October 17, 2010 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
Music from Stage and Screen
Andy Farber
Back by popular demand, award-winning composer and saxophonist Andy Farber kicks off the season with a bang! Farber has performed with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Shirley Horn, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and Joe Lovano. He has performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, The Harry James Band, The Artie Shaw Big Band and many others. For this show, Andy will lead the band through swinging arrangements of music originally written for Broadway, the silver screen and television.
November 7, 2010 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
Kansas City Suite
Jim Mair, Ron Paley
It's a birthday party WJO-style! Winnipeg jazz icon Ron Paley is turning 60 and we're throwing him a party. And leading the WJO is former-Winnipegger and current director of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Jim Mair in a performance of Benny Carter's Kansas City Suite. The Suite, each movement of which depicts a street in Kansas City, is performed alongside an accompanying slide show that celebrates the city's rich jazz history.
December 12, 2010 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
Frank Sinatra Christmas
Gary Grosvenor, Johnny Summers, and Adam O'Conner
They were the coolest cats of all time! Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and Dean Martin ruled Hollywood and Vegas in the 1950s and 60s. The WJO recreates the magic in a holiday-themed concert featuring our own Rat Pack: vocalists Gary Grosvenor, Johnny Summers and Adam O'Conner.
February 13, 2011 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
From Brazil, With Love
Marco Castillo, Amber Epp
Soft chords played gently on guitar, a romantic lyric, and a quiet pulse from the conga drum. This is Bossa Nova! Special guests guitarist Marco Castillo and vocalist Amber Epp, add a little heat to Valentine's Day in a concert celebrating Brazil's greatest export. All that's missing are sun-drenched sandy white beaches kissed by tropical ocean surf.
March 20, 2011 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
Bass-ically New York
Rufus Reid, George Colligan
Legendary bassist, composer and educator Rufus Ried is the WJO's guest for this exciting show. "Reid is the man to call for any musical situation that demands both the utmost skill and impeccable taste" (The New Yorker). He's been the bass player of choice for Gene Ammons, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie and countless others. His five records as a leader - with a sixth due out in April 2011 - have received critical acclaim. Pianist George Colligan fills out the rhythm section for an exciting, must-see concert.
May 8, 2011 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Winnipeg Art Gallery - www.wag.mb.ca
From My Mothers' Songbook
Lesley Corne-Wolman, Yuri Hooker
Born and raised in Winnipeg, vocalist Lesley Corne-Wolman currently lives in Los Angeles. Her musical journey has taken her through Toronto, Boston and New York. With a trail of sold-out shows, critical acclaim, and enthusiastic audiences in her wake, she returns home for a Mother's Day concert featuring the American Songbook gems Mom listens to. Also included in our season finale: the premier performance of a Jeff Presslaff composition featuring cellist Yuri Hooker.