MELROSE — Temple Beth Shalom of Melrose is proud to bring back its popular jazz concert series on Saturday, June 27, with a special performance dedicated to the late Irving Smolens, Keeping Jazz Alive.
The concert will feature Berklee College of Music professor and bassist Bruce Gertz and Trio Now. Popular Boston jazz vocalist Donna McElroy will join Bruce and his talented band. Also performing are fellow Berklee faculty member Steve Hunt on piano and Jack Diefendorf on drums. Trio Now has a newly released CD called Someday Soon, available on iTunes.
Bruce is a well-known and sought after musician in the Boston area and beyond. He has toured and performed with Gary Burton, John Abercrombie, Maynard Ferguson, Cab Calloway, and many others. Most recently, Bruce backed guitarist Larry Coryell and his Strings Attached project at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston. He’s a winner of the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll, among many other honors and awards.
Donna McElroy has performed with Amy Grant, Bebe and Cece Winans, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Ahmad Jamal, Reba McEntire, and many other popular artists. She has recorded several CDs of her own, including a collection of sacred hymns called I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.
The TBS jazz series returns to Melrose after a hiatus of several years. Its renaissance is inspired by the recent passing of longtime Temple member Irving Smolens. Irving was an avid jazz fan and never missed a single performance in the series’ 15+ year history. Just a few weeks before his death he spoke to fellow Temple member Bruce Gertz about bringing the concerts back. While this memorial performance comes too late for Irving, Bruce and other Temple jazz fans believe there is no better tribute than to fill the TBS sanctuary with the music he loved so much.
The show begins at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7. Tickets are $20 and are available at several Melrose businesses: Hourglass, Bohemian Coffeehouse, Coffee, Tea & Me, La Qchara, and Miter Biter. Limited tickets will also be available at the door, but buying them in advance is recommended. Beer, wine and cocktails will be available. For more information or to make reservations, please call 781-662-5856.
Temple Beth Shalom is located at 21 East Foster Street in Melrose. Our building is wheelchair-accessible. There is ample parking nearby and we’re located near the Oak Grove station on the Orange Line.
https://www.cityofmelrose.org/2015/06/24/temple-beth-shalom-presents-jazz-concert-saturday/
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