On Stage: Local women of jazz in the spotlight

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

Over the next few days, there will be two special shows focusing on female acts – one featuring one woman and the other featuring 11 women.

“Jazz for Jamey’s,” a special multi-artist show as a benefit for the venue, will be held on March 24 at Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com). The other concert is an “Album Release Party” by Chester County’s Mindy Rhodes at the Chester County History Center on March 26.

Rhodes is a versatile performer whose music transcends genres. She has performed in nightclubs as a jazz vocalist with a backing band, at smaller venues with her solo cabaret act and at area restaurants with a duo line-up.

Rhodes will present a special one-off show on Saturday at the Chester County History Center (225 North High Street, West Chester, www.whisperwindstudios.com, 610-563-8788).

The concert will be an “Album Release Party” for her new disc – “It’s Alright Tonight,” which was just released on her own Whisperwind Studios label.

In a phone interview back in 2004, Rhodes, who was performing every Friday and Saturday at the Dilworthtown Inn, said, “My plan is to work on the songs for the next album over a period of time. Within a year, I hope to have my third album done. I love being in the studio and working with other musicians.”

Rhodes’ “year” became a very long year. Even Julius Caesar’s “longest year in history” in 46 B.C. pales in comparison. The year 46 B.C. was 445 days long. Rhodes’ “year” was 240 months long.

“My previous album was 20 years ago,” said Rhodes, during a phone interview Tuesday from her Chester County studio.

Prior to the 2004 interview, Rhodes had released two albums – her debut disc “Whispering Winds” and her sophomore album “Blush.”

“I thought I’d take my time making my third album,” said Rhodes in a bit of an understatement.

“It’s Alright Tonight” was recorded at The Music Centre in Chester Springs with Glenn Ferracone and Rhodes sharing production duties.

“We hit the studio in November 2019,” said Rhodes, who attended Hillsdale Elementary School, West Chester Henderson High and Westtown School.

“Wen started recording through part of the winter and then had to stop in March 2020 because of the pandemic. We started up again later in 2020.

“I recorded everything with Glenn – mostly at The Music Centre. I also have a home studio and we did some recording at Temenos, a retreat center in West Chester.

“I wrote some during the pandemic. I’m always writing, and I had a lot of unfinished pieces. One upside with the pandemic was that I could work on my music. The new CD is lemonade out of lemon.

“There are some songs on the new album that were pulled off my first CD and we re-did them. That was very fun.”

Rhodes, who has been described as the unofficial songbird of Chester County, was a piano performance major at Penn State University with voice as her second instrument.

“I did solo classical recitals when I was at Penn State,” said Rhodes. “I won a concerto competition my senior year and performed with the Penn State Philharmonic.

“When I was at Penn State, I also started playing coffeehouses and singing my own material – no cover tunes…just my own songs. It took me a while to learn the coordination of singing and playing. My early stuff was pretty raw.”

People often ask – if you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self. Rhodes had that opportunity – in a musical way.

“My first CD was more like a demo,” said Rhodes. “So, to go back and produce these songs again was awesome.

“I also do a couple covers on the new album. It’s always a journey. I had a great band on the album and had Michelle Lee doing some backing vocals.”

Rhodes’ band for the album featured some of the Delaware Valley’s premier musicians – Chico Huff on bass, Luke Ferracone on guitars and Glenn Ferracone on drums. Paul Wilkinson also played pedal steel guitar on three tracks.

“The whole group was very creative,” said Rhodes. “They all had the freedom to come up with their own parts.

“There wasn’t a theme for the CD. I just picked and chose what I felt came out the best. Originally, the title was going to be, ‘Train to Wonderland,’ and then we changed it to ‘It’s Alright Tonight,’ which is the first track.”

When fans listen to the opening track for the first time, they hear Rhodes’ solo piano intro followed by an impressive bass run by Huff. Then, Rhodes warm, rich vocals start to soar over the music and deliver positive lyrics.

Listeners know right off the bat that the wait was worth it (even though the wait lasted two decades).

Rhodes is actually a multi-tiered artist — a versatile artist whose creative realm includes painting and floral arranging as well as music. Samples of her work can be seen at her website –www.whisperwindstudios.com.

