Jump City Jazz Orchestra at Le Cochon Noir!

Hi Friends!

Happy Hump Day!  I know I am particularly happy that tomorrow is Thursday already, in part because I am on vacation next week (yay!), but also because Jump City Jazz Orchestra (also featured in my last post) is playing at Le Cochon Noir tomorrow night!

Located at 5070 Parkside Avenue in Philadelphia, Le Cochon Noir is Philly's newest "hotspot" for jazz and blues, and evidently, upscale BBQ as well!  I, for one, am extremely pleased to see such a venue spring up in Philly, especially after the devastating closing of Ortlieb's Jazz Haus.  I am also excited to report that the elite, 18-piece big band, Jump City Jazz Orchestra, has landed a regular gig at this new venue; the band is scheduled to perform the last Thursday of every month for "Big Band Thursdays"!  So come out if you can to enjoy some good food and quality big band music!

Hope to see you there tomorrow night!
Tina

Jump City Music and Keith Spencer Present "Too Darn Hot - an evening with Cole Porter and friends"

Hello, friends!

As the weekend comes to a close, I wanted to let you all know about a "hip" production currently running at the Bristol Riverside Theater, "Too Darn Hot - an evening with Cole Porter and friends."  The performance runs through June 27th, and features friends and members of Jump City Jazz Orchestra! 

A brief description from the production's website:

"Hip...witty...sophisticated...timeless.

These were the feelings that described his songs when Cole Porter electrified Broadway.  Opening our summer concerts, smooth-voiced baritone Keith Spencer brings back the era when everyone hummed the melodies of “Night and Day,” “Begin the Beguine,” “Love For Sale” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and danced to their undulating beat.

In this special presentation, Keith Baker, in partnership with Jump City Music, Philadelphia's elite jazz performance organization, has assembled the area's best musicians to bring a true big band experience to the BRT stage.

Combine the enduring songs of Cole Porter, the jazziest of ensembles, the magical voice of Keith Spencer and guest vocalist Jessica Edwards, and your summer will be Too Darn Hot!"

Remaining performance dates/times:
Wed. June 23 - 2:00 pm
Fri. June 25 - 8:00 pm
Sat. June 26 - 3:00 pm AND 8:00 pm
Sun. June 27 - 3:00 pm

Visit the production's webiste to purchase tickets!  Tickets are $31 or $10 for those of you who are 25 and under with student ID!

Enjoy!
Tina

Music Shoot with Eileen Cicutti!

Hello again and Happy Tuesday, everyone!

As many of you may have noticed :), I have recently been working more actively to promote myself as a freelance musician and also piano and clarinet instructor.  As part of these efforts, I wanted to have a professional photo shoot performed, the photos from which I plan on using in future marketing materials, such as business cards, postcards, etc. 

In March of this year, I had the pleasure of working with Eileen Cicutti to complete this shoot, and was delighted with the finished product!  I have included just a few of the photographs from the shoot, below, but you can view the rest on my Facebook Page, "Tina D Music."

Thanks again to Eileen for doing a wonderful job on this project!  She was a joy to work with and worked hard on this project for several weeks, resulting in quality photographs! 

And thanks to all my friends and family for your support in my musical efforts!  Thanks to your support, I continue to have the drive necessary to achieve my goals and pursue my passion that is MUSIC!

Musically yours,
Tina 

Box Five Featured in "TALE: A Night of Music, Dance, Animation, Trapeze, Art, & Psychoanalysis"

Hello fellow music lovers!

Those of you currently taking up residence in New York, specifically in Brooklyn, this one's for you!

I am excited to announce that I will be performing with Mary Bichner & Box Five this Thursday night, June 17, 2010, at Galapagos Artspace at 16 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY.  Box Five will be just one of the many musical acts featured in "Tale," a performance that seeks to answer the question: "What happens when we revisit the fairytales of our youth?" through music, dance, animation, trapeze, burlesque, and psychoanalysis.  A hint: Box Five will be playing something related to "Alice in Wonderland."

The show is presented by Poison Peach Productions and What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? and hosted by Mika Cooper and Tracey Wood. Doors open at 7 pm and the show begins at 8 pm.  Tickets are $15 and you must be age 21 to attend.

More details about the show, cast, and tickets can be found at the official website or via the show's Facebook event page.  You can also purchase tickets directly at http://www.smarttix.com/.

This is sure to be a fantastic event!  Hope to see you there!!!

Center City District Lunchtime Concert Series

For those of you who work in or around Center City, Philadelphia, this one's for you!

This summer, Center City District (courtesy of TD Bank) is once again presenting lunchtime concerts every Wednesday through the end of the summer--August 25, to be exact--for our listening pleasure!  The concerts, which are held from noon - 1:30 pm, will feature a variety of musical genres at different locations throughout the city.  The concerts are generally set to take place outdoors, with back-up locations arranged in case of rain.  Musical acts and locations can be found at the following link:

http://www.centercityphila.org/life/LunchtimeConcerts.php

Specifically, I'd like to give a shout out to long-time classmate and friend, Chris Despo, who will be performing original acoustic rock on July 7th at The Shops at Liberty Place.  You can visit his official website here: http://www.chrisdespo.com/.

Take advantage of this opportunity to break away from your desk once per week for a few moments to take in some live music!

Tina

"A Blue Note: Ortlieb's Has Closed"

Hi friends!

It's been a while since my last post, my apologies... I've been in mourning over the closing of my absolute favorite spot in the city--arguably the best jazz club in Philadelphia--Ortlieb's.  More about that here: http://www.philebrity.com/2010/04/27/r-i-p-ortliebs-jazzhaus-1986-2010/ 

In all seriousness, the closing of Ortlieb's did make me very, very sad.  I hope that someone will step in and revive the place, but only time will tell.  Ortlieb's was always packed and jammin' with a variety of people enjoying the Creole style cuisine and best jazz in town... I find it hard to believe that there isn't enough demand for such a venue in Philadelphia... your thoughts?

That aside, there are other jazz venues in Philly, such as Chris' Jazz Cafe at 15th and Sansom in Center City, and a less known place (shhhh) the 23rd Street Cafe,which has a live jazz jam session every Tuesday evening from 7:30 - 11:30.  On Tuesdays at 23rd Street, catch the house band, "Father John" D' Amico on piano, "Big Jim" Dofton on drums, and Kenny Davis on bass.

Additionally, I recently learned that the familiar and talented house band from Ortlieb's is back for Tuesday Night Jazz Session and Open Jam on Tuesday nights at Grey Social Lounge in Old City--exciting stuff!  Admission is free, and all jazz musicians are encouraged to perform.  If you're not familiar, the following familiar names make up the house band:  Byron Landham - Drums, Mike Boon - Bass, and Syd Simmons - Piano.  The music starts and sign-ups begin at 8:30 pm.  Did I mention admission is free?

At this point, even though Ortlieb's isn't around (for now) you have no excuse to get out and listen to live jazz, or jam with some fine jazz musicians, on Tuesday nights at least!  And if you ever need a buddy to tag along, you know who to call...!

Cheers!
Tina