Chicago jazz greats to perform April 17 at St. Charles' Baker Center
On Saturday, April 17, two stars of the Chicago jazz scene - singer Paul Marinaro and pianist Jeremy Kahn - present a concert of beloved songs by Duke Ellington, Richard Rodgers, and Harold Arlen at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the historic Baker Community Center in downtown St. Charles.
The live-and-in-person concert is part of the Saturday Night Lights series produced by the Norris Cultural Arts Center. For more information and a link to online ticketing, visit www.NorrisCulturalArts.com.
In observance of public health guidelines, seating is limited and socially distanced.
Vocalist Paul Marinaro, dubbed as having "one of the most beautiful vocal instruments in the business today" by Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune, is a modern classic. With Chicago as his home base, Marinaro has become one of the most in-demand and respected male vocalists, demonstrating a mastery of and an infectious passion for the material he chooses, and allowing him to successfully command audiences with his fresh interpretations.
Marinaro performs regularly at Chicago's world-famous venues, including Joe and Wayne Segal's Jazz Showcase, The Green Mill, Andy's Jazz Club, and Winter's Jazz Club. He was a featured performer at The Chicago Jazz Festival in 2014 and again in 2017 for an audience of 10,000 on the stage at the massive Pritzker Pavilion, where his performance with jazz legend Sheila Jordan earned rave reviews and was named "Best of 2017" (Chicago Tribune). He has earned "Best Performance of the Year" in the Chicago Tribune in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018; and "Best of Chicago 2015" in NewCity Magazine.
Jeremy Kahn is one of Chicago's favorite pianists, dividing his time between jazz venues, pit orchestras, and recording and teaching studios. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Kahn spent 12 years in New York, where he was a member of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks, and was the pianist in the Chicago Jazz Ensemble led by Jon Faddis. He has performed on stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Branford Marsalis, the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, and on screen with Madonna, Mary Wilson and Johnny Crawford.
Kahn has played at many of Chicago's theaters, including the Oriental, Cadillac Palace, Shubert, Auditorium, Chicago, Aurora Paramount, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Lincolnshire Marriott, Porchlight and Royal George for shows like "Wicked," "Spamalot," "The Lion King," "Les Miserables," "Aida," and "Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara." Howard Reich, of the Chicago Tribune, wrote, "New York's loss has been Chicago's gain in the case of Jeremy Kahn, the splendid jazz pianist who (has) moved back to his hometown ..."