Our regular concert season runs September - December and February - May. We are off for the summer, and look forward to seeing everyone at Sammons Jazz again in the Fall!

An Artful Evening of Wine and Jazz - POSTPONED

Due to unforeseen difficulties, we have postponed our Artful Evening of Wine and Jazz.

FALL 2010 SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 - 7:00 TO 10:00 P.M.
“Billy & Billie, Eckstine & Holiday”       

These two performers are not to be missed and will have you hanging on every note!

Opening Group:   Ardina Lockhart  will charm and mesmerize with her interpretation of Billie Holiday classics in our Season Opening Concert which salutes Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine.  Ms. Lockhart made her Sammons Jazz debut as one of the featured singers in the annual Leigh Tomlinson Memorial concert which celebrates up and coming young talent.  She stole the show with her impassioned performance, and is back by popular demand.  She will be joined by Roger Boykin on piano, Carl Hillman on bass, Shelley Carrol on saxophone and Jamil Byrom on drums.

Second Set: Victor Cager will be featured in the second set with his stunning vocals and transcendent interpretations.  A true original, Victor Cager possesses an astonishing voice of deep richness and warm intonation.  He will be joined by Colin Campbell on piano, Joel Cross on guitar, George Anderson on bass and Ahmad Benny Medina on drums.   

 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2010 - 7:00 TO 10:00 P.M.        
“Nothing But Fun”           

If you like saxophone, you will love this concert!

Opening Group: Tom Braxton opens the first set with style, performing his singular brand of saxophone magic honed since childhood and polished through years of performing with a variety of legendary jazz musicians.  He will be joined by Caleb McCampbell on keyboards, Joseph Toliver on bass, Daran DeShazo on Guitar, and Jason Thomas on drums.

Second Set: The McGuire-Booth Quintet will be featured in the second set.  Chris McGuire and Rodney Booth will take a look at the humorous side of jazz performing some of the novelty vocals popularized by Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole and others.  Other band members to be announced.           

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010 - 7:00 TO 10:00 P.M.
“The Autumn Leaves”      

CD Release Party with Corner Pocket

Opening Group:   Corner Pocket led by Ryan McCullough will swing into your hearts presenting the debut of their latest CD “Corner Pocket Live…At Last!”.  Consider this their CD release party and you are all invited.  Saxophonist Ryan McCullough leads this outstanding band known for their delicious brand of swing, and he will be joined by an all-star line-up including Clark Erickson on piano, Lynn Seaton on bass,  Akira Sato on trumpet, Volker Ruckgaber on trombone, Kyla McIntyre on vocals and Andrew Griffith on drums.

Second Set: The John Adams Group featuring James King take you into the second set with a great group of musicians led by renowned bassist, John Adams.  He is joined by James King in vocals, Noel Johnston on guitar, Brian Piper on keyboards, and Sean McCurley on Drums.

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2010 - 7:00 TO 10:00 P.M.
“Winter Elegance”           

A December treat to give you thrills and chills!

Opening Group: The Bill Lohr Band with Peggy Lauren opens the show with Sammons Jazz favorite Peggy Lauren singing all your jazz favorites.  If there is a classic jazz tune that Peggy doesn’t know, it hasn’t been written yet!  Bill and Peggy will be joined by Carl Hillman on bass and Dennis Durrick on drums. 

Second Set: The Dave Zoller Trio with Abby Holmes and Janet Robertson will get December off to a great start with two incredible female vocalists.  Which one is naughty and which one is nice?!!  Join pianist Dave Zoller along with Abby and Janet at the December concert to find out. They will be joined by Jonathan Fisher on bass and Chris Holmes on drums.

Sammons Jazz Series
Sammons Jazz is the only regular ongoing jazz performance series in the Dallas-Fort Worth area featuring local artists. Since the Sammons Jazz series began in1989, we have presented more than 1000 artists to a combined audience of more than 10,000. Sammons Jazz is presented the first Wednesday of each month, February through May and September through December in the relaxed, noncommercial setting of Meadows Hall in the Sammons Center. We present two ensembles at each concert, and ticket prices include complimentary coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, light appetizers and valet parking. A variety of jazz styles is presented by professional artists as well as jazz students from the University of North Texas and the Arts Magnet High School.

Jazz in the Park with Shakespeare Dallas
We have presented a number of free jazz concerts in conjunction with the Summer productions of Shakespeare Dallas in Samuel Grand Park in East Dallas. These outdoor concerts are presented prior to the start of their plays on Friday or Saturday evenings throughout run of the festival. This collaboration has been very successful for both organizations and enhances the artistic value of both performances. We will work together to maximize a joint marketing initiative to draw a more diverse audience to these wonderful community events and enhance the community outreach impact of both organizations.

Jazz Youth Program
We are expanding our youth jazz outreach program in partnership with the Dallas Area Boys and Girls Club which enables us to introduce youth, ages 6 to 12, to jazz as a unique American art form. We have events at the Sammons Center in conjunction with youth agencies such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Church Groups and Recreation Centers, that are interactive as well as educational and help expose these children to jazz music. We use established jazz musicians as well as young jazz musicians from the Arts Magnet High School to play for the children and to get them involved with interactive activities as participants in the concerts. These events are held in our facility throughout the school year as an after-school program that is both fun and educational. Snacks are provided to the children during an intermission and they are encouraged to ask questions and participate in the music. Concert etiquette is also addressed to help students understand appropriate behavior at public events.

Future Initiatives
The Sammons Center for the Arts intends to develop a new paradigm in the promotion and preservation of jazz as an original American art form through the development of an on-line jazz museum celebrating the rich artistic heritage of the jazz artists of Dallas and Texas. There is an abundant and rich history of the evolution of jazz in our region. Significant contributions have been made by a number of very talented artists,but that history is largely undocumented and unheralded. It is important to capture and disseminate this region's contributions to the development of jazz by utilizing the exciting new technologies that allow information to be gathered, organized, displayed and continually updated.

Equally important is the ability to make the information gathered within the On-line museum available instantly to people all over the United States and the world. We will be able to reach artists, students, educators, jazz enthusiasts, and others through the medium of the world wide web. The museum content would include: Archival photographs, discography, video interviews with jazz artists, artists' profiles, recorded music archive, excerpts from print media, bibliography, history and development of the jazz art form, jazz event calendar, jazz music store, artists resource/bulletin board, North Texas musician registry, jazz chat room with scheduled artist interface opportunities, and other content as developed. Additionally, we plan to develop a series of short films that will record the oral histories of some of our Texas Jazz pioneers like David “Fathead” Newman, Red Holloway,Claude Johnson and others who created the Texas Jazz style.

Funding
Thanks to our sponsors! Funding for the Sammons Jazz programs come from ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, a membership program and grants from the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs,TACA, Target Stores, the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Frost Bank, and in-kind support from the Ben E. Keith Co.

Sammons Center and Sammons Jazz are sponsored by: