'Swingin' Ode to Benny Goodman Coming to CLC

Renowned jazz vocalist Terry Blaine, along with pianist Mark Shane and clarinetist Dan Levinson, will perform “Swingin’ the Benny Goodman Songbook,” at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11 in the Studio Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at the College of Lake County.

This cabaret-style concert will showcase Blaine’s richly-rendered jazz vocals and the elegant stride mastery of pianist Mark Shane. Along with acclaimed clarinetist, Dan Levinson, the trio celebrates the magic of classic jazz and the 1930s Swing Era’s upbeat, toe-tapping renditions of hot swing standards.

Blaine and Shane have worked together countless times over the years, and their repertoire includes music that harkens back to classic jazz history and the female vocalists who helped the Goodman band transform the Swing Era. To learn more, visit www.terryblaine.com/songbook.

As a singer and musician, Blaine has enjoyed a multi-faceted career that includes live performances, recordings, studio work, television and radio shows, musical composition, songwriting and production. Her unique interpretations of classic jazz standards have brought her international attention and recognition as one of the few contemporary female jazz singers performing the hot small-band swing material from the 1930s.

Blaine’s collaboration with Shane, which began with a three-and-a-half year duo engagement at Café Society in Greenwich Village, led to the CD “Whose Honey Are You,” a Jazz Journal International Record of the Year and a second CD, “Terry Blaine in Concert.”

Blaine and Shane have since performed at prestigious venues such as Michael’s Pub, Fat Tuesday’s, the Plaza Hotel, the Lakeland Jazz Festival, JVC New Jersey Jazz Festival, Artown Celebration in Reno, Colorado Jazz Party, the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Sarasota Opera House in Florida, the Norris Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles and the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. A concert CD, “With Thee I Swing,” was recorded in Germany for the Nagel-Heyer label. The accompanying live show and CD is called “Too Hot for Words.” They recently released “Lonesome Swallow,” a recording that has won rave reviews.

Joining Blaine and Shane is acclaimed clarinetist Dan Levinson, who specializes in traditional jazz and swing. An ardent Benny Goodman devotee, Levinson’s tributes to the clarinet legend have brought him many accolades. His re-creations of Goodman’s famous Carnegie Hall jazz concert have delighted audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Levinson has performed on over 75 CDs, including seven under his own name. He has played on several film soundtracks, including Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.”

The Mississippi Rag calls Dan Levinson the “in-demand reedman.” A specialist in traditional jazz and swing, Levinson is indeed one of the most prolific musicians on the scene today, equally at home as both a leader and sideman. During 20-year career, he has appeared alongside such prominent artists as Dick Hyman, Mel Tormé, Wynton Marsalis, Ed Polcer, Howard Alden, Joe Ascione, Dan Barrett, Jon-Erik Kellso, Randy Reinhart, Mark Shane, Kevin Dorn, Dick Sudhalter, Frank Vignola, Randy Sandke and John Cocuzzi. He has appeared at festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Sweet and Hot Music Festival in Los Angeles, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival, the Sedalia Ragtime Festival, the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival in Connecticut and in Scotland and Wales.

Ticket prices and information

Regular: $31; Senior 65+/CLC Alumni/CLC Staff $30; CLC Student/Teen $16. Prices include a $1 JLC facility fee per ticket. Additional fees may apply. Discounts are available for groups of six or more adults. The 250-seat Studio Theatre features a thrust stage, offers wheelchair access and is ADA accessible.

JLC Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., phone: (847) 543-2300 (option 5) or website: www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. To request the 2012-13 CLC cultural arts calendar, which includes professional series as well as college-sponsored events such as music concerts, theatre and dance productions, films, art exhibits, literary events and much more, call (847) 543-2300 (option 5) or join the mailing list at www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.

The rest of the 2012-13 JLC Professional Touring Season includes the following events:

• Imani Winds (a premiere wind quintet) on Thursday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-show dinner option at CLC’s new Prairie restaurant for an additional $20.
• Lisa Rock in Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters (recreates the sounds of the Carpenters) on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.
• Cirque Ziva (circus acrobats) on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• The Passing Zone presents Gravity Attacks! (comedic jugglers) on Thursday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• Orbert Davis Quintet (Chicago jazz trumpeter) on Friday, April 12 at 8 p.m.
• “Sleeping Beauty” featuring David Gonzalez (multimedia storytelling) on Saturday, May 4 at noon.
• 3 Blonde Moms… See How They Run! (stand-up comedy) on Saturday, May 11 at 8 p.m.

Submitted by the College of Lake County.