LADIES OF JAZZ
Join one of Nashville’s favorite shows Wendy Burns Music’s Ladies of Jazz Show on Veteran’s Day Eve, the November edition features a theme of 1940’s USO tour, music of the 1940’s and beyond. Wendy Burns Music’s LADIES OF JAZZ SHOW… “It’s a Nashville Show to See”. Featuring an exciting lineup of talent, Rudy’s Jazz Room’s “Ladies of Jazz” showcase presents Nashville’s favorite female vocalists collaborating together, displaying a variety of original and distinct vocal talent, backed by some of Nashville’s best and well known musicians. Harmonies of the Andrew sisters and jokes and just a gosh darn happy time. Come join us and see the show series that people are loving and talking about.
Wendy Burns
Nashville’s 2022 Inducted member Academy of Local Musicians Hall of Fame and 2023 & 2024 Mississippi Music Foundations Best Female Jazz vocalists of the year.
Flute playing jazz vocalist Wendy Burns of Nashville TN has studied and performed songs from the 1940’s Jazz Big Band era since the age of 9 years old. She has been described as having a unique voice that fits the era. She has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and has sessioned and performed with many of the Nashville classic country greats. With a deep passion for jazz standards, and as a hopeless romantic, Wendy believes there’s beauty in staying true to the melodies as they were written. Her set list includes songs from the “Great American Songbook”, jazz standards, and a number of her fabulous original pieces that reminisce of cherished jazz classics you’ve never heard. Wendy’s influences are Judy Garland, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, The Andrew Sisters, and Helen Forrest, to name a few. You will also hear some of her original tunes in vaudeville fashion featuring “Grover” her ukulele.
Mimi Clay
Newly Mimi Clay and formerly Mimi Klipstine grew up in tiny West Milton, Ohio singing with amazing pianists such as David Wion and Betty Lou Johansen. She attended Interlochen Arts Camp and then went on to graduate from the Academy. Next, she graduated with a B.F.A. in Acting with a Musical Theatre Emphasis from Wright State University and is a two-time recipient of the renowned Stephen Schwartz Scholarship awarded by The Human Race Theatre Company. She was a featured vocalist in An Evening with Leslie Uggams — a concert filmed for PBS, has performed her solo show You’re GonnaHear from Mimi at The Duplex in New York City, and has sungat The Bitter End multiple times. She’s had countless performance adventures. Some credits include She Loves Me (Ilona Ritter), Funny Girl (Fanny Brice), Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney), Guys and Dolls (Miss Adelaide), Into the Woods (Witch), and Sunday in the Park with George.
Abigail Flowers
Abigail Flowers is a Nashville-based jazz vocalist and Lanikai Ukuleles artist. Drawing on vocal influences like Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and Nat King Cole, her vocal style is smooth and precise. She frequently performs in as many languages as possible, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Hawaiian.
After graduating from Belmont University with a degree in commercial vocal performance, she worked as a vocalist at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan for several seasons. Abigail has recorded in collaboration with producers like Charlie Peacock and Cody Fry, and her vocal arrangements have garnered over 1.5 million streams on Spotify.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ben Pollack was born on June 22, 1903 in Chicago, Illinois and learned to play drums in high school. He formed groups on the side, performing professionally in his teens. He joined the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in Chicago in 1923 and later went out to Los Angeles, California and joined Harry Bastin Band.
In 1924, returning to Chicago he played for several bands including Art Kessel. That association led to his forming Ben Pollack and His Californians, the 12-piece Venice Ballroom Orchestra in 1925. He had some performances broadcast on WLW radio in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over time the band included Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden, Jimmy McPartland and Gil Rodin. From about 1928, with involvement from Irving Mills, members of Pollack’s band moonlighted at Plaza-ARC and recorded a vast quantity of hot dance and jazz for their dime store labels.
His band played in Chicago and moved to New York City in 1928, having obtained McPartland and Teagarden around that time. This outfit enjoyed immense success, playing for Broadway shows and winning an exclusive engagement at the Park Central Hotel. Pollack’s band was involved in extensive recording activity at that time, using a variety of pseudonyms in the studios. The orchestra also made a Vitaphone short subject sound film.
Fancying himelf more as a bandleader-singer type he signed Ray Bauduc to handle the drumming chores. They became known as Ben Pollack and his Park Central Orchestra. When Benny Goodman and Jimmy McPartland left the band in mid-1929. They were replaced by Matty Matlock on clarinet and Jack Teagarden’s brother, Charlie, on trumpet and tenor saxophonist Eddie Miller in 1930. Five years later the band broke up.
