Day: December 29, 2012

Here’s a press release from Rockport Music announcing new concerts.  Check them out!

New Concerts in Winter & Spring at Rockport Music

Rockport Music announces several new concerts added to our 12-13 Season.  Experience the highest quality of concerts and presentations year-round at the stunning, seaside Shalin Liu Performance Center.

On Friday, February 15 at 8 pm, rapidly rising star jazz pianist Yoko Miwa performs with special guest jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris for an unforgettable evening of music.  The Yoko Miwa Trio was voted the 2012 Best Jazz Act by the Boston Phoenix and debuted their fifth CD Act Naturally in Japan. Regularly playing sold-out shows in Boston and New York City, Jazziz Magazine hails that “Yoko Miwa displays unpretentious melodies, elegant phrasing, and the lyrical sensibility of a jazz poet.” Known as “First Lady of Boston Jazz,” vocalist Rebecca Parris has reached legendary status in the New England jazz scene performing with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, and Woody Herman.  A nine-time winner of the Boston Music Awards, Parris’ latest CD You Don’t Know Me had Jazz Journal International proclaiming that she, “…delivers lyrics with care and affection, with wit and flair, and her phrasing is exemplary.” (Jazz Journal International)  Tickets: $15-28

On Sunday, March 3 at 5 pm, the Bill & Bo Winiker Sextet, a Boston musical institution, will perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center.  Bo and Bill Winiker were taught how to play music, and specifically jazz, by their father at a very young age.  Now, over 50 years later, they have moved on to record with Billy Joel and perform with Aretha Franklin at President Clinton’s inaugural ball.  With a repertoire of over 15,000 songs they cover for special occasions, they are also true jazz musicians.  Fred Taylor, founder of Sculler’s Jazz Club, says Bill and Bo Winiker are, “…really underappreciated for their great jazz knowledge and performance.”  Tickets: $15-$28

On Friday, March 8, at 8 pm, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the world-renowned Celtic ensemble Cherish the Ladies, the most sought-after Irish American group in the country. For nearly 25 years, the six-member, all-female group has been collecting awards and accolades from fans and critics worldwide, including the BBC’s Best Musical Group and Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards. They have shared the stage with celebrated entertainers like James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, and The Chieftains. On their latest release, Country Crossroads, they teamed up with stars Vince Gill and Nanci Griffith; and their recording with the Boston Pops, The Celtic Album, led to a 1999 Grammy nomination.  “The band brilliantly…exudes a tremendous joie de vivre and deep nostalgia.” (The Irish Times-Dublin)  Tickets: $27-$49

Singer/songwriter Catie Curtis performs on Saturday, March 9, at 8 pm.  An American singer-songwriter dubbed a “folk-rock goddess” by The New Yorker, Catie Curtis tours extensively in diverse settings from Chicago’s legendary Old Town School of Folk Music to the White House.  A Lilith Fair alum and former tour mate of Mary Chapin Carpenter, this urban-folk powerhouse is one of the best singer-songwriters recording today.  Many of her recordings have been featured on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Dawson’s Creek and other TV series.  “With a clear, deceptively gentle voice, she can turn on a dime and thrill the listener with unforeseen power and emotion.”  rollingstone.com  Tickets: $18-$32

Returning by popular demand, the 17-piece Cape Ann Big Band will delight audiences on Friday, March 29, at 8 pm, with jazz, swing, soul, and rock n’ roll that will make you want to dance.  Led by Carlos Menezes, the diverse 17-piece big band performs big band classics from a nostalgic era like “Mack the Knife,” “I’ve Got You Under my Skin,” and “Take the A Train.”  Tickets:  $19-$34

On Thursday, May 2, at 7 pm, NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! makes its cinematic debut with a live broadcast of its popular news quiz show beamed into hundreds of theaters across the U.S., including the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Host Peter Sagal and official judge and scorekeeper Carl Kasell will be joined on-stage by panelists like Paula Poundstone and Mo Rocca to play the quiz in front of a live audience. Enjoy the familiar segments “Who’s Carl This Time?,” “Bluff The Listener,” “Not My Job,” “Limericks,” “Lightning Fill in the Blank,” and other audience favorites–all written around the news of the week. These presentations are made possible by NPR, WBEZ-Chicago, and BY Experience.  Tickets: $22 general admission

Described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune) and “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly), Patty Larkin, a “guitar driven songwriter,” performs at the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Sunday, May 5 at 5 pm.  A winner of an unprecedented 11 Boston Music Awards, Larkin has re-interpreted traditional folk and rock melodies with her distinctive vocals and guitar wizardry for over 25 years.  In her latest CD 25, she uses her remarkable guitar skills and creative vocals to rework her favorite songs in an acoustic, unplugged performance.  “A virtuoso guitar player and mood-shaper…She is also a superb slide guitarist whose mature work is comparable to the best of Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams.”  The New York Times  Tickets: $18-$32

For tickets or more information on these and other concerts in the 2012-13 Season, please visit our website at www.rockportmusic.org.  Concerts are added throughout the year, so make certain you check the website for new additions.  Tickets are also available through the Box Office at 978-546-7391 or visiting 35 Main Street, Rockport, MA.  The Box Office is open Monday-Friday, 10am-4 pm.