Jon Gordon ready to kick off season of Kelowna concerts — B4
Jazz, a cappella, show tunes, Irish dancing and cellos — lots of cellos
Fans of jazz, musical theatre, chamber music and all things Celtic have something to look forward to with the next season of concerts put on by the Kelowna Community Concert Association.
Musicians, actors and dancers from across North America and Europe will perform in the series of five shows.
The Jon Gordon Jazz Quartet kicks off the series Oct. 19. Winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz competition, Gordon has been called one of the greatest alto sax players ever. His quartet will bring a taste of the New York City jazz scene with standards they perform at venues like the Blue Note, Birdland and Village Vanguard.
The power of the human voice will be on display on Dec. 12 with Background Vocals, an a cappella quintet from New York. This young group brings unique arrangements, tight harmonies and worldclass beatboxing to pop, classical, electronic and original music. Winner of Steve Harvey’s Sing Off in 2017, the group is known for their high energy and strong musicality.
A dozen of Ireland’s finest dancers and musicians will present a journey through Irish history on Feb. 9 in Oceans of Hope. This is the story of people moving across oceans in hopes of a better and brighter future. The music captures the struggles and dreams of people fighting for liberty, dignity and family.
Not one or two, but eight cellos will take to the stage March 28 to explore the musical spectrum from Tchaikovsky to Piazzolla to Nino Rota. O-Celli, a Belgium-based cello octet, brings together musicians who play in prominent European ensembles and orchestras to perform creatively arranged dance and cinema music, as well as original compositions.
You Could Drive a Person Crazy features acclaimed Canadian musical theatre performers.
Donna Fletcher (Rainbow Stage Wall of Fame), Paul Gatchell (Stratford, Phantom of the Opera and Broadway), Jamie McLennan (Calgary, Edmonton and Manitoba Operas), Donnalynn Grills (Rainbow Stage and Manitoba Opera) and collaborative artist Cary Denby will present the classic songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Bosk and Harnick and Steven Sondheim.
This concert ends the season series April 29.
The Kelowna Community Concert Association is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. The series of five concerts is available only by purchasing an annual membership for $90. There are a limited number of memberships available for the 2018-19 series.
To get in on this series, call Deb Meldram at 250-765-3571 or Betty Skilbeck at 250-7652835.
On the web: kelownacommunityconcerts.org