“I do a lot of work in fresh flower arranging and also with silk flowers,” said Rhodes. “I’ve also worked on painting floorcloths. These are oil paintings on canvas that are hand-painted and then specially treated so they can be used on floors like rugs.”

Rhodes is also an activist dedicated to land and historic preservation. She played a key role in the recent preservation of Crebilly Farm.

And she is a woman enjoying life in a country home — sharing that life with her husband, one horse, one cat, two donkeys, three dogs, one fish, two rabbits and one house duck.

Artwork also plays a role on her new album. The cover of “It’s Alright Tonight” is a sketch of Rhodes painted by LeRoy Neiman. Neiman was an American artist known for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screenprints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events.

“LeRoy was a friend of my former manager Don Elbaum,” said Rhodes. “I met LeRoy in New York. He came to one of my shows there and did a sketch of me at the show.”

Video link for Mindy Rhodes – https://youtu.be/XtDAIYbwMIA.

The B.Y.O.B. show on March 26 will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 and must be purchased in advance.

The “Jazz for Jamey’s” benefit was arranged by Maci Miller, a talented jazz/blues singer from the area who has performed several times at Jamey’s with her band and every Sunday at “SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM” featuring the Philly Blues Kings with Maci Miller. Another weekly event at the venue is the “THURSDAY NIGHT JAZZ JAM” featuring the Dave Reiter Trio.

“Jamey Reilly is a great person,” said Miller, during a phone interview last week from her home in Bucks County.

“There are times where he has paid bands out of his own pocket. He’s kind. But he’s not making a lot of profit.”

Reilly, like most club owners, has had to work hard to survive during the pandemic.

“We closed on March 13, 2020 because of the pandemic,” said Reilly, during a phone interview Monday afternoon.

“We reopened with live audiences in April 2021 with a cap reduction of 25 per cent. Our capacity went from 80 to 60.

“We now have HEPA 13 filters and UVC (ultraviolet germicidal) lights to sterilize the room. We’re staying at 60 and we have tables with seating facing the stage.

“We went as far overboard as we could to keep our audiences safe. We haven’t had one report of COVID transmission since we started building up.”

It still hasn’t been easy.

“We were getting back and then the Delta variant came along and attendance dropped,” said Reilly. “We went up again and then Omicron hit and the bottom dropped out again. It’s been a seesaw.

“We’ve lost a lot of business. It’s still slow. Income was gone for a complete year. Lately, I’ve been paying bands out of my own pocket.

“We’re still running in the red. Maci saw that and said – we’ve got to do something to help you out.”

Miller has gathered up some of the very best singers in the area to join her for a takeover of the regularly scheduled Thursday Jazz Jam. The Dave Reiter Trio (Dave Reiter, George Livanos, Michael O’Rourke) will be the house band, as usual.

“When I put out a group message to acts asking them to help, all of them agreed to come perform,” said Miller. “And they all had something nice to say about Jamey.

“Musicians feel at home at this venue. Jamey makes people feel at home. And he spent a ton on the sound system. It’s just a great place to play.”

The following is the line-up for the March 24 show (in alphabetical order) – Lisa Chavous, Ella Ghant, Gwen Jackson, Denise King, Kelly Measher, Maci Miller, Denise Montana, Geri Oliver, Michele Peraino, Jill Salkin and Wendy Simon.

Miller and Reilly are also bandmates and will be performing Sunday as part of the Philly Blues Kings.

The Philly Blues Kings are a veteran outfit comprised of David Reiter on guitar, keyboards and vocals, Bill Marconi on drums and vocals, Miller (a recent addition) on vocals and Reilly on bass guitar. The three dudes have performed together for 15 years and are the house band for Jamey’s House of Music. They are well known for tight, jazz inflected classic blues.

Reiter performs on a seven-string guitar and Reilly plays a fretless five string bass and that sets the group above the ordinary. The three veteran musicians have each spent decades playing the blues professionally and have backed many well-known national artists.

“We’ve been together a long time – even back to many years ago at the PSALM Salon,” said Reilly.

One missing element for the band in recent times has been a full-time lead singer capable of meeting the trio’s high standards. That element is no longer missing.

