Yolanda Rabun is a Renaissance Woman. A wife, mother, corporate lawyer, and national recording and performing artist, this North Carolina based go-getter lives life on purpose.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Juhani Aaltonen was born December 12, 1935 in Kouvola, Finland. He began playing professionally at the end of the Fifties. He played in a sextet led by Heikki Rosendahl during that time, and then studied flute performance at the Sibelius Academy and in the U.S. at the Berklee College of Music.
Moving back to Finland, he settled in Helsinki and began working both as a session musician and with fusion groups. Late in the 1960s he formed a duo with Edward Vesala, played in the group Eero Koivistoinen and with Tasavallan Presidentti. He recorded with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and with Heikki Sarmanto late in the decade and early 1970s. His debut album as a soloist, Etiquette, was released in 1974.
The following year Juhani became a member of the New Music Orchestra, and worked with the Nordic All Stars, Arild Andersen, and Peter Brötzmann before the end of the decade. The Eighties saw him working with the UFO Big Band, Jan Garbarek, Charlie Mariano, and others. He led a touring quartet from 1990 to 1992.
In 2001 he released a duo recording, Rise, and his trio album Mother Tongue won a Jazz-Emma in Finland. Saxophonist and flautist Juhani Aaltonen continues to perform as well as teach at the annual Nilsiä Music Camp.
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YOLANDA RABUN TRIBUTE TO NANCY WILSON
For two nights only the holiday season will honor the contributions of songstress Nancy Wilson as songs are interpreted by the great North Carolina-based singer Yolanda Rabun, while the story of her life is told by Jazz Historian Carl Anthony.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jim Hession was born on December 10, 1947 in Pasadena, California, where he studied piano with composer Oscar Rasbach. By the time he turned twenty he was a fixture in the traditional jazz scene, with his incredibly accurate two-handed piano style. He was a founding member of the Maple Leaf Club, receiving his degree in composition from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied under Paul Chihara and Lalo Schifrin.
Jim met and began recording with Eubie Blake and while recording with Eubie Blake in New York City he began exploring more contemporary jazz venues, while retaining his handle on traditional jazz styles like ragtime, stride and boogie-woogie.
He met his future wife Martha while they were attending UCLA, where she was studying piano and voice. She began singing professionally with Jim and started a professional association with the Walt Disney Company in 1967 until relocating to the Gulf Coast in 2003.
Over the years they have performed with such luminaries as Teddy Wilson, Al Hirt, Bob Crosby, Johnny Guarnieri, Max Morath, Shelton Brooks, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and Disney songwriters the Sherman Brothers. They have acquired an incredible knowledge of the history of American music and hold 85,000+ pieces, one of the largest privately-held collections of original sheet music in the United States.
They have lectured at many colleges and educational venues across the country. The couple have performed as a jazz duo, headlined the American Jazz Quintet, appeared on television, produced stage shows, and historical lectures. Pianist Jim Hession and Martha Hession continue to bring a level of talent and versatility not often found on the music scene.
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CHARMAINE NEVILLE
The daughter of legendary saxophonist Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers, carries the torch of a rich New Orleans musical legacy. While she is rooted in the city’s vibrant traditions, Charmaine brings her own unique voice to the stage, blending R&B, Jazz, and world rhythms into a sound that’s all her own. Her performances are a reflection of the city’s spirit—bold, diverse, and deeply soulful.
Renowned for her high-energy live shows, Charmaine and her band captivate audiences with an infectious sense of joy and a strong emphasis on audience participation. Whether delivering soulful ballads or rhythm-driven grooves, she creates an unforgettable experience, inviting listeners to feel the music and become part of the celebration. Charmaine Neville’s sound is a true reflection of the Crescent City: timeless, exciting, and impossible to resist.
The Band:
Charmaine Neville – lead vocals, percussion
Amasa Miller – piano, musical director
Detroit Brooks – guitar
Donald Ramsey – bass
Raymond Weber – drums
Two Shows at 7:30pm & 9:30pm
Tickets: $25.00.
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DANNY MIXON QUINTET
The Harlem born pianist gained attention in the 1970s and continues to record and play in New York and abroad. Starting off as a tap dancer he attended the Ruth Williams Dance Studio before enrolling at the High School of Performing Arts with dance as his major. Soon after arriving at the school he switched to playing the piano after being inspired by visits with his grandfather to see jazz artists playing at the Apollo Theater.
At 17 he began his professional career playing behind Patti LaBelle & the Blue Bells. He went on to work with Joe Lee Wilson, Betty Carter, Kenny Dorham, Cecil Payne, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster, Grant Green, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Williams, Eddie Jefferson and Dee Dee Bridgewater. He formed his own jazz trio and recorded with the Piano Choir.
The quintet features vocalist Antoinette Montague, backed saxophonist James Stewart, bassist Bryce Sebastien, drummer George Gray, and Band Leader Danny Mixon on piano.
Two Shows ~ 8:00pm | 9:30pm
Tickets: $35.00 per set
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