On Saturday, November 16, vocalist Sue Matthews and pianist Robert Redd, will present another selection from their ‘Great American Songbook Series’ at The Mainstay in Rock Hall. Their program celebrates the musical highlights from “The Life and Music of Lena Horne.”
Sue and Robert’s ‘Songbook Series’ presentations highlight the lives and work of American musicians and performers who made lasting and endearing contributions to the popular music of the first half of the 20th century – the likes of Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Judy Garland, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Hoagy Carmichael and other musical giants. Many of their greatest hits from this pre-television era were catapulted to fame in memorable movie musicals, often starring the singers who made them famous. Lena Horne was one such iconic singer, but also a movie star, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne’s career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre.
A local favorite, jazz vocalist Sue Matthews, has a voice described as silky smooth and a performance style that engages her audience while bringing new meaning to every song she sings. Her telling the story of the artists being honored for the ‘Songbook Series’, has received high acclaim. She has garnered the attention of audiences and critics alike from both sides of the Atlantic.
Pianist Robert Redd is from the Washington D.C. area, and has been touring the world as the pianist for the Duke Ellington Orchestra for more than ten years. His many performance accolades received over the past thirty years have proven why he is considered one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation.
Sue and Robert have presented their many ‘Songbook Series’ shows both nationally and internationally at major jazz festivals and concert halls.
Sue and Robert will be joined on stage by two exceptional musicians from the D.C. area; James King on bass, and Anita Thomas on clarinet and also saxophone.
James King has a lyrical playing style and is one of the most sought-after jazz bassists in the D.C. metropolitan area. He has played with many jazz legends who have come to the area, notably at the legendary Blue’s Alley jazz club, Wolf Trap and the Kennedy Center.
Australian-born Anita Thomas has appeared in jazz festivals and on recordings with jazzers such as Rebecca Kilgore and Emma Pask. Based in the D.C. area since 2008, she too, has become a highly sought-after jazz musician up and down the east coast.
Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.
The programs and presentations of The Mainstay are supported in part with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and The Kent Cultural Alliance.
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