SHOW MARKS THE FIRST POPS PERFORMANCE AT PARX
Images: Download high-res photos. Credits in file names where available.
Philadelphia, PA (March 22, 2018) — The Philly POPS BIG Band will perform for the first time at the new Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bucks County on March 29 in a show called The Philly POPS BIG Band Swings from Sinatra to Today!
Led by Principal Trumpet Matt Gallagher, the BIG Band is set to rock with seventeen POPS musicians, longtime POPS collaborator Tony DeSare featured on keyboard and vocals with homegrown Philly vocalist Tiffany Jones covering R&B tunes.
Gallagher’s BIG Band swings effortlessly from jazzy Count Basie and Duke Ellington standards through B.B. King blues into chart-topping pop hits from Prince, the Beatles and Stevie Wonder—supported with solos by legendary POPS regulars Ron Kerber on Alto Sax and Randy Kapralick on Trombone.
The BIG Band gets this party started with Duke Ellington’s unforgettable “Take the “A” Train”. DeSare and Jones celebrate the Sinatra era further with tunes including “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “I'm Gonna Live Till I Die”. DeSare’s original hit ”New Orleans Tango” is a highlight and Jones cover of “Love’s in Need of Love Today” cannot be missed. If you’ve found something to love in American popular music, you’ll find it in this dazzling show!
Tickets: $20-$40.
About the BIG Band
The BIG Band is composed of 17-20 musicians – saxophones, trumpets, trombones, drums, piano, guitar, and bass. The BIG Band plays swing, ragtime and jazz in the style of the Count Basie Orchestra and Harry James Band, but has expanded its repertoire into all kinds of popular music from Latin to blues and rock. The Philly POPS BIG Band members were chosen for their passion for popular music. Each is also a teaching artist, adept at instructing the next generation of musicians.
The new Philly POPS BIG Band debuted on July 4 with two performances during the City of Philadelphia’s Wawa Welcome America 2017 festival. In the morning, the ensemble played at the Celebration of Freedom ceremony and parade on Independence Mall. In the evening, the BIG Band opened the city’s Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert and Fireworks 2017 show on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. NBC10 and Telemundo62 televised both performances.
Philly POPS principal trumpet Matt Gallagher leads the BIG Band. Matt is chair of the Trumpet department at University of the Arts and director of its “Z” Big Band. He’s performed with Broadway show productions, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Bernadette Peters, the O’Jays, NFL Films, and recently recorded for Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson and LL Cool J.
About Tony DeSare
Tony DeSare performs with infectious joy, wry playfulness and robust musicality. Named a Rising Star Male Vocalist in Downbeat magazine, DeSare has lived up to this distinction by winning critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas headlining with Don Rickles and major symphony orchestras, DeSare has brought his fresh take on old school class around the globe. DeSare has three top ten Billboard jazz albums under his belt and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, the Today Show and his music has been posted by social juggernaut, George Takei.
About Tiffany Jones
Tiffany Jones, a Philadelphia jazz-soul vocalist, has been called an “A-list performer” and a “rising star.” She has performed in venues across Philadelphia, and has worked with local artists such as Dexter Wansel, Donald Robinson, Tim Warfield, and Orrin Evans. Her debut album, Reincarnation, was released in 2002 and her EP, Him, was released in April 2016. Jones currently serves on the voice faculty of the University of the Arts.
http://phillypops.org/concerts-events/philly-pops-big-band-swings-sinatra-today
About The Philly POPS
The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert presentations and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.
Now in its 39th season, the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania serves a consistently growing audience of over 150,000 annually. Music Director Michael Krajewski and the 65-piece Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditions of music up through today’s chart toppers. The Philly POPS BIG Band, an 17-20 piece ensemble performing a rock and rhythm and blues repertoire , premiered in 2017 to enthusiastic response at the July 4 Welcome America Concert on the Parkway.
Outside the concert hall, Salute Series performances – including POPS on Independence on July 3 and the I’ll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders concert – celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays; POPS in Schools enhances music education for Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities.
The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
