30
SARATOGA
PULSE
Friday, June 24, 2011
Michael McDonald
George Wein
Five-time Grammy® Award winner Michael McDonald, whose instantly recognizable voice has earned him fans around the world, and record sales in the tens of millions, headlines this year’s Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. Performing on the first day of the festival, Saturday, June 25, McDonald will bring his husky, soulful baritone to SPAC’s stage, performing hits he recorded with Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers and from his successful solo career. McDonald first gained wide attention as a member of Steely Dan, singing backup and playing keyboards onstage. One year after the release of Steely Dan’s “Katy Lied,” McDonald was asked to join the Doobie Brothers. In the years that followed, McDonald and the Doobie Brothers enjoyed tremendous success. McDonald’s writing and lead singing abilities propelled the hits “Taking it to the Streets,” and the Grammy® Award winning song of the year “What a Fool Believes.” After the Doobie Brothers’ first farewell tour, McDonald started working on his own career. He released his first solo album “If that’s what it takes” and won another Grammy® Award for “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram. In 2010, McDonald teamed up with Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs for the “Dukes of September Rhythm Revue” tour, which was a huge critical and commercial success. In May, McDonald was awarded an honorary doctorate by the prestigious Berklee College of Music for his achievements in contemporary music and influence on the young musicians of today.
Dee Dee Bridgewater
2011
Saratoga Jazz Festival
SATURDAY, JUNE 25 Amphitheatre Stage Lionel Loueke Trio Ben Allison Band Eliane Elias Jack DeJohnette Group George Wein & The Newport All Stars Dee Dee Bridgewater Michael McDonald
SING
Gazebo Stage Marcus Strickland Hilary Kole Ben Allison Blindfold Test w/ Dan Ouellette Lionel Loueke Trio Steve Cardenas Trio w/ Ben Allison & Rudy Royston
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
THE
Amphitheatre Stage Pedrito Martinez Group Tia Fuller The Bad Plus Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings “A Night in Treme” – Donald Harrison, Jr. Quintet Sing The Truth! – Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves & Lizz Wright
Gazebo Stage Rebecca Coupe Franks Brian Mitchell Band David Binney Matt Slocum Trio Pedrito Martinez Group
Tickets start at just $45 on the lawn • New - Kids Free on the lawn • 2 Stages/26 Artists • BYOB – carry in food and drink • More info, audio clips & tickets online at spac.org
TRUTH!
TODAY
Hilary Kole
Vocalist and pianist Hilary Kole makes her festival debut Saturday, June 25 on the Gazebo stage in support of last year’s release of her critically acclaimed second album, “You Are There.” A master storyteller who merges cabaret sensibilities, jazz vocal craft, and a slight hint of folk charm, Kole has a voice that jazz critic Don Heckman described as reaching “beyond the usual vocal interpretations...in her gifted hands, they’re transformed into compelling musical short stories….” Kole holds the distinction of being the youngest vocalist to perform in the famed Rainbow Room in New York City.
“A Night In Treme” is a national tour featuring music inspired by the HBO series “Treme,” and will be a featured act at the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival on Sunday, June 26. Headlined by a true ambassador of New Orleans music, Mardi Gras Indian Chief Donald Harrison Jr. with the Mardi Gras Indians, the tour kicked off on June 10 in San Francisco with a sold out, critically-acclaimed performance. Harrison’s alto saxophone playing is laced with pride and fired with defiance, acceptance and hope. Featuring different artists as the tour travels through the United States, the Saratoga performance of “A Night In Treme” will feature special guest vocalist and percussionist Cyril Neville, of the legendary Neville Brothers clan. There will also be a recorded narration by actor Wendell Pierce on the history of the neighborhood and the struggle to repair and rebuild lives after Hurricane Katrina. The HBO Series “Treme” follows musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and ordinary New Orleans residents as they try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane and levee failure that caused the near-death of an American city.
Donald Harrison, Jr.