downtown Benton Harbor. His current passion project is his jazz fusion group, The Andrew Fisher Quartet, along with his podcast, The Backstage Lounge, in which he speaks with all manner of artists on, off, and behind the stage.

Soprano singer Rebecca Selvidge holds choral education and musical theater degrees/certifications from WMU and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC, and is the choral director at Lake Michigan College. She has performed with various ensembles including Gold Company under Dr. Steve Zegree, WMU Chorale, and Voices LMC, as well as regional theater productions. Selvidge has been musical director for many Twin City Players productions, the Children’s Music Workshop, and TeenStock summer productions, most recently directing “Xanadu.”  

Don’t miss this end-of-summer musical celebration! For more on Box Factory events, see boxfactoryforthearts.org or visit the Box Factory on Facebook and Instagram.