The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Larry Rosen present Jazz Roots – A Larry Rosen Jazz Series
March 18, 2011 at 8 p.m.
Knight Concert Hall
Adrienne Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132

Tickets: $25 to $130
For tickets visit www.arshtcenter.org or call the box office at (305) 949-6722

Four-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves;
Red-hot jazz chanteuse Jane Monheit; and
introducing 16-year-old vocal phenomenon Nikki Yanofsky

The concert will showcase the artistry of three generations of divas following in the footsteps of the iconic female jazz singers of the past, and highlight how their legacy is moving forward in this ever-evolving art form

Now celebrating its Fifth Anniversary Season, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Larry Rosen present Jazz Roots: A Larry Rosen Jazz Series – Three Generations Of Divas on March 18, 2011 at 8 p.m. in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center. This concert brings onstage, together for the first time, three of today’s most celebrated jazz singers spanning three generations: Dianne Reeves, respected as the reigning queen of female jazz vocalists; honey-voiced songstress Jane Monheit, the multi-Grammy nominee who is bringing the golden age of jazz standards to a new generation; and introducing 16-year-old singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky, who recently rose to international stardom wowing audiences when she sang the theme song for the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In the tradition of jazz icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, this Jazz Roots program places the spotlight on three of the most talented contemporary vocalists on the jazz scene today. “While each artist in her own right is a devoted keeper-of-the-flame of this beloved American music, each one also brings a fresh, dynamic approach, showing the evolution of this treasured genre,” said M. John Richard, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Dianne Reeves is the voice of this era and the most decorated jazz singer of recent years. The four-time Grammy winner is the only singer to win the vocal category for three consecutive recordings in any singing category. Her virtuosity, improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings have garnered Reeves international acclaim on the jazz circuit and beyond. She has performed and recorded extensively with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic, among others. Additionally, she was featured prominently on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed feature film Good Night, and Good Luck. Reeves released her much-anticipated first solo album in several years, When You Know, a stunning array of old and new standards with infectious, uplifting originals, on the famed Blue Note label.

A multiple Grammy Award nominee, jazz singer Jane Monheit has mastered the art of remaking the familiar into something fresh and innovative with a rare combination of wit, grace, and deep emotion. Since being chosen as a finalist in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute’s vocal competition, she has become one of the world’s premier vocal interpreters and all around musical talents. Her lifelong passion and the genre with which she identifies most are the jazz standards of the Great American Songbook. Monheit embodies a retro-styled vocal delivery and is committed to bringing the classics to new audiences. She has been featured on the award-winning PBS television series, Legends of Jazz, Christmas at The White House, the Capitol Fourth of July Celebration, and on television shows including “The Today Show” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” To date, Monheit has released eight CDs, including her newest recording, Home, and has collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé, Tom Harrell, and Terence Blanchard.

Sixteen-year old Montreal-born singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky was seen by millions when she sang for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Her single, I Believe, which was the official song for the Olympics, immediately shot to number one on the Canadian charts. She is the youngest singer ever to appear on a Verve Records release, and at her tender age, is already a veteran of the jazz circuit, having toured with famed composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch, performed with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, and headlined the most prestigious international jazz festivals. She has sung before full houses at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Avery Fisher Hall. In 2010, Yanofsky released her first studio album, Nikki, produced by the legendary, multi-Grammy Award-winning producer Phil Ramone. The recording debuted at number one on the Canadian Billboard Jazz Chart and also at number one on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Chart, becoming certified gold within just three months. New York magazine calls her “astonishingly talented.”

Jazz Roots also features an in-depth educational partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools which will bring more than 900 music students to the Center for a unique behind-the-scenes experience, including a pre-concert sound check and a Q&A session with featured artists followed by a workshop with a local jazz expert that will highlight the music, the artistic process and the practical skills needed for a career in the arts. In addition, the Center has developed a curriculum which will be distributed to 800 music, English and social studies teachers throughout the MDCPS school system, potentially serving 24,000 children.

Heralded by Quincy Jones as “the most important new concert and educational jazz series in America!,” Jazz Roots has the unique distinction of being the only major jazz series in America that has sold-out every one of its concerts since inception. The final concert this season of the six-concert Jazz Roots series is GUITAR VIRTUOSOS, featuring two of the hottest guitarists in all of jazz — Al Di Meola and Lee Ritenour — on April 1, 2011. Since the inception of the series, more than 24,000 South Floridians have attended Jazz Roots concerts at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

WPBT Channel 2, WDNA 88.9 FM Serious Jazz, WLRN 91.3 FM, and Capsule Media have generously agreed to be media sponsors of Jazz Roots.
Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details and schedules. See highlights and video for the Jazz Roots series at www.jazzroots.net.

Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.