Back in December, Miller, an internationally recognized jazz singer based in Philadelphia, joined the Blues Kings and quickly established herself as a top-flight front woman.

“We’ve had the blues jam on Sundays for well over a decade,” said Reilly. “Dave and I have been playing together for 15 years. We’ve gone through many iterations of a singer over the years.”

Reilly had heard Miller sing several times and had booked her for several shows at his club in the past year.

“When I booked her for Jamey’s, I knew she was a straightforward jazz singer,” said Reilly. “I liked her voice. I knew she could kill the blues.”

When Reilly asked Miller to join his band, she quickly replied – yes.

“I’m excited to be part of Jamey’s Sunday Jam,” said Miller. “He’s  a musician so he knows how to treat musicians. I’ve played Jamey’s a few times and I’ve always enjoyed watching the blues jams there.

“When he asked me to do this, it was a no-brainer. Jazz is my favorite music and now blues is in a close tie. These guys are great to work with.

“It’s been a good fit because I always had a good number of blues songs in my repertoire – more jazzy blues tunes. Now, I’ve learned some of his blues tunes. And I have a new original that we’ll debut this weekend.”

Because of her varied musical background, Miller is equally comfortable singing an Ella Fitzgerald classic like “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Moje Zlato” (a Croatian wedding song) or one of her many melodic original compositions.

“I was singing into a hairbrush ever since I was able to talk,” said Miller.

As a young girl, Miller discovered her grandparent’s vast collection of vinyl, and after studying every great artist from Ella to Ellington, she honed her vocal skills and made her debut in local clubs and at special events.

“There were a lot of musicians on my mother’s side,” said Miller. “I had a lot of talented uncles who were writers, producers and sound guys. On my dad’s side, there was the Croatian influence. There was always Croatian music being played.

“When I was growing up, I was always singing in choirs and performing at local shows. When I was 20, I got into dinner theater in Harrisburg. Then I joined a funk band named Smooth – a pop/funk band.”

Miller grew up in the Harrisburg area in a small town called Enhaut and then graduated from Central Dauphin East High School.

“I was in a lot of bands that did wedding gigs,” said Miller. “Then, I did a lot of modeling and acting when I moved to Philadelphia. I also worked in New York. After a while, I stopped all the other things and focused on music. It was later that I got into jazz.”

Miller released her debut album, “A Very Good Night,” in 2001.

“My first album was a big band album,” said Miller. “It was all originals written in ’40s style. My second album, which came out in 2004 was ‘Take A Closer Look.’ It was a pop/jazz fusion album.”

Miller’s third album was written for a very specific audience.

“The third album was ‘Butterfly Moon’,” said Miller. “It was a lullaby album for my baby girl, Ruby. We adopted her from Thailand. I made the album so she could get used to my voice before we went to Thailand to get her.”

Miller’s other creative endeavors as an actor, model, and spokesperson have afforded her numerous appearances on film (The Sixth Sense), print (Modern Bride, Women’s World Magazine), and television (Law and Order). Her charitable contributions include a lullaby entitled “Butterfly Moon”, originally composed for her daughter, which she contributed to a CD for The Mercy Center in Bangkok, which gives aid to orphans and children living with HIV.

Miller has worked with several music greats including trumpeter Steve Jankowski (Nile Rodgers, Chicago), saxophonist Larry McKenna (Woody Herman, Buddy DeFranco), Dean Schneider (music director for Diahann Carroll), Demitrious Pappas (Smokey Robinson’s music director), and the late George Mesterhazy (Shirley Horn).

She has sung in legendary rooms such as the The Jazz Standard and Danny’s Skylight Room in New York City, Ortliebs and Chris’s Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia, Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and Bally’s, Harrah’s and the Claridge in Atlantic City. Her travels have also taken her to the iconic Bamboo Bar in Bangkok, Thailand for several extended runs.

The arrival of Ruby marked a career shift for Miller.

“I didn’t sing for about eight years so I could focus on being a mom,” said Miller. “Two years ago, my friend David O’Rourke said – you should sing again.

“Two years ago, I decided to dip my toe back in and an album came out of it – ‘Round Midnight.’”

