Nebraska Jazz Orchestra Presents "Singin' & Swingin'"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MARCH 2007 NEBRASKA JAZZ ORCHESTRA PRESENTS "SINGIN' & SWINGIN'" Contact: 402-477-8446, njo@artsincorporated.org Lincoln, NE - Join the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and featured vocalist Giacomo Gates, whose classic roots and varied repertoire have brought him international acclaim. This concert will also feature Omaha's Metro Area Youth Jazz Orchestra as a part of the Jazz 101 program. Support for the Singin' & Swingin' concert is provided by concert sponsors REAMS Sprinkler Supply, First National Bank, Butch Berman & the Berman Music Foundation, and Ameritas. The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra thanks Nebraska Diamond for its generous support of the year-round activities of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. The concert will be held Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1040 P Street in Lincoln, Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. Priority seating for season ticket holders and Jazz Club members is at 7:00 p.m., with general admission seating beginning at 7:15 p.m. Single admission tickets are $20 for Adults, $17 for Seniors, and $10 for Students, and may be purchased by contacting the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra business office at (402) 477-8446 or njo@artsincorporated.org. Season tickets for the remainder of the 2006-2007 season are available for purchase at pro-rated prices. A pre-concert dinner will be held before the concert at the Embassy Suites at a cost of $22 per person. At dinner you will be joined by music director Ed Love and treated to discussion about the musical highlights of the evening's concert. For dinner reservations please contact the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra business office at (402) 477-8446 or njo@artsincorporated.org by Friday, April 6, 2007. Giacomo Gates Heavily steeped in the traditions of the original vocal improvisers from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald through their modern counterparts Betty Carter and Leon Thomas, Giacomo's own approach draws most heavily from the bebop-rooted masters like Jon Hendricks, Babs Gonzales, King Pleasure and most of all, Eddie Jefferson. Blessed with a full-bodied and mellifluous voice, extraordinary rhythmic precision and an unerring sense of lyricism, Gates' total command of the vernacular, boundless creativity and exuberant passion set him apart from nearly every other vocalist on the scene. Like his mentors, Gates would sometimes translate great instrumental solos into Vocalese, including the works of Lee Morgan, Chet Baker, Gene Ammons, Charlie Rouse and many others, also penning lyrics to classic jazz compositions. Giacomo sometimes vocalizes as an instrument – trombone, flute, bass and even drums. Originally developed while working a steady duo gig with a pianist in Connecticut, Giacomo would improvise bass lines or drum sounds in support of the piano solos. Invited onstage by Jon Hendricks during a performance in 1995, Gates sang drums to Hendricks' bass accompaniment of the pianist. After that, the instrument vocal became a regular part of his program. Giacomo has also performed with such notables as Lou Donaldson, Freddie Hubbard, Richie Cole, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis and Hilton Ruiz. But his primary focus has been leading his own groups, which has taken him all over the U.S. and other parts of the world. Gates has three heavily acclaimed CDs, with his most recent release, Centerpiece on Origin Records garnering rave reviews and receiving heavy airplay on over 300 stations, with over three months in the top 20 of the Jazz Week charts.

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