We wanted to share this upcoming jazz music series with our readers, hosted by the Japanese Friendhip Garden of Phoenix:
Step out and groove in our traditional Japanese Garden while enjoying live jazz, wine sampling, lantern display and happy hour.
Jazz pianist Beth Leaderman will duo with special guest Blaise Lantana of KJZZ on June 4th and again with Sax artist Mary Petrich on June 18th.
Wine sampling from several vendors will take place throughout the garden and of course our Japanese Bar will be stocked and ready for Happy Hour! See you there!
June 4th
Performing
Beth Lederman on jazz piano & Blaise Lantana of KJZZ on vocals.
June 18th
Performing
Beth Lederman on jazz piano & Mary Petrich on sax.
Artist Bio’s
Beth Lederman www.bethlederman.com
She is well-known for her sophisticated jazz and rhythmic Brazilian and Latin-jazz piano styles, not only in the Phoenix area, but throughout the Western U.S. from Canada to Mexico. She has been playing professionally for more than twenty years, leading several bands and playing with such well-known names as The Diamonds, Bobbie Vinton, and the Drifters, as well as with local artists such as Dave Cook, Pete Pancrazi, Alice Tatum, Dennis Rowland, Renee Patrick, Paul McDermand, and her own groups, Jazz Con Alma and Novo Mundo.
Her music is melodic, fun, fluid, passionate, innovative, heartfelt, rhythmic, eclectic, honest, artistic, humorous, spontaneous…and great!
Blaise Lantana http://kjzz.org/content/1675/blaise-lantana
Lantana is a veteran musician and public broadcaster. She moved to the Valley in 1994 to serve as an on-air host for KJZZ’s sister station, 89.5 KBAQ. While she has a deep affinity for classical music, the sounds of classic jazz lured her to take on the role of KJZZ’s Music Director in 1995.
Lantana has been a lifelong musician. She was born in Tucson, AZ and grew up in Philadelphia.
PA. She began singing at two, playing piano at seven and took up the organ at twelve. She picked up her first guitar in high school and it’s been her instrument of choice ever since. As a student at Rutgers University and Texas A & M, she majored in voice and composition and became enchanted by the sounds of Miles Davis’ trumpet and Billie Holiday’s voice, which led her to pursue a musical career in jazz and blues.
She spent 20 years on the road performing and composing with blues and jazz ensembles, including some Valley bands. You can still catch her perform at special engagements around town.
As KJZZ’s Music Director, one of Lantana’s primary responsibilities is to scope out new artists and recordings and then decide which selections and interviews to include in KJZZ’s weeknight jazz schedule.
“While I love jazz classics and legends like Stan Getz and Ella, I’m always on the look out for new talent,” said Lantana. “Best of all, I love sharing these new sounds with KJZZ listeners because I think that all of us are still looking to fall in love with something we haven’t heard before.”
Mary Petrich www.marypetrich.com
Date:
Sunday, June 4 and June 18, 2017
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location:
Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
1125 N 3rd Ave
General Admission:
$5 Adult
$4 Senior (+62), Military and Students (with ID)
Drinks will be available for purchase at an additional cost.