On “Round Midnight,” Miller sings 15 favorite standards in an intimate duet format with guitarist David O’Rourke.

“I recorded ‘Round Midnight’ and released it just before the pandemic,” said Miller. “I was four gigs into my comeback and the world shut down.”

Now, Miller is playing one show a week – and sometimes more — at Jamey’s House of Music.

The most meaningful one will be the benefit concert on March 24.

“Jamey doesn’t want to charge admission for this show,” said Miller. “However, I’d like to suggest a generous donation…$20 or whatever you can give.”

The evening will be live streamed on the Jamey’s House of Music Facebook page for those unable to attend live.

Donations may be made to: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Y99SQRMTEPH6L.

Even if you can’t attend the show in person or watch the Livestream of the event, you should still consider making a donation.

Local venues need your support – even in the best of times – and Jamey’s is one of the premier local venues.

On March 25, Jamey’s will present the MK & MM Jazz Quintet. On March 26, the headline will be Claude Bourbon. On March 27, it will be time for “SUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM” featuring the Philly Blues Kings with Maci Miller.

Video link for Philly Blues Kings — https://youtu.be/bAnBVLc7Wsg.

Video link for Maci Miller — https://youtu.be/D3ktSJTVxDs.

On March 24, the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) is presenting the March edition of its monthly Candlelight Comedy Club with Bob DiBuono as the headliner and Bill Chiang as the feature.

DiBuono has established himself as one of the most dynamic acts on stage. With a sarcastic and edgy wit coupled with a high energy and animated delivery, he exposes the absurdities in life, his family and social conscious.

He has become one of the Candlelight Comedy Club’s most popular attractions.

“I’ve been performing at the Candlelight for a while,” said DiBuono, during a phone interview last week. “I really like playing there. I’ve been doing shows at the Candlelight for seven or eight years.”

The versatility of being able to go in and out of original characters along with dead-on impersonations has become DiBuono’s trademark.

He is most known for his impersonations of Donald Trump. He looks like Trump, sounds like Trump and nails the former president’s odd mannerisms.

“I started doing Trump on Comedy Central,” said DiBuono. “I was the voice of Trump on ‘Murphy Brown.’ I did Coachella in 2019 and then toured with Kendrick Lamar.

“Trump was something I was working on when he was running for president. I was auditioning. I do a lot of impressions, so I decided on Trump. Comedy Central came together pretty quickly.”

Anyone doing impressions of a president usually has to look for a new act when that president leaves office. There aren’t many Bill Clinton or George W. Bush impressionists working the circuit these days.

Fortunately for DiBuono – and not so fortunately for many people – Trump refuses to go away. He still praised Vladimir Putin even after he launched an unprovoked war on Ukraine. On March 26, the former president will host a “Trump ‘Save America’ Rally” in Commerce, Georgia.

For DiBuono, it’s good for business.

“I don’t have a political agenda,” said DiBuono. “When I do an impression of someone, I try to capture the persona – to capture the essence.”

DiBuono graduated from Northeastern University in Boston – majoring in journalism with a concentration in advertising. After graduating college, he worked in sales and advertising.

“I’ve been doing comedy for 22 years,” said DiBuono. “I started in New York City. I was working a corporate job and started doing open mics and bar shows. I went full-time with comedy after six years.

“I did stand-up for 15 years until my first big break doing the Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central.

“When I started playing clubs, the first five or six years were as an emcee. After tha, I started featuring. It took me probably four years to get to headliner.

“I started doing more clubs nationally about 10 years ago. There are clubs everywhere. It’s a matter of finding a club you like.”

With the Candlelight Comedy Club, DiBuono has obviously found a club he likes. And local fans have shown that the feeling is mutual.

Bill Chiang is an immigrant with a traditional Asian background – and an unlikely candidate to be stand-up comedian.

Out of curiosity, he tried stand-up one night at a club and found out he liked it. Since then, he has quickly become a regular in clubs across the East Coast. Chiang’s source for comedy comes from the absurdity and silliness of everyday life. His unique views on sex, TV, and stories about growing up as an Asian immigrant in New York City make him a favorite in clubs and at benefits.

