Compaq Big Band
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Compaq Big Band
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The Compaq Big Band and our Very Special Guest Vocalist Anaïs Reno from New York City invite you to join us for a unique musical event benefitting a cause near and dear to all of us – music education. We're helping raise funds for the David Bresnahan Scholarship Fund for Music Education established at Central High School in Manchester, New Hampshire. The evening will honor the profound legacy of Dave Bresnahan's long career as Band Director at Manchester's Central High School, where the band program has recently established a music scholarship in his name. The purpose of the concert is raise money to fund the scholarship in perpetuity.
David Bresnahan is a former teacher, colleague, mentor, and friend to SO many in Granite State jazz circles, as well as a former longtime member of the Compaq Big Band. We're proud to now have him as a great sub, and he also gigs regularly with several other NH ensembles. Dave taught at Central (and then Memorial High School, also in Manchester) for many, many years, touching the lives of multiple generations of music students, particularly with his love of jazz. So it's only fitting that Central has created a scholarship to help out graduating seniors entering college to major in music education.
All this takes place in the Practical Arts Building of Central High School, located at 535 Beech Street, just a 4-block walk from the center of Manchester's bustling downtown.
The evening concert at 7:00 PM will be in the beautiful 1500-seat McAllaster Auditorium, with the talented Central High School Jazz Ensemble (David Brien, Director) opening for the Compaq Big Band. Doors Open 6:30 PM, General Admission seating, with a Suggested Donation of $20 per person (cash or credit card via QR code at door - QR code in advance).
*BUT WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR WHAT COMES BEFORE THAT TO 'SUPERCHARGE' THIS SPECIAL SATURDAY!* That afternoon international jazz sensation Anaïs will be presenting a 'mini-master class' on performing as a professional jazz vocalist. This will be held 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Room A-19. Open Seating, with Doors Open 3:30 PM, *AND IT WILL BE FREE TO ALL!*
The goal of the session is simply to offer some insights from Anaïs' dazzling early pro career that may be of interest to those thinking about performing jazz out in front of a band, perhaps already continuing into college with their jazz career begun in high school – or even beyond. Or maybe just reconfirm why this is such a cool niche within performing arts for those already doing it, via someone who at just 22 years old is already a seasoned veteran of New York City's extremely competitive jazz scene, and who's quickly gained fame for selling out iconic global jazz venues like Birdland in NYC and Ronnie Scott's in London on a frequent basis.
This session is absolutely NOT intended for ONLY high school jazz students! We of course want them, AND their parents, music educators, those in collegiate vocal ensembles, adult jazz singers, regional pro's and 'passionate amateurs' - vocalists AND instrumentalists - and simply just plain fans of the genre (no matter their age), to all feel welcome to attend.
Though the overwhelming amount of Anaïs' performances are with small ensembles, she can also speak to what it's like to make the transition from a trio/quartet environment in an intimate NYC or London jazz club setting to fronting a 19-piece big band on a large stage, and back again, seamlessly.
A quintet made up of the Compaq Big Band's rhythm section plus one of our tenor sax players will be there that afternoon so that Anaïs can provide a few 'live demos' woven into the class time. There'll be a little time for Q & A, as well.
Who knows where the next potential star to front a jazz ensemble/big band might come from? Maybe from room A-19 on Saturday the 24th.
Moving on to what to expect in the evening concert program (besides the great opening by the Central High School Jazz Ensemble), prepare to be WOWED by Anaïs with arrangements from the Great American Songbook as performed by Ella Fitzgerald with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, as well as other jazz classics as sung by Ella, plus selections taken from the books of Carmen McRae, Anita O'Day, and Helen O'Connell. And, we'll round out the evening with a couple instrumentals from the books of greats such as Count Basie, Chris Walden, John Clayton, and others.
It would REALLY HELP US OUT A LOT with planning if you would kindly fill out this very brief Google Form if you're planning on attending one or both events.
Walk-ins welcomed to both the evening and afternoon festivities. The mini-master class room maximum seating capacity is approximately 125.
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