Jammin’ Divas come to the Roxbury Arts Group, Saturday, May 3rd at 7pm

PRESS RELEASE

Telephone: 607.326.7908
Email: mcullen@roxburyartsgroup.org

The Roxbury Arts Group Celebrates 35 Years of Great Arts Programming with The Jammin’ Divas At the Roxbury Arts Center – 5025 Vega Mountain Rd., Roxbury NY 12474

Saturday, May 3, 2014, 7:00 PM
607.326.7908

Through stunning three part harmonies bedded against the melodic landscape of the flute and double bass, The Jammin’ Divas, Aoife Clancy (Ireland) of the Grammy Nominated group Cherish the Ladies, Nicole Zuraitis (USA), Kath Buckell (Australia), and Hadar Noiberg (Israel), will draw you into an experience that transcends culture and history by sharing music and stories of how these four compatriots of song culturally influence and enrich one another. Join in the eclectic creative energy on Saturday, May 3, 2014, 7:00 PM at the Roxbuty Arts Center, located at 5025 Vega Mountain Road in Roxbury. Advance tickets for this performance are $20 for adults and $17 for students and seniors. All tickets purchased the day of the event are $25.

The three women include Aoife Clancy from Ireland, who is the daughter of Bobby Clancy of the Clancy Brothers. While she was with Cherish the Ladies, the group was nominated for a Grammy Award. Aoife has had a long-standing career touring with the likes of The Clancy Brothers, Christy Moore of the Furey Brothers, Tommy Sands and many others. She also toured seven weeks with the renowned Paddy Noonan Show. In 1995, Aoife was asked to join the acclaimed group “Cherish the Ladies”, which is one of the most sought-after Irish American groups in history. For the past four years, Aoife has toured extensively doing no less than two hundred dates a year throughout the United States and Europe. She has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops and, while performing with Cherish the Ladies, collaborated with the Boston Pops on their GRAMMY nominated Celtic album. Now with seven recordings under her belt in the last decade, Aoife has clearly established herself as one of the ‘Divas’ of Irish and contemporary Folk Music.

Singer/songwriter and pianist Nicole Zuraitis has been turning heads with her huge voice and catchy melodies since she returned to New York in 2009 as Suzanne Lorge from ALL ABOUT JAZZ recognized her as “…the big-voiced, well schooled singer”. She reflects a broad mixture of jazz, pop, r&b and indie fusion where she bridges the gap between genres and unleashing her unparalleled vocals. Having recently returned from a tour of Asia and India, she shared the stage with the extraordinary Jane Monheit for the performance of “Jane Monheit and the Ladies of Jazz”. She recently was recognized as a finalist in the 2013 Songdoor International Songwriting Contest, as well as selected for the 2013 New York City Battle of the Boroughs Competition. Nicole has opened for jazz legend Dave Brubeck, as well as “the Platters” and collaborated with world renowned Indian carnatic guitarist and composer Prasanna. She was featured by Columbia News Tonight as “New Yorker of the week” for her work with music and shelter animals. “Zuraitis’ fluid, natural sound is very much richly expressive and wide ranging… her composing full of jazz sensibility and great emotional depth, open to a variety of influences…. an emotive voice with seductive warmth…. ‘Pariah Anthem’ is a winning exhibition of her performance and songwriting skills…” said Owen McNally of the HARTFORD COURANT.

The Australian counterpart Kath Buckell is a rising Folk/Rock artist in the USA receiving airplay in the US, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Germany and the UK, charting on the following US charts: #63 on the National Folk DJ chart, #25 on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Internet Airplay Chart (for 6 weeks), #27 on the Antiquarian Librarian Breakthrough Recordings for 2012, Top 40 Americana Chart at KVMR (CA), Top 25 AAA chart at WVIA (PA) #12 on the Americana station at WERU (ME) and already won honorable mention at the Mid Atlantic Song Contest for her song ‘Orphaned By The Color Of My Skin’ along with a national radio representation that gave astonishing reviews for her new record… “ Faces Do Not Change stands as the strongest singer-songwriter albums I’ve heard in years” The Gazette (Tom Stauder, 2012) She has toured from Australia, Israel and now the USA and has found her roots in a project that is preserving traditional Australian poetry put to her original music. This new project call Faces Do Not Change was produced by Daniel Jakubovic and supported by well known producer Jaruslav Jakubovic (Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Carly Simon) with guest appearances of Bette Midlers very own Harlette, Ula Hedwig, where she did a beautiful rendition of her song Bird Of Mine.

Hadar Noiberg hails from Israel growing up with its eclectic musical culture. Hadar was surrounded by various musical styles that are a part of the Israeli melting pot; Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Yemenite and Moroccan Music to name a few. Since arriving in New York Hadar has been one of the leading players in the Cuban scene and Jazz scenes showcasing at Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Central Park Summer Stage, WOMEX, Iridium Jazz Standard, Merkin Hall and Lincoln Center to name a few. Hadar has been a featured performer with Dave Valentine, Anat Cohen, Omer Avital, Joel Frahm, Alvester Garnette, Junior Rivera, Louis Kahn, Rufus Reid and many more. “…Noiberg is an extremely gifted flutist who manages to bring out the deep colors and soul of her flute. With it she presents music that is nevertheless jazzy, and yet still reminiscing of Israeli music, of home.” – Lilit Vagner, Yediot Agaronot (nation Israeli newspaper)

Craig Akin is an in-demand upright and electric bass player living in New York City. Between 1997 and 2007 he averaged 270 gigs a year in his musical hometown of Kansas City. There he developed his rhythm and tone while playing or recording with nearly everyone on the jazz and blues scene. Craig has also performed with emerging pop and indie songwriters as well as legendary jazz artists including Tim Hagans, Pete Christlieb, Frank Mantooth, John McNeil, Dick Oatts, Karrin Allyson, Gary Foster, Bobby Watson, Dave Pietro, Claude Williams, Ken Peplowski, among others. To continue his growth as a musician, Craig moved to New York in 2007. He honed his skills even further with the help of Jay Anderson, Scott Colley, and Larry Grenadier. Craig was thrilled to be able to study with legendary Miles Davis bassist, Ron Carter, for two years. “Craig Akin is one of the most versatile bassists I’ve worked with. He is equally skilled with acoustic or electric bass and can play any style. Regardless of the setting, Craig always plays with commitment and creativity.”-Kerry Strayer, Artistic Director/Conductor, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

The Jammin Divas will provide a night of song and merriment like none you have experienced! For more information and ticket reservations please visit www.roxburyartsgroup.org, or call the Roxbury Arts Group at 607.326.7908.

The programs of the Roxbury Arts Group are made possible in part by the support of the New York State Council on the Arts, the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, the Community Foundation of South Central New York, 2014 Season Sponsor WIOX Community Radio 91.3 FM, Karen Miller’s Town & Country Canine and by the generous donations from individual community members like you