Jean's Jazz Series

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ABOUT JEAN's JAZZ

Jean's Jazz Series began in the fall of 2001 by Joe Mooney, in memory of his wife Jean, who died of cancer the preceding June.
Jean had been a jazz devotee and a dedicated volunteer for the Racine Theatre Guild.

A night of Jean's Jazz is a total audio, visual, social and soulful experience:

- Two dynamic sets (opening act 7-8 p.m., second act 8:30-9:45 p.m.)
- Superior acoustics and unobstructed sightlines
- Beautiful, smoke-free surroundings and comfortable seating
- Cash Bar
- Dancing
- Opportunity to meet and greet top artists

The lineup for Jean's Jazz Series 2012

Jean’s Jazz Series season 11 takes a musical journey

The Racine Theatre Guild and Jean’s Jazz Series sponsor Educators Credit Union invite you to take a musical journey and warm up your winter with hot sounds from around the world. On January 26, Jean’s Jazz launches its 11th season with Atlantic Wave and Paris la Nuit. Season packages and individual show tickets are available for dynamic live jazz performances by top artists from January through March at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Avenue (Highway 38).

Each Jean’s Jazz event delivers two exhilarating sets by acclaimed jazz artists in the acoustically superior RTG auditorium. Concessions and cash bar are available throughout the evening. There’s room to dance. And you can meet and greet some of the finest jazz musicians performing today.

Here is the itinerary for Jean’s Jazz Series 2012:

· Thursday, JANUARY 26, 7 p.m.
Atlantic Wave
The sound is “contemporary Celtic trad,” deeply rooted in Ireland, Scotland, and Nova Scotia, played with the modern sensibilities of today’s worldwide Celtic music scene and its many influences. All of the band’s members are multi-instrumentalists. Expect a lively, rollicking, foot-stomping affair, featuring the blazing fiddle barrages of Ed Paloucek and Kaitlin Hahn alternating with Barry Houlehen’s ballads, as John Karr takes charge of rhythm and backups.
Paris la Nuit
Paris la Nuit turns up the heat, mixing jazz, gypsy, cabaret, Latin, tango, and pop together into one fantastic French-y blend. The repertoire spans Edith Piaf, Guns N’ Roses, Benabar, Gorillaz, Paris Combo, Radiohead, Django Reinhardt, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jacques Brel—all served with a sultry twist. The musicians are as diverse as the catalog, coming from the Paris Conservatory, America’s esteemed jazz universities, Aruba, and the streets of Chiciago.

· Saturday, FEBRUARY 25, 7 p.m.
Jean’s Jazz Series continues its international theme with Los Perros Cubanos headlining. Pianist Tim Clausen warms up the crowd at 7 p.m.

You’ll want to dance the night away as you are transported to pre-Castro Cuba, the golden age of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Los Perros Cubanos draws inspiration from the music of Beny More, Arsenio Rodriguez, Compay Segundo, Celia Cruz, Ibrihim Ferrer and Tito Puente. Immerse yourself in Cuban culture and be totally entertained by Roger Sosa (vocals, rhythm guitar), John Manos (lead, slide and acoustic guitars, vocals), Michael Rodriguez and Sam Werk (congas, bongos, timbales, percussion, vocals), Greg James (bass, vocals) and Harry Michaels (guitar)

Tim Clausen
A pianist faithful to jazz improvisation and pop music of an earlier era, Tim Clausen will lift your spirits with his crisp, clear, and sensitive playing. Self-taught, his style is original, unique, and highly personal.

His influences include jazz giants Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, and Carl Perkins. He performs in the finest restaurants, hotels, and arts centers of his native Milwaukee, as well as at engagements in Houston, Philadelphia, and Paris.
Los Perros Cubanos
Prepare to dance the night away and immerse yourself in pre-Castro Cuba, the golden age of the 1940’s and 1950’s. You’ll be transported and totally entertained by Roger Sosa (vocals, rhythm guitar), John Manos (lead, slide and acoustic guitars, vocals), Michael Rodriguez and Sam Werk (congas, bongos, timbales, percussion, vocals), Greg James (bass, vocals), and Harry Michaels (guitar).

· Thursday, MARCH 29, 7 p.m.—
Kevin Horrigan
Horrigan has a highly rhythmic and percussive style, often slapping and tapping the guitar strings to accompany bass and melody lines. Enriching the texture even further, he enjoys singing over complex backdrops and utilizing looping technology to create fuller soundscapes. Only the seventh person in the world to obtain a BFA with a specialty in finger-style guitar performance, he is the 2011 winner of the prestigious International Finger-style Guitar Competition.
Bill Sargent’s REALLY Big Band
When only the very best will do, here is the ultimate big band experience, led by “Wisconsin’s King of Swing,” Bill Sargent. This band delivers the attitude of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Ella Fitzgerald; the classic standards of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Rogers and Hart; and the rich texture and full depth of Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Prima, and Benny Goodman.

Ticket prices are lower in 2012 than when Jean’s Jazz began in 2001, thanks to underwriting from Educators Credit Union and support from patrons of the Jean’s Jazz beverage tent at First Fridays in Downtown Racine. Season tickets for all three nights are priced at $32 for adults, $27 for seniors (62 and older), and $15 for students (21 and under). Individual tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors, and just $5 for students.

The Racine Theatre Guild Box Office at 2519 Northwestern Avenue is open from noon to 6 p.m. on weekdays; weekend hours vary. To order by phone, call 262-633-4218. Individual tickets may be purchased online at www.racinetheatre.org. Information can also be found at www.jeansjazzseries.com.

Season Tickets available:
All three dates $32 adults, $27 senior (62 & older), $15 student (21 & younger)

Individual shows go on sale in December
$14 adult, $12 senior(62 & older), $5 student (21 & younger)

For ticket information, please call the box office at 262.633.4218.