Jazz vocalist performed at Jazz on the Green Thursday.By Chris Cooke
Omaha, Nebraska – An evening of Hot Club music as interpreted by Connie Evingson can soothe the eardrums.
That was the case Thursday night when Evingson performed at Joslyn's Jazz on the Green series with the Clearwater Hot Club.
The night was nothing less than a miracle. For once, thunderstorms did not arrive to postpone or force a change of plans for the music.
Instead, Evingson and the Clearwater Hot Club-comprised of lead guitarist Sam Miltich with Tony Balluf on clarinet, Mark Kreitzer on rhthm guitar, and Matthew Miltich on bass, created a wonderful night of music that inspired some attendees of all ages to dance near the stage.
Flights of musical brilliance were sustained on tunes such as Caravan, Night in Tunisia, Nuages, and selections from Evingson's recent Hot Club records.
An accomplished vocalist, Connie Evingson gained her early experiences as a vocalist performing in church and school choirs. After receiving a B.A. from the University of Minnesota where she studied anthropology as well as music, Evingson started her professional career in 1980 in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a member of the critically acclaimed vocal group Four by Four, Evingson toured Japan, Italy, Portugal, and Finland, appeared on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, and opened for Harry Connick, Jr., Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Dizzy Gillespie.
Additionally, Connie Evingson has been a guest soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony conducted by Doc Severinsen. The Twin Cities based vocalist is the creator of the original stage production, Fever, A Tribute to Peggy Lee, which she has performed at theatres across the country and excerpted at New York's Town Hall.
Connie Evingson has released eight CDs on her own imprint, Minnehaha Music: I Have Dreamed; Fever - A Tribute to Peggy Lee; Some Cats Know; Let it Be Jazz - Connie Evingson Sings the Beatles; The Secret of Christmas; Gypsy In My Soul; Stockholm Sweetnin and Little Did I Dream.
Her website is connieevingson.com.
Jazz in the Afternoon host Chris Cooke caught up with Connie Evingson via phone recently. Click on the link above to listen to the interview. Recording engineer: Mike Hansen. Photo credit: Chris Cooke.
Chris Cooke is the host of Jazz in the Afternoon on KIOS-FM.