Bill is a comedy competition winner in NYC, has been featured on Comcast On-Demand and has played in historic comedy venues such as the New York Comedy Club, The Comic Strip, Catch a Rising Star and The Comedy Cabaret in Philadelphia.

Video link for Bob DiBuono — https://youtu.be/vnON9bk1h48.

The Show at the Candlelight Theater on February 17 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which include complimentary chicken tenders, iced tea, chips, lemonade and coffee, are $30. There will be a full-service bar open throughout the show.

Proof of Vaccination or negative test required. Masks are required entering and exiting the theatre.

The Candlelight Theater is in the early stages of its second production run of 2022. The interesting Broadway musical “Big Fish” is running now through April 24.

More live comedy is taking place this weekend when the Colonial Theatre (Bridge Street, Phoenixville, www.point entertainment.com) hosts Joe Conklin and City Rhythm Orchestra on March 25.

Conklin, one of the top comedians in the Delaware Valley, joins forces with the world-renowned City Rhythm Orchestra for a night of comedy and music.

In a salute to the Philadelphia sports teams and their fans, Conklin takes the audience on a nostalgic journey featuring all of his celebrity voice impressions, an 8-piece orchestra and a cast of singers including John Conklin, Casey Conklin, Tricia Gozzi, Debra Toscano, Steve Ritrovato and surprise guests.

Video link for Joe Conklin and City Rhythm Orchestra — https://youtu.be/qJ2S-X_ZDtM.

The show on March 25 will start at 8 p.m.

Ticket prices are — Gold Circle: $65; Front Orchestra: $45.50; Front Balcony: $45; Rear Orchestra: $35; Rear Balcony: $25.

Another show this weekend at the Colonial Theatre will be the Psychedelic Furs on March 27.

Samantha Fish is a veteran musician, a talented singer and an adept songwriter. But, more than anything, she’s a guitarist with roots in rock, blues and Americana.

On March 26, she will share the bill with the Devon Allman Project at Scottish Rite Auditorium (315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, New Jersey, scottishriteauditorium.com), is

Fish is touring in support of her latest album, “Faster,” which is an ironic title considering nothing went faster in the 20 months of pandemic shutdown.

“Faster” is the sixth album by the Kansas City native and her sophomore release for Rounder Records. Her Rounder debut was 2019’s “Kill or Be Kind.”

“Faster” debuted in the Billboard Blues Charts at Number 1. It also debuted at Number 2 in the Folk Americana Charts and Number 10 in the Rock Albums Charts.

Guitar World named Fish as “One of the 30 best guitarists in the world.” She came in at Number 7 behind Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa.

“‘Faster’ is a pandemic album,” said Fish, during a recent phone interview from her home in Louisiana.

“I started working on it during the pandemic. I told myself – go inside yourself and be creative.”

“Faster,” which was produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, was released on September 10 on Rounder Records.

“Martin reached out in 2020,” said Fish, a native of Kansas City, Missouri. “We had a Kansas City connection.

“I came to Kansas City in October. We met and meshed really well. We just forged a friendship and started talking. I realized he was the guy I wanted to produce the album. He’s done pop but he’s from Michigan and the rock scene there.

“We cut the album in L.A. We went to Village Recorder to make it. We started in December and spent a couple weeks in the studio.”

The Village Recorder is famous for landmark recordings by Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Petty, The Stones, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers and many other projects.

“It’s a pretty incredible studio,” said Fish. “I was in awe when we first went there. We were in the studio where Dr. Dre recorded ‘The Chronic.’ I thought t myself – I’m here and I’ve got to make the most of this moment.

“I had a bunch of songs ready to go. I had an abundance of material. I cut 14 songs. Twelve of them are on ‘Faster’ and the other two are on a special edition of the album.

“Martin had a different approach to production. He played all the keyboards, and I did all the guitar work. The album has a heartbeat. It’s very human. I recorded most of the songs live – meat and potatoes.

“Martin put a lot of time into the record before we stepped in the studio. Then, we both put a lot of time into pre-production. It was very calm.

“I’m always into exploring. Every record I make is different from the last. You’ve got to be open to change to grow. You have to listen to your heart.”

Fish has music in her DNA.

