KJZZ & The American Songbook

It’s always a good time for good music.  Valley songstress and KJZZ Music Director, Blaise Lantana will host the Sonoran Desert Chorale’s salute to the royalty of American jazz and musical theater, featuring composers and lyricists whose gifts of song have become an indelible part of the “American sound.”
Blaise will share intriguing back stories about the songs and their composers, as well as insights into the American scene that fostered these unforgettable tunes.  She will also perform a jazz favorite as part of the program.
Tunes such as Ain’t Misbehavin’, Begin the Beguine, and ‘S Wonderful will be joined by favorites from several of Lerner and Loewe’s greatest hits – My Fair Lady, Paint Your Wagon and Camelot.  Two giants of the American musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein will be well represented with songs from A Little Night Music, Into the Woods and West Side Story.
Performances of An American Songbook will take place March 9, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 15 E. First Avenue in Mesa.  A second show will be held on March 10, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.. at Valley Presbyterian Church, 6947 E. McDonald Drive in Paradise Valley.
Tickets are $15 for adults/$12 for seniors, children and groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased online at or by calling 480-305-4538.
 
About the Chorale:  Sonoran Desert Chorale was founded in 1994 and is led by Music Director Jeff Harris. Since its inception, the group has become a highly regarded and sophisticated choral organization, presenting musical compositions from cultures around the globe as well as important pieces from the European and American music traditions. Concerts frequently include guest performances and collaborations with distinguished artists and organizations in the community such as the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, The Southwest Brass, Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band and the Four Seasons Symphony.
The Chorale has engaged in four European concert tours, with performances throughout Europe, including Venice, Rome, Florence, Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Budapest and Ljubljana.   In 2005, the Chorale was invited to perform with Broadway superstar Michael Crawford for the inaugural concert of the $150 million Mesa Arts Center. The Chorale was selected to appear at the Western Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Salt Lake City, UT in 2006.
OPEN THE FRONT DOOR TO An American Songbook