New Brunswick, NJ - The State Theatre presents the annual return of the New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival at the Backstage Jazz Club, September 24-26, 2009. It's an all-star musical lineup in an intimate setting for serious and casual jazz and blues fans alike. Featured performances during the festival include Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers (9/24/09 at 8pm & 10pm); Marcia Ball (9/25/09 at 8pm & 10pm); and the Yellowjackets (9/26/09 at 8pm & 10pm).
All three performances take place in the exclusive 230-seat club-style venue on stage. Tickets for State Theatre donors (Benefactor and up) are on sale now. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, July 24 at 10am. Tickets range from $35-50. The festival has been made possible by the generous support of New Millennium Bank.
“The New Jersey Blues and Jazz Festival is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. There is absolutely nothing better than sitting ten feet away from world class artists listening to them play! Its like being in their living room! And the lineup this year is nothing short of stupendous. Rod Piazza tore the house down last year and is high, high energy! Youll never see Marcia Ball in a venue this intimate . . . NEVER. And life on a Saturday night with the Yellow Jackets and your favorite beverage doesn't get any better. I plan on living at the theatre that weekend," commented State Theatre President & CEO Wes Brustad.
The schedule for New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival at the Backstage Jazz Club is as follows:
Thu, September 24 at 8pm & 10pm at the Backstage Jazz Club
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
From his first recordings as a leader in 1967 fronting The Dirty Blues Band, through his multiple W.C. Handy award-winning releases with his current band The Mighty Flyers, to his countless appearances both live and on record with the most revered names in the blues, Rod Piazza has established himself as one of the most influential living blues harp players. The Mighty Flyers' sound is a blues combination of low-down Chicago grit, suave West Coast swing and jazz, and the rhythmic drive of early R&B and rock & roll making them one of the most distinctive bands in blues today.
Tickets: $45 Table Seat, $35 Chairs.
Fri, September 25 at 8pm & 10pm at the Backstage Jazz Club
Marcia Ball
Singer/pianist Marcia Ball knows how to raise roofs and tear down walls with her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie, rollicking, roadhouse blues, and heartfelt ballads. Over the course of her three-decade career, Ball has earned a huge and intensely loyal following all over the world. Her exquisite piano playing and passionate, playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin's deep songwriting tradition into a sound No Depression described as “a little rock, a lot of roll, a pinch of rhythm and a handful of blues."
Tickets: $50 Table Seat, $40 Chairs.
Sat, September 26 at 8pm & 10pm at the Backstage Jazz Club
Yellowjackets
The Yellowjackets perform an evening of eclectic, electric jazz fusion. Building on a bedrock of jazz, funk, rock, and R&B, the Grammy-winning quartet has been pushing the boundaries of music for over a quarter of a century. “One of the most respected and critically-recognized improvisatory bands in the world," says Keyboard Magazine.
Tickets: $50 Table Seat, $40 Chairs.
On Stage Venue - Backstage Jazz Club
This 230-seat on stage venue is custom designed to give patrons an exclusive club-style experience just inches away from the artists. The Backstage Jazz Club provides a unique environment for patrons to relax on stage, face the beautiful interior of the magnificently renovated 1921 hall, and experience music from living jazz and blues greats up close and personal. The venue's entrance and all accommodations are backstage. There will be assigned table seating and general admission non-table seating, as well as light fare, and a fully-stocked bar.
For tickets or more information, call the State Theatre ticket office at 732-246-SHOW (7469), or visit us online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org. The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11am to 7pm and at least one hour prior to curtain on performance dates. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 536.
The State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatres programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. Continental Airlines is the official airline of the State Theatre. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre. William Grant & Sons, our season spirits' sponsor.
STATE THEATRE: 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Ticket Office - 732-246-SHOW (7469)
Online - StateTheatreNJ.org