“My dad played, and my mom sang in church,” said Fish. “My dad’s friends all played music. They’d come over to our house and play. It was a social thing. My uncles played metal with heavy guitar. My dad’s friends played country-and-western and blues.

“I started with drums and did that for a couple years. I’m glad I did because it gave me the rhythmic foundation. When I picked up guitar – that’s when I started singing. Not long after, I started writing songs.

“Song writing is something you have to work on if you want to learn how to write good songs. I still play songs today that I wrote when I was 20. My songs are rock, country and soul – all bluesy even though I’ve never written a standard blues song.”

Musical diversity has always been crucial for Fish – listening and playing.

“I listened to a lot of soul music — people like Otis Redding and Ray Charles,” said Fish. “I was also influenced by blues acts — especially North Mississippi blues — people like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.”

The last time Fish played the area, it was with a six-piece band. This time is more streamlined.

“On this tour, it’s a four-piece band,” said Fish. “The bass player is from New Orleans. The drummer is from Nashville. The keyboard player is from New Jersey. I always try to go out with a new show – a show with some new stuff and some old stuff.”

The Devon Allman Project is a six-piece band led by Blues Music Award winning Devon Allman. It features the two Allman Betts Band drummers, bass, Hammond B3 organ and piano and another guitarist.

They will be playing songs of The Allman Brothers and Gregg Allman in their set as well as Devon’s fan favorite originals and surprise covers. This run of dates will also feature the liquid light show and video visuals behind the band courtesy of “Brotherhood of Light,” the touring visual company that toured with the Allman Brothers for 20 years and also for 3 years with Allman Betts.

Video link for Samantha Fish — https://youtu.be/lAe4Yg0gx-I.

The show on March 26 will start at 8 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $39.50-$69.50.

For the first time since 2019, the Wells School of Music at West Chester University will bring world-class entertainment and free live jazz to the surrounding community during the 32nd annual Jazz Festival now through March 26.

One of the festival highlights will be a performance at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) on March 25.

The concert will feature David Liebman with the Dali String Quartet and feature WCU’s Criterions Jazz Ensemble.

Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music with a career stretching more than 50 years. He has played with masters including Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and McCoy Tyner.

His newest group Expansions formed in 2013 features musicians from the new generation of jazz players living in New York; Bobby Avey on piano, Matt Vashlishan on reeds, Alex Ritz on drums along with the perennial Tony Marino on bass. The music of this group reflects current trends and styles being played by the new crop of jazz players.

On Friday night, Liebman will perform with West Chester University’s own quartet-in-residence, Dalí Quartet, in a concert that will also feature West Chester University’s Criterions Jazz Ensemble.

The show on March 25 will start at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 and $30 with student tickets priced at $15.

The Jazz Festival is the first programmed by the University since 2019 due to the pause in some productions because of COVID-19.

In celebration of West Chester University’s 150th Anniversary, this year’s three-day festival is a tribute to the past, present, and future of West Chester University’s Wells School of Music with performances that feature faculty, alumni, and current students, as well as performances by jazz legends.

Most performances are free and take place on West Chester University’s campus in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre, Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center (817 South High Street, West Chester, www.wcupa.edu/music/jazzfest.aspx).

On March 24 at 8 p.m. in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre, there will be a free concert by the WCU Criterions.

Director of Jazz Studies Jonathan Ragonese leads the Criterions in a celebration of alumni featuring all-alumni special guests. The evening opens with a performance by the Latin Jazz Ensemble led by Dr. Marc Jacoby.

On March 25 at 1 p.m. in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre, there will be a concert featuring the John Swana Trio.

An alumnus of West Chester University, Swana, a native of Norristown, began studying the trumpet at age 11. Swana has performed or toured with the Mingus Big Band, and the Dave Holland Big Band and has also played and recorded with well-known jazz names from across the country and around the world. He plays with Philadelphia jazz guitarist, Steve Giordano, and trumpeter Dave Meashey.

On March 26 starting at 10 a.m. in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre, there will be a “High School Jazz Ensemble Showcase.”

Some of the finest jazz ensembles from high schools around the region will perform half-hour sets. Tickets are $12 general admission and $7 for students.