Pollack formed a new band with Harry James and Irving Fazola, the former with whom he wrote the hit “Peckin'”. In the early 1940s, he organized a band led by comedian Chico Marx, started Jewel Records, opened restaurants in Hollywood and Palm Springs, and appeared as himself in the movie The Benny Goodman Story, and made a cameo in The Glenn Miller Story.
Drummer Ben Pollack, who appeared in five films in the late Forties and Fifties, suffered a series of financial losses, grew despondent and hanged himself in his home in Palm Springs on June 7, 1971.
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ETIENNE CHARLES CREOLE ORCHESTRA
Last season, trumpet master, inexhaustible band leader, and fashion icon Etienne Charles lit up The House of Swing with his Appel Room performance of Carnival: The Sound of a People. Now, he returns to Dizzy’s Club leading his Creole-inflected big band featuring master practitioners from across the globe. Expect a spirited set of new music designed to pull every listener of every generation from their seat to their feet.
The Orchestra
Etienne Charles, music director/trumpet
Nathaniel Williford, Austin Muthyala, trumpet
Anthony Hervey, trumpet (6/15 and 6/16)
Summer Camargo, trumpet 6/15 and 6/16)
Trunino Lowe, trumpet (6/14 only)
Geoffrey Gallante (6/14 only)
Sam Keedy, Rashaan Salaam, Gina Benalcazar-Lopez, trombone
Rob Edwards, trombone (6/14 only)
Dion Tucker, trombone (6/15 and 6/16)
Godwin Louis, Jordan Pettay, alto saxophone
John Ellis, tenor saxophone
Joseph Herbst, tenor saxophone, libriarian
Paul Nedzela, baritone saxophone
Alex Wintz, guitar
Andre White, steel pan
Axel Tosca, piano
Brandon Rose, bass, vocals
Harvel Nakundi, drums
Dennis Collins, vocals (6/16 only)
Katie Oberhotlzer, vocals (6/16 only)
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JANE MONHEIT
Jane Monheit is a jazz and adult contemporary vocalist with a deep passion for the Great American Songbook. With many highly acclaimed solo albums, countless awards and accolades, and over two decades of international touring experience, Jane has not only been an extremely successful bandleader, but has had the privilege of making music with some of the greatest musicians, arrangers, and producers in jazz.
At the age of 20, during her senior year at the prestigious Manhattan School Of Music, Jane placed second in the Thelonious Monk Competition, now known as the Hancock Competition. This led to an incredible career trajectory, catapulting Jane into the jazz stratosphere nearly overnight.
By 22, Jane was working with legends such as Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter, and Kenny Barron, recording her first albums, and touring the planet. This led to collaborations with jazz luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Ivan Lins, Tom Harrell, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza, Jorge Calandrelli, and many more.
After more than twenty years, twelve studio albums and countless recorded guest appearances, Jane has continued to tour the world nearly nonstop, including playing iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, and headlining at nearly every legendary jazz club on the planet, most notably NY stalwarts such as the Village Vanguard and Birdland
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NICOLE HENRY
Philadelphia native and SOUTH favorite, Nicole Henry and her world class band returns for two stellar nights of amazing jazz on July 26 & 27.
Nicole’s versatile and emotionally driven performances have wowed audiences in 20 countries. Among her numerous accolades, Henry’s passionate, soulful voice and heartfelt charisma have earned her a Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance,” “Best New Jazz Artist” by HMV Japan, “Best Solo Musician” by her hometown Miami New Times, and she was hailed as “One of Eight Black Artists Making Waves in 2024” by Symphonic.
She has enjoyed four TOP 10 CDs including her latest album “Time to Love Again” which reached #4 on the U.S. jazz radio chart and remained in the TOP 40 for 20 weeks. “Time to Love Again” also reached #6 on UK’s Sweet Rhythms chart and enjoys worldwide play on both Sirius XM’s Real Jazz & Watercolors stations. These successes were supplemented by a 32-city national tour.
The New York Times raved, “I had the sense of being in the presence of a pop-soul superwoman whose every gesture and inflection conveyed confidence and mastery,” while BroadwayWorld exclaimed, “(She) should be standing on the biggest stages of the world, alongside the biggest divas in the world. Everyone everywhere needs to be exposed to this magical force of musical artistry.”
Two Shows ~ 7:00pm & 9:30pm
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